Guest Family Heritage Series of Books
The "Guest Family Heritage" series consists of four genealogical and biographical books researched and written by John Guest of Melbourne, a genealogist, historian and author, who chronicled the history, and legacy of the Guest family from Row Heath, Kings Norton, Worcestershire England. He has also written four books on Australian rules football.
Within the genealogical genre by collaborating with family members recognised as branch representatives in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Scotland, and England, he collected family artifacts, and through his original research, he successfully traced branch family members back to their connections with Tewkesbury and Handsworth lines. This research ultimately reveals their unification as one Guest Family of Ancient Britain, all descending from the progenitor Saeric Gest, noted in the Domesday Book.
His work, recognised as a "Magnus Opus" by the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies, incorporates historical details provided by family representatives and covers various aspects of the family's history, from their historical roots to their contributions in fields like early Australian football and military service. The Research & Author, John Guest of Melbourne, is further recognised for his heritage books series contributions to the early history of Australian rules football. The maternal lines taken back further with the longest lines verified by the College of Arms in London,
Aussie Rules Footy Books by John Guest
Guest's Australian rules football books were added to the prestigious Australian Sport Reflections list of historically significant books and films vetted by experts associated with the Australian Sports Commission.
Key Aspects of the Genealogical & Biographical Series[]
Comprehensive Genealogical Work[]
The series consists of four books compiled by him, detailing both paternal and maternal lineages of the Guest family.
Historical Context[]
It incorporates family history materials and provides insights into the family's connections with various branches, including the Tewkesbury and Handsworth stems.
Family Involvement[]
Family representatives were actively involved in providing materials and reviewing the accuracy of the compilations for the series.
Cultural and Historical Significance[]
The series is significant for historians studying the connections between these family branches and offers perspectives on the early history of football in Australia and Ireland.
Academic & Primary Authority Recognition:[]
The four-book series was recognised as a "Magnus Opus" by the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies, and a supplemental book received similar high regard from a medieval history professor. The Guest matrilineal bloodlines in particular were vetted by the College of Arms as a supported project by the Crown from 2019-2025 , determining the longest verifiable and traceable line for the shared Guest, Lillee & Halifax [Hallifax) family members tied to the College of Arms, Hallifax registered family MS7D14/45 16th December 1788 is before 1066, in Britain, Ireland and Europe.
Tom Licence, MPhil, PhD, FHEA, FRHistS, Professor of Medieval History, University of East Anglia, Senior Research Fellow, Magdalene College Cambridge's expert review of the fourth book in the series, a supplementary petition invited by the Crown's Office, Privy Council, concluded in favour of the petitioner's Guest, Lillee & Halifax that their ancestor, that on the balance of possibilities, Edgar the Atheling was made Earl of Oxford by their lineal ancestor William I.
Additional Context[]
Focus on Australian and Irish History[]
Beyond genealogical research, Guest's work also includes his passion for exploring the early history of football in Australia and Ireland.
Family Involvement in Various Fields[]
The family history also documents their involvement not only in sport, but also professional fields like civil service, retail, and hospitality, as well as voluntary military service and their ultimate sacrifice in WWI and WWII, as noted in Guest Family Heritage Series, including Guest's Australian Rules Football books, preserved in either or, paper back or digitally by the National Library of Australia, State Libraries of Victoria, and Western Australia, National Archaeological Museum Aruba, and Internet Archives, Heritage 1066 Project.