Born exactly one hundred years apart, my great-grandfather John Hinton and I entered two very different worlds. By setting his life alongside mine — from Victorian farm service to nurse training, from the Suez Canal to the Moon landing — this story explores how much changed between 1865 and 1965, and how much quietly stayed the same.
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 […]
[Stephen Wiggin was the brother of Thomas, Linda's 6th great-grandfather.] The life of Stephen Wiggin, wax chandler of London, is tightly woven into the commercial fabric of 18th-century England. If you haven’t read it yet, check out Stephen Wiggin: The Wax Chandler of Exchange Alley — a deep dive into his fascinating life story. To […]
[Stephen Wiggin was the brother of Thomas, Linda's 6th great-grandfather.] Tucked away in the quiet churchyard of Ightfield in Shropshire lies the final resting place of a man whose life intersected with the buzzing heart of 18th-century London commerce. Stephen Wiggin, born on July 10, 1690, in the rural village of Ightfield, made his mark […]
A family history discovery in Chester Cathedral reveals the story of Charles Farrington, Sheriff of Chester in 1653 — and my 10th great-grandfather.
Clockmaker John Benbow of Prees lived to 107, working well into old age and once walking 14 miles at age 104 to fix a velvet collar. His story spans three centuries of rural English life and timeless craftsmanship.
With November 11th approaching and the anniversary of the Gresford disaster just passed, I would like to remember and pay respects to three of my ancestors who were all born in the late 1800s. Arthur Parry, my dad’s uncle, was born in 1889, the son of George and Mary. He grew up in Bronington with […]
When Sarah Chaloner of Holt, Denbighshire, was widowed in 1802 with six children to raise, she carried on with quiet strength. In 1810, her dedication earned her an unexpected honour: three guineas from the Wrexham Agricultural Society for raising the greatest number of children to industry. Her story is one of resilience, recognition—and a reward that rivalled even the best turnips.
