This is the first volume in a major new initiative in the study of local history, designed to equip students and amateur enthusiasts with a mastery of the basic techniques and concepts required to pursue the subject in depth. From Family Tree to Family History moves from a focus on individual families to the broader patterns revealed by recent research on population, household structures, domestic economies, family relationships and family myths. Suggestions for research are illustrated by numerous examples and case studies, including a fascinating discussion of family life in part of London's East End in the 1880s.