Acta
Latin: an officical record of proceedings
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Poor law records for C18th and C19th Research
This week took me into parich chest records to try and identify the ancestors in a project i am working. These can be some of the most valuable records when… Read more ⇢
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Tracing Family Connections in the Early Modern Period (1500–1600)
Researching family history in the early modern period (c.1500–1600) can be challenging. Parish registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials—often the foundation of genealogical research—frequently do not survive from this period.… Read more ⇢
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The Story of Mary Jones
In 1859, nineteen-year-old Mary Jones of Hambledon, Surrey, was convicted of the murder of her newborn child and sentenced to death. But her case was clearly one of seduction with… Read more ⇢
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Lodging House Keepers and Survival in Victorian London
This week has been a bit varied, but one theme coming out of my research and talk preparations over the last couple of weeks, which I thought I would explore… Read more ⇢
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Hidden lives, Industrial Change and Historic Walls
This week’s research focused on three distinct projects involving family genealogy and local history. The challenges ranged from tracing an elusive ancestor with ambiguous marital status to investigating a historical… Read more ⇢
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A week of Wildlife, History & Adventure
With half term this week, little work has been done but the children and I packed our days with adventure, learning, fresh air, and just a little bit of time… Read more ⇢
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One parchment at a time
This week, I have been engaged in writing about manorial records, exploring their depth regarding landholding and community life from medieval England to the twentieth century. The process includes transcription,… Read more ⇢
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Battling with Census Returns
If you’ve ever traced a family through census records, you may have hit a confusing moment: the same household, the same street, but a different house number? Or the same… Read more ⇢
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Brick Walls and Master Mariners
The author grapples with genealogy challenges uncovering details about their great-grandfathers. The search involves overcoming ‘brick walls’ such as mismatched records and common surnames. Significant discoveries include familial connections and… Read more ⇢
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Putney House History: A Converted Victorian Stable and Its Market Garden Past
A Former Stable Hidden Among Victorian Houses in Putney This week, a house history project took me to a charming little converted Victorian stable in Putney, built in the late… Read more ⇢
Sarah Pettyfer 