Lives on the ocean waves tracing your mariner ancestors before 1914

If your ancestors lived in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries, the chances are that one or more of them saw some sort of military service. When we think of our ancestors serving in the British mili

Mary Wade stood trial at the Old Bailey in 1789 for stealing a few items of clothing. She was only 10 years old, but London’s central criminal court condemned her to hang. Her sentence was commuted to

Britain’s neglect of its maritime heritage has led to shuttered shipyards, ailing fishing fleets and impoverished coastal towns

Technology has transformed sailing, but was the past better or worse? Andy Du Port shares his views

Like most family historians, I often encounter questions about migration, both within this country and overseas. My tree demonstrates that the claim we still hear often, that “Of course in those days

Q I can’t find any information about my great grandfather, William Smith (1871–1907), before 1893. In the 1901 census, he declares himself to be William Thompson, a “Traveller CT”, born in Scotland. H