Branching Out: how to use pre-1858 wills for family history

A will can be a treasure trove of information for a family historian, providing details of the testator, their family members and associates, as well as descriptions of land and properties. A will can be a rare opportunity to ‘hear’ your ancestor’s own words and find out more about their relationships and what was important to them in their lifetime. More broadly, wills are social documents, providing a window on a particular time and place in history.

‘Branching Out’ is a series of online, self-paced 5-credit modules, which focus on key documents, resources and collections for family history research. They give students an opportunity to study a key topic in depth, using relevant examples and collections.

This course focuses primarily on British research. Students will learn how to effectively search a number of subscription and free genealogical websites. Wherever possible, alternative free resources are highlighted, and the majority of the subscription websites used are available to access for free through local public library services. Some of the online resources referred to during this course do require a subscription, if accessed from home.

Branching Out: how to use pre-1858 wills for family history can be studied as a stand-alone course, but it is also an optional module for the Certificate of Higher Education in Genealogical Studies at Aberystwyth University. If you have already completed our 3-part series of modules Acorn to Oak: building a family tree, these 5 -credit modules will likely be of interest as you can explore a particular topic in much greater detail. This online, self-paced learning course enables students to study from home while participating in an online learning community. The course is delivered through Blackboard, the virtual learning environment, and will include one live webinar.

Assessments
Transcription Task (20%)
Research Project 800 words (80%)

Note

This module is at CQFW Level 4