Tag Archives: Family History

On receiving some wonderful old news……

Posted on December 18, 2012 by

As some of my regular readers may be aware, I was commissioned earlier this year, by the new social history imprint of Pen and Sword Books, to write a book about the impact of the first world war on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book, Family History, History, London, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sarah’s story – family history and poetry from the darkest places…

Posted on August 25, 2012 by

In a previous post, I wrote of Sarah Hardiman, the first (and only legal) wife of my Great Grandfather George Hardiman. George Hardiman was a journeyman silversmith, born in 1839 in an impoverished part of Clerkenwell, North London. Sarah (nee … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, History, London, Mental health, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What’s in a name? Warnings from our family history…..

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

Prompted by a short discussion on Twitter with the fabulous @oldpostcards and @CountryBook about the first names our ancestors were given (‘saddled with’ in many cases) I went back through my tree to find patterns or traditional names handed  down … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, History, Random musings on family life, love the universe and everything | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Telling ‘Sarah’s Story’ – finding truth in family history

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

It is some time since I have written on the history of my family, or on history in any sense really. I am deep into the process of finalising a manuscript that will be published in the next few months – … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, History, London, Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Autophobia or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love my Ego

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

Editor’s note: As we go into the second year of mental health guest posts here on No wriggling I am grateful for a contribution  from the other side of the world. Deb is well-known in the genealogy community and has a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A ‘me! me!’ meme. Seven things you didn’t know about me..

Posted on February 11, 2012 by

I am not a one for ‘meme’s as a rule. Not because I don’t like them – lists have always fascinated me. As a child there was a ‘Book of Lists’ that came out to a great fanfare (these things … Continue reading →

Posted in Random musings on family life, love the universe and everything, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Jake Thackray – a genius….. and a genealogist?

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

Having felt a little in need of cheering up recently and browsing the wonderful Spotify I quite randomly came across The Best of Jake Thackray. His biography describes him as a ‘singer-songwriter in the French tradition’ firmly rooted in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, Music | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

‘A Walk After John Keats’ by Nelson Bushnell 1936 – History, hindsight & a hike with Hitler Youth?

Posted on January 14, 2012 by

In 2008 I organised and undertook a charity walk in the Lake District (see my short trek blog here) to follow in the footsteps of the poet John Keats. He walked through the Lakes and Scotland in 1818 with his … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Keats | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

An Islington murder

Posted on October 21, 2011 by

Or should I say, TWO Islington murders…. Readers of my blog might know that I have been undertaking research on the area around Clerkenwell and Islington generally as I work to understand the life my London ancestors led. I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Calling Clerkenwell home – roots in roguish & revolutionary soil

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

The line between ‘family’ and ‘social’ history is becoming ever more blurred. For me, studying my tree has always been more about the history surrounding the lives of my ancestors than finding each and every distant relation. I know I … Continue reading →

Posted in Family History, History, London | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments