Posts focused on specific locations (e.g., village, town, church). Locations and Parishes
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 […]
A troubled figure from Hanmer, Haughton Hinton was sentenced to transportation for horse theft in 1822. His journey from the English borderlands to Van Diemen’s Land reveals the harsh realities of convict life in 19th-century Australia.
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.
When researching family history, you sometimes come across surprises that make you stop and double-check the records. One such moment came when I realized that a couple in my family tree—John Lee (1805–1853) and Margaret Maddocks (1804–1883)—were not just husband and wife, but also first cousins. This discovery was one of those classic genealogy research […]
Born in Shropshire in 1699, Mary Wiggin married in Fleet Prison—a centre of clandestine marriages in 18th-century London. Her story links rural parish records, legal drama, and her brother’s life in Exchange Alley.
The fire that gutted St Chad’s Church in Hanmer in 1889 didn’t just destroy a historic building—it took with it generations of parish records. For family historians, it created a frustrating and permanent gap in the historical record.
Linda's 1st cousin 4 x removed Emma Boliver was born in Liverpool in 1869, the daughter of David Boliver and his wife Emma, née Smith. Her name might not be found in history books, but her life reflects the quiet complexities faced by many women in Victorian England—stories of love, loss, and starting over that […]
Pilton is a quiet Somerset village with a long memory. I spent an afternoon walking its lanes and exploring its landmarks, and found a place where history still shapes the everyday. At the centre of the village stands the Church of St John the Baptist, partly hidden by old trees and surrounded by a peaceful […]
[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.
