On a certain Sunday, I formed one of the congregation assembled in the chapel of a large metropolitan Workhouse. With the exception of the clergyman and clerk, and a very…
Create the Story!
William Martin, Death of a Scottish Miner
Airdrie, 1st September 1852 “My husband was employed as Brusher in #4 Pit Rochsoles and he left our house to go to his work there about 6 o’clock on the…
William and Marie: A Love Story Not to Be
Photo above is Market Row circa 1907, looking west on First South from Main Street in Salt Lake City. Mary’s shop was toward the end of the block. Credit: Shipler…
Write the Story: Around Cape Horn and Back Again!
Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Bright and yellow, hard and cold Molten, graven, hammered and rolled, Heavy to get and light to hold, Hoarded, bartered, bought and sold, Stolen, borrowed, squandered,…
Family Food History: Putting on the Irish!
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. So the saying goes, and oh, does it apply to family history! You’ve done all of this…
Tell It with a Clerihew!
Mr. John Brack, He loved his land and his little stone shack. When Lord Charles Domville tried to evict him, Each time wily John managed to trick him. That is…
Christmas in the Workhouse: Finding the Hook!
Last Christmas I decided I needed an ancestor story to match the season. I thought about family members who lived at Rathdown Workhouse in Dublin, Ireland and what manner of…
Write a Story, Live Forever!
So you want to write a story about a family member—or maybe even yourself! How do you get started? Writing is an exercise destined to make you feel inadequate, stupid,…
Searching for Grandmother: Find the Human Element!
I was tasked by a friend to contribute to an art exhibit featuring women. She wanted a family heirloom to display with a short essay on the woman who owned…