Category Archives: Uncategorized

Uncle Thomas: Legend of Happisburgh (in more ways than one)

For this, my second blog installment of the week denoting memorable ancestors, I turn to an uncle by marriage, Rev Thomas Lloyd.  Those that have heard of Happisburgh (pronounced ‘Hayes-brough’) often first think about homes at the top of cliffs and coastal erosion. However, there is of course far more to the village. A coupleContinueContinue reading “Uncle Thomas: Legend of Happisburgh (in more ways than one)”

Cousin Albert Septimus: Queen Victoria’s Consul in Cairo

To celebrate a few days of uninterrupted research, this week I hope to make up for a couple of weeks’ blog absence with a series of posts about a few of my more intriguing ancestors. While I am fascinated by people of all places, occupations, walks of life and circumstances there are some that forContinueContinue reading “Cousin Albert Septimus: Queen Victoria’s Consul in Cairo”

Are you ever too young to be a ‘genealogist’?

A few days ago I happened to tweet that someone had told me I looked “too young to be a genealogist”. It was perhaps originally a throwaway comment, but it got me thinking.  The response I had from people out there in twitter land was quite astonishing. It seems that I am by no meansContinueContinue reading “Are you ever too young to be a ‘genealogist’?”

Big Cats, the Black Shuck and Rampaging Elephants: Norfolk’s Menagerie

This week, the local news once again featured a sighting of a Big Cat (capitals added for effect) in Norfolk. Those of us from these parts have seen a large number of these reports in the press in recent years, and indeed going back further – move over Beast of Bodmin! Norfolk and Suffolk haveContinueContinue reading “Big Cats, the Black Shuck and Rampaging Elephants: Norfolk’s Menagerie”

The Rise, Decline, and Rise Again (?) of Market Gardens

Last spring, some colleagues and I began a gardening group in the grounds of our workplace growing potatoes, onions, squash and a little bit of everything else we fancied. Some of us were completely clueless (myself included – I entered into the lunchtime activities armed only with an iPhone app) while others already knew aContinueContinue reading “The Rise, Decline, and Rise Again (?) of Market Gardens”

Ipswich’s links with the Corset Industry

Corsets. I think most people like them. Personally, I love them, although I wouldn’t want to wear one every day. Now with connotations of glamour, weddings, burlesque, lingerie and (dare I say it ) fetish –  we have moved away from the days when scores of women wore them daily.  This is not a blogContinueContinue reading “Ipswich’s links with the Corset Industry”

The Walnes and Warnes of Kirby Bedon

One parish in Norfolk was home to two very different lines of my family. These lines didn’t connect – at least to my knowledge to date – for nearly 200 years and finally converged when my paternal grandparents married (via Bermuda, Shropshire and Rutland!).  The parish in question was Kirby Bedon. The village is knownContinueContinue reading “The Walnes and Warnes of Kirby Bedon”

The rise of the ‘monthly nurse’

Every time I come to write a blog I try and think of something that has interested me, and might interest others. Last weekend I was doing some research looking into a lady in Chatteris. In 1861, she was listed as a pauper, head of the household and sharing with her grown up son andContinueContinue reading “The rise of the ‘monthly nurse’”

Lest We Forget – Norfolk Teachers who died in the Great War

 “Lest we Forget”

Norfolk Teachers

who died for

King and Country

1914-1919

Through death to life everlasting

 Ager B.W.

Bindley R.H.

Catchpole E.J.

Carless F.H.

Crawford L.O.

Hadingham B.G.

Holman W.J.

 Johnson L

Loades G

Markwick W.P

Overment F

Payne A.C

Wade H.J.C.

Warby A.S

Withers E