The Bridges family of Lawford and John Constable’s portrait
If you’re from north-east Essex, and perhaps if you’re from south-east Suffolk, you cannot avoid John Constable. My grandma had a print of The Haywa...
Category: Essex
Where was East Donyland’s old church?
Recently, someone asked me if it’s possible to still visit the site of Rowhedge’s (East Donyland) old church of St Lawrence – the one that was...
Update – Halstead St Andrew baptisms
Nearly 2,500 baptisms and nearly 2,000 burials for St Andrew’s church, Halstead, now added – from 1813-1844.
Fifth wife! George Butler’s unlucky love-life
While transcribing the marriages for Kirby-le-Soken, I found a surprising note left in the margin by the vicar: 5th wife! Buried 20th March 1831. This was the m...
An epidemic in Brightlingsea, 1803
I’m finishing off the transcription of Brightlingsea‘s burials, in a register covering 1765-1812. It’s not a very interesting register, and is...
Updates – Lawford
I’ve finished transcribing the earlier parish register (1558-1764) for Lawford in north-east Essex. It’s right by the Suffolk border, so you might f...
The Fingringhoe skeleton
Have you heard “The Reclusive Skeleton of Fingringhoe” episode of Punt PI? In this Radio 4 series, comedian Steve Punt puzzles his way around cases ...
Guest blog: A Titanic survivor on the 1939 Register
A guest blog for Findmypast. My great-grandma’s cousin survived the Titanic – did he find peace afterwards, or was his life full of drama?
Guest blog: Multiple wives and a missing daughter: Scandalous family secrets in the 1939 Register
A guest blog for Findmypast. What happened to my grandma’s uncle, Ernest Baden Powell Field? And why did his marriages not quite match up with what I foun...
More unfortunate ways to die in parish registers
A while ago I compiled all the unfortunate causes of death to be found in the parish registers for Beaumont-cum-Moze – perhaps the most unfortunate was Wi...