This book is the product of twenty years of dedicated meticulous research and, as a result, anyone who
has an interest in the Skidmore families who have their origins in the Black Country and Birmingham,
is offered a veritable encyclopaedia of information concerning these families. This definitive study is
more than simply a catalogue of families and their component generations.
The Skidmores of the Black Country are analysed first, because the family was numerically much
stronger in this area than in nearby Birmingham. In a detailed introduction Linda puts the Black
Country family into context by defining and describing the parishes of Kingswinford and Oldswinford
to which the overwhelming majority of Black Country Skidmore can trace their origin. This
informative and comprehensive introduction should enable anyone who is not familiar with this area to
find their 'bearings'. It contains three maps, plus information concerning other maps which may prove
useful, a detailed list of surrounding parishes, a pronunciation guide to local place names and a list of
local Registry offices, showing the areas that they serve. Additionally there is a guide to 'how to read'
the text. A sample page has been annotated to show not only the significance of certain pieces of
information, but also how this information can be linked to entries elsewhere in the book.
Following this introduction the first chapter deals appropriately with the first generation of Skidmores
in Kingswinford, namely the children of William Skidmore and Joyce Bache (or Batch) who were
married in the parish church, St Mary's, in 1625. Thereafter a chapter is devoted to each successive
generation - nine in total and over 600 families - to trace the evolution of the family up to 1900. In
doing so it becomes clear that by the end of the nineteenth century Skidmores were to be found not
only throughout the Black Country, but also in the coal and iron making areas of Lancashire and
Yorkshire to which they had migrated in search of work, as well as in North America and Australasia.
In dealing with the Birmingham based Skidmore and Scudamore families - and their descendants in
Coventry and London - Linda adopts a similar approach, albeit on a smaller scale, to that used to
analyse the Black Country families and, accordingly, begins by putting the study in context by
describing the nature of industry and employment in the city, as well as listing the parishes in which
most marriages and baptisms occurred.
This mass of information which is contained in 349 pages is underpinned by no fewer than 78 pages of
family trees which enable the reader to see the relationship between the various branches and more
importantly to trace their own particular line of descent.
This truly encyclopaedic work is rounded off by numerous appendices covering topics which have not
been fully explained in the text, a detailed bibliography and a comprehensive index.
This book is a must for anyone interested in researching their Black Country or Birmingham Skidmore
origins. Given the current price of books in high street shops, this is a bargain at £30 (including postage
and packing) for U.K. residents and the same for surface mail to North America and Australasia (£40
by air mail).
Overseas buyers may obtain a sterling cheque (payable to Linda Moffatt) from their bank or send
travellers' cheques or use Western Union or Paypal to transfer funds.
