Mapping the development of a place through time

Of all of the houses I’ve lived in, it is my childhood home that I think about the most. A three-storey, double-fronted Victorian end terrace called Iona Cottage (despite looking nothing like one), it

I have just read Diane Lindsay’s piece (FT June) about decluttering. That did ring a large bell. I have been doing family history for something like 65 years. I have managed to file a lot of the infor

I am writing in connection with Sarah Williams’ article “What’s in a Name” in the July issue of the magazine. My great great grandmother, Ann Rogers Wardleworth née Bell, was widowed in 1860 at the ag

QMargaret Woodhall (née Smithson), born c1827 Liverpool (according to the 1851 census), was the sister of my great grandfather, James Murray Smithson, born c1835 in Edinburgh. Their father was William

This is part of 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 s

DNA is a wonderful resource and I am so glad I decided to take a test way back in 2017 – but little did I know where it would lead me and the things I would discover. Some of the outcomes have been wo