If genealogy books were rated by the pound, the book I examined
this week would be number one. I don't recall ever picking up a
single genealogy book as thick and heavy as this one. Of course,
genealogy books are not graded by heft. Nonetheless, this
particular book is the definitive guide to descents from the
Magna Carta Barons of 1215 A.D. for over 200 individuals who
emigrated from the British Isles to the North American colonies
in the 17th century. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial
and Medieval Families, by Douglas Richardson is a 1,099-page
reference to those descents, combining both research in original
records with the use of published literature to provide well-
documented ancestral lines for American colonists with Magna
Carta ancestry. Yes, that is one thousand ninety-nine pages.
Best of all, nearly every page is full of high-quality, well-
researched genealogy information. Magna Carta (Latin for "Great
Charter") is a document written in 1215 A.D. that serves as the
charter of England which l