Evening star., 1923-06-05
BJRKE'S NEXT TO BIBLE
AMONG BRITISH BOOKS
Famed Genealogy Work, Started just
100 Years Ago, Is Noted
for Accuracy.

or less remotely. from British. Scotch
and Irish forbears. 1t is perfectly
natural that they should like to re-
gard their ancestors as having been
personages of distinction in the old
country. disposition for which: in
many instances. there Is excellent
foundation. 1t is agreeable especial
ly for those who have acquired along
feel that they are descended from
mobiles rather than from kinds.
Among their Immediate progenitors.
either in America or Europe, 1t is
always easy TO find some one identi-
GIFTED fd Tsh doe Fse of
the national library of the British
Museum. in London. the greatest Ii
brary in Europe. II not in the entire
world. record tnat American visitors
surpass each year in numbers those
of all other foreign countries put
together, and that at least 65 per
cent of those who hail from the
United States ask for works on
genealogy.
1t must be borne in mind that there
are plenty of professional genealo-
| gists here and abroad who make
handsome fees by establishing
blood relationship on the strength of
the mere similarity of names, while
! it is no exaggeration TO state that to
| nearly every one Of the some 1000
British. Irish and Scotch peerages
! there have been anywhere from one
! 10 score of American claimants.
| Indeed, there rs certain class OF
| lawyers here and in England who
! make II a business of inducing people
| to furnish money for the prosecution
| of pretentions to titles which in so
! many instances may appear to have
! some actual basis. but which too
| often prove to have no foundation of
/ fact.
| Must Avoid Suits.
| Few have any idea of the colossal
amount of constant work and re-
search entailed by the compilation of
/ an annual such as that as "Burke's,"
i the contents of which are constantly
| being invoked in all sorts Of litiga-
ton as absolutely reliable authority.
while the slightest and apparently
most Insignificant error may lead to
law suits against the publishers and
| editors The work Of classification,
| ARRANGEMENT and correction is never
! ended. Every day all the newspapers
/ are searched for notices of births:
! marriages and deaths. For each of
! these reported happenings a form is
sent to the family concerned. asking
| for confirmation. Each issue of the
old established London Official
| Gazette" is also gone through. from
the first page 10 the last. Tor notlceS
| of new creations, promotions and APP
pointments. Every new fact so dis
covered, is on the same day entered
on the. working proofs of the new
volume. In order to assure still
greater exactitude, nearly 10000
proofs are sent out for each issue,
not only to the heads Of families.
but also TO all the collateral branches.
Beyond this. nearly every profess
sional and amateur genealogist in the
United Kingdom. is in the habit OF
writing to the publishers. with the
result that even the most remote in =
laccuraCies are brought to light and
corrected
| Great Care Taken.
AS an instance Of the care which
the editors OF Burke's feel 1t in
| cumbent upon its editors TO exercise.
! need only recall the quarrel which
ensued between them and the late