May 2018 ~ Cumbrian Characters

Cumbrian names and their origins

Posted on May 31, 2018May 31, 2018 by Harriet

In my previous post on Cumbrian names, I looked briefly at at the riding names (the border reivers), and at the big landowners and politicians who dominated Cumberland and Westmorland for centuries. P... Read More

Cumbrian surnames

Posted on May 25, 2018January 22, 2021 by Harriet

Cumbrian surnames may not, for the most part, be exclusive to old Cumberland or Westmorland. But, there many surnames that are strongly associated with the twin counties. Are there Birds on your famil... Read More

What is/was a thirlepolle?

Posted on May 20, 2018May 20, 2018 by Harriet

Thirlepolle, thirlepoole, thirle-polle, however you spell it, it even has Google baffled. What kind of creature were they? And how did our ancestors eat them? In short, a thirlepolle could have been e... Read More

Port Carlisle – a history built on hope

Posted on May 13, 2018January 22, 2021 by Harriet

Port Carlisle – a history built on hope is my new book, written because it’s something I wish I’d been able to find in bookshops in the past. There are some excellent books about aspects of life... Read More

Wicked Jimmy and the Westmorland Militia

Posted on May 3, 2018January 22, 2021 by Harriet

If the militia in the late 1700s were akin to Dad’s Army, the commander of the Westmorland Militia was… well, he was Wicked Jimmy. Most families have a black sheep somewhere down the centuries, bu... Read More

Cumbrian Characters

Family history is so much more than names and dates

Month: May 2018

Cumbrian surnames

Wicked Jimmy and the Westmorland Militia