Whistlestop Xmas History Tour : how your ancestors decorated for Christmas!

[A version of this article first appeared in Discover Your Ancestors Online Periodical - December 2015]. http://www.discoveryourancestors.co.uk/ Link to buy my books Amazon.co.uk: Ruth A Symes: books, biography, latest update Girl's Own Paper December 20th 1884, Vol VI, No.260. Greenery and fruit, sparkle and snow, colourfully-dressed tables and walls inscribed with Yuletide mottos - Christmases past were decorated using much... Continue Reading →

December 1, 2025 1

Weddings That Went Wrong

Delighted to announce the publication of my article on Marriage Mishaps in November 2025’s Discover Your Ancestors online periodical (by subscription). http://www.discoveryourancestors.com No-shows at the altar, mixups with the marriage vows and umpteen weddings that were stalled at the eleventh hour !

November 5, 2025 0

Why Did My Ancestor Lie? (Quick tip: 2)

Women of all classes fabricated their age on the nineteenth century censuses. The government report into the census of 1881 stated that many women ‘desirous of being thought younger than they really are, return themselves as under 25 or under 30 when their true age is considerably beyond these limits.’ Interestingly, there was also a... Continue Reading →

October 17, 2025 0

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