Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
Discover the dark tales of the past in my brand-new series: "Stories From The Grave." Some family history stories announce themselves quietly, while others arrive and take hold of the heart. The story of Little Merrit Beardsley belongs to the latter. It is brief, tender, and heavy with the kind of love that refuses to let … Continue reading When Love Shines Through: The Story of Merrit Beardsley
Discover the Dark Tales of the Past in My Brand-New Series: “Stories From the Grave” Sometimes history grows in unexpected ways, like roots pushing through stone, or a story taking on a life far larger than the truth behind it. Few places in London better capture this gentle entanglement of fact and legend than the Hardy … Continue reading The Hardy Tree – A Tree That Remembered the Dead
Discover the dark tales of the past in my brand-new series: "Stories From The Grave." Tucked away in the peaceful churchyard of St John the Baptist Church in Pinner, Greater London, stands one of the most curious monuments you’re likely to encounter, a tomb with what appears to be a coffin floating above the ground. Its unusual design has … Continue reading The Truth Behind Pinner’s Floating Coffin
During a visit to the Western Front in the summer of 2025, I was told a story that has stayed with me ever since. It was not a story of sweeping offensives or celebrated generals, nor one that fits comfortably into the familiar narratives of the First World War. Instead, it was a small, human … Continue reading Beaumont-Hamel: A Fragment Returned
Discover the dark tales of the past in my brand-new series: "Stories From The Grave." In 1705, an Irish woman named Margorie McCall (sometimes recorded as McCat or McCool) was believed to have died suddenly from a fever and was hastily buried in Lurgan, County Armagh, a common practice at a time when contagious illness was feared, and medical … Continue reading Lived Once, Buried Twice
The Chiddicks Family Tree 