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Andy Robson
Jul 99 min read
The Great Hunger - An Gorta Mór
The Great Hunger was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration in Ireland between 1845 and 1852.
Deborah Ismay
Feb 259 min read
TYNESIDE WATERMEN & KEELMEN
“Our keelmen brave, with laden keels, Go sailing down in line, And with them load the fleet at Shields, That sails from coaly Tyne” (W. &...
Andy Robson
Jul 22, 20233 min read
Merchant Sailing ship types
If your ancestors were sea-faring men then you may find they served on various types of sailing ship such as Brigs, Barques, Schooners...
Andy Robson
Jul 7, 20233 min read
Rorke's Drift and Dick the Dog!
Recently, my research brought me to South Africa and, in particular, to the defence of the Mission Station at Rorke’s Drift in Natal...
Andy Robson
Mar 3, 20235 min read
Agricultural labourers - part two
Wages were universally low and Agricultural Labourers and their families often flirted with poor relief, the workhouse and even theft....
Andy Robson
Feb 2, 20235 min read
Agricultural Labourers - Part one
"Farmers harvesting agricultural produce" by The British Library is marked CC0 1.0. In family history research most of us will find that...
Andy Robson
Nov 11, 20223 min read
Self-inflicted
On Remembrance Day as we pause to remember and honour those in the armed forces who died in the line of duty, I wanted to reflect on...
Andy Robson
Oct 16, 20226 min read
The Jarrow March
October 2022 marks the 86th anniversary of the famous Jarrow Hunger March. Why did 200 'crusaders' volunteer to walk 291miles to present...
Andy Robson
Sep 5, 20224 min read
Lancashire - 'Cotton Workshop of the world'
Cotton was a hugely important industry for Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries and Lancashire was at it’s centre. The trade had helped...
Andy Robson
Aug 8, 20224 min read
Fire Service Medals
The first Fire Brigades were raised locally on an ad hoc basis. These were volunteer organisations, usually with a small professional...
Andy Robson
Jul 11, 20223 min read
Medals of the Police Service
Police Officers in the UK, as they belong to a civilian body, are eligible to receive those bravery and meritorious service medals which...
Andy Robson
Jun 6, 20226 min read
PUT THAT LIGHT OUT!!
The Air Raid Precaution (ARP) Service The First World War had brought home the threat of aerial bombing to Britain's population,...
Andy Robson
May 2, 20223 min read
The Independent Order of Odd-fellows
During some recent family history research I came across an individual who was an 'Odd-Fellow'. If you've not encountered this fraternal...
Andy Robson
Apr 4, 20224 min read
Making Sense OF DNA Matching
Your DNA matches can be an incredible tool to help you make new discoveries about your family history, break down genealogy brick walls,...
Deborah Ismay
Mar 21, 20222 min read
livestory - cool or creepy?
A year ago MyHeritage took the genealogy world by storm with their new feature to animate photographs - Deep Nostalgia. Now they've...
Deborah Ismay
Mar 7, 20228 min read
Winter's Day
Family stories are one element of family history that really create a strong connection with the past. If you’re lucky, then tales will...
Andy Robson
Feb 7, 20222 min read
What's in a title (deed)?
The centralised Land Registry was established in 1862 to record who-owned-what in England and Wales. However, from the outset all the...
Andy Robson
Jan 10, 20225 min read
The Loss of HMS Grafton
HMS Grafton was one of the ships that helped to save an army but paid the ultimate price. HMS GRAFTON was a G-class Destroyer - the...
Deborah Ismay
Dec 20, 20214 min read
Christmas time (1950)
Was Christmas so very different back in 1950? I hope you enjoy reading these memories of a Christmas many years ago, written by my...
Andy Robson
Dec 6, 20216 min read
A Brief History of Policing in England and Wales
From the Middle-Ages, responsibility for maintaining order and upholding the law in a County lay with the Justice of the Peace (JP)....
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