Another great find in Google book search

[Mary from Italy]

I know I keep on about how great Google book search is, but I was really surprised by a find I made today (I search for certain names there regularly, because they keep adding new stuff).

One of my more interesting ancestors is Jonathan Mallet, who was Sheriff of Lichfield in the early 18th century, and married Dr. Johnson's father's servant.

I've now found a snippet from a book which tells me that:

at the time of the Lichfield census of 1695... Jonathan Mallett...Sheriff of Lichfield in 1717... was the only person with the surname in Lichfield... He was then "servant" to Mr John Atkins of Market Street:- "John Atkins, Widdr, 50; Peter his son, 17, Jonath. Mallett, servt, 25".

I wonder if anyone else has found such an old census entry?

[Mark Dudley]

Thanks for that Mary! I just searched for Laurence Cole (on my other thread and found a reference in Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office - unfortunately no preview - just enough to show that it is probably him!

[Harrys mum]

I love Google Books.

****except when I see something I really want, but there's no view or a snippet****

[Richard]

Exactly...one of the books about the Jacobite uprising lists my ancestor Edward Clemetson of Isel, Yeoman, but since it's only a snippet I have no idea whether he was a suspected Jacobite or one of those marshalled to fight against them...going to have to source out the book I suppose...but I do wish google books wouldn't tanatalise us so!

[Lensgirl]

what is a google book?

[Mary from Italy]

Instead of doing the ordinary Google web search, which searches websites, you can search inside books which have been digitised.

You can go to it direct here:

Google Book Search

or do an ordinary Google search and then click on More, and then Books at the top of the page.

If you find something you're interested in, it'll usually show a small snippet from the book, and occasionally the whole book. There's also a link telling you which libraries stock it, and where you can buy it.

Amazon does something similar with its "search inside" facility, but they haven't digitised so many books.

[Mary from Italy]

Amazon is irritating, actually, because they won't let you search inside books until you've bought something from them.

I found something I was interested in on amazon.com, but they won't let me view it although I've bought stuff from amazon.fr and amazon.co.uk.

[Georgette]

I just went back and had another look and I found my Robert Elworthy winning a scholarship worth £23 in 1855