Illegitimacy on the record: stigma, concealment & the law

KATHERINE COBB is a member of AGRA based in Somerset REBECCA PROBERT is professor of law at the University of Exeter STEVE THOMAS is a genealogist with over 20 years’ experience PHIL TOMASELLI is a mi

Most of us have unfortunate brick walls in our family trees – those frustrating relations who seem to have appeared into the world as if from nowhere. Perhaps a person does not feature in the baptism

This World Mental Health Day (10 October), take a moment to reflect on the experiences of our ancestors who were mentally ill. How were they looked after, and where? Before the mid-18th century, the U

Crime has always been popular with family historians. We all love a rogue (up to a point, anyway), and finding out you’re related to one can lead to some interesting avenues of research. The more seri

Do you ever feel that something in your heritage might be holding you back, or wonder if an event in your family’s past might explain a psychological block that you’re keen to overcome? From the very

Thanks again for publishing the story of my rabble-rousing ‘Family Hero’, Maria Carr, in your February 2021 issue. As was mentioned in Gail Dixon’s article, a banner to commemorate the people and even