Medieval masterclass

This is one in a series of articles; the intention is to provide an overview of useful family and local history records in existence, covering the period 1066-1485. Each article can be enjoyed as a st

This is the first of a series of articles; the intention being to provide an overview of useful family and local history records in existence, with advice on where to find them. The articles will incl

To some of us, post-1945 seems like yesterday – but if you are a younger researcher, this era could encompass several generations of your ancestors. More recent research is an important part of everyo

Before the introduction of civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales in 1837, it is the parochial registers recording the baptisms, marriages and burials of our ancestors

The first series of WDYTYA? aired in 2004, and I started working on the programme two years later. My first episodes were broadcast in 2007 and featured rower Matthew Pinsent and actor John Hurt, and

‘Merry England’ is definitely a romanticised lens through which to view the later Medieval period. You only have to glimpse the often gory manuscripts and woodcuts to be reminded of this. But, for us