Category Archives: Uncategorized

It sure does! I’m so busy with life, children, and my book project that my blog has been neglected in recent years. To the point where I almost took my site down altogether. However, back in the day, I used to put a lot of work into it, so instead, I came to a compromiseContinueContinue reading “It looks different around here”

I’m delighted to say that after spending a rainy weekend on a graphics programme I have drawn and labelled up some useful Suffolk maps. I’ve just uploaded two to my new ‘resources’ page – one indicating the state of Norfolk parishes c1850 with plenty of notes about changes to civil parishes, and the second showingContinueContinue reading “Maps, maps, glorious maps”

A post today to congratulate Elaine Murphy on the launch of The Moated Grange this morning at Diss Publishing Bookshop.   (with thanks to Diss Publishing Bookshop for allowing use of the above photograph) I am completely biased as I was a behind-the-scenes researcher on the book, but I think it’s a cracking read, telling theContinueContinue reading “The Moated Grange”

I once researched a family tree that included three sons by the unusual names of Foch, Joffre and Petain. Some of you will know at once that these were Marshals of France either during or immediately after the First World War.  Last night I got to thinking which other names might have been relatively commonContinueContinue reading “First names inspired by the First World War”

Navy in the family? Last week, Ancestry added ‘UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services, 1900-1928’ to their military databases. The source data tells us these come from ADM 188 at The National Archives. The collection at TNA covers a larger selection of dates (1873 to 1923) in ADM 188 than those already at Ancestry,ContinueContinue reading “Registers of seamen’s services (1900-1928) now on Ancestry (from ADM 188)”

Recently I tweeted this great video of the inside of the new British Newspaper Archive at Boston Spa, complete with a low-oxygen environment and robots. Now the website, http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, has reached 10,184,308 pages (as of 14:38pm on Thursday 19 February) and we can search a total of 366 titles online. This is an incredible resourceContinueContinue reading “British Newspaper Archive reaches 10,000,000 pages”

You may have seen that The Genealogist recently digitised further tithe maps and apportionments for Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Leicestershire in partnership with the National Archives.  If you’re interested in Norfolk’s maps, then you’ll love http://www.historic-maps.norfolk.gov.uk where you can view most of the County tithe maps in colour for free from any computer with an internetContinueContinue reading “Norfolk tithe maps…and others”

One of The National Archives’ most recent blog posts is all about advertisements. If you’re not already streaming these, I’d recommend them – there have been some fascinating talks lately. This one is called ‘The huns have got my gramophone: advertisements from the Great War’ and is given by Amanda-Jane Doran and Andrew McCarthy whoContinueContinue reading “First World War advertisements”

Much of this last week has been spent in a hotel off a motorway junction at an Intellectual Property Masterclass by the IPO. Why? Because although my passion is heritage, my day job also includes looking after a business library. That’s not to say Intellectual Property isn’t relavent to heritage: it’s important for everyone thatContinueContinue reading “An inventor in the family? Use IP databases for genealogy”

For my 30th, my husband let me indulge in a bit of historical tourism. Here are a few of my favourite shots, taking in Hampton Court Palace, the Runnymede memorials, Box Hill, Birling Gap, Battle and Bodiam Castle (links below). Iconic, this one. In the gardens. The ‘new’ side. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu – veryContinueContinue reading “Historical weekend: some favourite images”