I have always been curious about the past. I would dream of being able to travel back in time and discover the real history of an area or time period. This dream continues today as I am writing a book series about a girl who travels back in time and uncovers secrets of her family history. I have a particular interest in old documents such as wills and church court records. I have spent many hours in record offices and archives reading the stories of people found in these documents. It’s almost as if they are once again brought alive through their stories. It’s similar for those names found on headstones and other memorials. I am often found wandering around a graveyard reading the names of people long buried there, wondering who they were and the sort of life they had. I began delving into my family history over 20 years ago and eventually became a professional genealogist. I’m no longer working as a genealogist but I’m still researching my ancestors. These were mainly from Bolton but they also came from Ireland, Wales and Scotland. There’s also a bit of Scandinavian, Romany and Persian mixed in there. It was inevitable that I would study History and I have an MA in English Local History.
This blog is dedicated to discovering people of the past through stories, photos, documents and memorials. You will find posts about wills, scandals, stories and more. My main research interests are the Early Modern period and particularly Bolton and its surrounding areas, including its historic county Lancashire. As I love a wander around a church, there are posts relating to churches and the memorials found there. And there are photos – lots of memorials, churches and places as well as old lost photos of people I have found online and couldn’t bear to let them be lost forever.
I also write stories with a history element and I am currently working on a book about a time travelling girl (as mentioned above) and I’m working on a cozy murder mystery series. You can hire me through Upwork for research into any historical period, person or place, writing articles and more.
I love to hear from fellow history enthusiasts – get in touch or leave a comment.
Sam