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The Ferré family of Tourcoing – part two
By Christine Swan In my previous post, I had outlined my research of the Ferré family, as far as I knew. Last Saturday, I travelled to Lille by Eurostar train from St Pancras International.…
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The Ferré family of Tourcoing
By Christine Swan I have been travelling back another four hundred years this week, to investigate the Ferré family, who were another of my Huguenot ancestors from north eastern France. Ferré can be spelled…
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The War on Slugs
By Christine Swan I have a recently acquired greenhouse and have to confess that it has reignited my love of growing plants from seed, potting on and nurturing beautiful plants. I have a wonderful…
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William English – Dock labourer and horse dealer
By Christine Swan My great great grandmother, Mary Ann Dighton, died aged just thirty-six. In her short life, she led a complicated existence and was married twice as far as I am aware. My…
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Cats’ tales – part one
By Christine Swan Whenever I post stories about cats, they certainly do attract attention. I have shared my life with cats since I was a small child. Both of my parents worked and although…
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William Nelson Sloper – Cordwainer
By Christine Swan Last year, I needed to visit Devizes, Wiltshire twice for work. At about the same time, I began to research the Sloper family. Between the first and second visits, I discovered…
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Cancelled!
By Christine Swan In a change to my intended post, which should have anticipated my exciting upcoming weekend of whale watching in Cornwall, instead, I am going to reflect on the crushing disappointment of…
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John Crudgington – Shoemaker
by Christine Swan Sometimes, when accessing ancestral records, little clues indicate that things are not as they should be, or that things are not well between family members. This is my impression within John…
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Signs of Spring
by Christine Swan I don’t know about you, but I am ready for spring. The weather has been cold, rainy and windy, and I now long for warmth and sunshine. I put on layers…
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George Bull – Fancy willow chair maker
By Christine Swan When I was a child, I had relatives who lived in different parts of London but I never considered how they got there. We assume that nineteenth century people did not…
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Good manners
By Christine Swan This is becoming rather a theme of mine. I recently wrote about the importance of being kind but last weekend got me thinking how being ill-mannered leaves a bad taste in…
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Stephen Mallyon – Agricultural labourer
By Christine Swan On the border between Essex and Cambridgeshire, the landscape will have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Far away from the bustle of the City, and its busy mix of high…
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Awful Rigours and Wretched Pay 