Book Reviews

Book Reviews Allen Robinett and His Descendants in America. Parts I-V, Supplement. Compiled by James Markoe Robinett. (Beaumont, Texas: 1967-1970. Variously paged. Genealogical tables, indices.) Allin Paul Robinett (1881-1952), of Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., was, with the late Charles Barker, Edward Hacker and Miss M. Atherton Leach, an energetic genealogist habitue of 1300 Locust Street during the 1930's and 1940's. His ceaseless notetaking and transcribing from the collections of the Society, in the greenish glow cast by a large celluloid eyeshade, was directed to the compilation of a history of his family which descended from Allen Robinett (d. 1694), one of William Penn's First Purchasers of 1682. Mr. Robinett visited courthouses and historical societies in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, commissioned searches further afield, and carried on an extended correspondence with, among others, Commander John David Robnett, U.S.N. (1874-1937), who contributed valuable material on Southern and Western Robinetts. At the author's death the manuscript and typescript genealogy might have gone the way of many similar labors, into the fire or into institutional deep freezes. Happily, the genealogist's nephew, James Markoe Robinett of Beaumont, Texas, a busy engineer, has taken it upon himself to compile, with some emendations, mimeograph and distribute the genealogy. Some 960 pages have now appeared in separate parts. Allen Robinett, the progenitor, brought his family in 1682 from Bunbury, Cheshire, to seat a 245-acre tract in Upper Providence, Chester (now Delaware) County, in the present Rose Tree hunting country. He was the ancestor of nearly all subsequent Robinetts, Robinettes and Robnetts in this country and Canada. The family fanned out in the second and third generations to Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania, and to Cecil and Frederick Counties; in the fourth generation into Delaware, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and north to Ontario (where many remain today). Members of the fifth and sixth generations settled in North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana and Missouri (and, for lovers of the picturesque, it might be added that two acquired wives called Cinderella Wigfield and Happy Crotchett Frogett). Mostly farmers in the cadet lines, the Robinetts of the senior branch had a strong predilection for maritime pursuits from 1696, when Allen Robinett, Jr., was appointed ferry keeper at Annapolis. For the most part sticking close to Marcus Hook, Wilmington and Philadelphia, they ran to shipwrights, shallopmen, shipmasters and merchants, and married their daughters to mariners. Descendants of these seafaring city Robinetts are far outnumbered today by their inland cousins of the Deep South and Midwest. The constant and continuing migrations of both the rural and urban Robinetts make their traces hard to follow, but the present work succeeds in following elusive clues and making valuable identifications. The present compiler wisely retained his uncle's narrative genealogy as his basic text. Parts I, III, IV and V are Allin Paul Robinett's analytical study of the first four generations only of the family in America, heavily larded with historical anecdote from such worthies as Robert Proud and Gilbert Cope. Part II consists entirely of genealogical 268 Book Reviews 269 tables, while the Supplement corrects some tables from Part II, and adds others as a result of recent correspondence. The tabular section of the work (Part II) brings the Robinett progeny down through eleven generations as known to the former and present compilers; it includes speculative descents of fugitive frontier branches, which are honestly indicated. The four-generation genealogy is based on original source material and on accepted pre-World War II printed works. It is thoroughly documented, so thoroughly as to be repetitious and lacking in necessary emphasis. Most original deeds and wills are not only quoted in the narrative but given in full in footnotes. It is often hard to distinguish between text and notes. The situation is further complicated by the use of different typefaces, and by lack of uniformity of spacing or indentation. While the text is very readable the visual strain is considerable. There are some small typographical errors, and factual errors caused by unfamiliarity with bibliography, but the credibility gap between Philadelphia and Beaumont is surprisingly slight. Unit numbering, by generation, with each unit following the sequence of birth of the child being numbered, has been used, but indices are provided as well. If Mr. Robinect understandably runs out of energy before issuing his uncle's "depth" volumes on Generations Five et seq., one hopes he may persevere with investigation on the immigrant's origins. Allen Robinett was a grocer by rank in England, and was not a Quaker. He appears to be identical with the man of that name who was married at St. Mary Aldermanbury, London (sic, at Fulton, Missouri since 1967!) in 1653, the same year which the immigrant inscribed in his own Bible, now owned by the compiler. The marriage was probably at the conclusion of an apprenticeship in London, and before he settled (or resettled) at Bunbury where the sons, who came to the New World, were baptized somewhat later, in 1666 and 1669. There were contemporary Robinetts in London, in Essex, and in Monmouthshire, but not in Cheshire. To which lot did Allen belong? A French Huguenot descent is presumed for him, but it may be more remoted than his descendants once believed. The Reverend A. Stapleton, in Memorials of the Huguenots in America (Carlisle, Pa., 1901), errs badly in citing the immigrant's younger son, Samuel, as the family founder and as a Huguenot. Given the comparative rarity of the name, English investigations should be worthwhile. This mimeographed and photo-offset typed work may be ordered from the compiler, 4875 Regina Lane, Beaumont, Texas, 77706. FRANCIS JAMES DALLETT Abstracts of the Records of the Society of Friends in Indiana. Part Three. Edited by Willard Heist. [Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume VII.] (Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1970. oil, 553 p. $12.5 0, paper, $ 15 . 00, cloth.) As in the former volumes (Parts One and Two) of Indiana Friends records, the present volume's abstracts are arranged chronologically according to the date when the meetings were first established. They begin with Mississinewa — Marion Monthly Meet•ng in Grant County, set-off from White River Monthly Meeting in 1832. Subsequent meetings set-off from Mississinewa — Wabash were Back Creek, 1838; Deer Creek (AntiSlavery Friends), 1843, both in Grant County; Honey Creek —New London, Howard County, 1846; Wabash, Wabash County, 1851; Pipe Creek — Amboy, Miami County, 18531 Deer Creek, Grant County, 1869, 270 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Then follow abstracts of the records of meetings set-off from Back Creek: Oak Ridge, 1857, and Fairmount, both in Grant County, 1869. Meetings set-off from Honey Creek—New London are New Salem, 1855; Pleasant Hill, 1861; Kokomo, 1867; Union, 1873, all in Howard County. Records of New Hope Meeting, Howard County, set-off from New Salem in 1873, are followed by those of Maple Grove (Hicksite) in Huntington County, established in 1854. Mr. Heist points out that these records include not only those in the William Wade Hinshaw Index at Swarthmore Friends Library, but material not found there, some records having been located recently which were not available or known to the Hinshaw searchers. All of the records, from which the abstracts for the present volume were made, have been micro-filmed and are available at the Indiana Historical Society, from which organization copies may be ordered. Copies of the film are also on deposit at the Genealogical Society at Salt Lake City, Utah, and at Swarthmore Friends Library. As in former volumes, this series of Indiana Friends records has no name index; names within each meeting are arranged alphabetically. In addition, except for the Pleasant Hill, Kokomo, Union and New Hope Meetings, there are tables of cross-references to the maiden names of women mentioned in the meeting records, usually appended at the end of the Minute abstracts. This is a helpful addition not included in earlier volumes of the set. Mr. Heist and his co-workers are to be commended on their persistence and diligence in compiling and editing these abstracts, and the Indiana Historical Society for its continuing sponsorship. According to Mr. Heiss, two more volumes should complete the record. Copies of the work may be ordered from the Indiana Historical Society, 140 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, Ind., 46204. HANNAH BENNER ROACH American and British Genealogy and Heraldry: A Selected List . of Books. Compiled by P. William Filby. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1970. xix, 184 p. Index. $10.00.) While this latest bibliography of basic genealogical source books was conceived as an aide for librarians serving genealogical researchers, its usefulness does not stop there. Covering each of the United States except Alaska; Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, it also includes works on heraldry and such general reference works as gazeteers, atlases, record guides and periodicals. It can also therefore be of help to the hitherto parochial searcher who finds he has to branch out Into hitherto unfamiliar areas in order to complete his search. Whoever uses the book should be sure to read the fourpage introduction before he delves into the text. About 1800 works selected for inclusion in this guide are the result of a collaboration with many specialists: state archivists, librarians, professional genealogists and _genes' logical authorities. Not all genealogists may agree with the works cited for their particular area, but they must remember that the list was compiled for librarians to assist them in assembling collections of books to be used primarily by amateurs, rather than by professional genealogists. In the American section, the states are arranged alphabetically, with the selected books for each similarly arranged by author or compiler. The local agencies or persons who were consulted for each state's works precede the listing. The year of each state's settlement, and entry into the Union, are helpful bits of information. Book Reviews 271 The section on English works is divided into general subject headings: Bibliographies, under which are works on families, names and places; Chronology; Manuals, which includes several printed M the United States; Biographies, divided between general and the professions; Names; Paleography; Peerages, Baronetages, Knightages, Gentry; Periodicals and Series; Record Guides and Offices: . Registers (parish and universTty); Religions; Topography; Vital Statistics; Wills. A similar arrangement follows for Ireland, Scotland and for Wales. The section on Heraldry includes both English and American imprints. It covers general works, including European, and works for England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, America and Canada, and closes with Manuals. Since the subject is closely associated with peerages, etc., this section has some duplications of earlier subject headings; these are cross-referenced to the prior pertinent entries. In the 42-page index of subjects and names, the references are to item numbers rather . than to pages. Cross-references seem good, once the system is understood. In searching for a particular item under its title, it will be indexed under the author's name and under its general subject, rather than by book title. The Pennsylvania Archives, for instance, is indexed under "Pennsylvania: archives" followed by various item numbers. Albert Cook Myers' Immigration of the Irish Quakers into Pennsylvania, is indexed under "Immigration" and "Myers, A. C." Such an arrangement can be a bit tricky, but diligence in searching will usually come up with a desired item. All in all, this bibliography should prove most useful to both amateurs and professionals. It may be ordered from the American Library Association, Order Department, 10 E. Huron St., Chicago, Illinois, 60611. HANNAH BENNE& ROACH Genealogical Data From The New York Post-Boy, 1743-1773, By Kenneth Scott. [Special Publication No. 35.] (Washington, D.C. National Genealogical Society, 1970. [ii], 188 p. Index. 612.10.) While the price seems high for this slender, hard-cover volume printed by off-set, yet its contents should be of considerable Interest to genealogists dealing with persons who lived M the colonies during the years before the Revolution. The data it contains is not restricted to the New York area, for the Post-Boy's editors culled items from other colonial newspapers, notably those of Boston, Philadelphia, Annapolis, New Haven, Newport and Charleston. For example, the very first page has three items about Pennsylvanians and one about a Gloucester, N.J., man. In fact, out of the 143 pages of text, this reviewer counted only nine pages which did not contain Pennsylvania or West Jersey items. The. listings fall into several general categories: notices of "elopement" of wives from their husbands; run-away servants or slaves; deserters from the army or navy; violent or accidental deaths; notices by executors or administrators relating to decedents' estates; and in the last third of the period covered, occasional marriages, usually of prominent persons. The compiler in his Introduction, points out that these notices do not, in general, duplicate similar notices published in 1964 and 1965, in Volumes 95 and 96 of the New York Genealogical and Biographic Record. Those notices were selected from William Bradford's New York Gazette* Zenger's New York Weekly Journal, and the New York 272 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Mercury, Occasionally they do supplement notices published in 1938, in the New York Historical Society's The Arts and Crafts hr New York, 1726-1776, giving additional information not pertinent to the arts and crafts. While most of the items refer to persons in modest or low circumstances, it is for this reason that Professor Scott is to be applauded for his enterprise and diligence in bringing under one cover such fugitive notices. Who would think of looking in the papers for "John Beeks, son of Joseph Beeks, apprenticed to Gunning Bedford of Phila., to learn trade of house carpenter, has run away [1752]" (p. 65), or "William Wilson, farmer, murdered 19 Oct. [1751] in Chester Co., Pa. by a stranger" (p. 27), or "Eleanor Davis of Tredyffrin, Chester Co., Pa., about 15 miles from Phila., murdered last Saturday night by three men [1752]" (p. 32) ? The more than 5000 names mentioned in the text are listed in a 44-page index which includes a separate "No Surname" index of slaves, Indians, Kings, etc. This reviewer would have liked to see a place index, as well, but presumes that publishing costs would not permit its inclusion. The book is available from the National Genealogical Society, 1921 Sunderland Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. HANNAH BENNER ROACH The Bennett Family of Sussex County, Delaware, 1680-1860, with Branches ;nto the Warren, Shockley and other Families. By J. Bennett Hill. (Delaware: Milford Chronicle Publishing Co., 1970. xi, 71 p. Frontispiece (map), index. $6.00.) This study of five generations of the Bennett family in Sussex County, Delaware, demonstrates how a family can be reconstructed from civil records when church records and similar vital statistics are nonexistent. Since the Cedar Creek area where this Bennett family lived is totally lacking in early denominational records, land and estate records, assessment lists and census records have here been successfully combed in order to delineate the family. John Bennett, the progenitor of the family, first appears in the Manakin settlement of Somerset County, Maryland, in 1680. This settlement had been established in the 1660's by a group of families who had moved north from Northampton and Accomac Counties in Virginia on the eastern shore of the .Chesapeake. According to the author, they were dissenters from the established (Anglican) church m Virginia who resented being taxed to support a church in which they had no part. Here in the Manokin settlement John Bennett soon married Sarah Furnis, daughter of William and Olive Furnis, and here their children were all born. But after the Anglican church was made the established church in Maryland in 1692, some of the Manokin settlers began to move out of Lord Baltimore's jurisdiction northwards to the less restrictive "Lower Counties" of William Penn, where they might worship as they pleased. Among these was John Bennet.. In 1700 he acquired a 300-acre tract from William Fisher in Cedar Creek Hundred, in the northeastern tap of Sussex County, and removed there with his family. Here he died some time after 1741, the date of the last record in which he figured. He appears to have had seven children, whose births were entered in that volume of miscellanies, Somerset County Land Records IKL, 1714-1715, but there are extant subsequent records for only two of the chddren, his sons John and Stephen, to whom he eventually made over his land. John of the second generation married Grace Carwithen, daughter of Caleb Carwithen (Cirwithin) of Prime Hook Neck, and died young, leaving three nos. Again, Book Reviews 273 there are surviving records for only one of these children, a third John. Stephen, son of the first John, sold his share of his father's land, and moved a few miles south to the head of Cedar Creek, where the village of Ellendale is now. He had seven children. Of these one son left records; three daughters, who married three of the four sons of Robert Warren of Sussex County, are also carried down. Thus, as the author points out, a large part of the Warrens of Cedar Creek Hundred trace their ancestry also to John Bennett, the first. A daughter of one of these Warren sons married about 1785, William Shockley, and left numerous Schockley descendants whose records are included. Four generations of Bennetts and Warrens continued to live in Cedar Creek Hundred or nearby. In the fifth generation, Silas Warren, descended from Stephen's daughter Rhoda (Bennett) Warren, was the first Bennett descendant to leave the area. He and his family moved to Ohio early in the nineteenth century. Fifty years later, another fifth generation Bennett, John, descended from the second John, moved at the age of about 55 to Philadelphia where several of his sons had already settled. He and nine of his progeny are all buried in Woodlands Cemetery in West Philadelphia. Thus, except for these two migrants, the Bennetts and Warrens remained in Delaware, tied to the land they farmed for over a hundred and fifty years. The record outlined above concludes with six brief notices of other unrelated Bennett families in Delaware, included because they could be confused with the Cedar Creek family. While it is probable that the early dates, as given in the text, are as they were found in the original records, this reviewer feels those dates which fell between 1 January and 25 March, up to 1752, should have been double-dated to fix the actual year. Certainly the will of the second John Bennett, as given in the Calendar of Sussex County, Delaware Probate Records, 1680-1800, clearly indicates that his will was probated 27 January 1726/7, not in 1726 as given in the text (p. 4)i . the footnote on page one, whiCh explains the usage of double-dating prior to 1752, is liable to be overlooked by the average reader. It is also unfortunate that the only map of the area (the frontispiece) is so reduced in reproduction as to be nearly illegible, even with a magnifying glass. In spite of these minor criticisms, this is a study which is documented as fully as possible and is clearly thought out; where there is no conclusive evidence, it is so stated. HANNAH BENNER ROACH By Noel Currer-Briggs. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970. 3 Volumes in One. 825 p. Chart, appendix, in dices. $18.50.) Virginia Settlers and British Adventurers. This important book was first published last fall in England by Phillimore & Co., Ltd., in three paper bound volumes entitled English Adventurers and Virginia Settlers. The edition under review is from the same electric-typewriter text, but is buckram bound in a single volume with the same continuous paging. There is a special preface, however, directed to American readers. The work is the outgrowth of many years of research by the author and his associates in trying to identify the parentage and ancestry of one Thomas Kirby, a Virginia settler who appeared in the records of the parish of New Pocoson, York County, Virginia, in the 1630's. In spite of all this research the author has not found "the positive, unequivocal identification of the emigrant's origins," though there iF certainly a fairly 274 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine good circumstantial case offered. For such positive identification, the Kirby family offers a $3,000 reward in which those who were involved in the work from which this book developed may not share. The Foreword of Volume I (p. 5-19) explains how the study was conducted. This is a classic essay, and a model for research of this kind. It deserves the careful study and the undivided attention of all genealogists and all clients who seek to identify the origins of an immigrant. There have been so many positive statements of identification made by the ill-informed and the careless or shp-shod workman, that it would be good for their souls to learn of the large numbers of persons bearing the name of Thomas Kirby investigated during this search. The great importance of learrung all that you can of the immigrant and his associates in the New World is stressed, and the way all these individual facts are put together, like the pieces of a jig-saw puzzle, to make a single picture and to guide the researcher to discover the missing parts. The smallest items, of ten overlooked by less experienced searchers, are shown to be important to this over-all picture. In collecting all possible data in the Kirby search, Mr. Curter-Briggs examined also the records of those men who were associated with Kirby, thereby uncovering data on the ancestry of many other colonists. Volumes I and II contain abstracts of 927 British wills which had bearing on the Kirby study- These run to 139 pages of Kirby abstracts arranged by counties; they are followed by 244 pages of abstracted wills of families bearing other names. The Virginia will abstracts, of which there are 112, start on page 391 and run to page 433. Volume III contains abstracts of legal proceedings from 1566 to 1700. The first six parts of this volume cover British records (pages 436-657, with 153 cases abstracted); the seventh part deals with Virginia records (pages 660 -713, covering 318 cases). An appendix follows which lists all the chancery proceedings that were examined, whether or not they were abstracted. This is of great value to anyone who may want information on the other parties to the actions given. There are five indices. For some reason the author has seen fit to index the Forewords of Volume I and Volume III, Part II, individually. They are followed by separate indices of persons, of places, and of ships. helpful notation. "B" appears after the name of any person for whom there as an entry in other the Dictionary of National Biography, or in the Dictionary of American Biography. One large folded genealogical chart is included. This shows the relationships of a large number of families whose records appear in the text, and who were concerned in the colonizing of Virginia. This unique volume is not a genealogy, nor does it attempt to synthesize into a group of pedigrees the material collected. It does show by example the long, bard path to proof of the ancestry of an American colonist, and the procedure by which it should be accomplished. It provides abstracts — and in many cases, but not all, quite full ono —of records of the Kirbys and of families of settlers connected with them. The Foreword of Volume I also discusses the differences in law, government and settlers to be noted between the New England colonies and Virginia. This volume should be on the shelf of every library concerned with the beginnings of Virginia history. It is one of the best and most authoritative works that it has been the pleasure of this reviewer to examine. A WALTER LEE SHEPPARD, J. Book. Reviews 275 Work Family History. Twelve Generations of Works in America, 1690-1969. Compiled by Von Gail Hamilton. (Park City, Utah: privately printed, 1970. 613 p. Illustrations, facsimiles, maps, appendix, index. $20.00.) This interesting volume deals primarily with some of the descendants of Henry Work (c. 1680-1738), and of John Work (1734-1824), both of Lancaster County. The author begins with a short section on the Scotch-Irish, another on the origin of the surnames "makers and keepers of fortifications" (also, as Wark) found chiefly in Scotland, and in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Then follows a section on Legends and Traditions. One of these is that five Work brothers left Northern Ireland for Scotland in 1660; then, after a two-year stay in Belgium, sailed for America in 1692, landing on the Jersey coast. From there three brothers went to Pennsylvania, one to New York, and one to Massachusetts. They were named as John, William, Henry, Alexander and Andrew. Another tradition relates the classic "three brothers" emigration: John, Joseph and Alexander. Mrs. Hamilton frankly admits that none of these traditions have been proved, in spite of voluminous correspondence carried on over the years. The genealogical record begins with Henry Work who was settled in Barr Township, Lancaster County, by 1738 The name of his wife is not recorded. He had nine children, four of whose lines are followed down to varying lengths. These four, of the second generation, produced a total of 27 grandchildren of Henry's, but the lines of only seven of them are followed in the third generation. In this third generation is introduced the John Work (1734-1824), mentioned above. His relationship to the emigrant Henry is not shown, but is introduced as a son of one of the traditional "three brothers" — John, Joseph or Alexander. If there were five brothers, instead of three, then there is a relation. But it is a somewhat confusing technique to bring in another family line in the third generation. Only the author's excellent numbering system up through the ninth generation, and the 4I-page name index, alleviates the confusion. By the fourth generation, the descendants commenced to spread out from Lancaster County to Cumberland, Westmoreland and Indiana Counties in Pennsylvania, and then later to the midwest. One of the more interesting aspects of this genealogy is the considerable amount of personal data regarding the nineteenth century members of the family. Much of this was collected through correspondence with family members. It provides a great deal of personalizing of individuals, and is far more interesting than the statistical boredom of simple "begats." Many family members also provided photographs to illustrate the book. The author's system of annotation is not as precise as might be desired by readers seeking to document a single specific fact. Her references are collected at the end of each family record; they include primary and secondary sources, as well as many references to correspondence with Work descendants who had compiled records of their individual lines. The secondary sources and correspondence references are — as always — subject to error, in the first instance, and to both error and overromanticizing, in the second instance. However, the type of specific annotation found in strict scholarly works is not usually encountered in as ambitious an undertaking as this work, which totals $51 pages of family records. A 20-page Appendix contains records accumulated by the compiler of miscellaneous Work families, arranged alphabetically by first name, which do not have an obvious place in the overall family history. On the whole, the book is extremely readable. The printing and layout are good 276 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine (except for the Appendix which is conducive to eyestrain), and is substantially bound. End papers reproduce a map of Indiana County, Pa., from Caldwell's History of Indiana County (1880). It may be ordered from Mrs. Hamilton, Box 936, Park City, Utah, 84060. DOROTHEE HUGHES CAROUSSO The Welcome Claimants Proved, Disproved And Doubtful. With an Account of Some of their Descendants. By George E. McCracken. Foreword by Walter Lee Shep- pard, Jr. [Publications of the Welcome Society Number 2.] (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1970. xvi, 660 p. Frontispiece, facsimiles, index. $22.00.) This long heralded volume covering the controversial Welcome passengers will please or displease any number of present day descendants of Penn's first colonists. Dr. McCracken has undertaken to show, by documentary evidence, why certain Welcome passenger claimants are authentic or without foundation. He has examined critically 26 lists which have appeared in print since 1852, when Edward Armstrong's first list was made public. He has then studied 304 claimants belonging to over 130 families mentioned in one or more of the 26 lists, and has come up with 60 climants he considers proved, 12 who are highly probable, and 14 possibles. Of the balance he considers 171 disproved, and labels the rest possible but rather improbable, improbable, highly improbable, or mythical (p. 29). The families examined are arranged alphabetically by surname. He notes on which of the 26 lists the names of the claimants appeared. In most cases his placing, of the claimants on particular ships is supported by documentary evidence. Then a, brief biographical sketch of the claimant, aim documented, is followed by the genealogical record of descendants, generally through at least two generations. However there are several cases where the descendants in later generations are included, such as the Buckmans (p. 60-106), Fitxwaters (p. 191-210), Hayhursts (p. 225-236). For some reason Dr. McCracken has seen fit to include a genealogical account of Penn's ancestry and all of his descendants down to the present day (p. 319-425). One wonders why so many pages are devoted to this family, when most of the others are limited to only one or two pages. Its chief value would appear to be that it brings together in one continuous account the Pennsylvania and English branches of the family. The account of each family claimant examined is followed by notes documenting the preceding record. In some cases these notes are extensive, in others quite limited. Though replete with dates, understandably, their sources are rarely given. Previous genealogical accounts have been fully consulted; if errors in them were detected, they are so noted and corrected by Dr. McCracken. Deeds, wills and estate proceedings have been used extensively, and it is obvious that the author has done a tremendous amount of research in his effort to make this work as definitive as possible. He makes clear, however, that this book is in no sense an "official" document of the Welcome Society, and that "the verdicts given in each case are purely personal" deductions. (p. ix). Visually the book is disappointing and is not easily readable. The typed copy uses so open and squat a face that scanning is impossible. It is also to be regretted that in the listing of children, no surnames are included: where these lists carry over to a second page, as they often do, reference has to be made to the preceding page for the proper surname, a tedious business. In spite of these deficiencies, however, the work will be a useful reference tool for researchers interested in the early years of the "Holy Experiment." HANNAH BENNER RMCH