Scottish inheritance records

As far back as medieval times, unmarried women in Scotland could take the fathers of their children to court to force them to pay maintenance towards the expenses incurred during birth and her subsequ

Different ways of dying across the British Isles

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

A chance remark on an outing with his parents kickstarted Jim Robson’s family history journey. Little did the IT consultant, who lives in Paisley, Renfrewshire, know what an epic route it would take,

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 appointment of lord-lieutenants is a very discreet — and very English — affair