‘Large, Non-intellectual Men’: A Frenchman’s Views of Our Victorian Ancestors (Snippet: 2)

Portrait of Hippolyte Adolphe Taine, by Léon Bonnat, engraved by Synnberg Photo-Gravure Company, Chicago, published by Open Court Company, Chicago, 1898. Via WikimediaCommons. in the Public Domain. [[File:Portrait of Hippolyte Taine by Bonnat.jpg|Portrait_of_Hippolyte_Taine_by_Bonnat]] In a series of visits to Britain between 1862 and 1870, outspoken Frenchman Hippolyte Taine wrote lengthily about his impressions, and his comments-at-a-distance... Continue Reading →

February 1, 2026 0

The Name on the Door

Can house names tell us anything about our family histories? When researching one of my ancestors, Charlie Terrell, on an online newspaper site, I was thrilled to find a brief reference to him from the 1930s when he was a witness to a car accident outside his house in Pontefract. To my delight, the report... Continue Reading →

October 10, 2025 0

What Your Ancestors’ Neighbours Can Tell You About Them

By Ruth A Symes [This article was first published in Family Tree Magazine UK, 2010] Link to buy my books Amazon.co.uk: Ruth A Symes: books, biography, latest update Author's own collection Neighbours were not a mere backdrop to your ancestors’ lives. They were the people who contributed to its overall flavour and occasionally, they may even... Continue Reading →

February 5, 2025 0

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