JH McConnellWhat Was a Workhouse?For hundreds of years, workhouses provided shelter to those who were unable to provide for themselves. A person could be sent to live in a…3 min read·Feb 22, 2023----
JH McConnellAre All ‘Mc’ Surnames Scottish?If your family has an Irish background, you’ll likely encounter a few Mc_s in your family tree. But isn’t “Mc” or “Mac” a Scottish prefix…3 min read·Feb 22, 2023----
JH McConnellConvict Stories: Ikey SolomonClaim to Fame: Notorious criminal and escape artist. Likely the inspiration behind Fagin in Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist.5 min read·Feb 21, 2023----
JH McConnellWas a Smith Always a Blacksmith?There are many different kinds of smiths. A blacksmith is perhaps the most well-known. Others include: goldsmiths, silversmiths…3 min read·Feb 20, 2023----
JH McConnellWhat was an Ag Lab, or Agricultural Labourer?Census records often use the abbreviation “ag lab” for agricultural labourer. But what was an agricultural labourer?3 min read·Feb 20, 2023----
JH McConnellAdd Depth to Your Family History When Details Are LimitedLet’s face it: Not every event was recorded, and not every record has survived. For some ancestors, we might know only their name, the…5 min read·Feb 20, 2023----
JH McConnellHow Accurate Are the Pedigrees of the Heralds’ Visitations?The pedigrees collected during the Heralds’ Visitations remain one of the most important resources for genealogists. But should they be…4 min read·Feb 20, 2023----
JH McConnellWas My Ancestor Really a Cherokee Princess?To answer this question, we first need to define the terms “Cherokee” and “princess.”5 min read·Feb 20, 2023----
JH McConnellSawyer or Sawmiller: What’s the Difference?Although the two terms are very similar, they have a slightly different meaning. Whilst a sawyer uses hand-held tools, a sawmiller uses…2 min read·Feb 20, 2023----
