Investigating our ancestors' wills

LITTLE acts of kindness, even just a smile, can brighten everyone’s day. But perhaps one of the most practical ways of helping people is by making a will. Bereavement causes loved ones enormous pain a

Q My ancestor, Charles Hayes, was born on 6 October 1700 in Harrow on the Hill to Charles Hayes and Ann Ewster. He attended University College Cambridge and, described as “one of the Gentlemen of the

Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are essential for tracing ancestors before civil registration began (1837 in England and Wales, 1855 in Scotland, and 1864 in Ireland). This month we’re on

Northumberland Archives (northumberland archives.com), which is headquartered in Ashington with a branch in Berwick-upon-Tweed, holds rich collections for family historians researching this coastal co

Last autumn we decided to move house. We have lived in our present house since 1988, and have loved living here. It is a tall Victorian terraced house near Preston city centre and only 10 minutes’ wal

After the hearth tax on fireplaces ended in 1689, the Government sought a replacement. Further driven by financial losses from coin clipping, which saw criminals shave metal from coins to melt it down