My latest article 'Baptismal Blunders' on strange things that happened at christenings in the past is out today in January 2026's edition of Discover Your Ancestors online magazine. http://www.discoveryourancestors.comBy subscription.

Englishwoman Sarah Baird, on her hundredth birthday April 7th, 1880. Via Wikimedia Commons. In the public domain. Older people often gave the wrong age on census forms. It was common, for example, for people over 85 to overestimate their age. Failing memories obviously played a part and few would have bothered to check civil registration... Continue Reading →

My article ‘Funeral Faux Pas’ (the second in a trio about the things that went wrong at key life events) is out today in December’s issue of Discover Your Ancestors online periodical. By subscription. http://www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk