Men may carry the surname in genealogy but it is often the women who lead the most interesting and colourful lives. This book is devoted to researching the `strong but invisible roots of the family tree', namely women, beginning c.1800 until the end of World War II. Although women can be most troublesome for the genealogist because they change their name, Margaret Ward gives plenty of advice on how to track their marriages and other relationships, their careers, legal status and so on through a range of sources.