This book is what genealogists would nowadays call a "one name study" i.e. a collection of families, connected or unconnected, mainly English, with the surname Barrington. However, it also contains a valuable chapter on Irish Barringtons including a section on "The Raheenlusk Barringtons and the Ballyhegue Barringtons" both of County Wexford, the former being ancestors of this reviewer. This section has been invaluable to me as a starting point in my family history research with much data unavailable elsewhere and with many hints and clues to follow up. Wills, deeds, marriage licence bonds, correspondence and oral evidence are all used effectively to flesh out the narrative and produce pedigrees of each of the families. Giving an interest in eugenics as her motivation for writing the book my seem anachronistic to a modern reader but anyone with a Barrington from England or Ireland in their family tree who lived prior to its publication date of 1917 would do well to start with this easy to read book.