Q & a

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

The British merchant service was renamed the Merchant Navy after World War 1 to mark the vital role its sailors played in wartime. That role continued in World War 2 as merchant ships carried troops a

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

Women served in all three services from WWI onwards. They also served in support roles, such as the Women’s Land Army (in both wars), the Fire Services, Motor Drivers, Voluntary Aid Detachments and so

Q Is it possible to have a death in a workhouse with no subsequent death certificate in 1885? I have the record from Ancestry of the death. Mary Ann Arnold born 1854, death May 1885 (maybe Mar 1885),

Q I am helping a friend research his ancestors. The family name is Wood: his father was born Wood, but the grandfather, Henry, was born Ratcliff(e) and appears to change his surname to Wood between 19