‘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

Why did my ancestor lie? (Quick tip: 1)

Couples sometimes gave incorrect ages on their marriage certificates and on censuses to make the age difference between them appear more acceptable. We like to think of our ancestors as fine upstanding members of the community and it can sometimes come as a shock to discover that they told an untruth when registering important events... Continue Reading →

September 21, 2025 0

Family First: Tracing Relationships in The Past

(Hardback title, Pen and Sword, 2016)) By Ruth A Symes Buy my book at Amazon, click this link. Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents - these are the relationships that structure the family tree and fascinate the family historian. But how much do we really know about how our ancestors... Continue Reading →

February 1, 2025 0

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