A Topographical Dictionary

Finding out that one of your ancestors was from a place called "Much Birch", in the hundred of Wormelow, around the year 1590, might lead you to say... "say what"?  How in the world am I going to get my family connected across that great pond to that big island called England?  Of course this assumes you are from this side [U.S.A.] trying to get back in time to the land of your ancestors. [England and Wales]

For me, one great help was the reference shown below:

    The fancy word "topographical" just means to describe a place...a place like Much Birch.  Well here it is for those of us wanting to break down some of those brick walls.

First published in London, 1831, it was intended to give a historical and statistical description of parishes, chapelries, townships, boroughs, market towns, and all kind of places across the sea on that island.  It also contained maps of the different counties and islands [Guernsey, Jersey, and Man.] and a plan of London.  Samuel Lewis was the author, and did he have his work cut out for him.  The Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. reprinted the original four volumes in two 1996, and made it available to the general public.

Oh yes, on page 169 (Vol. I) there is a description of "Birch (Much)".  It was helpful to see that it needed to be separated from "Birch"(x2), "Birch (Great)",  and "Birch (Little) x2.  Much was taken to get here, but this reference is one of a kind.