Thanks to artist Elton Darlo for sketching me at the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society spring fair today. Chatted to some great people. George, the man I’m chatting with in the sketch, was telling me about his ancestor who was a scuttler - a Victorian street fighter.

A fab St Patrick’s Day doing a talk at Manchester Central Library on my 30 year journey to trace my Irish roots. It was part of an Irish Research Day organised by the brilliant Manchester and Lancashire History Society ☘️🇮🇪

It’s been a while but my good pals Yakub Qureshi, Chris Osuh and I are back with a second season of our Everything But a Beach Manchester history podcast. Mills: Love telling the story of the real lives of Manchester’s mill workers is available now from all major podcast outlets.

Manchester’s trendy Northern Quarter wasn’t always coffee bars and record shops. In 1885, it was full of illegal gambling dens. Story here:

Today’s story from the Manchester History Club — The Earthquake Thieves. On an autumn night in 1852, families across Manchester had a strange sensation their homes were being broken into. Mr Plant reached for his gun. Only at dawn did they find out the real cause.

It’s been ten years since I published by debut book, Angel Meadow, and I still get a kick out of seeing it in book shops. Nice to see it still well stocked here at Waterstones in Bury, Greater Manchester @waterstones.bsky.social

Trotters and tripe: How Victorian gutter merchants made a killing selling street food to drunks on their way home from the pub.

Really pleased to be represented by the Graham Maw Christie literary agency @litagencygmc.bsky.social www.grahammawchristie.com/talent-libra... #history #author #books

Merry Christmas from the Manchester History Club

El gato has found a new use for my Victorian Ordnance Survey maps. #catsofbluesky #maps #history

If you want to support my journey as a freelance historian and writer, please sign up for my newsletter. I think you'll enjoy it and paid subscribers make my work possible. Thanks. www.manchesterhistory.uk

Just opened the ticket sales for my Manchester Angel Meadow tours for March to June 2026. An ideal Christmas gift for the historian/genealogist in your life. 🎄🎄🎄🎄 #walkingtours #manchester #christmasgfts www.tickettailor.com/events/manch...

It's the cruel winter of 1813 and, in Manchester, the River Irwell has frozen from bank to bank. A school teacher named Lavinia Robinson has gone missing. Will she be found?

If you were one of the 260+ brilliant people who supported me by coming on my Angel Meadow history walking tour this year, thank you. I have some big plans for next year. #Manchester #history #genealogy #genhour #walkingtours

Delighted to share this new blog on teaching People’s Health Industrial using the fabulous work of @manchesterhistory.uk and the story of Angel Meadow. I’ve loved working on this. Thanks Dean for your incredible book. #historyteacher open.substack.com/pub/petejack...

Exciting news! Our new website is now live! fshousehistory.com

I've taken a little risk of putting myself out there to make a short film about cooking one of the dinner's my Nan used to make for me. She died in 1998. If you like #food #nostalgia and #familyhistory, or just want to watch someone chopping carrots, the full film is on the link in the comments.

My story today - The killer of little mule spinners - is the story of how the work of young cotton mill hands called piercers was giving them a rare form of cancer. #Genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #genhour #history #lancashire

I've given my professional genealogy site a new look to better reflect my work in the mill towns of Greater Manchester and Lancashire: cottontownsancestry.com Do drop me a line using the site links if you need a researcher. #genhour #genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #manchester #lancashire

In 1900, doctors were confused about why hundreds of people were taking ill in Manchester, UK. They only later discovered there was arsenic in the city’s beer supply. Most of the victims were women, who were only able to afford the cheapest, tainted beer. This is their story.

Roman road discovered in Manchester - one of the most significant archaeological discovers in the city for two decades #history #archaeology #romanbritain #Manchester www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Manchester Italian Association’s Madonna del Rosario procession has been taking place each summer since 1890. Here’s the Madonna on her way back to Little Italy in Ancoats this afternoon. #MadonnadelRosario #Ancoats #LittleItaly #Manchester #Italy

Are the bones of Thomas Paine, the father of the American Revolution, in your attic? For 200 years, claims have swirled that Paine's bones were buried in Manchester after being stolen from New York. Discover the theories, clues and intrigues... #july4th #4thofjuly #usa #independenceday #fouthofjuly

Chuffed to say I’m my little newsletter about the history of Manchester is back in the top 20 rising history newsletters over on Substack. #history #substack #writing

Friedrich Engels described Victorian Manchester as ‘Hell upon Earth’. Here’s why I think it’s time to reframe that period of the city’s history by focusing on the people who lived it. #Manchester #FriedrichEngels #history #genealogy #familyhistory

Thanks @gurbirsingh.bsky.socials It was nice to meet up again and I enjoyed chatting all things Engels and Manchester

Thanks for your time yesterday @manchesterhistory.uk Recording available here astrotalkuk.org/manchestersc....

Today on Manchester Science, the story of a young German writer with radical ideas - Friedrich Engels and his 1845 book, The Condition of the Working Class, with urban historian, journalist, and author Dr Dean Kerby. Live at 13:00 allfm.org

Looking forward to talking all things Friedrich Engels and Manchester with @gurbirsingh on AllFM this afternoon. Do tune in.

It’s 1844 and a well-dressed man is walking through the streets of Manchester. His ears are tuned in to the music of the world’s first industrial city: The flying shuttles thumping across the cotton looms like a heartbeat. The click-clack of the clogs on the cobbles. (Read more)

Here's the third part of my series on my search for Friedrich Engels in Manchester. It's 1844 and a well-dressed man is walking through the streets of the world's first industrial city. The cotton looms are thumping like a heartbeat. #Manchester #history #FriedrichEngels

Here’s second part of my new series of offbeat walks around the fringes of Manchester. Chapel Street in Salford awaits the march of the developers.

You might enjoy this davehaslam.substack.com/p/friedrich-...

This is really interesting particularly about when what was essentially was a piece of performance art then becomes part of the fabric of a city.

Here’s the second part of my series of stories about Friedrich Engels and Manchester, looking at the statue of Engels in Tony Wilson Place. #Manchester #Engels

‘Don’t steal my cats please’ #Manchester #graffiti #cats

How my family history research led me to an encounter with Friedrich Engels in the backstreets of Victorian Manchester. Read part 1 of Finding Mr Engels ⬇️ #genealogy #familyhistory #genhour #ancestry #genealogy #history #friedrichengels #manchester

Looking forward to giving a masterclass on tracing Victorian criminal ancestors based on my research into Manchester slums next week for the brilliant Family Tree Magazine #scuttlers #Victorian #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry

Had the greatest night doing a talk on Friedrich Engels, Manchester and my family history for just under 300 people who came to see me for @manlitphil.bsky.social, pictured here as people were still arriving. 📸Thanks for the photos Gurbir Singh. #Manchester #history #FriedrichEngels #AngelMeadow

Just a handful of tickets left before we sell out 300 seats for my talk this week for Manchester Lit and Phil about Friedrich Engels, the Condition of the Working Class and how the book intersects with my own family history in Manchester. #genealogy #manchester #familyhistory #friedrichengels

The New York Times asked a genealogist to look at Pope Leo’s ancestry. #familyhistory #genealogy

🔴 This weekend's story from the Manchester History Club is about the Manchester Mulan, Sarah Roberts Taylor, who for 21 years lived a double life as a cavalryman and was wounded in the Napoleonic Wars. Read and subscribe ⬇️ #Manchester #militaryhistory #napoleonicwars

I discovered some rare interior photos of the pub with the oldest licence in Great Britain and what I found was quite a surprise - a Guy Fawkes room, a secret tunnel, a hangman’s door, a cupboard that was never opened… and a torture kit.

If you’re stuck for something to listen to while you’re cooking dinner today, here’s a podcast episode I did on Friedrich Engels and Manchester ⬇️

Had a look in Roald Dahl’s writing hut at his museum in Great Missenden. Among the unusual items Roald kept on his desk was the ball from his hip bone after it was removed in an operation. What’s the most unusual thing on your writing desk? #RoaldDahl #writinghut #authors #book

Not usually one for trends, but here you go and you can always join the real me for a real-life history walking tour adventure through the the streets of Manchester. Visit www.manchesterhistory.uk to buy tour tickets and join the club #actionfigures #actionfiguretrend #manchester

The sun is out for today’s history walking tour. It’s a fresh new T-shirt kind of day. 😎 Tickets for this summer’s tour dates via www.manchesterhistory.uk #Manchester #history #walkingtours

Chuffed to say my newsletter about the history of my home town has been named among the top 20 rising history newsletters on Substack. Please do subscribe if you want to help me to continue writing it. #Manchester #history #genealogy #writing

At Wardsend we have our own connection with Buffalo Bill and one performer in particular. Even to this day we still get asked if Paul Eagle Star is buried in our cemetery. wardsendcemetery.wordpress.com/paul-eagle-s...

In 1888, a Wild West show led by Buffalo Bill rolled into Salford. The legend has it that members of the Sioux tribe disappeared into the city’s streets and never returned home. But what really happened? Read the true story of Black Elk, Charging Thunder and Five Moons. #Manchester #Salford #history