Tracing Your Theatrical Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians

How can you find out about the lives of ancestors who were involved in the world of theatre: on stage and on film, in the music halls and travelling shows, in the circus and in all sorts of other forms of public performance? Katharine Cockin’s handbook provides a fascinating introduction for readers searching for information about ancestors who had clearly defined roles in the world of the theatre and performance as well as those who left only a few tantalizing clues behind. The wider history of public performance is outlined, from its earliest origins in church rituals and mystery plays through periods of censorship driven by campaigns on moral and religious grounds up to the modern world of stage and screen. Case studies, which are a special feature of the book, demonstrate how the relevant records and be identified and interpreted, and they prove how much revealing information they contain. Information on relevant archives, books, museums and websites make this an essential guide for anyone who is keen to explore the subject. AUTHOR: Professor Katharine Cockin teaches in the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies at the University of Essex. Her interdisciplinary research has focused on archival studies, theatre history and digital humanities in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She is the author of fifteen books including, as editor, several volumes of the collected letters of Ellen Terry, as well as numerous articles and essays. She is Principal Investigator of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Searching for Theatrical Ancestors project.