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Unravelling the Booth Brothers mystery
I'd imagined that this week I would follow on neatly from last week’s post about Charles Booth (see: Mystery and Death), who sadly died...
Wendy Percival
Oct 23, 20202 min read
Mystery and death
Sometimes during family history research you make assumptions – not unreasonable assumptions – but, as we all know, what we discover...
Wendy Percival
Oct 16, 20203 min read
From one mystery to more
Sometimes in family history a simple trail can explode in all directions, creating a myriad of new lines of enquiry. Which is what...
Wendy Percival
Oct 9, 20202 min read
Assaulted in the Line of Duty
This week saw the anniversary of London’s Metropolitan Police appearing on the streets of England’s capital for the first time, in 1839....
Wendy Percival
Oct 2, 20203 min read
My mystery photo pouch
Every now and again, I take out one of my favourite mystery packages, a small leatherette pouch full of (mostly) unnamed photographs, and...
Wendy Percival
Sep 25, 20202 min read
Birthday of a Black Sheep
Today is the 170th birthday of one of the Black Sheep of my family – Edward Henry Coules Colley. It was a while before I found out...
Wendy Percival
Sep 18, 20202 min read
Mystery of the Opera
Having corroborated the previously unknown story of my grandmother’s time spent at boarding school, (see On the Trail of the Mystery...
Wendy Percival
Sep 11, 20202 min read
Back to school
Back to School has been on everyone’s mind this week, and I must admit to still being a little shell-shocked from solving the mystery...
Wendy Percival
Sep 4, 20202 min read
Mystery Letters - coincidence or connection?
Today English Heritage is unveiling one of its famous Blue Plaques in memory of WWII secret agent Noor Inayat Kahn, who was brutally...
Wendy Percival
Aug 28, 20202 min read
On the Trail of a Mystery School
A comment in my late aunt's family history notes about my grandmother, Winifred Griffiths, (the little mite in the middle, pictured left)...
Wendy Percival
Aug 21, 20202 min read
Precious memories
“She was a sweet gentle lady and we all loved her.” So my late aunt recorded in her family history notes about her great-aunt Minnie...
Wendy Percival
Aug 14, 20202 min read
Secrets of a photo enthusiast
I’ve always been fascinated by Lynn Heiden’s enthusiasm for collecting photographs (some would say, obsession!). So much so, that it...
Wendy Percival
Aug 7, 20204 min read
Five Minute Memories
I’ve reinstated my Five Minute Memories daily habit. I have a list of grandparents and great aunts on my iPad and each day I jot down...
Wendy Percival
Jul 31, 20202 min read
Toy Story, #familyhistory style
I was amused to find reference to a long-told family story about me and my friend Rupert...
Wendy Percival
Jul 24, 20202 min read
Politics on a postcard
Sorting through my gran’s postcard collection at the weekend, I came across this one, dated 27th September 1918. Although it shows an...
Wendy Percival
Jul 17, 20202 min read
Masks by the Million
With masks being a hot topic at the moment - sewing enthusiasts making their own and extra clever versions being invented, such the ones...
Wendy Percival
Jul 10, 20202 min read
Any witches in your family history?
I once read a fascinating article in Family Tree magazine (15 years ago, as it turns out!) about someone's ancestor who’d been accused of...
Wendy Percival
Jul 3, 20202 min read
Placing your ancestors
One of the many items on my Family History Projects To Do list, is a One-Place Study, inspired by reading Janet Few’s book, Putting Your...
Wendy Percival
Jun 26, 20202 min read
Quirky family heirloom
I enjoyed another episode of the BBC’s The Repair Shop this week – with a box of tissues close to hand, as usual. I don’t seem to be able...
Wendy Percival
Jun 12, 20202 min read
Mystery engagement
Having finished writing the 4th Esme Quentin novel (soon to be published - details coming soon!) I've had a chance to consider what's...
Wendy Percival
May 29, 20202 min read