If you heard me cackling in the Map Room earlier this week, it's because I was adding this 1630 Court of Requests dispute about a wet beaver (hat) to the online catalogue 🫢 TNA REQ 2/402/73. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2...

One of my pet interests is the history of the Occupation, and this story caught my eye this morning: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How @camunicampop.bsky.social researchers are turning static snapshots of Victorian Britain into dynamic life histories. The team are linking over 200 million census records, revealing how people moved, worked and lived in ways never before possible. 🔎 Read on 👉 www.hist.cam.ac.uk/news/tracing...

Folks! We’re recruiting another specialist for my team. Please spread the word https//www.civilse...

Wednesday evenings, brought to you during the 90 minute window waiting for my daughter to do cadets, which comprises a food shop and what I’ve taken to referring to as car admin (admin undertaken from the car). All the glamour

Yesterday's Broken Bonds conference was everything I hoped it would be. From parliamentary #divorce to the mid-20thC family courts, domestic #abuse & legacies of #coverture, the scholarship was outstanding. Lady Hale's keynote was unforgettable. Watch this space for news of an edited collection...

One of my MLitt students is doing their thesis on potential applications for AI based noise reduction of archival recordings of speech. If this is your area of interest, there is a survey here they’d be grateful for contributions to app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/dundee/sou... #archives #oralhistory

Spent yesterday at Broken Bonds, an absolutely brilliant conference examining divorce and its history. Fascinating papers and great to catch up with people. Baroness Hale on top form in addition. Congratulations on a superb day @drjenniferaston.bsky.social

We’ve got some great training courses coming at @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy for students and anyone interested in learning more about our records: all the details here www.eventbrite.com/cc/practical...

Delighted that details of our recently awarded seed corn grants are now announced: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/community-hu... #spacesplacesandbelonging

Learn more about the crucial role nurses played in the Women's Suffrage Movement with our Historic Nursing Journals. Here's an image of nurses in suffrage procession on the 17 June 1911, just before the Coronation of George V and Mary. ✊ #RCNLibraries #HistNursing https://bit.ly/3OwvVu0

Excellent talk yesterday at our seminar by Ian Archer 16thC children's work - some of it under the aegis of charity - beginning a conversation tbc in our colloquium this year - Monday 22nd June, 'Charity, Humanitarianism, and Childhood' get your abstracts in! deadline 13th March 2026

Delighted to see @ermerlindaj.bsky.social on Our Hospital Through Time tonight. Marvellous job Kate. I made D watch it too.

Nice long stomp along the Thames Path, knocking off Windsor to Bourne End and some bits around the back of Little Marlow because the TP was not so much damp as under a full foot of water. There was sunshine and spring flowers so hurrah.

Most saddened to hear of the demise of the Diplomog. Rest well Palmerston. May the eternal treat jar ever be well stocked.

The study points to using libraries and visiting museums as bringing these enormous brain health benefits ... who would have thought? Well, librarians and museum folk for a start ... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Registration for History and Archives in Practice is now OPEN! We can't wait to host #HAP26 and explore intersections of archives and history! @unisheffieldlib.bsky.social @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy @ihr.bsky.social @royalhistsoc.org More info and to register ➡️ tinyurl.com/2skavaty

The special issue of Cultural and Social History on “Researching Student Lives: Methodological and Theoretical Perspectives” (co-ed. w Georgina Brewis & Jodi Burkett) is live - yay! Several articles are OA :) Huge thanks to our contributors & the journal editors! www.tandfonline.com/toc/rfcs20/2...

Please do share this doctoral opportunity with MA/MSt students - four years of AHRC funding to work on the history of children's play in Wales, supervised by me and the lovely and brilliant Dr Jacky Tyrie. Any questions get in touch! www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...

🎉 Wonderful news from our project! "Deserted Wives and Economic Divorce in 19th-Century England and Wales" by PI @drjenniferaston.bsky.social & Olive Anderson has been shortlisted for TWO prizes: the Hart-SLSA Book Prize AND the Socio-Legal Theory and History Prize! #LegalHistory #SocioLegal

There is something quietly dispiriting about undergoing a hearing test and being aware that there is probably not meant to be quite such a long gap between the noises. On the upside, my hearing has definitely deteriorated so glad to learn I was correct about that.

Yes, I've dusted off the old blog to post this. Slightly shocked to discover I hadn't posted anything since 2020. Just maybe I will start to add the odd thing again. Maybe.

Very productive day at the Surrey History Centre, doing some research for a forthcoming journal article and uncovered far more than I anticipated which is great and infuriating #research #archives

We're looking to capture experiences of what it means to be queer in the UK today! To do that we're collecting day diaries for 12th February. It doesn't matter what you get up to, or how you record it, we'd love to have it!🧵 (1/4) #LGBTplusHM #lgbthm26

We have now sent out the final programme for our conference to all attendees, which includes Zoom links. If you haven’t received it or if you missed out on registering email us (at the link) and we will send it to you, before we start on Thurs morning voicesofmotherhood.wp.worc.ac.uk/index.php/20...

Full time AHRC doctoral studentships now available in Arts & Humanities at University of Hertfordshire for October 2026 start - please do share widely!! This includes both History & Heritage Studies among other subjects 🌟😀 www.herts.ac.uk/research/res...

My morning commute has been much improved by an introduction to Waffles who is very keen to investigate the possibility of snacks from every human in the carriage.

An honest to goodness Hey Nonny Nonny in a 1680s King's Bench case. Lovely stuff [TNA KB 33/5/5]

Catching lots of Hamnet content and worrying that I’ve been mispronouncing Agnes for as long as I can remember…

Have been sucked down a research rabbit warren, looking at the Greek Marriages Act 1884 and an extraordinary case from 1889. Naturally, this is not what I am supposed to be looking at…

I’m working at the dining table with a blanket over my shoulders. My teenage daughter has just walked in, looked at me and gestured vaguely saying “it’s giving hobbit, Mother.” Why are teenagers so mean?

Did you know our nursing history collection holds nearly 5,000 pamphlets - many over 100 years old? We are working to make them easier to access for members and researchers by: 🔍 Improving search records 📜 Checking each pamphlet’s condition 📷 Identifying digitisation opportunities #HistNursing

How can locating women, children and diversity in the #archives be used in the present? Incl. @jessamycarlson.bsky.social from The National Archives and @lizzybarchivist.bsky.social from @northeastmuseums.bsky.social #Genealogy #genealogists #familyhistory #archivists #museums #divorce #marriage

Turns out I cannot say “combine harvesters” without lapsing into a seriously broad Gloucestershire brogue that I rarely otherwise possess. My daughter is quietly corpsing with laughter at me. Sigh.

Key moment in Thatcher’s time at number 10 documented here in today’s file release at @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy of which I think @number10cat.bsky.social will approve (via discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2...)

Twas the night before Christmas, and throughout the land The sleeping arrangements were carefully planned Down in the kitchen, a picturesque scene A mattress, a pillow, a washing machine

We’re excited to share our new main catalogue, making it easier for you to find and request the majority of our published collection. We’ve also launched an interim version of our Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. Find out how to start searching and requesting on our website bit.ly/BLNewCatalogues

It’s been a very long and difficult weekend, but I have to give it to the Osterley parkrun teams. They have been absolute gems of humans as have the HQ team. So thank you to everyone who has sent kind and supportive messages!

See below for details of a FREE one-day workshop 'Archives to Action: Historical Evidence for Policy Reform in Marital Breakdown, Domestic Abuse, and Child Welfare' held @northumbriauni.bsky.social on Tuesday 20 January 2026. www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...

Under this definition, Fred should definitely fall under the “ornamental purposes” since “lap warmer” is not included.

I'm not saying the records I look at aren't consulted very often, but today, a PRO document ordering slip from the early 1900s dropped out of the volume I was looking at.

My Great Great Uncle John was killed in 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated at Tyne Cot, and we visited with a very small E in 2017 for the centenary of his death. At the going down of the Sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. #lestweforget #armisticeday #FWW100

Some days my work covers really dark and horrible histories. And then I get days like today where I’m looking at agendas with a minuted section on chocolate vermicelli…

I have been confronted with an ad for Advent calendars and so it is time for the annual PSA: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEGIN ON CHRISTMAS THEY ARE NOT ANY OF THE DAYS LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS THAT IS ADVENT WHICH BEGINS FOUR SUNDAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

I’m sure Game of Wool isn’t suggesting that crochet is a kind of knitting…

Just come across this very generous review of my book, so that was a nice end to my week. revues.droz.org/CHS/article/...

If you missed it yesterday, you can still see the @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy webinar on researching railway ancestors. Huge thanks to @jessamycarlson.bsky.social for mentioning the Railway Work, Life & Death project! #FamilyHistory #Railway200 www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUzb...

Want to learn more about tracing people in the past for your research? I’m running my life course tracing sessions again this year and more details are available here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/practical-... Do come along and join in!