[Leslie G. Pine said of Sir Bernard Burke that "despite his great knowledge and never failing memory he could not resist the call of romance." The fanciful and egregious errors which resulted "obscured much otherwise excellent work. . . ."]

The titles in this section appear in order of importance and usefulness rather than alphabetically.

Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. London: Debrett's Peerage, 1985 edition. [Previously Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage.]

The principal difference between the two great rivals in this field, Burke's and Debrett's, is simply one of economics: Burke's went under in the 1970s while Debrett's, by canny publishing decisions, has managed to stay afloat. Both have always had the same primary objective of enumerating the titled families of Great Britain.

Debrett's series began a generation before Burke's, but the latter has been of superior quality for the genealogist in this century. Burke's attempts to provide the entire lineage since the founding of the family, and those editions published since World War I have been reasonably complete and accurate. Debrett's has always been more of a social list, confining its interest to the present bearer of a title and his immediate forebears. Other details rankle; Burke's provides complete dates while Debrett's gives only the year, etc.

Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry. 18th edition. 3v. London: Burke's Peerage, 1965.

Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. 4th edition. London: Burke's Peerage, 1958.

Burke, Bernard. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry. 2v. London: Burke's Peerage, 1891-95.

Burke, Ashworth P. Family Records. London: Harrison & Sons, 1897 (New York: Heraldic Publishing Co., 1965).

"Many a noble lord, paramount in his own county, would be astonished to find that his less distinguished neighbour was of a nobility as ancient as his own." Because of what Anthony Wagner called England's "extreme social fluidity," some families have risen in prominence while others have sunk; many of the gentry are cadet lines of more noble families, in which the daughters and younger sons have "married down" (or the offspring of the middle class who have "married up").

Burke, Bernard. A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire. New edition. London: Harrison & Sons, 1883. [Originally published 1841; reprinted 1962.]

The best thing that can be said about this book is that it exists; it's the only thing of its kind short of the Complete Peerage. The worst thing that can be said about it is almost everything else.

The 1883 edition, with its supplement, picks up all those titles which had died out and therefore were not in the later editions of Burke's Peerage. Arrangement is by family name, rather than title, so one does get a sense of the power the great families accumulated. The amount of narrative detail varies from almost nonexistent to extended Victorian hyperbole, dates are very spotty, and minor factual errors are rife. Use this to outline the rise and decline of a family and its branches, and then go to the Complete Peerage for reliable details.

Pine, Leslie G. The New Extinct Peerage, 1884-1971, Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant & Suspended Peerages. . . . Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1973.

Essentially a supplement to Burke's Extinct Peerages, it also picks up many omissions from the earlier volume. Presentation of lineage information is compact, uniform, and as complete as practicable. If only Burke had been as careful and systematic as this in his own work!

Burke, Bernard. Royal Descents and Pedigrees of Founders' Kin. London: Harrison & Sons, 1858. [available in a microform edition]

Bernard Burke, the founder of Burke's Peerage Ltd., was Ulster King-of-Arms, and the "Founders" referred to here are those who established the colleges at Oxford. Bluebloods, every one of them. The bulk of this volume consists of long, sometimes huge, "main line" descents from assorted royalty, through the peerage, down to mere landed gentry in the 19th century. It absolutely teems with names and relationships, but there is no depth of information and no sources are cited, nor is there an index, so take care.

Burke's Guide to the Royal Family. London: Burke's Peerage, 1973.

Following the obligatory rah-rah section on members of the present royal family, this volume is mostly a detailed lineage of all rulers of England, Scotland, and Wales, beginning with Cerdic the Saxon. Doubtful or question able names or connections are carefully noted. From George II on, the list of descendants is complete and very detailed. An excellent reference tool, especially for the post-1700 period.

Burke's Royal Families of the World. 2v. (Vol. 1: Europe & Latin America; Vol. 2: Africa & the Middle East) London: Burke's Peerage, 1977-80.

Intended as a companion volume to Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, this product of the "new Burke's" follows the familiar indented-outline format and is very easy to use. The early history of each house is only summarized, but is complete from the 16th century or so. Families that are "temporarily out of business" make up the bulk of the book, including portraits of the current pretenders. There is much readable anecdotal material and the Introduction has some salty comments on the observed results of replacing hereditary monarchy with "mob democracy." An excellent and trustworthy source for ready-reference.

Williamson, David. Debrett's Kings and Queens of Britain. Topsfield, Massachusetts: Salem House, 1986.

Williamson, David. Debrett's Kings and Queens of Europe. Topsfield, Massachusetts: Salem House, 1988.

These are coffee table volumes, very attractive, reasonably dependable, and with lots of illustrations and charts. The genealogy is narrative and anecdotal, and these are terrific books to give as gifts.

Please direct comments and inquiries to: Michael K. Smith

©1997-2001 Michael K. Smith / Updated: 4/01/2001