Recent Posts
Cumberland & Westmorland Ancient and Modern
Cumberland & Westmorland, Ancient and Modern, written in 1857, is still of interest today. Cumbrian Characters looks at its author, and Cumbrian place names. A fascinating read ‘Human sacrifices... Read More
DNA testing plain and simple
DNA testing plain and simple guide All I wanted to know, plain and simple, was: is DNA testing worth it, in relation to family history/ancestry? ‘Centri-Morgans,’ ‘FIRs’… but listening to a ... Read More
Merchant Navy apprentices in the 1850s
Merchant Navy apprentices in the 1850s Like an eagle cag’d I pine On this dull unchanging shore Oh give me the flashing brine.. (The full lyrics are here). A life on the ocean wave may have been... Read More
Catherine Wilson serial poisoner
Catherine Wilson was hanged in London in 1862 after being convicted of one murder. But it’s believed she was a serial killer who poisoned at least another six people, four of them fatally. And at le... Read More
Walker Tunstall – a name lost in time
‘Everyone’ knew Walker Tunstall in Penrith, even long after he died – but this Cumbrian Character didn’t leave much trace of his life for modern readers. ‘It could have been… but w... Read More
Cartes de visite – snapshots of history
Cartes de visite are both fascinating and sad. Fascinating because they are literally a snapshot of people’s lives (dressed in their ‘Sunday best,’ for the occasion). Sad because you can find th... Read More
William Horsley: victim of love
William Horsley of Penrith fell under the spell of his mother-in-law, Jane Davidson. And Jane Davidson was prepared to use magic, and ultimately murder (and a painful death herself) to keep him. The d... Read More
Patents and family history
Patents and intellectual property don’t sound the liveliest of topics for family historians to research! But if you ever had an inventor in your family, they have their value. An edition of The Time... Read More