Social History

From the feather man who went from town to town, cleaning bedding made of feathers, to the cat-meat men of London, to the rag and bone men, there was an eclectic group of people who made their living as pedlars, tinkers and hawkers. Travelling either on foot with a basket or barrow, or using a [...]

On 30 October 1902, John David Taylor lost consciousness and died the following morning. He was forty-four years old at the time of his death. In his chart, James Thomas Callcott, MD, the Head Officer of the Asylum wrote: He did not recover consciousness, and died this morning at 7:40 am in the presence of [...]

Looking for a course that adds to your understanding of your ancestor’s life? The National Institute for Genealogical Studies is proud to announce a new course written by genealogist and social historian Barbara J. Starmans, PLCGS, Research: Social History. About social history Barbara Starmans writes, Social History is not concerned with politics and wars, or kings and [...]

Journey back only a short time in history, when esteemed judges and assembled juries had only the testimony of witnesses and sometimes the coerced confessions of the accused to rely on, and there can be little doubt that every now and then innocent parties were executed, and the guilty went free. These were the days [...]