Did you have a criminal in the family, an ancestor who was caught on the wrong side of the law? If you have had any suspicious about the illicit activities of your relatives, or are fascinated by the history of crime and punishment, this is the book for you. Stephen Wade's useful introduction to this fascinating subject will help you discover and investigate the life stories of individuals who had a criminal past. The crimes they committed, the conditions in which they lived, the policing and justice system that dealt with them – all these aspects of criminal history are covered as are the many types of crime they were guilty of – murder, robbery, fraud, sexual offences, poaching, protest and public disorder. Graphic case studies featuring each type of crime are included, dating from the Georgian period up until the present day. All of these cases are reconstructed using information gleaned the many sources available to researchers – libraries, archives, books and the internet among them. Tracing Your Criminal Ancestors is essential reading for anyone who wishes to explore the criminal past and seeks to trace an ancestor who had a criminal record. AUTHOR: Stephen Wade is a freelance writer specializing in the history of crime and the law in Britain and Ireland. He has written fourteen true crime and crime history books, including several volumes in the Wharncliffe Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths series. Among his most recent publications are a history of detectives, Plain Clothes and Sleuths, Tracing Your Police Ancestors and Square Mile Bobbies, a history of the City of London Police. He is currently completing a chronicle of all felons hanged at Lincoln. He also teaches crime history at the University of Hull and, as a visiting lecturer, at Oxford. He has contributed to Family Tree Magazine, Ancestors and other periodicals. ILLUSTRATIONS 40 images *