Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 03/10/2026The Abingdon Naturists Society is giving a talk with the same title the following week 😉 170
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 01/10/2026I've posted part 2 of the history of my house, Forge Cottage: The war widow, the cadet, the geodesist and the history buff #HouseHistory #AHouseThroughTimedigupyourancestors.comA History of Forge Cottage, Drayton: Part 2Meet the eclectic families who lived in Forge Cottage, Drayton, Vale of White Horse in the 20th Century. 271
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 01/10/2026The first mini case in the #Uncanny Halloween Countdown is super spooky AND features census records!bbc.co.ukUncanny - Halloween Countdown 2026 - Case 1: Emily and Ollie - BBC SoundsDanny Robins starts the countdown to Halloween with a short shot of the supernatural. 030
Reposted by Clare KirkDr Lindsey Fitzharris @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Upon graduating medical school in 1881, Arthur Conan Doyle did a doodle of himself waving his diploma over his head. The caption reads: "Licensed to Kill." My new book SLEUTH-HOUND is about Conan Doyle's professor, Joseph Bell - the real-life Sherlock Holmes. Out Oct 20! linktr.ee/drlindseyfit... 330982
Reposted by Clare KirkAlison Spring @acspring.bsky.social · 04/02/2025To mark #BlackHistoryMonth in the US, I've shared some webinars and other free resources, focusing on African-American family research #AncestryHour #Genealogy buff.ly/4hmyqskbuff.lyBlack History Month 17630
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I’ve been writing up the history of my house for my village magazine and I’ve been in touch with relatives of two C20th families through Ancestry. I now have photographs, and one of the contacts is putting me in touch with his mum, who lived here as a child in the 1950s! #HouseHistory #AncestryHour 1140
Reposted by Clare KirkNina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 18/09/2026AQUAHUMAN! A hybrid figure merging human and fish-like features: scales, wide-open eyes, downturned corners of the mouth, distinctive traits reminiscent of sturgeons. Discovered at the Mesolithic settlement of Lepenski Vir, the sandstone sculpture dates to approximately 6200–5950 BC. 🧵1/3 📷 me 940096
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 18/09/2026This ledger stone of 1678 has the cutest souls and skulls (at least, I think they’re skulls, perched on top of a plinth?). 060
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 18/09/2026NEAR THIS SPOT LIE INTERRED THE REMAINS OF AN OLD AND VALUED DOMESTIC BETTY SULLY. Sully was 58 when she died in 1841 (so not that old) and she’d served the family of Rev R Foster since she was 15. This plaque in the Cloisters of Wells Cathedral remembers her loyalty. 130
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Bartlemas Chapel was founded 900 years ago this year by Henry I, as part of a hospital for 12 lepers. It was rebuilt in 1329. Once located well outside Oxford’s city walls, the chapel is now at the end of an unassuming path off the eclectic Cowley Road. I visited last weekend for #HeritageOpenDays 173
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I’m always excited to come across evidence of women parish officers from before the 20th century. In 1716, Ann Bretten Widdo served as Overseer for Stratton-on-the-Fosse in Somerset. And in 1726, Mrs Green had the same role. Here are the pages of their accounts. 2205
Reposted by Clare KirkSimon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Many unanswered questions. ‘SHOCK FOR TWO MEN INSIDE AN “ELEPHANT”’, Illustrated Police News, 21 April 1932. 1285
Reposted by Clare KirkSociety of Genealogists @sogorg.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Got Huguenot ancestors? Discover Your Huguenot Heritage Day combines specialist resources, expert talks & a guided walk through Spitalfields. 📅 9 Oct | 10:30–17:30 📍 London | In person portal.sog.org.uk/Event/view/2... #Huguenot #FamilyHistory 132
Reposted by Clare KirkLiz @willsmanonename.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Great news for those of us with Suffolk #OnePlaceStudies 095
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Digitised parish registers for Berkshire were added to Ancestry yesterday with >2M records. This link is to the combined database, but at the moment I can only search or browse for baptisms and burials in my parish using the specific baptism and burial databases. www.ancestry.co.uk/search/colle...ancestry.co.ukBerkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1538-1812 - Ancestry 230
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Digitised parish registers for Berkshire, with >2M entries, were added to Ancestry yesterday. However, they don't yet seem to be complete for my home parish ... www.ancestry.co.uk/search/colle...ancestry.co.ukBerkshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1538-1812 - Ancestry 130
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 07/09/2026It’s not often that you have a chance to combine #MosaicMonday with #MementoMoriMonday. (And maybe also #MonkeyMonday?) This small mosaic, rich with symbolism, was excavated at Pompeii in 1874 and featured in Pink Floyd’s concert film, Live at Pompeii (1972). 0255
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 30/08/2026In ancient Pompeii, it was fashionable to travel by taxicrab. 530954
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Sassy food warmer and piglet pastry mould — 1st century bronze finds from Pompeii. 212019
Reposted by Clare KirkPaul Chiddicks @chiddickstree.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Some ancestors leave behind photographs. Some leave letters. My great-grandfather left behind a tattoo declaring his love for a woman I still can't find. “I LOVE F. BEVENS” But who was she? #Genealogy #WW1 #MilitaryHistory #Gallipoli #FamilyHistory chiddickstree.substack.com/p/the-myster...chiddickstree.substack.comThe Mystery of F. BevensA tattoo, a teenage soldier, and a mystery that has lasted more than a century. 4277
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Historians of Bluesky: Do you capitalise the word 'will' when referring to the legal document? I would prefer not to, because I don't capitalise other document types unless referring to a specific record. However, sometimes when 'will' is lower case I worry it's not clear enough. 210
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 18/08/2026The Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1736, but vigilante murders continued. In 1751 Ruth Osborn of Gubblecote, Herts was accused by neighbours, & she and her husband John (possibly my ancestor) — elderly paupers — were subjected to a horrific witch hunt and then ducking trial, in which Ruth drowned. 240
Reposted by Clare KirkFriends of Friendless Churches @friendlesschurches.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Through its sumptuous collection of 19th-century stained glass, this rural medieval church has unlikely connections to both royalty and Parliament. 1/10 15713
Reposted by Clare KirkWhat's On Reading @rdgwhatson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026And also opening in September: Agatha Christie: A Tribute to her Life and Work is a new (and free) exhibition at the @berksarchives.bsky.social - which will include the only known surviving copy of the missing persons poster produced by Wokingham police. whatsonreading.com/venues/royal... 3/3 033
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Happy birthday, Sir Roger! I enjoyed learning more about the Penrose triangle and other impossible shapes at the M.C. Escher exhibition at Somerset House yesterday. 120
Reposted by Clare KirkBritish Geological Survey @bgs.ac.uk · 09/06/2026Working in partnership with the Mining Remediation Authority, we're proud to share our new mine plan viewer which gives access to a massive resource of over 120,000 scans of mine plans, made available online for the first time. www.gov.uk/government/n...gov.ukNew online service opens access to centuries of coal mining historyA new digital resource released by the Mining Remediation Authority and the British Geological Survey enables communities to explore their local mining heritage. 098
Reposted by Clare KirkAshmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Today is National Book Lovers Day! What is your favourite book? Here we share a delicate embroidered book cover - the perfect accessory for any book lover in the 17th century. This cover was made in England in 1632 and originally contained the third part of the bible. 🪡 WA2010.19 215445
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Yesterday I saw the brilliant #Arcadia in the West End. Although known for its mathematical themes it also says so much about historical research, the haphazard survival of documents & the feeling that as we piece together someone’s life we can almost reach out and touch them across space and time. 060
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 06/08/2026I have an Asclepius (Esculapius) in my family tree. He made and installed lightning conductors, frequently scaling tall towers and chimneys. A ‘striking’ character! (Maybe I will update the statue image in my blog with this newly discovered one, who has the most wonderful hair!)digupyourancestors.comThe Lightning Rod of Esculapius WoodMeet Esculapius Simon Jude Wood, dare-devil lightning conductor, chimney repairer and local hero! 040
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 06/08/2026I had a weird #familyhistory coincidence yesterday: I’ve been researching a man called Charles Gordon Gray for the past few months and yesterday I began a new project for another client, looking into the life of her ancestor Glascott Symes. … 140
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Did you know that on BBC Sounds you can access quirky local history stories for English counties (and Jersey) via the ‘Secret’ series? I subscribe to Secret Oxfordshire and Secret Buckinghamshire. A few are called ‘Hidden…’ such as Hidden East Yorkshire. 2153
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Yesterday while researching in 18th-century newspapers, I came across these two delightfully posh names: Onesiphorus Elliot Elliot of Binfield Park - a High Sheriff of Berkshire Samuel Peach Peach of Tockington House - a High Sheriff of Gloucestershire (see portrait) 141
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 04/08/2026The ruins of Castell Dolwyddelan, 13th-century castle of Llywelyn the Great (Prince of Gwynedd), which was captured by the English in 1283. You can climb the tower to the roof and look out across fields of sheep to the peaks of Eryri. 070
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 02/08/2026Imagine having a Neolithic burial chamber in your garden!share.googleThe 5,000-year-old grave on a Manx front lawnAlongside a quiet bungalow's driveway sits a Neolithic tomb believed to be around 5,000 years old. 040
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 01/08/2026For anyone with shoemaker/cordwainer ancestors, it’s interesting to see traditional craftspeople in London at work (sorry - this video only seems to be on Facebook). www.facebook.com/share/v/18EA... 000
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Celebrating the completion of year 1 of the @pharostutors.bsky.social Advanced Certificate in Genealogy with the latest edition of the OFHS magazine and today’s charity shop book find. Happy weekend! #FamilyHistory #Ghosts #Wine 2100
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Only one of my grandparents was born before 1926 and he would only have been 4. But if I were a great grandparent I could have been a train driver, butcher, machinist, roadman, housekeeper or homemaker. 241
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Angel lectern carved by Constance Greaves at St Beuno’s, Penmorfa, N. Wales — in the care of @friendlesschurches.bsky.social Find out more about Constance in this blog: friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/story/womens... 460
Reposted by Clare KirkCeryl @politicdormouse.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Alice Everett astronomer engineer, degree @girtoncollege.bsky.social worked in optics & early television. 1890 1st woman paid for astronomical work at Royal Observatory. 1903 1st woman to have paper published by Physical Society of London. d. #OTD 21 Jul 1949 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_E... 119450
Reposted by Clare KirkClaire Bradley @cbgenealogy.ie · 19/07/2026News today that the National Archives has taken their genealogy site offline indefinitely. Find where to get the collections elsewhere here: cbgenealogy.ie/nai-collecti... #IrishGenealogy #AncestryHour #GenHour #Genealogy #FamilyHistory 42823
Reposted by Clare KirkFriends of Friendless Churches @friendlesschurches.bsky.social · 15/07/2026St Helen’s, Biscathorpe is one of England’s most endangered Victorian buildings and, this year, we are trying to raise the money to save it from dereliction. 1/10 15220
Reposted by Clare KirkJenni Phillips @jenniph.bsky.social · 28/06/2026I’ve got an example of someone recently deceased on the 1861 census. Elizabeth Vickery of Ashbrittle, Somerset, was recorded as “lying corpse”. I ordered her death certificate out of curiosity. She’d died from consumption on 5th April, so shouldn’t have been included (but intriguing that she was). 3172
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 28/06/2026One page in a baptism register for St Mary’s, Scarborough contains just this note, which I believe reads ‘Terrible work indeed’. 130
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Amazing advances. I’m so excited to visit Herculaneum in 2 months’ time… 010
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 25/06/2026A churchyard romance. These two pigeons were being very lovey DOVEY at St Mary’s, Thame yesterday evening. 020
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 24/06/2026As the editor of the FoFC magazine it’s always a pleasure to finally have the paper copy in my hands. Take a peek at the contents of the summer issue and please become a member. You’ll help save beautiful historic places of worship in England and Wales and get your own copy! 030
Reposted by Clare KirkHistory of Oxford, UK @oxfordhistory.bsky.social · 24/06/2026It's Wednesday of ninth week of Trinity Term, so it's Encaenia today, probably the first one where the dress code has been relaxed. There are links to the history of the ceremony at the end of this page: www.ox.ac.uk/events/encae... 132
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 23/06/2026It’s funny to me that a lot of people and news outlets are talking about the #1976heatwave. My mum was heavily pregnant with me during that event. She often told me how uncomfortable it was. I wish I could ask her about it again now. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...theguardian.comRemembering summer 1976: how the historic heatwave has become our new normalHalf a century on, Britain braces for temperatures up to 40C as global heating brings yet more extreme weather 250
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Sitting in a parked car in Oxford in the eye of the storm. Absolutely love it!⚡️⛈️ 160
Clare Kirk @digupyourancestors.bsky.social · 22/06/2026I enjoyed reading about disputes between apprentices and masters in the City of London.thelondonarchives.orgReforming the Recalcitrant Apprentice | The London ArchivesFind out about apprenticeships in the City of London in this article by Rachel Barrett. 141