Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Joy of Tithes

Posted on January 12, 2020 by

When it comes to the 1841 census, one of the greatest disappointments for family historians is that the addresses given, particularly in rural areas, tend to be frustratingly imprecise. More often than not, we just get the name of the … Continue reading →

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A census release with a difference

Posted on July 26, 2019 by

In a previous life, when I worked for The National Archives, I was actively involved in planning and delivering the launch of the 1901 and 1911 censuses for England & Wales. Now, I’m delighted to announce my involvement in the … Continue reading →

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Oma and the Rosenstrasse Protests

Posted on May 20, 2019 by

My younger daughter, Isabel, completed an MA in Archaeology last year. She’s currently waiting to start her PhD in October and has been spending some time helping me with my research. She’s always shown an interest in family history and … Continue reading →

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Death, taxes and the voices of our ancestors

Posted on March 15, 2019 by

The inspiration behind this post is twofold; firstly, the ongoing work of Dr Laura King, Dr Nick Barratt, Jackie Depelle and many others to encourage closer co-operation between academic historians and genealogists, but more immediately, a tweet by Hallie Rubenhold, … Continue reading →

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1874 And All That

Posted on January 20, 2019 by

“Of course, it wasn’t compulsory to register births until 1874…” Oh dear. There it goes again. Every time you think it’s dead, back it comes, rearing its ugly head once more. And somehow, despite the compelling evidence that emphatically debunks … Continue reading →

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My Family History in 52 Tweets

Posted on January 8, 2019 by

A project for 2019 – 52 illustrated tweets that sum up my family and my family’s history. Documents, objects, photos, people, places – it all counts. One tweet every Tuesday. 52/52 When it comes to family heirlooms, it doesn’t get … Continue reading →

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It’s a small world

Posted on July 19, 2018 by

Two years ago, while I was on holiday in Germany, I had a call from a client who wanted to know if I could help him to track down his elusive grandfather. When I got back to the UK, I … Continue reading →

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The River Colne: a local history walk

Posted on April 15, 2018 by

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently investigating the history of my local patch – namely Watford and Bushey in south-west Hertfordshire. I’ve been looking at lots of old photographs and maps of the area and I’ve become particularly … Continue reading →

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What would I have done?

Posted on February 7, 2018 by

I’ve very much enjoyed reading all the recent blogs, tweets and news items marking the 100th anniversary of the passing of the Representation of the People Act (1918); that ground-breaking piece of legislation which gave the vote to women aged … Continue reading →

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A Wasted Day at TNA

Posted on January 30, 2018 by

I’ve just got back from a wasted day at the National Archives in Kew. I set off this morning, full of hope that, with three very different cases to investigate in three very different sets of records, and a carefully … Continue reading →

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