Census records offer one of the richest windows into the lives of our ancestors. Taken every ten years, they reveal households, occupations, and changing family lives across generations. This article explores what the UK censuses from 1841 to 1921 can tell us, and how a single return can help bring family history to life.
When I first started my family tree, I thought I was being careful—until I trusted a well-researched tree that quietly sent an entire branch in the wrong direction. Two first cousins, the same name, the same birth year, and the same village.
Read the blog to see how I untangled it—and what I learned along the way.
A practical introduction to family history research, focused on taking the first step, where to begin, and how to start building your family story step by step.
A reflective post about the role AI tools can play in family history research. Used thoughtfully, they can help us plan next steps, explore historical context, organise notes, and shape family stories. They don’t replace original records or careful research — but they can offer guidance, inspiration, and a fresh way of thinking along the research journey.
The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial commemorates Jews who were murdered on this stretch of river during the winter of 1944–45. They were killed by members of the Arrow Cross Party, a Hungarian fascist militia operating during the final months of the Second World War.
A moving encounter with the World War I Ossuary at Passo Tonale, reminding me that history and sacrifice are never far from the places we travel for pleasure.
Welsh patronymic naming is frequently misunderstood by modern indexes. Two Selattyn baptisms show how transcription errors can mislead genealogy research.
The Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption in Orgelet is a fortified 15th–17th-century church preserving a rare 17th-century clock mechanism, an unusually shaped tower with an octagonal belfry, and a remarkable 13th-century tiled pavement displayed inside. Together, these features make it one of the most historically layered landmarks in the Jura.
Something a little different this week as Frederick Purslow isn't from my own family tree. My friend Christine had asked me to research her own family, and this was her Uncle Fred. It was such a lovely story to uncover I wanted to add it to my blog. Frederick Volance Purslow was born on 6 […]
St Just in Roseland is often called one of the most beautiful churches in Cornwall. Nestled by the water and surrounded by subtropical plants, its churchyard tells a story of repeating family names and epitaphs that speak across centuries. This post marks the beginning of a new series exploring the history and atmosphere of local churches.
