Category Archives: Herefordshire

The 1921 census uncovers a new family mystery…

On 6 January 2022 I was one of many happy genealogists who logged into FindMyPast to start digging into the newly-released 1921 census. Although I do not have many ancestors who were alive at the time the census was taken … Continue reading

Posted in 1911 Census, 1921 Census, Birth, Canada, Emigration, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire | 2 Comments

Who was Eleanor Whitney’s mother?

To most of you, the name Eleanor Whitney probably doesn’t mean a thing – and why should it? She was a late Medieval woman about whom extremely little is known. She is not even known to have done anything particularly … Continue reading

Posted in Genealogy, Herefordshire, Marriage, Medieval Ancestry, Royalty, Wales, Women | Leave a comment

The tragedy of Jane Dee

I think it’s time to take a short break from Italian genealogy, so I’ve decided to delve into the English side of my family tree instead! Looking at the various members of my extended family whom I’ve long neglected to … Continue reading

Posted in 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, Canada, Colwall, Death, England, FindMyPast, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Marriage, Mormonism, Women | 1 Comment

Why YOU should do the #RussianDollChallenge?

Some of you may have heard of the #RussianDollChallenge, a hashtag I created on Twitter in September 2018 to discuss direct female ancestral genealogies. And why, you may ask, did this become a popular (dare one say, trending!) topic and, … Continue reading

Posted in Birth, England, Famous Genealogy, Genealogy, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Women | Leave a comment

William Samuel Morris (1925-1941)

Some of the stories in my family history are so graphic, so poignant, that they will always remain a fixture of my mind and my imagination. Such is the case of my grandmother’s cousin, William Samuel Morris, who died in … Continue reading

Posted in 1911 Census, 1939 UK Register, Death, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Ships, World War II | Leave a comment

The mysterious origins of Auntie Ivy

When I first began researching the English side of my family tree, I would occasionally ask my relatives to name my great-grandmother’s siblings as I’d try to figure out who was who among the mound of aunts and uncles that … Continue reading

Posted in 1881 Census, 1891 Census, 1901 Census, 1911 Census, Adoption, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Shropshire | 5 Comments

Tragedy, the Lancastria and my Firkins cousins

Susan Tippins was my great-great-great-grandmother’s youngest sister. As the paper trail went cold, until very recently I’d suspected she had died young, or fallen into obscurity. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that a distant cousin of mine in … Continue reading

Posted in 1911 Census, Australia, Death, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Liverpool, Ships, Wales, World War I, World War II | Leave a comment

The life of Sophia Rice

As most of my ancestral lines are deeply rooted in rural Herefordshire and some of the surrounding counties, I rarely associate the North of England with my own family tree. The Yorkshire moors, and the industrial landscapes of Lancashire, are … Continue reading

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, Birmingham, Death, Emigration, England, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Hope-under-Dinmore, Lancashire, Marriage, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Women, Work, Yorkshire | Leave a comment

Mary Ann Allen (1807-1884)

In the course of your research, have you ever come across any relatives who just sit there, perched on your family tree, and no matter how many times you tried to find either a marriage or a death record for … Continue reading

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, Colwall, England, Family Search, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Illness, Marriage, Property, Women, Worcestershire | 1 Comment

Judith Allen (née Cooke, formerly Bond)

One of the most fascinating members of my extended family is, in my opinion, my “aunt” Judith – the second wife of my great-great-great-grandfather’s youngest brother. Although there are very few sources which shed light on her life, what we … Continue reading

Posted in 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census, 1871 Census, 1881 Census, 1891 Census, Colwall, Genealogy, Herefordshire, Illegitimacy, Marriage, Women, Worcestershire | 1 Comment