Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
After recently moving house, I was absolutely delighted to discover that there is a vast amount of history that surrounds the market town of Nantwich in Cheshire, where I live, and as someone with a keen interest in local, as well as family history, I felt compelled to tell you about “The Battle of Nantwich” … Continue reading The Battle of Nantwich
Sometimes we discover some fascinating stories whilst we are researching our family history and sometimes the stories find us. Now ordinarily you might wonder what my connection is to the story of an American Fighter Pilot who tragically died in WW2. So let me tell you about Arthur Leslie Brown and how his story found … Continue reading The Pilot’s Grave
Another iconic image and another tragic story that tells of a mother's love for her son and her blind obsession with "Bringing Him Home". But who was Anna Durie and what was the story behind her picture...... Anna Bella Peel was born on 13 November 1856 in Thornhill in Upper Canada, the second daughter of … Continue reading Bringing Him Home
Sometimes we discover a story that's so remarkable that even though it's not a member of your own family, we feel compelled to make sure that the story is told. The photograph of the young boy standing outside the White Star Line offices in London, holding an Evening News poster announcing ‘Titanic Disaster Great Loss … Continue reading The Boy Behind the Titanic Photo: The Story of Edward (Ned) Parfett
Can you really truly know who you are, if you don't know where you came from? It's a simple enough question and one that I am sure that many family historians and probably many psychologists will have considered at some point. Even to the point of analysing why some people are so passionate and so … Continue reading Do You Know Who You Are?
Updated and Revised Version (April 2026) In many ways, being a family history researcher can feel like being a ‘detective’, hunting for clues to solve the latest ‘mystery’. You may have a few uncorroborated facts that you have pieced together, but it is that one piece of ‘critical evidence’ that is missing which prevents you … Continue reading How To Become A Family History Detective Using My ABC Guide
All families have secrets, and it’s almost inevitable that when we undertake genealogical research, that family secrets will emerge. Discovering family secrets might be wonderful, but they can often be distressing, upsetting and even confusing, for those involved. We might even find ourselves having to stop our research and reflect on what we have discovered … Continue reading Ethical Dilemmas and How To Approach Them
Previously I wrote a blog about the top 10 sins of a genealogist, which proved to be an extremely popular blog, if you want a quick read it can be found here: Top 10 Sins of a Genealogist In the interests of addressing the balance, I thought it was about time that I shared with … Continue reading My Top 10 Genealogy Tips
I recently posted a blog about what makes us feel connected and this prompted a lot of debate amongst my friends, you can read the original blog here: What Makes You Feel Connected In the blog I talked about how I felt a sixth sense and a connection to places that I had visited that … Continue reading Ancestral Memory Is It Fact or Fiction?
Listed below are the names of 32 Firemen and 2 Firewomen who lost their lives at The Old Palace School Bombing on 20th April 1941, in the heart of the East End of London. This is still today, the largest ever loss of life for the Fire Brigade Service, at a single incident. The link … Continue reading The Old Palace School Bombing Update
The Chiddicks Family Tree 