Blog
Ask the photo expert – ancestor’s engagement?
Our photo dating expert, Jayne Shrimpton, analyses your family photos. Janice Horne sent us her photo and asked: 'I would be very grateful if you could identify the era that this photo was taken. I have two more of the same woman in our family, one with small child and one that might appear to be...
Ask the photo expert – Somerset village
Our photo dating expert, Jayne Shrimpton, analyses your family photos. Gordon Martin sent us his photo and asked: 'I would be grateful of your expert opinion as to when this family photograph was taken. The photograph includes my great-grandmother Mary Martin (nee Biggs) who was the postmistress ...
Ask the expert – complicated family
Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries. From Mike Coomber: 'For several years I have been trying to find the birth certificate for my grandmother, without success. I always thought that her birthday was 15 July 1891 but I cannot find a corresponding entry in the ...
Ask the expert – clues in the British Army Service Records
Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries. From Betty Watts: 'This is a long shot but thought I would try this long outstanding research on you. My grandfather William Richard Berry was born in 1872 and according to 1901 and 1911 censuses, this was in Limehouse, ...
April newsletter competition winner
We're pleased to announce the winner of our April newsletter competition. We asked you: 'What are local battalion the Swansea Pals officially known as?' Congratulations go to Kevin Sanders who answered correctly with '14th (...
Famous family trees: Michael Kitchen
Welcome to the latest blog in our ‘famous family trees’ series. In this blog series, experienced family historian, Roy Stockdill, investigates the family histories of the famous, both living and dead. On-screen detective Michael Kitchen is the subject of Roy’s powers of deduction this month. [...
Ask the photo expert – mining gathering
Our photo dating expert, Jayne Shrimpton, analyses your family photos. Ray Woodward-Clarke sent us his photo and asked: 'This family group photograph was taken in Brownhills, Staffordshire - a mining community. I would like to know approximately when it was taken, please.' Jayne says:...
Ask the photo expert – governess ancestor?
Our photo dating expert, Jayne Shrimpton, analyses your family photos. Elizabeth Cargill sent us her photo and asked: 'I am hoping that you will be able to date this photo for me. My cousin was born in 1884 and I believe she was a governess. I have tried to research the company but haven't found ...
Ask the expert – workhouse birth
Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries. From Val Dunne: 'The 1871 census shows my great-grandfather, aged 10, as a pauper, living in a house in Everton with his sister, aged 16, a servant, and th...
Ask the expert – mysterious Scottish ancestor
Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries. From Hilary Hillier: 'I am having difficulty finding the birth record of my great-grandmother Lily Mary Bruce. Her name has been spelt various ways and I have a copy of her marriage certificate for 25 December 1875 in the p...