Freemen of the City of York 1272-1759

£17.45 (plus £2.50 p&p) from S&N Genealogy Supplies, West Wing, Manor Farm, Chilmark, Salisbury, SP3 5AF. Tel: 01722 716121, Web: www.genealogysupplies.com.

These registers were originally published in two volumes by The Surtees Society in the late 1890s.

Each has its own index, with the volumes containing the names of some 19,900 and 16,600 freemen respectively. The preface gives a detailed explanation of the records and puts them into historical context.

Of particular interest are those that claim their freedom by patrimony, as in these instances the name of the father is given. Hence in 1731, the schedule includes Jacobus Taylor, a tanner, son of Jacobi Taylor, a tanner; Robertus Fewler, a baker, son of Roberti Fewler, an innholder and baker; and Samuel Land, a labourer, son of Samuel Land, a miller.

Anyone identifying an ancestor within these listings os likely to find that the discovery opens up new avenues of research.