Still a couple of places left on this course starting the end of April. If you’d like to learn how to get the most out of TNA’s website, book your place now 👇🏻 #Archives #Genealogy #History #Research #FamilyHistory

#MementoMoriMonday 💀 Wounded not Vanquished" ❤️ A rare example of a heart memorial brass ❤️ Brass heart monuments are extremely unusual, although more survive carved in stone. 📍St Mary's Church • Wedmore ⛪️ www.mbs-brasses.co.uk/index-of-bra... #History

Seems appropriate, and sad, on #StPatricksDay to find evidence that my 3xGrandfather William MAHER (and children) may have been sent back to #Ireland and into the #Dublin #Workhouse from England in 1848, like many trying to escape the #Famine

My husband’s ancestors (Benwell) were some of the few townspeople permitted to use Merton chapel. Only about 2 christenings and 2 burials were recorded in the chapel per year from 1750-1800, and 25 of them were Benwells. They entered from the street and at different times from the college residents.

More Bagpuss in my Bluesky this morning. He never goes out of style.

Mothering and parenting takes many forms. One of the first blogs I ever wrote was about the mystery of an aunt and uncle who raised my husband’s great grandmother. Her locket containing their photographs was passed down, but their names had been forgotten.

I love this round (including the mouse version) and didn’t realise it was written in Reading. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

25 years ago today I got married in a little wedding chapel at South Lake Tahoe, California.

I really enjoyed the new #Pets&TheirPeople exhibition at the Bodleian Weston Library. Here are a few old newspaper notices that made me chuckle. I would absolutely pay to see the performing, talking fish. If you go, don’t miss the animatronic therapy cat! visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/pets-a...

Has anyone come across a 'certified burial certificate' from the 18th century, and know what details might be included? I have found one for someone I'm researching, who died in Somerset in 1738. It's within the papers of another family (relationship unknown), at Somerset Archives.

Yesterday I was looking at an old blog of mine and came across some family names that made me laugh all over again. The subject of my blog was the son of schoolmistress FANNY EVILL. And Fanny was the daughter of Baptist Minister REVEREND EVILL. Staying on theme, his mother was a DAGGER. 😆

Today is #WorldBookDay and my niece has dressed as the Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland). The character is often mixed up with the Red Queen (Through the Looking Glass) - a ‘thorny’ character inspired by the Liddell children’s governess, Mary Prickett (“Pricks”). Mary was my husband’s ancestor.

I use Google Docs for almost all my work and for filing digitised genealogical records. I noticed today that the search function now works with hand-written documents in my folders. A search for 'Sneyd' (a name I knew I had come across but couldn't place) found the name in these 2 records. V. handy!

In 1891 MPs in Parliament debated whether the 3 women who’d been elected to London’s City Council had a right to remain in their posts. Mr Henry Labouchere (MP, Northampton) aired his views on the matter … (Alt text would be v long so here’s the link to Hansard: api.parliament.uk/historic-han...)

The Beeches, East Hendred

Antiquarianism, by Joe Saunders. Antiquarians have served an important part in the study of history over the last few hundred years, and their work has helped the development of the modern historical sciences. how-to-history.com/2026/01/28/a...

Lots of interesting topics here. Something for everyone!

Opinions please: If a 29-year-old man's cause of death in 1889 was 'Heart-disease years Certified' do you think that he would have known he had heart problems? Or could it have been a sudden and unexpected death, but the certifying doctor deducted that it had been a long-term issue?

Timeless humour! A 2,000 year-old Roman souvenir pen with a joke inscription roughly equivalent to: “I went to Rome and all I got you was this cheap pen!" 😂 Dated circa 70 AD, this iron stylus pen was recovered in London during excavations by MOLA. 📷 Juan Jose Fuldain/MOLA #Archaeology

@richard-holt.bsky.social in case you’re not aware …

Sometimes you just have to share a cute old photograph. This is Percy, my husband’s uncle, in about 1939. I haven’t colourised it - I think that must have been done by hand soon after it was taken.

This summer marks 90 years since the start of the #SpanishCivilWar. My husband's great uncle, Dick Mortimer, was a fish-curer from Hull, and a communist. At 18 he joined the #InternationalBrigade to fight fascism in Spain. I've shared his story, and some tips on researching brigaders, in a new blog.

My granny, Delia, would have been 99 today. When she was a toddler she became the youngest person ever to cross the Atlantic and arrive in Britain unescorted by family or friends. In honour of her birthday I've updated my blog about her record-breaking journey. digupyourancestors.com/2020/03/22/r...

Happy Febreware from Connecticut gravestone carver James Stanclift. gravestone for Hannah Stanly (c.1644-1689), Hartford, Connecticut farber.davidrumsey.com

Never underestimate the value of death certificates. An elderly couple die within 3 years of each other, husband following wife. However, informant on husband’s death certificate is his widow. Aged 85, he had married again, a woman 40 years younger. Never would have known. #genealogy #ancestry

17 January 1941 | Dutch Jewish girl Elisabeth da Costa da Fonseca was born in Amsterdam. In September 1942 she was deported to #Auschwitz and murdered in the gas chamber. Together with her, her siblings were killed: (from left) Betsy, Ina and Isaac.

I have been writing about an ancestor who fought against fascism & nationalism with the International Brigades in the #SpanishCivilWar, and I’ve just realised that #JourneyThroughTime is doing a series about it. Very grateful to them for covering this conflict, which has so much relevance today.

This was a good watch, with plenty of records presented as evidence alongside opinions of current experts. I was impressed by the original police work — my own Victorian Thames police detective ancestor was very much on my mind. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the final theory presented, though.

Is Jessie dating Jack? Is Fiona Reece’s mum? How everyone might be related on The Traitors

I have just discovered that my 1st cousin 5x removed, who was a professional cricketer in the 1870s, played some matches in a touring team of CLOWN CRICKETERS. I honestly couldn’t made it up. 🤡 🏏 Ps this image is not AI.

What do my fellow genies make of the family tree in #TheTraitorsUK? #AncestryHour

Happy Christmas to all my Bluesky friends, from Costa Rica!

I came across something I'd never seen in a parish burial register before; a child described as 'of Silent birth' - clearly a still birth. And now it's occurred to me that the German for silent is 'stille' (Stille Nacht = Silent Night) the term 'still birth' has taken on a more powerful meaning... 😢

Stunning pair of c. 1,500 year-old luxury women’s leather shoes! Exceptionally well-preserved and still shimmering with gold leaf! ✨ From Egypt. V&A Museum 📷 by me #Archaeology

A quick and short (for me!) blog post about how even the most ordinary-looking and emotionless document can reveal turbulent events in #FamilyHistory digupyourancestors.com/2025/12/10/w...

Looks like we may be heading towards two more Brickdust episodes… so we’d love to hear some more funny/weird names you’ve seen whilst researching. familyhistoriespodcast.com/question #genealogy #ancestry #archives

I’ve just finished learning about manorial records with @pharostutors.bsky.social and tutor @joesaunders1.bsky.social and this week I realised I actually own some myself! I have 8 19th-century documents from the Court Baron of the Manor of West Drayton. And now I can make sense of them! #GeekingOut

The Marvellous Miniature Workshop review – like all your Christmasses come at once

An excellent episode that combined archaeology with thoughtful remembrance for this young American pilot.

I'd like to bublycise this spelling just seen on @findmypast.bsky.social . 😁

I was just at the dentist for my daughter, and while she was in with the dentist there was just me and two other women in the waiting room. A nurse came out and said “Clare?” We all looked up. Turns out we were all called Clare/Claire!

Interesting bit of Tudor recycling. And I’m in Whitchurch right now!

Jane Austen went to school for a short time in Oxford and her father and brothers studied at St John’s College, which is putting on a free exhibition from Wed 3 to Mon 8 December 2025, 10am to 5pm daily, on “The Austens at Oxford” www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/eve...

The House at number 48 on BBC Sounds is an amazing story on 3 levels — the research that shone light on a family mystery, the tragic events that are revealed, and investigation into their legacy today. The family historian in me wanted more loose threads tied up at the end but I highly recommend it.

Here's a new occupation for my family tree: In 1901 Louisa Mugglestone (wife of my husband's 1st cousin 4x removed) was a self-employed water diviner. 1/2

Theodocia Batcheller. Or Batchelder. Or Batchellor. 🤷‍♀️ #FamilyHistory Here’s her story: toomuchbrudders.com/2025/05/29/d...

Wonderful names and history!