Q&a

This portrait (the larger image) has been copied on Ancestry trees by many people. It purports to be my 2x great-grandfather, Cain Mayer (1841–1881) who was killed in a mining explosion at Chatterley

I remember, many years ago, a potential client making a very specific request. They wanted me to research their family but they were only interested in the direct male line. ‘I don’t want to know abou

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

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

Dear Simon, I have only just got around to reading your June issue with its piece by Cardinal Cox about the relatively modern origins of some supposedly old customs. He refers to Lady Raglan and the G

We ended last month looking at the soldier’s pocket books of the 19th century. Sadly very few of these documents survive. They are NOT included in any Army papers that have been stored over the years.