What is Heir Hunting?

Viewers of the BBC TV series Heir Hunters may need...

Essential Tips for Tracing Your Female Ancestors

Female ancestors can be elusive - they often changed surnames...

A Family Put Back Together

By Ron Williams Genealogy, as well all know, is a...

The Genealogical Legacy of Guy Fawkes

What better way to celebrate Bonfire Night than doing something...

What Happens When Your Family History Throws up an Unwanted Truth?

Exploring your family history is usually motivated by a natural...

Understanding Death Certificates Part Two: Seven Tips For Using Death Certificates in your family history

We recently looked at the steps you need to take...

Navigating Complex Probate: Avoid delays and disputes with expert guidance

Did you know around 15% of UK citizens own property...

A Nightmare: Testator’s Books Everywhere

In 2019, Reggie Battershaw passed away. He had left a...

Assisting Accountant with Administrating

About a year ago, we were approached by a chartered...

Did You Know 1 in 3 UK Estates Are Left Intestate – Here’s How to Avoid It

When a person dies without leaving a will, their estate...

How Devon Folklore Influences Your Family History Research

This month, the Society for One-Place Studies shared their blogging...

Will The Real Roy Hammond Please Stand Up?

Welcome to the first in our series of guest blogs...

10 Expert Tips to Break Down Your Genealogy Brick Wall

Genealogy is like a treasure hunt - an exciting journey...

The Cross Family Tree

About thirty years ago, my husband and I embarked on...

How These Famous Historical Events Shaped Your Family Tree

Tracing our ancestry unveils a complex tapestry of stories, connections,...

Understanding Death Certificates: How do you register a death?

At Family Wise, death certificates are a document we are...

A History of the Olympics

As we enjoy the Paralympic Games, let's take a look...

How to Plan an Epic Genealogy Trip

Discovering your family history is not only a riveting journey...

Criminals In Your Family Tree: How to deal with the most common problems

In 2018, the infamous Golden State Killer was captured after...

Estates We Administrate

Genealogy services may be our bread and butter but it’s...

Who is my next of kin?

Few terms in genealogy are as frequently misunderstood as ”Next...

Meghan Markle and DNA testing

In the past few years, home DNA testing has emerged...

Tips for interviewing family members

When it comes to tracing family members, perhaps the most...

Common Genealogy Mistakes

From missing records to misspelt names, tracing your family history...

Where Do Different Surnames Come From?

When it comes to family history, one of the most...

Family Wise Young Genealogist Experience

Hi, my name is Sophie and I was the winner...

The Hildred Family

Please note: some names and details have been changed to...

12 Years of Family Wise: From Small Acorns, Oak Trees Grow

Family Wise turns 12! Join our journey from humble beginnings...

Uncovering Your Ancestors Love Stories

There's a certain magic in tracing your family tree, a...

Uncovering Unusual and Eccentric Wills

A last will and testament is a legal document that...

How to Solve Your Genealogy Research Problems

Tracing one's family history can be a rewarding and fulfilling...

How to Unwrap Your Family History This Christmas

The festive season is upon us, and many of us...

A Guide to Tracing Your Ancestors Who Emigrated

As a genealogy enthusiast, I have always been fascinated by...

Xmas Newsletter Competition

Have you ever been curious about the stories hidden in...

8 Reasons Why You Should Research Your Family History

In today's fast paced world, it's easy to become disconnected...

1921 Census Entries That Will Make You Chuckle!

Ten years ago, I wrote a blog about numbers being...

The Guide to Tracing Your Ancestors’ Military Service

Tracing your ancestor's military service can be a deeply rewarding...

Genealogy Myths Debunked: Fact or Fiction

Genealogy research is a fascinating journey into the past, allowing...

Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

Sign up to our newsletter here! * indicates required First...

Do You Have Mayflower Ancestors?

Have you ever wondered about your ancestral roots and whether...

The Simple Guide to Family History Interviews

Preserving family stories is a valuable way to connect with...

Top 10 Most Infamous Pirates of All Time

Ahoy, mateys! It's International Pirate Month so what better time...

How to Solve Your Genealogy Roadblocks

Genealogy is a fascinating journey that allows us to uncover...

A Rich History of Piercings

Introduced in the late 1500s, piercings have become an increasingly...

Was Your Ancestor on a Most Wanted List?

Researching old crimes and uncovering information about your criminal ancestors...

How to Use Social Media for Genealogists

The explosion of social media platforms has revolutionised the way...

How to Trace Your LGBTQIA+ Ancestors

In celebration of June being Pride Month, this blog will...

Unraveling the Origins of British Place Names

Place names are an integral part of our cultural heritage,...

Local and Community History Month 2023

May is Local and Community History Month! The aim of...

Free Genealogy Resources You Need to Know About!

Do you find yourself curious about your ancestors, their stories,...

What Does Your Surname Mean?

Your surname can provide a vast amount of detail into...

Were Your Ancestors in a Secret Society?

Secret societies, often known as fraternal orders, are organisations based...

How to Date Old Photographs

Old photographs passed down through generations are such a valuable...

A Dating History

Who is Harry Cassell?

Fashion Through History

Family History Research for Beginners

From the MD, CEO and Founder

I’m adopted, how can I find my missing relatives? A blog about finding your birth parents

Was My Ancestor A Pirate?

Pirates were some of the most notorious criminals in history,...

How To Avoid Dodgy Heir Hunting Firms

How To Avoid Dodgy Heir Hunting Firms  Being contacted with...

The History of the Freemasons

Introduction: The Origin of Freemasonry  Freemasonry is a fraternity that...

6 Genealogy Myths You NEED To Stop Believing 

With so many people passionate about finding out more about...

History of Surnames in England

Surnames – often overlooked in the present day as just...

My Journey to Becoming an Office Administrator

I started my journey here at Family Wise roughly 5...

How I Became an Apprentice Genealogist

How I Became an Apprentice Genealogist Most people don’t have...

The History of Tattoos

The History of Tattoos   A study conducted in 2015 found...

Probate – what is it, and how can Family Wise Limited help?

Probate – what is it, and how can Family Wise...

How to Date Family Photographs

How to Date Family Photographs  They say a picture is...

New Year’s Traditions Through the Years

New Year's Traditions Through the Years Celebrating the turn of...

Christmas Traditions Through the Years

Christmas Traditions Through the Years Christmas – viewed by many...

Last-minute Christmas Gift Ideas for Genealogists

Last-minute Christmas Gift Ideas for Genealogists Do you have a...

Oral History

Oral History  Let's talk about Oral History! Do you ever...

Insolvent Estates

Insolvent Estates  In some situations, a deceased person’s debts may...

Black History Month: Equality In Genealogy

Black History Month: Equality In Genealogy The importance of Black...

Top 5 Tips For Preserving Your Photographs!

Whilst the photo album on your phone might be what...

How I Became A Professional Genealogist

When you’ve been researching your own family as a genealogist...

Cher Ami – The Messenger Pigeon That Helped Win The War

When looking back into our ancestor’s lives, it is very...

The Year In Our Eyes

2020. How do we even begin to describe a year...

The A-Z of Unusual and Obsolete Occupations of The Victorian Era

In today's Family Wise blog, we're taking a closer look...

The Power of the Letter Or, The Zeal of the Recent Convert

I am a recent convert to letter-writing. For years, I...

The New Genealogy Apprentice

Ever since I was little, I have always loved to...

From Melbourne To Family Wise – A Genealogy Journey

I never really thought I could get a paid job...

Life at Family Wise – An Office Junior’s Perspective

Hello readers, I’m Rhys, one of the office juniors and...

Family Wise Locked-Down, Not Locked-Out

Hello all! I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy...

Long Time, No See Family Wise Readers!

It has been a while since I have written a...

The Many Descendants of Flossie Holland

The Unclaimed Estates List Sometimes it is not the story...

Derek and Fred Smith: The Historian and The Evangelist

Derek Smith was born and bred in northern Sheffield: having...

The Navy Lark: Robert Peterson

Robert Peterson, never Bob, was a true Portsmouth lad. Born...

Wilf and Mamie Pearhouse: Apples and Pears

Mamie Pearhouse was a much-loved only child who grew up...

The Spencer Sunday Times, 1957

Well, it’s February and some Brits are going to be...

A year of genealogy: A Kirsty Gray special

Today’s blog is brought to you by our MD, Kirsty....

The Estate of Sarah Pamela Woolston

A vibrant life [caption id="attachment_10064" align="aligncenter" width="582"] Pam and one...

The gift of family during the festive season

It's now the festive season. A time to be with...

Family history research: Get lost in records!

Records can be overwhelming when you don't know what you're...

Genealogy Research: The Do’s and Don’ts

'To know one's family is to know one's own', as...

Children: Get them into the world of genealogy

Are you all about genealogy but your children aren't? That's...

Why hesitate to research your family tree?

I participated in a focus group a couple of months...

The unresolved family tree

As part of a project at school in sixth form,...

Family Health History: What’s The Benefits?

Most of us know that our risk of disease can...

Ways To Keep Your Family History

When it comes to family history, each and every one...

DNA Tests: Accuracy and Interpretation

Ah DNA. It doesn't get enough credit sometimes! Or does...

Why is Genealogy Such a Popular Hobby?

It's the second most popular hobby in the US, and...

LCHM: Our Local History

We hope you have been keeping up with Local Community...

Local Heritage: The Heritage That Surrounds Us

When we think of ancestry, heritage is not far behind....

Handwriting: How to read your ancestors’

Ah handwriting...It can be hard enough reading your own handwriting...

Local Community History Month: An Introduction

What is Local Community History Month? This month is dedicated...

Z is for Zed

It was always going to be a fairly difficult letter...

Y is for Yonder

What's next? Here's a list of our upcoming blogs in...

X is for X-Y Chromosomes

It is (dare I say) common knowledge that humans are...

W is for Wise Woman

Oh wise, wise old woman Image: Wise Elder by Synnove...

V is for Vintage

What's the different between classic, vintage, and retro? A vintage...

U is for the good, the bad and the plain UGLY

There's all sorts of good All types of bad And...

T is for Family TREE

Most of us at some point had homework to do...

S is for Siblings

“Someone for whom you would give your life, but wouldn’t...

R for Royal Relations

Have you started tracing your family tree and discovered a...

Q is for Quest: A Welsh Family Journey

In the mid-nineteenth century, the Welsh language was being discouraged...

P is for Parish: The History of Parish Registers

What are Parish Registers and why do we use them?...

O is for for Oops, oooh’s and Uh Oh’s: The Shocking Surprises of Family History Research

 The accidental breakthrough Isn't it great when you accidentally find...

N for News

A Brief History of Journalism and the News In the...

M is for Missing in Action (M.I.A)

Gone but not forgotten In the First World War over...

L is for Love

For today's blog, one of our senior case managers has...

K is for Kin

Love them or hate them, they're still in your family ...

J is for Joke!

Ah, we all love a good joke, especially when they're...

I is for Identity: When Family History Meets Identity

In today's blog, we have written a poem describing what...

H is for House

Bish, bash, bosh, a house video has been made! Take...

G for Graveyard: Why do we have so much respect for the dead?

Is a graveyard the same thing as a cemetery? Believe...

F for Folklore

Day 6 of the Blogging from A - Z Challenge...

E is for Emotion

It’s fair to say that the offices of Family Wise...

C is for Childhood

In today's blog, we have 18 short poems we would...

D is for Death

[caption id="attachment_9291" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image: Dance of Death 1490 courtesy...

B is for Bastardisation

Where did the word originate from?  The English dictionary refers...

Blogging from A-Z April Challenge: A for Asylum

Asylum – a place of refuge or a house of...

What’s the difference between Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday?

An ancient tradition, Christian celebration or capitalist construction? Have you...

Blogging from A-Z April Challenge 2019

We have some exciting news! FWL will be getting involved...

The Life of Ginette Dixon: From tough fishing towns to lacy night gowns

Our story starts with the life of Giovanni Rossi, a...

The Life of Raoul Richards: Fine clothing hiding a secret

"He must have spent it all!""He knew how to live!"...

RootsTech 2019: The longest day of my life

Today, is Saturday. But as I write this, it’s the...

The Life of Hilary Nott: Estrangements and taboo arrangements

Alistair died in challenging circumstances a year or two ago....

the Life of Jim Booth: From bench to slab

Life did not begin easy for Jim. Technically he wasn't...

LGBT History Month: An introduction

Amidst all the preparation and business we have going on...

Rootstech – We’re going! (again)

RootsTech – I’ve been attending for four years now! How...

Family History Tips and tricks: The do’s and don’ts of research

To know one's family is to know one's own, as...

The benefits of learning about your family history

You may have been reading our previous blogs for national...

Kicking About The Family Tree: NSW Saturday

Every family tree has many stories. Let's explore this one!...

Conceived in The Asylum: NSW Friday

Some cases are easier to crack than others. Often-times we...

NSW Thursday Story: What happened to unwanted babies in the 1900s?

Naomi Hicks, daughter of Billie (part 1) Billie's story. Billie's...

NSW: Wednesday – The story of the green suitcase at County Hall

Belinda Garnett lived around the corner from us, a likeable...

NSW: Tuesday – A surprising amount of motherhood

Gary Barnshaw had learning difficulties and had been institutionalised from...

NSW: Monday – The Boy Who Loved Dad’s Wartime Sketches

Jack Phillips grew up in wartime. His Dad sent sketches...

The countdown for National Storytelling Week!

Hello keen storytellers, writers and family historians! From the 28...

We’re back, and we’ve moved!

If you are a regular FWL reader/follower, you will have...

RootsTech 2019 – it’s competition time!

Well actually, I am a little late but thankfully, as...

Once upon a lifetime

So… readers, it’s been a while. A long while. You...

Where did we go?

Well, indeed…. We disappeared off the radar for a bit...

Preparing for/Heading to SLC

In April last year, I sat on the train platform...

STOP PRESS: Family Wise Limited business take-over

As regular followers will know, we recently mentioned a ‘big...

Happy New Genie-year!

Whilst driving earlier today, I was half-listening to a radio...

And the winners are ….

Two weeks ago, we (Jennie Fairs and I) opened up...

Your chance to win!

Yes, you read it right! It is only two weeks...

An apology, a promise and a surprise

Wow! Yes, it has been a while since you last...

Once is a mistake, twice is a choice

No-one in life is perfect, no matter how hard they...

Never shy away from a challenge

Oh my, wow….! How has so much time passed by...

Speaking/globetrotting around the world

It has been a little while since I last blogged...

Limits and that piece of string

Dear Clients (past, present and future), At Family Wise Limited,...

Back to base, interesting characters and planning ahead

The travels I reported in my last blog seem a...

Travels, networking and surprising issues

A fair amount of time has passed since the last...

It’s a Bank Holiday weekend

On Thursday (the new Friday), there was (apparently, as I...

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2017

It hardly seems possible that it was a year ago...

Why wait?

If I told you how many letters we send out...

Further 1939 Register entertainment

A little while ago, we ventured into the land of...

After a busy week comes a busier weekend!

When you want something done, ask a busy person.... well,...

A dull moment? What….?

I actually started writing this blog last weekend and I...

What we learnt at RootsTech

This was our second year at RootsTech and so, we...

We are “working our way back to you”

As I said in the last blog post, RootsTech cannot...

RootsTech …. The fun continues….

Day 2 at RootsTech was African Heritage Day and featured...

RootsTech Day One …. What a day!

Day one of RootsTech... what a day is about right!!...

Heading to RootsTech and Day Zero

Since the last blog, many miles have been travelled to...

Hold on….? Pick up!!

A few weeks ago, at a 4Networking meeting, I was...

Genies on Tour

Firstly, apologies for the gap between this and the previous blog....

Happy Blogiversary

.... to Family Wise Limited! The balloons, the party poppers,...

Bordering on a milestone

Over Christmas and New Year, many businesses (and their employees)...

Accentuate the Positive Geneameme 2016

Each year (for the last five), at this time of...

Tis the season…

"...to be jolly, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,...

You and me got a whole lot of history

.... but FWL is more than history. It's more than...

Fun and games with names

What made you start researching your family history? (if you...

Making Changes

Do you manage your own business? Did you always plan...

Bring in the ….

.... Stars …. Many residents of the UK will be...

Being unique

This week has been ridiculous, on so many levels. We...

When No is the wrong answer

Work is busy. Life is busy. And I am the...

Business challenges

Regular readers will know of our very recent challenges in...

Real people, real places and really good news!

Firstly, some news you have all been waiting for -...

No idea where to begin

Dear Readers, Sometimes, when I sit down to write the...

RootsTech 2017 – who wants to be there?

Are you absolutely desperate to attend RootsTech in Salt Lake...

Victor Meldrew of Wiltshire (ish)

For those readers who are not based in the UK...

I remember….

People often ask where my inspiration comes from for FWL...

Time for the C word

Now.... it's less than two calendar months until the festive...

A Bachelors Degree in Stupidity

Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss Bereavement Services Bank Employee, I am writing today...

What makes a good speaker??

To me, this is a really interesting question.... I have...

New week, new challenges

Positive weekend. Check. Achieved plenty. Check. Cracked the back of...

Friday update from FWL Towers

After a long week in FWL land (for both myself,...

A Game of Roulette

Moving to a new office is, we have decided, like...

Practically magic

Who actually watches the adverts on television these days, or...

Trials and tribulations

New office? New challenges! The new FWL Office opened officially...

1841 census infuriates many

Every ten years since 1801 (excluding 1941 due to the...

The result are in!

On 27 August, we uttered a word which made people...

The importance of reliability

Ever since I left school, I have always known how...

World Wars and naming patterns

Those of you who are regular readers (thank you!) will...

Baffled: When the obvious, isn’t….

Baffled, that's what I am right now. Utterly baffled. In...

Marmite – are you a lover or a hater?

This week, the Rockstar Genealogist Award Winners have been announced....

Oh heavens…. A Rockstar? You are kidding….

Times when I am speechless, shocked and amazed are few...

The Three Musketeers

It's a historical novel by Alexander Dumas (1802-1870). Weirdly, in...

194 years ago today

.... Prince Dom Pedro I (nicknamed "the Liberator") declared Brazil's...

And finally…. new premises!

We can barely contain our excitement.... we have finally signed...

Rockstar Genealogist Awards

Each year, John D. Reid of Anglo-Celtic Connections has the...

Historic Tank Holiday weekend

It is a rare occasion when we close the offices...

Competition time

To whom it may concern: Firstly, an apology.... I am...

So worthwhile

Aside from a monumental amount of paperwork this week, it's...

Making history

Few people around the globe (in the First World at...

Market research

Years ago, when computer monitors were packed into cubed boxes...

The importance of good systems

Usually, our days are driven by the Bona Vacantia Division...

Keys, frogs and trees

Exciting times ahead! We have keys to our new office.....!...

Help…. too much networking

Sitting here this evening, not only have I been watching...

When a good plan….

When a plan doesn't quite play out.... That has been...

Learning new skills

Every day is a new day to learn new things....

Jones, Evans, Williams…. what next….

No task is too big for us at FWL. However...

Meeting of minds

Two weeks ago, I told you about my trip to...

Being cautious

The number of times per week (or even per day) we...

Preparing for the week ahead

When I blog on a Sunday, I often look ahead and consider what...

Behold …. modern day excitement!

Behold, exciting news! Car Number 1 - as in, the...

It’s such a perfect day

Well, it didn't start out that way, to be honest....

The British Summer

Guess what? It's arrived! With temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius...

A day in the Big Smoke

For fifteen years (well fourteen really, because one of my...

The power of patience

Don't faint in shock. Yes, I can be patient! Not...

Stop press: FWL MD Immobilised

Bad news folks. Our MD has been immobilised. You won't...

Quote Night

In recent months, I have heard (generally on social media)...

Out of sync

Apologies readers. Today should be a 'non-blog' day and yesterday...

What makes you read our blog?

Just last week, we asked a question of our readership:...

Who’s been taking stupid pills?

So you think we have some crackpot names nowadays? Try...

Work work work

Goodness gracious! Today has been out of this world. We...

Changing the game

The game changes. Every day. Once upon a time, in...

Free stuff

In the normal way of things, our first port of...

Votes cast

Even those not residing in the United Kingdom could not have...

Focussing minds

Have you made valuable use of your time today? How...

Nasty case of scrambled brain

No alarm clock required. Monday morning came around far too...

Innings and outing

It's fair to say, I do a fair bit of...

Alien abduction

The world is a mighty strange place right now with...

A crazy 24 hours

We have some fairly interesting 24 hour periods at FWL, but...

Well I never….

Life is full of surprises. You think you have a...

The Team

The FWL Team is, quite frankly, amazing. Since our appearance...

Oh my actual “God”!

It has been a while since we 'talked census' on...

All good news…. isn’t it?

Sadly this year, I did not attend the Ontario Genealogical...

How long is a piece of string?

Over the last ten (not all working) days, it's been...

FWL International

Don't worry - we haven't changed our company name, nor...

A Plan B Day

Well, today was quite an odd day. No published Bonavacantia...

Bank Holiday

In the United Kingdom (which, despite their best efforts, still...

What me? On TV? Seriously?

For years and years, I have studiously avoided being on...

Bodge it and scarper

When we moved in 2011, the office premises (now known as...

Family Finders

We are going to be on Family Finders! At FWL,...

Life is like a box of chocolates

That's what Mama always said, according to Tom Hanks in Forrest...

What makes you proud?

An odd topic, some might think, for a blog. Well,...

Never say No!

Sometimes we raise awareness and educate readers in the realms of...

Beyond grateful

Since I started blogging in earnest, a fair few posts...

Inspiring others

Well, that's been quite an amazing couple of days .... we...

Harry Houdini – characters who hide

... or worse, disappear.... we all have them. Every family....

The craziest of schedules

Dear Diary (the calendar and planning kind of one), I...

I am a survivor!

I am a survivor! But heavens, how did I survive?...

Z for Zealots

There have been a few tough nuts to crack during...

Y for Youth

The best time to start doing family history is 'in...

X marks the spot

This was always destined to be one of the more...

W for Wonderful World of Webinars

Modern technology is wonderful. When I first started researching my...

V for Vaccination records

“What?” I hear you shout. It’s rather unlikely that the...

U for Unrealistic

Oh, how many possibilities there are with this title! How...

T for Thank You!

Two small words (in English) which, when put together, mean...

S for Stories

It's all about stories. Yes, there are names, dates and...

R for Relationships

It could quite easily have been resources, rate books, records...

Q for Questions

All day, every day .... questions.... so many questions.... Who...

P for the Power of Networking

Networking? Why? .... Well frankly, why not? Family Wise Limited...

O for Occupations

Those who have heard my lecture on Searching for Surnames will...

N for National Archives

You would think that N would be an easy letter...

M for Mother’s Maiden Name

A fairly crucial part of our research.... the mother's maiden...

L for Lazy Research

When stuck for blog post topics, Team FWL, Mr FWL...

K for Kin

A person's closest living relative is frequently referred to as...

J for Juggling

During the course of our research, we do a lot...

I for Investigation

When you are welcomed into the working world of FWL Towers, Investigation...

H for Heirlooms

Wouldn't we all like some family heirlooms?! During WDYTYA? Live,...

G for a Gaggle of Genealogists

It could have been genealogy but that would have been...

F for Families

What else could F possibly be for? But, by crikey,...

E for Electoral Registers

From 1841 to 1911 (in England, Scotland and Wales), we...

D for Departure

Much of our work is about departure, in some fashion...

C for Certificates

Certificates, they are a genealogist's best friend, right? Erm, wrong!...

B for Bonavacantia

OK, so what the heck does 'Bonavacantia' mean?! Yesterday (and...

A for Alias

Welcome to the A-Z Bloggers Guide to Heir Hunting and...

Does being more vocal mean you are right?

OK, so slightly off the genie track.... but this is...

Crazy days

You know it's been a crazy day when the easiest...

Alas Smith and Jones

.... not my idea! In fact, it was the brainchild...

Easter Saturday at FWL Towers

Earlier in the week, I wrote someone an email referring...

What will you leave behind?

On many occasions, blog inspiration comes from the events of...

Curiouser and Curiouser

“Curiouser and curiouser!”, cried Alice (she was so much surprised,...

Always learning…. and the FWL network

In a previous life (and sometimes still in the current...

Professional, Amateur or Qualified?

Over the last few weeks, there has suddenly been much...

How did that happen?

So, here we are folks. It's Monday night. I (in...

Away from the day job?

No porkies to be told today. We have certainly not...

How is it Thursday?

Thursday already! The week has been just crazy. More crazy...

Guilty of ….?

Guilty? Tracing back into our ancestral histories, we often uncover...

Family Wise Limited….. the brand

Once upon a time, there was an employee. An employee...

Getting the right result

Don't worry. I have not totally lost the plot. I...

Best laid plans

Plans. Right. They are a great idea. No kidding. They...

A day of rest?

Sunday.... it's the day after Saturday and before Monday. Part...

An update on proceedings

My last blog was not an overly positive one. Well,...

Thank heaven for genetics

If you are opening this page, expecting me to wax...

Go Compare: WDYTYA vs RootsTech

Since my return from Salt Lake City, I have participated...

When Yes Means No

Personally, I am pretty good at stating my opinion (you...

Open letter to Commercial Genealogy Companies

To whom it may concern: I am writing today in...

The passing of another great….

2016 has been the year of sad loss. Some personal...

Two sides to every story

I was reading earlier today (a rare treat for me)...

Back to normality

.... whatever that is meant to be! Valuations of stamp...

Back to the homeland

CiCoNO and I are now back in the homeland. The...

Park City and Utah Olympic Park

RootsTech 2016. It’s over. How did that happen? Well, on...

RootsTech – The Final Frontier

During the course of the last three days (and even...

RootsTech – Day 2

This is my first ever RootsTech and I am an...

RootsTech – Day 1

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a...

RootsTech – Day 0

RootsTech is huge. It's official. Before I travelled to Utah,...

FWL travels – Part 3

Scary thing is, it’s Part 3 and RootsTech hasn’t even...

FWL travels – Part 2

After a very long Friday 29th January, we arrived in...

FWL travels – Part 1

The travels actually began yesterday, 28th January, when myself and...

So near and yet so far….

Wow. Is it actually possible that I will be leaving...

Preparing for RootsTech

"Missing. One MD of FWL. Last seen heading towards Swindon...

Customer service – good vs awful

We - FWL - pride ourselves on excellent customer service....

Chime, Knock, Wobble

Haha.... so that got your attention! What were you thinking...

Record breakers….

We've been talking a lot today about breaking records in...

Battering my head….

.... against brickwalls.... all day!! And it's Sunday as well.... Brickwalls...

Can I cancel my taxi please?

10:08pm. Friday 15 January. The office phone is ringing. The...

Inspiring others

When I was a little girl, I was inspired to...

You cannot be serious!

The phrase "You cannot be serious!" was made famous by...

Never say die

This job ain't easy you know! Yes, it's very rewarding...

Lady luck and the Doctors of Spin

Another interesting 48 hours has passed and I am pleased...

Quite frankly….

.... I've had better starts to a New Year. The...

The Teapot of Life

I have never been known to be a great tea...

Welcome to 2016

The New Year brings challenges all round the world. A...

Happy New Year!

Wishing all our clients, friends, family and business associates a...

Are you ready to take on the world?

There are now (in my timezone at least) less than...

Take Back Tuesday

Well, that's another new thing I've learnt this week. Today,...

At the time of writing….

.... there are just three working days left in 2015. In...

Another day….

Well, I learnt something new today. Having had three days...

“They think it’s all over….

.... it is now!" That is the famous quote from...

Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas from the FWL Team! Wishing all...

The office is now closed

It is official. The offices of FWL are closed. For...

Fame at last

The title was almost 'I'm so excited'.... because I am!...

Whatever floats your boat?

As regular readers will know, these last few weeks have...

#BigThankYou

Here we are, not quite switched off (the electronic devices)...

Christmas Card etiquette

I like receiving Christmas cards. This week, I have received...

Faith, Hope, Charity…. and Luck

"Tis the season to be jolly.... Fa la la la la,...

Are you Christmasly-challenged?

It would appear that some people in my area have...

Dear Father Christmas

I know.... I know.... it's rather late to be writing...

Moving goalposts

Oh, how I love it when the goalposts which are...

Memories and reflections

Life is full of memories. Some good and some bad....

And I am telling you….

.... I'm not going...." The song, from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls,...

That was the day that was

This morning starting in a somewhat different way - waking at 5:30am without...

Technology – a wonderful thing

.... when it works! And oh, the woes when it...

Just for a change….

One thing I would hate to be called is predictable,...

Crackers, Mangers and Donkeys

As we veer helter skelter towards Christmas, the days are...

Oh heck…. how is it only 18?

Regular readers will know that I am not the world's...

And the winner is….?

We all know that it's not just about winning, it's...

Somewhere over the rainbow

On a Friday, people often say "Thank goodness, it's Friday....

How wrong is wrong?

On a daily basis, we have the dubious pleasure of 'competing'...

Circus performances and Mastermind

I am neither a pancratist nor a urinator, you'll be...

Didn’t see that coming!

Well, I kind of did.... I was watching out for...

“Bah! Humbug!”

Ebenezer Scrooge was the cold-hearted miser who despised Christmas at...

But seriously….

As I sit here writing this blog, I am somewhat...

Here endeth….

.... my working day! No kidding.... Sunday, for some, is...

Has it really started already?

Facebook is full of it. The streets of Calne and...

How? That’s all….

.... I'd like to know. How am I still awake...

A day of two halves

.... with a few battles! I am not the biggest...

What are you doing?

There is, most definitely, a time and a place for...

Choosing the right approach

What an interesting day.... and on reflection, one I have...

Monday madness

Once upon a time, I knew what Monday would bring...

A Sunday in the life of….

Thank heaven.... Sunday was, this morning, the time for a...

The Story of Portman Road

Arrived home at 9pm, having left Ipswich at 4:45pm.... a...

Among friends….

Some days are planned but most are not. Today (for...

Playing dirty

Ethics and honesty are two of our core values at...

A cunning plan

"I have a cunning plan" .... the famous words of...

Want something done?

I am sure most of you can guess where this...

Away with the fairies

Over the last week or two, a fair few certificates...

Fun at the zoo

Today, we are back in the zone - the genealogy...

Dictatorship – no thanks!

The streets of Paris are dark. Landmarks are lit up...

The power of networking

Team FWL have been working their socks off in various...

The importance of accuracy

Following on from my blog entitled Are you sure about...

Just a bit off kilter….

I have to confess: it's been an odd Wednesday, all...

Are you sure about that?

Why couldn't the census enumerators have asked this question? Why...

Digging into the past

I spend my entire life digging into the past, but...

The nuts and bolts

When does something become routine in life? A permanent fixture...

Going the distance

To whom it may concern: Once upon a time, I...

Thank you and Goodnight

As MD of FWL, I often find myself carrying out...

How many sources?

Over the past year, FWL have had some interesting cases which have...

When is it reasonable to….?

At the time of writing, I am well past the...

When days just happen

As regular readers will know, I used to have a...

The 1939 Register

It's been 'the talk of the town'.... the genealogical 'town'...

Here endeth another weekend

OK folks, I am curious .... what have you been...

Happy Hallowe’en

T'would be fair to say that Hallowe'en has become much...

And the winner is….

.... Mike Quackenbush! You have won my RootsTech pass giveaway!...

Codswallop

That caught your eye, eh!? Well, for those non-British readers, codswallop...

27 hours to go!

It is the largest family history conference in the world...

Taking pride in communications

In 2012, I founded FWL and I am very protective...

New Monday, new week, new goals

Well, one thing is for certain, it's been a rollercoaster...

Project Decrapification

Welcome to exhaustion. Yes, it is fair to say I...

Decrapifying the office

Truth be told, I have now been doing genealogy/family history/call-it-what-you-will...

Frantic Friday

Best laid plans eh....? Well, today wasn't a military precision...

What does independent mean?

An independent variable in an experiment is the variable you have control...

Timed to perfection

Wednesday night is a time for reflection .... five years...

One of the tougher days….

At the start of each day, when you wake up,...

When a Fortune isn’t a Fortune!

We are currently administrating an estate in the name of...

Upgrading technology

Once upon a time, many decades ago, a mobile phone...

I am an Ambassador!

Wahey! Having booked my flights and hotel to attend my first...

Queer goings on….

Well, it's been a queer day today for sure. Very...

Taking no shortcuts

We find people. Beneficiaries in Wills, beneficiaries in intestate estates,...

Way past the witching hour

And here I am again, writing this blog at way...

Lifelong revenge against PE

"My whole career is a long revenge against PE. If...

Mental Monday

As Mental Mondays go, today reached new heights. The day...

Sunday – not a day of rest

Normally, Sunday is at least a partial day off.... a...

Who Do You Think You Are?

OK .... I'll let you down gently. This is nothing...

The Animal Kingdom

Friday has been frenetic. That's all. I could write about...

I dreamed a dream….

"I dreamed a dream in time gone by, When hope was...

Time to recharge?

Each day, I get to the end and feel like...

Where in the world….?

In our daily working life at FWL, we are constantly...

There comes a time….

.... when every holiday must come to an end. And...

Why Bodmin, Thomas?

During our travels of the weekend, I have managed to...

Fiction, ferries and Fowey

For the first time in a long while, me and...

What’s it all about?

So, this business lark.... just what is it all about?...

Oh no, I’ve run out!!

When I tell you, you will find it hard to...

Is it too early?

It is now the end of September. Officially, in less...

Oh happy day….

Today has been a very happy but very long day...

The birds and the bees

I would bet a large amount of money that you opened this...

You are kidding, right? (Part 2)

This week, we have found plenty more crazy references to...

Competing for England

Sometimes I blog about genealogy. On other occasions, I write...

The swear box overfloweth

When I parted company with my last full-time employer, I was given several...

You are kidding, right?

Over the last month or so, many readers have written...

Can I give you some advice?

Each and every day, we give people help and advice....

Reality: It’s a Matter of Perception

You do realise that people are constantly watching and making...

The importance of being accurate

As regular blog readers will know, my best and most...

Footprints in the sand

In the nineteenth century, what would our ancestor's footprints have...

Hitting the headlines

The Rockstar Genealogist Awards have now been running for four...

#4N works….

As regular blog readers will know, today was a day...

Rockstar on the Road

'Tis true, this Rockstar has left the office. For a...

More honours and The Rule Book

And today, I awoke to yet more honours - No. 8...

Honoured, stunned and delighted

I make no apology for this post. People who follow...

Madness and success

Happy 2nd Blogiversary to FWL! Oh my goodness gracious me -...

Golden Balls

I am pretty sure that some of you read that...

Heading up Silver Street….

.... it sure is a common street name in England....

And the bronze medal goes to….?

Regular readers of the FWL blog will more than likely...

Important events …. anniversaries etc.

Over the course of a year, we all have important...

Is it just me or ….?

Many people see me as a 'wise owl' kind of...

What’s that coming over the hill?

.... is it a Rockstar?! Oh I know.... I missed...

Managing expectations

I am sure many business owners have heard the phrase "under...

24/7/365

I have a confession to make. I am officially old....

A problem shared….

There is a proverb, "a problem shared is a problem halved",...

When to switch?

Some regular readers of the FWL blog may well recall...

Giving up….

There is a time and a place. You want to...

Mountain goats

You are probably wondering if I have finally completely lost the...

Needing inspiration?

Have you ever stared at a blank screen waiting for...

Is it Sunday today?

What a mighty odd day it has been today! Summer...

Never give up

Over the past nine days, I have eagerly watched the...

Telling porkies

Hmm.... and, at times, grrr .... Our sphere of work...

The ‘to-do’ list

I mentioned earlier in the week that the 'to-do' list...

Who Do You Think You Are?

OK.... it's a fairly obvious title and yes, I am...

Less BSOs please!

....Oh, so that caught your attention? What is a BSO?...

Sorry seems to be….

.... the easiest word in the world. Most of Tuesday...

One of those …. days

And on this occasion, one of those almost perfect days....

There aren’t any shortcuts

Dear Potential Client of FWL, Thank you for completing our...

So you want something for nothing…?

I am so sorry to hear that your boiler isn't...

Back to family and local history

Often our working days are spent deep in paperwork on...

In the Premier League

Whoa Neddy! This week has been absolutely bonkers. From Cornwall...

Words rarely fail me

.... but today, they have. A more roller-coaster-esque day I...

Putting my waders on

As regular readers will know, I have been down in...

Weird and wonderful journeys

Tracing family histories is a journey of discovery, each and...

Back to my roots

Once upon a time, in a generation or two back...

Playing to your strengths

FWL has grown exponentially in the last year. The team is...

And finally, the penny drops

Ever since FWL has been a full-time commitment for me,...

No need to feel guilty

More often than not, when we engage with potential beneficiaries...

Healthy competition

Life is full of competition. In school, young people compete to...

‘Off the tools?’ …. yeah right!

Yesterday, I commented that I had a heap of tasks...

Tackling the tough stuff

On your list of things to do tomorrow, what will...

Playing it safe v Being challenged

We are all in this world to be someone. You...

Administrative tasks – friend or foe?

Recently, Saturday has taken on a new meaning in the...

People buy from people

How do you decide which plumber/heating engineer to use when...

Where do you get your inspiration?

Ever since FWL began 'in earnest' (well, stage 1 of...

Those all important security questions

When you call someone about a policy you hold or...

What is your personal best?

This evening, I have been catching up on some recorded...

The ethics of Heir Hunting

On a number of occasions in the past two years,...

Clearing the decks

It is a well-known fact that, as MD@FWL, I often...

Those “yippee” moments

Professional genea-mates.... How many times have clients questioned, "How long...

Dull moment? Never….

Oh heavens.... How did it get to be this time...

How wide is your network?

Two years ago, I left the day job to become...

Wonderful Wednesday

Great Scott! What an awesome day! Tuesday - if we...

What does it take?

People are funny things. They are all both genetically and...

Investing for the future

No, I have not changed career and become a financial...

Why the tortoise always wins the race

Aesop was said to be a Greek slave and storyteller...

Hatched (matched) and dispatched

In every family tree, each character must be hatched and...

Down the back straight

Don't worry. Hell hasn't frozen over. I haven't turned into...

A day in the life of….

There is a great BBC series called 'Toughest Place to...

Getting sidetracked

I describe genealogy as like marmite - you either love...

Random requests for assistance

At FWL, we find people.... no matter how hard they...

Whatever happened to….

Do you ever have one of  those days when you...

One born every minute

I have lost count of the number of times I have...

The Percussion Section

Over the past few weeks, we have delighted you with...

The importance of professionalism

During my working life, I have had a varied career...

Good things come to those who wait

There are some proverbs which are pretty spot on but...

If you don’t ask….

Some of you lovely blog readers will have known me...

When life is not quite so simple

Goodness me, Mr and Mrs Genealogy don't half set us some...

Marvellous, magnificent, magical Monday

Wow .... what a wonderful start to the week! The...

Game, Set, Match

Life isn't all about winning. However, it is sometimes pretty...

When the chips are down….

The past year has been tough for many of my...

The String Section

So far, in the orchestral manoeuvres, the woodwind and brass...

A life history in one house

Recently, we have been appointed as administrators in an estate...

Opening a can of worms….

When you start tracing your family history, what do you...

When is enough really enough?

I give up.... Like heck I do! I never give...

Draft, draft and re-draft

As Managing Director of FWL, I am supposed to know everything....

The Brass Section

Earlier this week, the Woodwind Section of the orchestra featured...

Morgan, Jones, Evans, Williams ….

Having removed half the leaflets and brochures from the hotel...

So much to sea

It's not often I take time out of the FWL...

The penny drops

As a business owner, Managing Director, or whatever you would...

The Woodwind Section

Frequently at FWL, our  minds turn to the eccentric -...

Famous last words

I do believe that summer is here in England -...

How far can we go?

Isn't that just a classic question! Clients often ask us how...

Who wants to find ‘Long Lost Family’?

Finding living people is not easy. It takes a lot of...

Waving the magic wand

It's Saturday and another jolly work day at FWL. Every...

What is the appropriate etiquette?

Right from the outset, Friday 26th was going to be...

What are your aspirations?

When I was young, I don't really remember having a...

It is nice to be….

.... important, but it's more important to be nice! So said...

Making assumptions

.... is a very dangerous game to play. In genealogy terms,...

Families are funny things

"They can be large or small, normal or crazy, fun...

Predictable? That would be ….

.... boring! What would a 'normal' person do on a...

Out with the old, in with the new

Nearly four years ago, I moved from Reading - my...

“Life is like a box of chocolates”

"....you never know what you are going to get".... That's...

That was the day that was

Dear World, Thank you. For what, you ask? For giving...

Why I love my job

To whom it may concern:  Out there in the big...

Knowing when to give up

In our line of work, we have to be terriers. We...

Unexpectedly brilliant Monday

Am I the only one who has no clue what...

A weekend away from Wiltshire

As you will have worked out from yesterday's blog, I...

The meeting of the Tarrant and the Stour

Anne-Marie Edwards informed me in Waterside Walks in Dorset that: "From...

What relevance does today have?

Over my years of blogging, there are many occasions when...

What a difference a day makes

".... 24 little hours .... Brought the sun and the flowers...

Me? On a small screen….?

Amazingly, 'tis soon to be so. I cannot say too...

And breathe….

This evening should have been an early-ish finish for me....

Tragic? Not really….

Yesterday, I wrote about Tragic Adeline Boddy who, according to...

Words fail me, but thankfully not Tragic

That is not a common occurrence. Last weekend, I was...

Are some people too trusting?

Today, I have been quite amazed by the stupidity of...

That was the week that was

At the beginning of this week, I was hard at...

Reality vs fantasy

Reality has kicked in and, as I mentioned yesterday, I...

Back in the groove….

Did someone say I was away in Canada until yesterday...

Growing up and travelling

Well, you are most probably wondering why I am posting...

Heading back to the homeland

My journey is over. Ten days in the country which...

The final day at OGS Barrie 2015

I have to say, I make no apology for the...

Day 2 at OGS Conference in Barrie

My feet have quite honestly, not touched the ground today....

Day 1 at OGS Conference

Having now acclimatised in terms of time-zone and language to...

What do you call a group of genealogists?

Unless you have completely missed my blog posts this week,...

Toronto or York?

And today, I remain in Toronto though changing residency in...

A day in Toronto

Well, in order to post a blog today (UK-time), this...

Harbour Square and Billy Bishop

My genea-journey continues .... and I am now a Toronto resident...

Helicopters and history

Yesterday, I mentioned my current location of Niagara Falls. I have...

From a different time zone

FWL now has a new office - in Niagara! More...

First Great Western to Heathrow Terminal 5

Those who have been followers of the FWL blog for...

On your marks….

.... Get Set, Go! Time to start the race. The...

Are you ready?

And as the week rolls by, it gets closer and...

The Hour of Power

When do you achieve your best work? Are you a...

The Kings of Stupid Ideas

Oh good heavens! Today has brought home to me just...

And thank you to….

How many times have you listened to acceptance speeches of...

What do you give back?

There are many occasions when we do a piece of...

Paying for crime

Most of the time, I steer well clear of opinionated...

Natural networking

Some things take effort in life, whilst other things come...

Star Wars, Trek and the Thirteenth

May. A peculiar month. Two Bank Holiday Mondays (not that that...

Genie-inspiring others

Inspiring young people was my job of yesteryear and now, I...

Maths and genealogy – what’s the link?

Over the years, I have met a fair few genealogists/family...

The power of the weekend

Don't panic - we haven't had the weekend off! Not...

B&Q, ‘Operation New Gate’ and a Bushman

Saturday is a curious day of the week and frequently a noisier...

Operation Barrie

In two weeks time, I will have arrived in Canada....

Barking up the wrong tree….

Have you ever, during the course of your family history,...

Cat biscuits, Calne and Canada

There are just a few things which you know you...

A day in the life of ….

There are some days when I wonder which way is...

Sporting connections of yesteryear

It may surprise you to know that I have been...

Trotters, benders and a retired queer?

Continuing the 1911 census 'series of nuttiness', further offerings are...

Unknown, not known and don’t know

Over the years, since I have been writing this blog,...

This genealogist’s quirky questions

No two days are the same but some days are,...

Wool willies and boob dealers?

Fruit. A common word in the English language. Fairly regularly...

I did promise you ….

Yesterday, I did say that there were plenty more to come.......

More cracking transcription errors

Or almighty ****-ups, so some might call them! Seriously.... I...

Politics, post and plonkers

Life seems to revolve around these three P's at the...

A new hobby: Welding!

You are probably wondering how I have time for a...

Saturday – a day of rest?

Well, perhaps for some people.... Here at FWL, it's been...

Frenetic Friday

I often comment about how odd our days are at...

Networking at its best

Is it possible to do too much networking? I sincerely...

Woof on earth?

Over the last few weeks, many of our blogs have...

Changing lives

At networking events, when people ask me what we do...

Settling back in….

Having been away from the FWL offices for the best...

Oh, for the sake of three minutes!

Having completed the marathon of WDYTYA? Live in Birmingham, I...

Who Do You Think You Are? Live – The Final Frontier

Is it actually possible? Sadly, it is. It’s over. Completely...

Who Do You Think You Are? Live – Day 2

It's the end of Day 2 and we are 'over...

Who Do You Think You Are? Live Day 1 review

It's amazing what the important things are at conferences/events like...

To WDYTYA I go … but by public transport?

Who Do You Think You Are? Live is the biggest...

Really not my finest hour….

There are times when the candle simply has to be...

Sorting Phyllis’ record keeping

Quite some while back now (in fact, in January 2014),...

Sunday: A Day of Therapy

Panic not. I have not handed my soul to the...

I seriously love my job

During my lifetime, I have worked in a shoe shop,...

And what do you do?

My background is not in sales. Nor marketing. I set...

Politics – I’ve already had enough!

Is it just me, or is it all too much...

Boats, torpedoes and the ability to say ‘NO’!

A few light years ago (well actually, on Saturday, but...

The power of miaow

Who is the noisiest creature in the office of FWL?...

Porkie pies

Once upon a time, in a land far far from...

Magic moments

There was a magical moment this weekend when I said...

What makes your boat go faster?

During the course of the last week, a wise man...

Helping others

When I was younger, I was a Brownie. In those...

Records in the Grand National

Back in 1977, the Grand National featured its first woman...

Demon networker

OK, so what do you do when you are working...

The power of persistence

Frequently, life is both interesting and challenging (in equal measure)...

Real life (as we now know it)

Sorry 'Trekkies' - this post has nothing to do with...

The difference between right and wrong

When I was 'a tiddler', Ma & Pa FWL had...

Adventures in Wonderland

Gertrude has now been replaced by Doris who, it appears,...

Time for a change?

Running FWL (and all the other things I do) means...

When push comes to shove

It's a funny phrase, don't you think? "When push comes...

Are you having a laugh?

How many hours are there in a day? I know...

When all is not what it seems

Us genies do love a good oddball, don't we? Over...

Back to the grindstone ….

I love the fact that every day presents a different...

Those ‘white roads’ on Google

In the UK - and most probably elsewhere in the...

The wonders of the West Country

As regular readers will know from yesterday's blog post, I...

Travels to the West Country

Friday has been something of a different beast this week....

Keys, cars and chargers

Continued letter to Whoever-you-are-who-looks-down-on-us-all.... Well, the first part of my letter...

Sir, Madam and the Average Speed Cameras

Dear Whoever-you-are-who-looks-down-on-us-all (if you even exist - but hey, it's...

Service interruption

Dear Readers, Apologies for this short term service interruption. Normal...

An inspirational and tough day all in one

Some days are tougher than others. Some are like a...

My hierarchy of needs

Back in 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a theory about a...

Want to find out more about your Devon Ancestors?

Devon is tucked away in the 'West Country' of England...

The Good, The Bad, The Bonkers and the Crazyhorses!

One of my favourite publications is Russell Ash's Potty, Fartwell and...

Black, white and no ‘Gray’ in the middle

In life, there are many things which are either black...

Fortune favours the bold

.... or sometimes the brave. People who bravely go after...

The disease to please

Duke Robinson, the author of Too Nice for Your Own Good,...

Twits, Knobs and Windows

Another day of family history madness, but today, out and...

Pay it forward

Back in 2014 (I think), I wrote a few blog...

International Women’s Day – Suffragettes in 1911

All around the world, International Women's Day is being recognised today...

Winning medals

It's the European Indoor Athletic Championships this weekend. I've managed...

Good vs bad choices

This morning was (yet another) early start. Out of the...

How special are you?

Well, I certainly felt special when I returned to the...

Far and wide

As local, social and family historians, our work at FWL...

The value of ‘being nice’

Some days I blog about genealogical finds, sometimes I write...

Aspirations

What do you want to achieve this year? What are...

The Sunday Surgery

I do love a good random search of various websites...

Even (or only) on a Saturday

So what did Saturday hold for you? How many of...

Why would you?

During our research into the past, many of us discover...

Thank you!

When did you last say it? How often do you...

When is it OK to ‘hit the wine’?

I sincerely hope you didn't click on the title of...

The power of positivity

Those of you who are regular readers of the FWL...

Photographs of yesteryear

I'd hazard a guess that most people have folders and...

What makes your day buzz?

Are you having a bad day today? I hope not.......

Is it really new news?

Earlier this week, I shared a link on Facebook to a Daily...

What’s in it for me?

How many people stumble upon something in life and think:...

Who dunnit?

What made you start researching your family history? Everyone has a...

Never a dull moment

What a funny Wednesday! There is no 'normal' in the...

Candle burning

Don't burn the candle at both ends - 't has often...

Making the most of now

As a family historian/genealogist, I spend much of my life...

Curtains vs furniture

Well, I have certainly learnt something new this weekend. Actually,...

Another one bites the dust

Panic not. No-one has shuffled off this mortal coil. Well, they...

Working harder vs working smarter

Working smart is essential, but it's only half of the equation....

TNA Thursday

Oh lordie, I had forgotten what a pleasure it is...

Tuesday random waffles (Part 2)

Well, Tuesday turned into Wednesday without much shut-eye, but that's...

Tuesday random waffles (Part 1)

One day, I might get back to doing my own...

If it ain’t broke…

Since 1858, applications for grants of probate or letters of...

Keeping it real

Nowadays, there are so many new words, phrases and sayings,...

Seize the moment

Oh my....! I love it when a plan comes together...

I won an award!

I am so excited, I can hardly contain myself .... So,...

Credit where credit is due

How many affluent professional genealogists do you know? I couldn't...

Share and share alike

Well folks, today's blog is late late late. Muchos apologies...

Why sign up with us? (Part 2)

Yesterday, I hope I managed to unpick some myths about...

Why sign up with us? (Part 1)

One of the many aspects of our work at FWL is...

The importance of being Ernest

A play by Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest,...

Decorating vs Family History

The recent past at FWL has involved lots of changes....

Karma ….

Dear Karma 2014 was a very odd year for me....

Nothing is impossible

Today, I have made a major realisation which I simply have...

Coffee or tea? Milk? Sugar?

Having had several tradesmen in the office these last ten...

When is ‘a good time’?

Remember the 1970s? The excitement in your house when the telephone rang?...

Famous ancestors

Wouldn't we all like to find that we have famous...

Random waffles

Dear FWL Blog Readers, Sometimes this blog is about 'up-to-the-minute'...

How long will it take?

Working out how long a project will take is a...

Social media. Good or bad?

[caption id="attachment_3659" align="alignright" width="399"] Source: LeslieMcNabb.com[/caption] Love it or hate...

Dear Ancestry

Dear Ancestry, I woke up this morning and was utterly...

Laugh lots….

A later evening blog today as it has been rather...

Actions speak louder than words

How many times have you heard someone say, 'Actions speak...

When can you be 100% certain?

When searching into the past, we all rely on the...

Amateur vs Professional

During the course of 2014, this was a 'hot topic'...

New indexes on Ancestry

I am quite sure that I won't be the only...

DIY or FWL?

Genealogy/family history/whatever-you-choose-to-call-it is a popular pastime these days. I don't...

Who was William Robson?

Each Sunday in 2014, I blogged about one of my...

Writing a will

Last week, I wrote about the importance of leaving a...

Who knew? (So many acronyms!)

The world is positively littered with acronyms. There are probably...

Why plan?

Planning prevents poor performance, so the saying goes. In fact,...

Are you prepared?

Years ago, when I went on holiday as a youngster,...

The difference between can’t and won’t

Hopefully, the more regular visitors to our blog here at...

Popularity vs profitability

Let's face it, we would all have preferred to be...

Where there’s a will there’s a way

The meaning of the phrase 'where there's a will there's...

You can do ANYTHING

Apologies for the later-than-usual blog today. It's not because it's...

For Pete’s sake

Oh good heavens.... how hard is it just to say...

Always learning

There is never a day that goes by without me...

Accentuate the Positive Geneameme Part 2

On January 1, I accepted a challenge: to accentuate the positive parts...

Meeting up with relatives

It's Saturday. Yes, I know.... you all knew that. But...

New Year, new system

So, who is participating in the Genealogy Do-Over in 2015?...

Accentuate the Positive Geneameme – 2015

Most days, I go to bed (sometimes rather late but)...

More resolutions for the New Year

Some of you reading this will already be in 2015...

#52 of #52: Jessie Petherick (1851-1935)

I cannot quite believe that a whole year has passed...

Starting over in 2015

How many times have you considered starting over in the...

#51 Charles Buck(e)ridge (1802-1883) Inkpen

Charles Roger Buckridge was baptised on 10 April 1802 in Inkpen,...

December, January, February

Yesterday, I saw an interesting article entitled Snowballs, Santas and Sleighs:...

And there it went….

All that planning.... and now, it's pretty much over already!...

So here it is….

....Merry Christmas and we hope 'everybody's having fun'! 'Look to...

Antlers and alcohol

One more day until the big event that we have...

Mistletoe and marbles

'Christmas time, Mistletoe and Wine'.... sang Cliff Richard, way back...

Twerps, twits and trollops

Having travelled around a bit this year, I am told...

Smith … but William Hewett Smith at least! (#50)

William Hewett Smith has been at the top of my...

Inventive? Or just plain crackers?

Genealogy is full of interesting finds to keep us entertained...

Right ol’ rigmarole

Do you ever get to Christmas feeling fully prepared? Well...

How long is a piece of string?

.... well, it's a frequently used phrase, as so many...

Charles Dickens, English GCSE and the festive season

Many years ago, in a land not so far, far...

You only live once

Events across the globe are certainly making unpleasant listening/reading over...

Random Monday waffles

Tomorrow, I'll think of some other way to get him...

Richard Sillifant (#49), the rabbit trapper (1875-1945)

Richard Sillifant was born in 1875, the fifth of eight...

Every cloud has a silver lining

Goodness me, 2014 has thrown up a fair number of...

Marconi and the first transatlantic radio signal

On the 12th hour of the 12th day of the...

And yet more astonishing finds!

Having checked out the reindeers yesterday, today I moved on...

Unbelievable

Having had a fairly 'entertaining' 24 hours - translate 'entertaining'...

Oh good heavens….

Or 'Great Scott!' as the Doc said, frequently in Back to...

Yes – it’s Monday again!

Ever get that sinking feeling on a Sunday night....? Then...

George Kitcher (1833-?) #48 of #52Ancestors

Earlier this year, I wrote about Timothy Kitcher - one...

Nicholas? Who was he?

Well to me, today is Saturday. Small Business Saturday too...

Inspired?

You know those days when you just cannot muster the...

How have I come this far without ….

Earlier this week, I took some 'time out' to visit...

Stunned to silence ….?

Hm.... me? Stunned to silence? Not a common occurrence! But...

I would really like to know …..

As I mentioned yesterday, December is a time of reflection,...

Where did 2014 go?

And here we are, at the start of December and...

#47 Alice Day (1869-1963)

Alice was the twelfth of fourteen known children of William...

Just stop!

What a lovely Saturday off.... well, kind of 'off'.... in...

Housework…. hmm….

Oh goodness - three and a half hours sleep after...

Terrific Thursday (Part Two)

(if you haven’t read Part One, please read first for...

Terrific Thursday (Part One)

Well, that was what I had hoped anyway.... Long planned...

What is normal?

The thing is, there is no normal. While normal may...

What part of No….?

To whom it may concern: I would like to take...

There’s room for everyone

The world of family, local and social history has grown...

#46 Thomas Elford (1804-1886)

Thomas Elford was my gggg-grandfather on my father's side -...

The key to success

When should you give up? It is a more intriguing...

Are you listening?

Hearing is one of your five senses. It is the ability...

Losing the battle but winning the war

The winner of a war often loses just as many...

What is the secret to a great team?

Over the years, I have worked in many teams and...

Learning Netiquette

Over the past few months, I have frequently found myself...

Just another Manic Monday

After a relaxing weekend - yes, I managed it this...

#45 Frederick Day (~1849-1922)

Over the years, few people in my immediate family have...

Coping with a crazy busy life

How many people do you know who say they are 'crazy...

What will your legacy be?

If you died today, what would you be remembered for?...

Evaluating success

Following on from yesterday's blog post, we have been talking...

Taking stock with Archimedes

Ever had one of those 'Eureka moments'? One of the...

How many Armistices?

When we were considering the blog post for today, we...

Obscene Publications Act

D H Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover was first published in...

#44 William Henry Oats (1889-1948)

During the course of the year while I have been...

Remembrance Day bombing

On 8 November 1987 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, a Provisional...

The last public hanging

On this date in 1783, highwayman John Austin was hanged...

The Idiot’s Guide to Airport Security

And so, the return trip from Canada to London Heathrow...

Remember, remember….

'....the fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot, I see...

Round the bend

Sometimes I really wonder whether it's me or you who...

Part Two: Two Planes from Toronto to Ottawa

And so, having sat pixie-fashion on the floor in arrivals...

How many planes….

... does it take to get me from Toronto to...

Exhausted Jetsetter

Sorry FWL blog readers.... you will have to wait until...

Life as an Air Canada traveller

What should have been so simple was made quite challenging earlier...

Tracing Your Industrial Ancestors

To use a tagline of several fellow genealogists, 'wouldn't that...

Ghosts, fairies and evil spirits

This is All-Hallows Eve, better known as Hallowe'en, when witches fly abroad...

How much does it cost to be courteous?

Courtesy costs nothing but wins everybody.  In business, courtesy is...

What is our life?

According to Sir Walter Raleigh, the English explorer, in 'On...

What is your role?

Family Wise Limited is all about working as a team....

My birthday began with the waterbirds

The Welsh poet - Dylan Marlais Thomas - was born...

#43 Granny Baynham’s ‘Aunt Dunt’

Regular readers of my #52Ancestors posts will know that I...

How difficult is it?

When a team first comes together, you cannot expect it...

Wise move, 28 years ago

In 1986, we - the United Kingdom, that is -...

Chulalongkorn Day

In Thailand, this is Chulalongkorn Day, commemorating the death of...

A convicted double agent

George Blake (born George Behar on 11 November 1922) was...

England expects that every man will do his duty

.....the signal sent from Admiral Nelson's flagship HMS Victory before the...

Convictions quashed

The Guildford pub bombings occurred on 5 October 1974. Two...

#42 William Day (1777-1848)

William Day is currently at the top of my Day...

Choosing a spouse….

This is the feast day of St Luke, a doctor...

The never-ending task list

Do you ever get that feeling that your task list...

Remember Michael Fish

Don't we all! Twenty-seven years ago, he told weather viewers...

One of those days….

You know those days/weeks/months when it seems like nothing is...

Prime Minister and convict?

Today is the birth date of Éamon De Valera, Irish...

The first knighted actor

Sir Henry Irving, the first actor to receive a knighthood,...

#41 Augusta Matilda Baker (New Forest, Hampshire)

Augusta Matilda. Thank goodness that the Baker family picked their...

Raised from a 437-year sleep

The flagship of King Henry VIII's navy - named after...

Happy 86th Birthday

.... to the Tyne Bridge, one of Tyneside's most recognisable...

How much is a ‘reasonable amount’?

When we set out in the big wide world of...

Harrowing crash  

In 1952, a total of 108 passengers and four rail...

The invention of carbon paper

In 1806, the British inventor Ralph Wedgwood (cousin of the potter,...

Famous for smashing atoms

Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton was an Irish physicist and Nobel...

#40 Halwill Sillifant boys

Current events have directed me to this branch of my extended Sillifant...

Jobs for the boys

Today (in 1883), the Boys’ Brigade was founded in Glasgow...

International distress

On 3 October 1906, at the Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference, it...

Mohandas?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi...

Anyone for T?

Priced at $850, the first production Model T was announced...

Mother unknown

Sometimes, when we are researching for clients, fascinating gems pop...

Chickens and parsons’ daughters

So, the saying goes: 'Michaelmas chickens and parsons' daughters never...

#39 Mary Ann Day (1843-?)

Mary Ann was the third born child of William Henry...

Come on …. do the Locomotion

The UK's first public railway, the Stockton and Darlington link...

Non-stop until you drop

On this day in 1973, Concorde made its first non-stop...

Anyone suffer from didaskaleinophobia?

I learnt a new word today. However, I would like...

Are you stopping?

Xtremely late blog tonight as it has been an xtraordinarily...

Conversational ‘free association’ – anyone?

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, died on this day...

Who took the gold plates?

On 22 September 1827, Joseph Smith - founder of the...

#38 George God(d)ard of Marystow, Devon

George's parents, Edward and Margaret (nee Bickle) married in Marystow...

Awarded and invested

During the Battle of the Alma (in the Crimean War)...

Chocolate

As many of you will know, I am in the...

In need of opinions

Money is the root of all evil.... You can’t get...

Adopted …. in 1789?

In the USA, today is Constitution Day, commemorating the signing of...

Unusual regional words

Away from the trials and tribulations of recent events, this...

Inaugural Rocket journey

Together with several others built to the same design, the Rocket -...

#37 Thomas Baker of Semley, Wiltshire (1795-1857)

Imagine my delight when I discovered a Baker line in...

Who lives in a house like this?

Taking some time out of the office, a visit to...

Dog rescue – a job for a policewoman?

Blogging every day means we often learn something new. And...

First person charged with drink driving

On this day in 1897, London taxi driver George Smith,...

Extradited to Belgium

In 1987, the headlines reported 'Liverpool fans to stand trial...

What is a Lady Wimborne Cottage?

Growing up in the village of Canford Magna, many things...

Who would call their son Lord?

The short answer is, my great-great-grandparents! Henry (sometimes Harry, otherwise...

Farnborough Air Show 1952

Today in 1952, a DH.110 crashed at the Farnborough Air...

Which Nobel Peace Prize winner died today?

On being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she...

How do you know when you should trust someone?

Trust is an enormous part of our business and also...

The start of World War Two

There has been much discussion and focus upon World War...

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t

Do you ever get that feeling that no matter what...

#35 Albert H. Day and Eli(z/s)abeth C. Fielder

Albert Henry Day was born on 29 April 1866 of...

The Future of Professional Genealogy

In yesterday's blog, I promised to feedback on the Symposium...

Day 2 at the SECC

Having spent an exceedingly enjoyable evening with over thirty professional...

A day at the SECC

Today's blog is a little later than usual, for obvious...

To Glasgow I go

.... and I am pleased to say that I chose...

The Earth – antics of yesteryear

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies) occurred today...

Arrested, tried and guillotined

The French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier was born today in 1743,...

What makes one more successful than another?

Today marks the anniversary of the first recorded person to...

#34 Ernest Richard Sillifant, postman of Lifton (1889-1937)

Ernest Richard Sillifant was baptised at his parent's home on...

Have ethics gone out of the window?

Anyone who has watched the television programme Heir Hunters will...

Freaky Friday

452! I can hardly believe it... 452 Squirrel(l)s in 1881....

Crazy Thursday

Tortoise keeping has been popular in the UK for a...

Why did he do it?

Today is a sad day, marking the 27th anniversary of...

What do you work for?

It's a crazy world we live in these days. Who...

#33 Jessamine Maria Gosling (1795-1819)

Sometimes, my ancestors have very interesting and different names. No...

How did Cecelia survive?

Twenty-seven years ago today, the Northwest Airlines flight 255 crashed...

Fabulous, Fantastic, Brilliant Friday….

Many bloggers have days when they write about specific things relating...

Baptised aged 62?

Baptism was said to be essential to salvation in the...

The last execution

The murder of John Alan West on 7 April 1964 was the...

The Glorious Twelfth

This is the Glorious Twelfth, the first day of the...

Enid Blyton’s Solar Eclipse

To celebrate what would have been Enid Blyton’s 102nd birthday...

#32 Bertha Day (1864-1938) of Enfield

Many decades ago, my family – me and my parents...

Unusual British Museums

On our way to visit Beaulieu National Motor Museum this...

Middle East – history through headlines

Twenty three years ago, John McCarthy was released in Lebanon...

Answer before opening: Where is Porcupine?

No, this isn't like those Where's Wally? books! Clearly this little chap...

‘Little Boy’

On 6 August 1945, the USA dropped the first atom...

Maps and photographs in genealogy

When tracing back in time, many people ask: How can...

Lights out

For the most part, we try to select topics which...

#31 Olive Gosling (1891-1968)

Olive Gosling was my great-aunt on my mother's side -...

Discovered by a charcoal-burner in 1100

William II, King of England (known as William Rufus, because of...

You know you want to!

Go on.... Why don't you? It's not that difficult! Or...

Struck by lightning

In Stanton Harcourt churchyard stands a stone with the following...

The one and only….

Sadly, I was not around when England’s football team last...

Be prepared

On 29 July 1907, Robert Baden-Powell (1857-1941) took a group...

Cats, Dogs and Birds?

Since the release of the 1911 census, many articles and blogs...

#30 Sarah Lobb, or was she Routley (1805-1855)

Many years ago, I dabbled with one of my Jones...

Collaboration and networking

This week has been all about collaboration and networking for...

Happy Birthday

... to Louise Brown – now Mullinder - thirty six...

Curiouser and curiouser

This week has been a week of heavy duty research...

Let the show begin

40,000 spectators in the stadium and over a billion people...

Repentant sinners and prostitutes

22 July is the feast day of St Mary Magdalen...

The challenges of the work-life see-saw

Life .... work .... life .... work .... what is...

#29 Margaret Robson, later Gosling (twice) (1829-1911)

Margaret Robson was the second - but the only surviving...

Who knows the story of Lizzie Borden?

Born today in 1860 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lizzie’s mother...

The Chappaquiddick incident

Today marks the anniversary of the Chappaquiddick incident. Shortly before midnight...

Crazy Thursday – Wilfart and Black Sheep

And we really have gone a bit bonkers today in...

Unleash the power

The power of the atom was unleashed on the world...

Celebration Tuesday….

Today, we celebrate our 300th blog post on FWL! Good...

Fête nationale – Bastille Day

Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National...

#28 Michael Day (1926-1964)

Michael Day was the younger brother of my grandfather, David...

Day of Oranges

This is Orangemen's Day - no, not the fruit.... It's...

Embarking on new adventures 

Don’t panic! I am not about to make any major...

Turn back the clock 461 years….

.... and Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen of England in...

Above the crowd

To some degree, everyone feels that they are ‘above the...

Rockefeller and the Great Train Robber

The US industrialist John D Rockefeller was born in New...

History…. but not as we know it!

Sometimes history can take many forms and this weekend, I...

#27 Emeline (Emlin) Cory, nee Eastcott (1792-1867)

Baptised in Broadwoodwidger in 1792, Emeline was the second of...

Sporting records

You cannot switch on the television in the United Kingdom...

Independence Day

In the USA, this is Independence Day, a holiday in...

Mathematical wizardry…..

Regular readers of our Family Wise blog will know that...

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

The US writer, Ernest Hemingway, shot himself today in 1961 at...

1 July 1837 – a date we will never forget!  

On this day in 1837, civil registration of births, marriages...

Where has this year gone?

Today is the last day in June. Half the year...

#26 Thomas Petherick (1823-1907)

Thomas was baptised on 22 June 1823 in Bradworthy, Devon...

Politics, Drugs and the Seoul Olympics

The 1988 Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea, a...

Peruvian Earthquake – 31 May 1970

In parts of the world which, due to faults in...

British Empire – Colonial Africa

For the final blog on Africa, we thought that today...

Transportation to Tasmania

In February this year, I was lucky enough to be...

Federal, state and county

Family history is very popular in North America and there...

The beginning of the end

And so begins the last week of continental family and...

#25 Maria Jane Baynham (1865-1943)

The eldest surviving child of William and Maria Jaycock (nee...

East India

The British India Office Collection is a rich resource for...

Chilly…. Oops, I mean Chile!

Chilly? England – amazingly – is anything but cold today....

The Boer War

Two separate Boer Wars were fought between the British Empire...

Suffrage down under

It’s not a pet subject of ours per se, but...

Colonies and migration

Former British colonies are important from a genealogical perspective for...

Back to Europe

After the recent sporting escapades this weekend, Europe seems like...

#24 The Hayhurst family – book edge gilders of Holborn, London

Ann Hayhurst was my great-great-great-grandmother. Born 8 January 1841 at...

Expect the unexpected

There are hundreds of Rootsweb lists and Facebook groups, bloggers...

Darkest Peru

Paddington Bear was a polite immigrant bear from darkest Peru, with his...

Deep into Africa

When we had this superb – haha! - idea for...

The National Archives of Australia

A few years ago at Thame in Oxfordshire, David Evans spoke...

American Tuesday….

Around the world in the month of June continues with...

European Monday

I love blogging. Why? Because every day it challenges me...

#23 Ann Sillifant of Pancrassweek, Devon

William Sillifant was baptised in Pyworthy in 1808 and married...

Saturday: family history in Asia

Did your ancestors go adventuring? The thrill of the unknown...

Friday … to South America we go!

As the days goes by – and it’s only week 1!...

Thursday: Out of Africa

And today is all about Africa. So, confession time readers........

Wednesday: a trip Down Under

The treasure trove – quite literally - down under..... Doing...

Tuesday: North American edition

For June, Tuesday is the day when we turn our...

One of those days

Over the weekend, we put our collective brains together to...

#22 Roger Chubb of Peter Tavy, Devon

Roger Chubb is not what you would call a close...

Died and gone to heaven

Well, Friday's new offering from Ancestry was pretty interesting but...

New Ancestry records

Yesterday, Ancestry announced a new record set in their Occupations...

Oak Apple Day

Did you know it even existed? I didn't. Otherwise known...

The ability to ‘wax lyrical’ (1911 census)

Dear Ancestors of yesteryear, I am so delighted that you...

Taking time to appreciate the ‘here and now’

Much of my time is spent with my head in...

Getting something for nothing

Why is it so difficult to accept something for nothing...

#21 Ann Codling (b. 1803 Simonburn, Northumberland)

Ann Codling was my gggg-grandmother but her name was not...

Abandoned Communities

The ghosts of thousands of long-forgotten villages haunt Britain, communities suddenly...

Bonnie and Clyde

In the UK, we have many game shows where contestants...

Did you use your vote?

In the United Kingdom today, local and European elections are...

My weird Wednesday

I sure started early today - goodness I hate it...

St Dunstan and St Helens

This is St Dunstan's Day, celebrated by some of the...

Barnardo’s Ups and Downs

Bringing more British Home Children to Canada than any other...

#20 John Beavis (born 1826) of Portsmouth, Hampshire

Two of my eight great-grandparents surnames were unusual - in...

National Independence Day

In Norway, today is National Independence Day, or Constitution Day,...

Diary, journal or blog

I sometimes sit down - it's rare to be fair...

Weird and wonderful Thursday

Doing family history research, we often come across names which...

Being specific

In a previous existence - before Family Wise Limited -...

Abbotsbury Garland Day

Held on 13 May (Old May Day) each year, the...

H.M.S. “Ganges” – Naval training ship

It's true. You never stop learning. No matter what you...

#19 Kezia(h) Jones (1842-1895)

Keziah Jones was born on 14 July 1842 of William...

Nelson Mandela, first black president of South Africa

10 May 1994: Nelson Mandela became the first black president...

Liberty and freedom

Regular blog readers will know that I have recently returned...

A new world….

For ten years, I worked hard to educate thousands of...

Findmypast in New York

For the last 30-odd days, Findmypast have been releasing and...

Back in time

On this day in 1954, a 25-year-old British medical student...

OGS Conference 2014 – it’s all over

Genealogy without borders .... it certainly had none this last...

#18 Beatrice Woodward Steer (1859-1880)

As regular readers will know, my maternal grandfather documented his...

OGS Conference 2014….

And here I am, back in residence at Niagara-on-the-Lake.... Day...

Genealogy without borders

Genealogy research that does not require a passport - that's...

High treason and witchcraft

Nearly five hundred years ago, on this day in 1536,...

The End of an Era

And what an era it was....! Thank you for the...

Day 26 of the A to Z April Challenge: Z for Zulu

The challenge would not be completed with Z for Zulu...

Day 25 of the A to Z April Challenge: Y for Yankee

You are most probably all aware of the connection of...

Day 24 of the A to Z April Challenge: X for X-ray

X-ray (or X-radiation) is a form of electromagnetic radiation. This takes...

#17 Martha Gaylor of Bramshaw, Hampshire

For many years, Leonard Fielder was at the top of...

Day 23 of the A to Z April Challenge: W for Whiskey

Not much to write about today other than the blindingly...

Day 22 of the A to Z April Challenge: V for Victor

Victor Meldrew was a fictional character in the popular BBC...

Day 21 of the A to Z April Challenge: U for Uniform

In 1907, Robert Baden-Powell held a camp for boys at...

Day 20 of the A to Z April Challenge: T for Tango

Not being known to date as a conformist, tango -...

Day 19 of the A to Z April Challenge: S for Sierra

Sierra is Spanish for mountain range and also saw -...

Day 18 of the A to Z April Challenge: R for Romeo

Having done Romeo and Juliet earlier in the A to...

#16 John Henry Sillifant of Princetown, Devon

John Henry Sillifant was born in September quarter 1871 in...

Day 17 of the A to Z April Challenge: Q for Québec

Oh to hell with it - let's go with the...

Day 16 of the A to Z April Challenge: P for Papa

The affectionate term for father or sometimes, grandfather, Papa -...

Day 15 of the A to Z April Challenge: O for Oscar

No, no, no, no, no! I will not be discussing...

Day 14 of the A to Z April Challenge: N for November

The options are endless for November. It's the eleventh month...

Day 13 of the A to Z April Challenge: M for Mike

From a slightly odd selection for L, M in the...

Day 12 of the A to Z April Challenge: L for Lima

One of those funny things about words.... lima, lemur.... when...

#15 Thomas John Oats

On 26 May 1884, in the market town of Tavistock...

Day 11 of the A to Z April Challenge: K for Kilo

Spending the weekend at the 35th Annual General Meeting and...

Day 10 of the A to Z April Challenge: J for Juliet

Juliet.... oh heck.... that reminds me of GCSE English Literature....

Day 9 of the A to Z April Challenge: I for Indigo

Indigo has been a bit of a challenge to blog...

Day 8 of the A to Z April Challenge: H for Hotel

The most famous fictional hotel in the UK has to...

Day 7 of the A to Z April Challenge: G for Golf

OK so I have given in to the obvious today.......

Day 6 of the A to Z April Challenge: F for Foxtrot

The most obvious thing to write about today would be...

#14 Arthur Gosling of Guildford, Surrey

Arthur Gosling was a name known to me from childhood...

Day 5 of the A to Z April Challenge: E for Echo

More historical than genealogical blogs this week by the sheer...

Day 4 of the A to Z April Challenge: D for Delta

At one particular point today, I wondered if this phonetic...

Day 3 of the A to Z Challenge: C for Charlie

When considering 'Charlie possibilities' today, a few options popped into...

Day 2 of the A to Z Challenge: B for Bravo

....Well done! Great job! Bravo! Congratulations! How many times a...

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge

Am I up for the challenge?  Do I have what...

The history of the Eiffel Tower

On this day in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was opened...

#13 Good ‘E[a]v(e/a)ns! Elijah Evans, born 26 January 1888 West Bromwich

When my grandparents moved to Tenerife, my mother was left...

A few sandwiches short of a picnic

Long term readers of the Family Wise blog will realise...

Sometimes it’s best not to….

I started young in this 'profession'. In fact, one of...

The worst aviation disaster

On 27 March 1977, two Boeing 747s - one KLM...

Old Mersey Times

This week, I stumbled across the Old Mersey Times website....

International Days – Waffles and Remembrance

On March 25, traditionally in Sweden, International Waffle Day is...

Parish clerks and rectors you love

FamilySearch are continually adding parish registers to their published images...

#12 Emma Baynham born Reading, Berkshire 1845

On my grandfather's family tree, he recorded that my great-great-great-grandfather,...

Wondrous Wiltshire

Moving to Wiltshire nearly three years ago, I knew a...

When a plan comes together

Most of us spend half our lives wishing the working...

Transport back in time

'Histories of 1052 British motor manufacturers - with over 500...

Hunting air

Whenever I meet someone for the first time and they...

Fascinating stories

We all have them. But how interesting are our stories...

Happy St Patrick’s Day

In the late fourth or early fifth century, the possibly...

#11 William George Sillifant of Ashwater, Devon

William George was the first child of Richard and Mary...

Never stop learning

Writing this blog each day is a constant learning curve....

Carrot v Stick Approach

On this day in history, Admiral John Byng (born 1704),...

When did they die and where were they buried?

Hatched, matched and dispatched.... family historians are often more interested...

Thinking out of the box

Anyone who knows me will know that I hate clichés...

Unlocking your potential

Sir Winston Churchill once said 'it is a mistake to...

‘The thing that was to change all our lives’

The uncomplicated, yet very fitting words of H. V. Morton,...

#10 George Smith of Exeter, Devon

Sometimes family history research brings more than its fair share...

International Women’s Day

At the International Socialist Women's Conference in Copenhagen in 1910,...

How did it come to be Friday already?

Good heavens! How on earth did this week pass us...

As soon as you publish….

A little over ten years ago, a decision was made...

Lost English country houses

Although initially, I had no intention of having a theme...

Capital punishment …. for websites of doubtful quality

The quantity and variety of historical resources available on the...

So, you think you know it all….?

During the Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2014...

#9 The Steer brothers

At the top of my Steer tree - provided by...

Happy St David’s Day – Hapus Dydd Gywl Ddewi

Hapus Dydd Gywl Ddewi..... St David (or Dewi) is the...

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

Every day is a busy day at the offices of...

Ann Ellis – Fruitful wife who talks to herself

For those of you who watched my Legacy Family Tree webinar...

Lottery winner

With a catalogue of unhappy events taking place in history...

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Well in fact, just automobiles .... as today marks the...

Caught in the Act

Between 1788 and 1853, approximately 25,000 women were transported to...

#8 William Henry Bird

My great grandmother - Florence Ellen Bird - was born...

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2014

A slightly later blog today after my return to rural...

The marvels of random conversations

If you missed my blog on Monday of this week...

Ann B C D E F G H I J K L M N O Q R S T U V W X Y Z Pepper – follow-up

In Tuesday's blog, I raised the interesting case of Ann Pepper...

The windscreen wiper – who knew?

Every day is a new day and an opportunity to...

Is that really necessary?

Sometimes, when carrying out genealogical research, aren't you left wondering...

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2014 – see you there?

Years ago, the Society of Genealogists ran an annual event...

#7 James Foulds Gosling

Looking back at my maternal grandfather's family tree - drawn...

Decimalisation and The Next Generation

Today, having only just arrived back from Australia (yesterday morning...

A week of lesser known London sources – Day 5

Following on from yesterday's blog detailing an offering from one...

A week of lesser known London sources – Day 4

The world of family, local and social history has changed...

A week of lesser known London sources – Day 3

The Historical Hospital Admission Records Project has been in existence...

A week of lesser known London sources – Day 2

Ever wondered what it was like to live in the...

A week of lesser known London sources – Day 1

Most family historians will find their ancestors living and/or working...

#6 Thomas John Elford Oats

Thomas John Elford Oats was the second eldest son of...

On with the snow show!

Heading to this year's Winter Olympics at the Russian coastal...

Winter sports introductions – Day 5

Ice Hockey is a fast paced team sport placed on...

Winter sports introductions – Day 4

Ski jumping was developed in the late nineteenth century in...

Winter sports introductions – Day 3

Curling is a team sport which evolved in Scotland in...

Winter sports introductions – Day 2

Speed skating is a skating discipline which originated in the...

Your guide to some Winter Olympic events

We will begin this week's guide - in the run...

#5 George Maunder of Mary Tavy, Devon

Some years ago, when researching Richard Sillifant - a rare...

Chinese New Year

.... takes place this year on Friday January 31. Celebrations...

When you go….

Well, today is actually when I first appeared! But, when...

Quintessentially British

Some time ago, I wrote a blog about some slightly...

Is 2014 the wettest January ever?

Well, the statistics are hard to find per month, so...

Holocaust Memorial Day

69 years ago today, towards the end of World War...

#4 Swansey Langley Keene

When I was younger - so much younger than today...

Burns Night

The birthday of Robert Burns (1759-96) on 25 January is...

A week of useless knowledge – Day 5

There are many strange laws in Britain and indeed, some...

A week of useless knowledge – Day 4

Some old British Achievers to share today..... On 21 December...

A week of useless knowledge – Day 3

Wednesday is the day for the Top Five Bizarre British...

A more useful Day 2 in ‘A week of useless knowledge’

Yesterday, the headlines were: Schools urged to do more 'What...

A week of useless knowledge …. Day 1

The title really does tell the story. This week, we...

#3 James Robert Leonard Fielder

When I was very young, my grandparents moved to Tenerife,...

Pooh Day

Alan Alexander Milne was born on this day in 1882....

St Antony’s Day

January 17 is St Antony's Day - the feast day...

Challenge Thursday

G'day all! Well, I can hardly write 'Good Morning', 'Good...

15 January

Historically, 15 January has seen many important events.... 1559 saw...

Holiday? Yes please….!

Confession time: are you already thinking about when you can...

One-Eyed Britons

With our Managing Director suffering with eye trouble today, our...

Timothy Kitcher (#52Ancestors #2)

Taking up the challenge set by Amy Johnson Crow last...

The Winter Olympics

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXII Olympic...

Are you a GOON?

For readers of our blog who did not already know,...

On this day …. 8 January

Today, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley - the undisputed 'King...

A Rainbow update

Those individuals who have been born in England or Wales...

Focus on Rainbow

What were they thinking? Up above the streets and houses......

A Challenge for 2014

Are you up for the challenge set by Amy Johnson...

Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish

The Womble Patrol continues....  fourteen children born in England and...

Long way from home

Sometimes I hear researchers say, 'I wish I could find...

Sadly, no Snodgrass Womble

Thanks to the wonderful @TidyBag, the Wombles Wikipedia page has...

The Womble Challenge!

And so, 2014 begins with another display of OCD in...

New Year Womble – challenge

Wow - words fail me! New Year Womble died aged...

New Year …. New resources

From 1 January 2014, the Daily Telegraph has been made...

New Year’s Honours

The New Year's Honours List looks long and once again,...

Have you made your genealogical New Year’s Resolutions?

I have never been a great one for making resolutions...

When does Christmas officially end?

It's now Sunday 29 December. Many people will already be...

Fruit and veg

From animals yesterday, to fruit and vegetables today.... Firstly, Strawberry....

Working with animals

I have often thought that working with animals was a...

What is the meaning of today, Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when...

And the answer is….

.... the Reindeer murdered the Elf, Out in the Snow,...

A very Merry Christmas

Firstly, thank you to all our readers who entered the...

Reindeers, Elves, Fairies…. what next?

Although there were some Reindeers and Elves in the 1911...

Desperately seeking Santa

It's three days until Christmas and the plot has already...

I don’t want to change my name….

OK, so all researchers have come across this over the...

Toilet brush drawer?

Having spent the past few days coming up with mathematical...

Where did the murder take place? Day 4 ‘A Week of Christmas mystery’

The final clues will help work out where the murder...

Why, why, why? Day 3 ‘A Week of Christmas Mystery’

Continuing our mathematical murder mystery week, today you will need...

Day 2 of ‘A Week of Christmas Mystery’

Hopefully, yesterday you managed to work out the date of...

A week of Christmas mystery….

This week, we thought we would provide some Christmas cheer...

Of Old Christmas Day

Some years ago, we were researching down in Devon at...

Festive cheer

Feeling a little more festive, having completed most of the...

St Lucy’s Day

Today, is the feast day of St Lucy, patron saint...

Forbidden to marry

A wonderful image was sent our way today which requires...

Enumerated twice?

Back in the days before digitisation of censuses, it was...

What a wonderful day….

A semi-'day off' and a trip to the city of...

The power of networking

To be part of the Family Wise team, part of...

Will you accept the genealogical challenge?

Regular readers of the Family Wise blog may well remember...

A date which will live in infamy

On this day in 1941, the Japanese launched an attack...

A week of wonderful websites: Day 5 – the final frontier

Today, I bring you.... The World Factbook. Originally published semi-annually...

A week of wonderful websites – Day 4

Today, is all about newspapers.... Consulting newspapers, periodicals and magazines...

A week of wonderful websites – Day 3

Today's offering for readers is the three Gs! Three for...

A week of wonderful websites – Day 2

May I present to you, Histpop .... a website which...

A week of wonderful websites – Day 1

The National Archives holds over eleven million historical government and...

1 December

Traditionally a day to begin opening the doors on the...

30 November

So much choice as today is a historic day in...

Pearls of wisdom

I have often wondered if there should be a proverb...

Cats and dogs

Whilst thinking about today's blog, which was going to be...

Hot or cold, Anders?

The Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius was born in Uppsala on...

Thirty-five to go….

Today marks exactly 35 days until the end of the...

Another obsolete occupation

Yesterday I was contacted by a colleague asking if I...

Mining for good resources

Until the middle of the eighteenth century, charcoal made from...

23 November

.... 1910, saw the hanging of Hawley Harvey Crippen (born...

Fifty years ago today

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his presidential car...

Unusual British Epitaphs

Britain's churchyards are one of the nation's priceless and unique...

Not a Royalist but ….

.... today in 1947, the 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth married her...

The strangest connections….

During my decade in the teaching profession, I have had...

18 November

.... The King's Cross fire broke out on 18 November...

A little belatedly….

I think I mentioned quite early on in the Family...

November 15 and 16 …. two days at Kew

For the first time in a very long while, yesterday...

A mathematical connection

November 15 is the 319th day of the year in...

The Royle Family….

.... I mean, the Royal Family.... oops! Today is a...

Bull-running and mayoral elections

This was formerly the date of the Stamford Bull-Running. According...

The Samaritans …. and acrobatic performances

Reverend Edward Chad Varah was born on this day in...

The eleventh day of the eleventh month

And so endeth The Genealogist's A-Z and yesterday, many of...

Z is for….

....and finally, Z is for zigarius – a nineteenth century...

Y is for….

.... Generation Y. Ah ha.... you thought it would be...

X is for….

....how exasperating the day appears to be today! Desperate not...

W is for….

.... well, it was going to be about Workhouses. Then...

V is for….

.... Victorian Crime and Punishment. Sensational murder stories in the...

Unbelievable continued….

OK, so I have become slightly obsessed with stupid names...

U is for….

.... Unbelievable. Russell Ash comments in Potty, Fartwell and Knob,...

T is for….

.... Turnpike roads. The first turnpike trust was established in...

S is for….

.... Societies. Across the globe, there are simply thousands of...

R is for….

.... Relief of the poor. Until the early 1830s, individual...

Q is for….

.... quarters. Surprisingly, despite thinking that Q might well be...

P is for ….

....Plaques, generally blue in colour, which record the history and...

O is for….

.... Order of the British Empire. How many of your...

N is for….

.... John Norden. Norden was born in Somerset. He entered Hart...

M is for….

....Measles. Generally a children's disease, measles often led to pneumonia...

L is for….

.... Lighthouses.... amongst the most unusual structures in Britain. When...

K is for ….

.... Knocknobbler. Back in Victorian times, this wonderful title was...

J is for….

....Justice. Crime, and how to deal with it, was one...

I is for….

.... illegitimacy. Back when we have only parish registers to...

H is for….

.... Hearth Tax. The hearth tax was introduced by the...

G is for ….

....grandparents and great-grandparents. Beginning with yourself, you have two parents,...

F is for….

....Fishing. It is fairly obvious from the title of my...

E is for ….

....Education. Two hundred years ago education, which we take for...

D is for ….

.... a world of discoveries in family and local history!...

C is for ….

....copious counties, censuses, clerks, curates, courts, convicts and today's C, for...

B is for ….

.... blooming loads of things! Baptisms, births, books, Bible Christians,...

A is for accuracy

Day 1 of The Genealogist's A-Z  begins naturally with A...

Another hat….

Any of my blog followers who know me well, will...

Prostitution in 1911

Continuing my entertaining searches in the 1911 census, I marvelled...

Suffrage, in many facets

Last night, I spotted an interesting tweet about a page...

Compliments

How many times do you compliment people each day? Each...

Good record keeping

T'would be fair to say that yesterday was something of...

The daftest question you’ve ever been asked….

Today, I thought I would share with you another Heir...

Variety is the spice of life

Each week, I attend a network meeting to inform other...

Exciting times….

What a lot of excited family historians there have been...

Watch out graveyard! Here I come!

Many readers who reside in the south of England will...

Family History Christmas

I am guessing that for most people, the last thing...

Being a local and family historian….

.... takes you to all sorts of places and certainly...

And today, I give you a challenge….

Sometimes, no matter how experienced a team of researchers are,...

Does the media help or hinder our work?

When I first started researching my own family history .......

The wonders of Heir Hunting

You may well be wondering why we are Heir Hunters.......

What do other people blog about?

Being a newbie to blogging, I decided - in the...

Working with amazing people

How often do you hear people moan about their jobs?...

Lovely day…

What better way to spend your Sunday than with 400-500...

Couldn’t there be more than 24 hours in a day?

Balls.... How many can I juggle at any one time?...

Is it true? Am I really a hoarder?

And so, the end of the week is upon us...

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know

Not one person in the field of family history.... genealogy.......

One of those days…!

Some days don't quite go to plan, eh?! Well, yesterday...

This is the end