Ruth A. Symes [A version of this article was first published in Who Do You Think You Are Magazine in 2015] A Victorian footed compote dish with raspberries, a dish of ice cream, and a piece of pound cake placed on a table. Reproduction of a painting by the artist Cadurcis Plantagenet Ream. Via Wikimedia Commons.... Continue Reading →
July Newsletter: USA Celebrations, Funerals and AI
Hello everybody, It's the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence this month and I've been enjoying the wonderful podcast on BBC Sounds entitled, The History of the United States in 100 Objects. If you've read any of my books, you'll know that I like to build up histories from the smallest of details,... Continue Reading →
Funeral Faux Pas: Strange Happenings At Our Ancestors’ Funerals
By Ruth A Symes This article was first published in Discover Your Ancestors online periodical in 2025 The funeral of Sir Hector Macdonald in Edinburgh, 1903 by F. C Dickinson after J. Faulds. Macdonald had supposedly committed suicide after allegations of homosexuality and paedophilia were made against him. Later some claimed that the coffin had... Continue Reading →