Elizabethan Age

Various political, social, and religious issues faced our ancestors.  These were often dramatically different than anything that we [our generation] have faced.  For my own family, growing up Protestant, Republican, and bleeding "blue" [Go Big Blue] in the Bluegrass of Kentucky, only to find out that my ancestors were Catholic, Monarchist, and literally bled their own blood, was a surprise. 

The Tudor family [Welsh] brought my Y-chromosome to the eastern side of Offa's Dyke.  Trying to understand this migration presented a number of brick walls.  The book by Norman Jones [cover shown above] provided many insights to this period of my family tree.  A focus on the issues that consumed the lives of my ancestors are given around the 1560's England.  Family values and making a living are presented.  How one did this as a Catholic family from Wales took some time to sort through.  What a deal.  A good read for those who share the same family tree branches.

"The Birth of the Elizabethan Age England In The 1560's" by Norman Jones [A good Welsh surname!] First published 1993, Blackwell Publishers Ltd., Cambridge, MA.

The Tudor Age

For more than a century, 1485 - 1603, the Tudor family reigned on the throne of England.  It certainly was "The Tudor Age".  Welsh connections to the first Henry Tudor places many of Welsh descent on some of the family tree branches.  Such is my own family. 

Understanding this time in an ancestor's life helps place the factors that played a dominate role in their existence.   Shirts, hats, hose, and all kinds of items are discussed in the book by Jasper Ridley titled:
"A Brief History of The Tudor Age". 

Some 344 pages [which some may not consider brief], present topics ranging from "The Tudor Family"...to..."Heretics and Traitors"...to..."The Houses", "Costume and Fashion", "Furniture and Food"...to..."Ships and Voyages"...and all kind of religious, political, and social stuff.  Some of my family would fall under "Heretics and Traitors", but hey, genealogy sets the historical records straight.

The book was first published by Constable and Co. Ltd, in 1998.  This paperback is published as "First Carroll & Graf edition, 2002".  A fun read for those who like to color their family history pages.

Age of Plunder

Social and economic factors play an important role among our ancestors.  Understanding these factors often help clear the branches as we climb out the family tree.  The early Tudor period  reflects many of the social and economic concerns that those of Welsh descent had to face and adjust.  The following book by W.G. Hoskins is a good source for understanding the social dynamics that were to play an important role.

Rural society and urban life was the norm for most of those living during this time.  Wealth was distributed along social roles and status.  Understanding this structure will help the genealogist expand their grasp of this transitional period in Welsh and English history.  Tables and figures present a host of information such as the distribution of the population in England 1524 - 1525, the distribution of wealth among certain counties, the leading trades, and for those from Wales, the annual prices of livestock between 1500 - to - 1558.

The book was published by Longman Group Limited 1976, NY.  It is an interesting find for those who's family crosses these paths.