It was 71 years ago on the 1st June that the submarine HMS Thetis sunk during a trial dive and it sadly took the lives of 99 men. The submarine was built in Birkenhead and made its way to Liverpool Bay where it was to be tested and trialed but Continue Reading
The Workhouse
By the 1870’s one-third of the population over 70 lived in the workhouse. There are many reasons why and mainly because people were too poor, sick or too old to support themselves. Reasons for this maybe unemployment, for example when Britain went through a stage during the early 1830s of Continue Reading
Who Were The Suffragettes?
Suffrage means having the right to vote in political elections. Today women have freedom and rights to vote which can be taken for granted. The mid 19th century woman had no rights and no independent means and was always seen as second class. A woman’s role was looking after the Continue Reading
The Lusitania
The RMS Lusitania was a fine ship that came to tragic ending just three years after the sinking of the Titanic on 7th May 1915, when it was torpedoed by a German Submarine during the First World War. The sinking of this ship was said to be why the American’s Continue Reading
The Victorians and How They Changed Britain
Great Britain was a different place to live when Queen Victoria reigned as monarch. Her time as queen is the longest to date of any other monarch. This period of time is known as the Victorian era. A period in time that saw many changes take place in Britain, from Continue Reading
Shoreditch
Shoreditch as we all know today is part of London and comes under the borough of Hackney. The origin of the name is not certain, however it has a Saxon name and may come from the “Sewerditch”, a stream, which ran east of St Leonard’s to near Holywell Lane. Through time Continue Reading
The Life of your Ancestor
Everyone of our ancestors led an interesting life no matter where they came from and where they were brought up and raised. I think it’s nice to hear about someone’s aunt, brother or great grandfather. Who they were and what their life was like. So in this section I want to Continue Reading
Superstitions and Old Wives Tales
Superstitions and old wives tales were usually passed down from generations from old wives. They like an urban legend that to this day we still use in some shape or form. One of the most common tales told to young children “if you don’t eat your carrots you won’t be able to Continue Reading
Leaving For Australia
When I first started researching my family on my mother’s side, I was lucky enough to have a look through my Nan and granddads family documents which included certificates, letters and photos. I came across a small family tree of the Barnard family who were my Nan’s family name. Over Continue Reading
How common was Bigamy?
“Bigamy” means to enter another marriage when you are still legally married to another person. If you’re finding you have hit a brick wall or struggling to find someone, this could be the reason why you are struggling. Bigamy was probably more popular than we realise and probably one of those Continue Reading