iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

It is still a museum, in need of a little love, I think. Although I'm originally a Brummie, this was my first visit here. Next time we'll walk to Moseley Bog to take in the wider Shire 😃

000

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

📍Sarehole Mill, Birmingham. There has been a mill here since 1542, with the present building dating largely from the 18th C. J.R.R. Tolkien grew up just across the road and explored the mill and countryside, which later helped inspire the landscapes of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Sarehole Mill beside the millpond on a bright, sunny day, with the red-brick mill and tall chimney reflected in the still water and surrounded by lush green trees and vegetation.

101

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thank you. Looking at the criminal registers is truly eye opening - long sentences, and worse, for what seems to me to often be crimes born out of necessity... 😕

010

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Currently rewatching #Bridgerton for the [insert embarrassingly large number here]th time, which seems as good an excuse as any to reshare this. I know it’s historically inaccurate. I simply do not care. Historians are allowed to have fun. And Benedict Bridgerton exists ☕️

regencyrelatives.co.uk

Confessions of a Family Historian: Why I Love Bridgerton Anyway

I should probably begin with a confession: I am a Bridgerton fan. This fact will surprise absolutely nobody who knows me. My friends have reached the point where any mention of Bridgerton is often …

031

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

My investigation into the life of Martha Lawrence continues. What began with a prison record has become a much bigger story of poverty and survival in Victorian Birmingham. There are still plenty of gaps, and quite a few questions I want to answer. Back to the records I go... #familyhistory

020

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Martha wasn't stealing clothes to wear. She was pawning them, turning them directly into cash. We can't know why she stole, but the repeated pattern may point to immediate financial need, placing her crimes within the precarious economy of working-class Victorian life. #familyhistory

100

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Charring in the late 19th century was low-status, casual work, often intermittent and poorly paid. Her husband Matthew was a “hammerman”, a manual industrial worker. Together, their occupations suggest a household living with financial precarity. #familyhistory #Victoriancrime

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In 1875, Martha appeared in court again, this time for stealing a shirt and an umbrella from William Tarlton. She was sentenced to eight months’ hard labour, followed by one year of police supervision. [Birmingham Mail, 14 Sep 1875].

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Martha found herself in Birmingham Borough Gaol at Winson Green, sentenced to six months’ hard labour for “simple larceny”. She was 29 years old. #familyhistory #VictorianPrison #Birmingham

Page 29 of a Birmingham Borough Prison register for the County of Warwick, dated 4 April 1874, recording details of prisoner Martha Lawrence, number 253, under the Prevention of Crimes Act 1871. The handwritten record describes Lawrence as aged 29 on discharge, 5 feet tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. Her birthplace is given as Gloucestershire, with “Frampton on Severn” written beneath. She was married and worked as a charwoman. A distinguishing mark is recorded as a scar on her left elbow, with her ears pierced. Her address at the time of apprehension was 15 Reservoir Terrace, Birmingham. The record states that she was summarily convicted at the Police Court on 17 October 1873 of simple larceny and sentenced to six calendar months’ hard labour. On the right is a sepia prison photograph of Martha, shown seated facing the camera in a dark dress, holding a slate bearing her name, prisoner number 253 and the year 1874.

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Martha was employed as a #charwoman by Alfred Mizan, an engineer. In 1873, she found herself on the wrong side of the law after stealing clothing from her employer and pawning it for cash. [Birmingham Mail, 17 Oct 1873].

Black-and-white newspaper clipping headed “ROBBERY OF WEARING APPAREL.” The report concerns Martha Lawrence, aged 29, a charwoman from Reservoir Terrace, Osler Street, who was accused of stealing clothing from her employer, Alfred Mizam, an engineer of Hyde Road. It reports that clothing had repeatedly gone missing, that the stolen items were found pawned, and that Lawrence was sentenced to six months in gaol.

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Martha spent her childhood and adolescence in poverty. Her father, King, was imprisoned for failing to support his family, leaving Martha and the rest of the family reliant on parish support. #genealogy #familyhistory

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Update: This is Martha Lawrence (née Charles), my 4x great-grandaunt. Born in Frampton-on-Severn c.1845, she married Matthew Lawrence in 1870 before moving to Aston, Birmingham. #genealogy #VictorianCrime

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I thought I'd finished researching my #ancestor King Charles. Then I found a prison sentence, a fatal accident, some questionable family relationships and possibly another King Charles. Back to Frampton-on-Severn for a royal reprise. 👑 Read the latest investigation #familyhistory #genealogy

regencyrelatives.co.uk

King Charles: A Royal Reprise

In revisiting the life of my fifth great-grandfather, King Charles, a Gloucestershire labourer, I uncovered significant details about his family and life challenges. Key findings include his impris…

150

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Hello #familyhistory friends. I have taken some time away from #genealogy for personal reasons, but I am slowly starting to creep my way back into the records. Another #mugshot discovered today... 6M hard labour for larceny in Apr 1874. Digging deeper into this one...

Sepia-toned Victorian prison photograph of a woman facing the camera with a serious expression. Her dark hair is centre-parted and pulled back, and she wears a long, dark dress with a high neckline. She holds a slate bearing a handwritten name and prisoner number, 255. Above the image is the printed heading “Photograph of Prisoner.”

3280

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

After dragging the family around Gloucestershire and Warwickshire in pursuit of dead relatives, I’m back from my #genealogy road trip. Did I find the graves I was looking for? No. Did I accidentally acquire another person to investigate? Obviously.

regencyrelatives.co.uk

The Genealogy Road Trip: Results from the (Literal) Field

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my plans to take the family on a genealogy road trip. My husband had a week off work, the children were still on their summer holidays, and rather than disappea…

150

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

All in all, a reasonably successful field trip. The kids only occasionally moaned about being bored, and the husband was just grateful not to be at work 😂

100

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Lastly, we visited the residence of another pair of ancestors, John and Elizabeth Felton, who ran a lodging house close to Berry Hall Farm in Solihull c.1841. This area is still a working farm.

100

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

We popped into Warwick Castle for jousting and falconry

100

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

It is also the final resting places for Rosanna and 4 of his children who all died within weeks of each other in the Winter of 1826. We didnt spot a headstone for the family - they were very worn and it may be that finances did not allow for headstones to be made for the family.

100

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Next up was Burton Dassett, Warwickshire, to visit the area of residence of another ancestor, Francis Anderton, sheep farmer. All Saints Church is situated on a steep hill, and the churchyard is a little precarious underfoot! This is where Francis was baptised in 1788 and married to Rosanna in 1799

100

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

New access to Newspapers have provided the following about how King died. He left behind his second wife wife, Ann, and 11 children. Perriway Road is now Perry Way and runs alongside Frampton Manor, also pictured. The Whitminster Inn is now an Indian restaurant and physio clinic.

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Workers' Cottages in an area in Eastington formerly known as Muddleshole. Which of these did King and his second wife, Ann, live in?

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The Lazy Goose in Eastington, formerly known as the King's Head Inn. When King moved to Eastington in c.1850, was this his local? Lovely cake and coffee now and B&B rooms 😍

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The Bell Inn at Frampton. Did King pop in for ale and conversation with his fellow villagers?

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

First up: Frampton-on-Severn and Eastington, Gloucestershire on the trail of King (yes, that's his actual first name) Charles and his kin. St Mary the Virgin Church - scene of King's baptism in 1793, his marriage to Hester in 1822 and to Ann in 1835 following Hester's death, and his burial in 1870.

110

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Have spent the week on a #FamilyHistory road trip, mainly to see if I can find final resting places, but also to see where they lived, their communities and the paths the may have trod 150 years ago... #RoadTrip #Ancestry

140

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I'm looking forward to visiting these two locations. I'm hoping to spot the pub they may have visited, see the village green where they celebrated Queen Victoria's coronation, the hills where they farmed sheep, and the canal that was built during their time.

010

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Dragging the family on an #Ancestry road trip this week, looking for the final resting places of my Regency Relatives in Gloucester and Warwick. Anyone else spent their summer hunting dead relatives? Any success? #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #Ancestry

240

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

This makes me feel better - I have a tree of the family of a bondsman for a relative's marriage licence in 1799, as it recorded him as an innkeeper and that sounded fun to investigate... no-one in that tree has a connection to me except the innkeeper indirectly... 🫣

010

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Wow! That's a find! It's like an episode of Eastenders!

130

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Thank you! This house was in a rural area, but it could still have been a place of refuge for travellers and those down on their luck. I will look out for the programme as that sounds interesting!

120

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I've seen the book on the shelves at TNA. They have a whole corner of family history things in the gift shop 😃

010

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

This is why I find genealogy so fun. There are so many angles from which you can research - even if you think you know something well, taking a more niched perspective of something specific leads to more interesting finds! #GenHour

040

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Thank you. Learned a new word tonight - prosopography 😃

020

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

It was quite a conspicuous location, so it definitely would make a good #HouseHistory topic... Too many projects, not enough time 😂 #GenHour

120

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Ooh that's really interesting! I have an ancestor who was a lodging house keeper and there are a couple of census records (1901 and 1911) that have all sorts of interesting guests on census night. Noooo.... I have enough things on the to do list!! #GenHour

310

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I think as #OnePlaceStudy may become my next rabbit hole... Is there also such a thing as a #OneOccupationStudy? #GenHour #familyhistory

200

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Greetings #GenHour friends! A question... have any of you continued to research someone you have long since discovered is not your ancestor, just because they had an interesting life? #familyhistory #genealogy

691

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Every family historian hopes to find a photograph of an ancestor. I did. It just wasn't where I expected. My latest article introduces Harriet Watts, and the discovery that has sent me down my latest historical rabbit hole. #FamilyHistory #Genealogy regencyrelatives.co.uk/2026/08/05/t...

regencyrelatives.co.uk

The Harriet Watts Investigation: Part One

People often ask me whether I’ve uncovered any family secrets whilst researching my ancestors. The answer is yes. Not the sort of secrets that television programmes promise, with aristocratic…

081

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Thank you! In my first visit to Kew, I selected random volumes of CUST 47 I thought my ancestor might appear in, not really knowing the info the records would have. Of course, drew a blank, but a helpful archivist then told me about the online name indexes! 🫣

000

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

This desk has witnessed more rabbit holes than I care to admit. Every Regency Relatives article starts here, usually with one question, and ends with twenty more. #FamilyHistory #Genealogy regencyrelatives.co.uk

A wooden writing desk set up for family history research, with an open laptop displaying a draft article, handwritten research notes, notebooks and reference books. Family photographs, a lamp and shelves of books create a warm, personal workspace where genealogy research and writing come together.

070

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

If you've hit a brick wall, have conflicting evidence, or simply don't know where to look next, I offer evidence-based #genealogy research to help move your #familyhistory forwards. From quick ancestor snapshots to in-depth research, every project is led by the evidence.

regencyrelatives.co.uk

Research Services

Need help uncovering an ancestor, solving a family history puzzle, or bringing a forgotten life back into focus? I offer bespoke genealogy research and ancestor profiles, combining historical recor…

021

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Yesterday at TNA, a handful of Excise records helped join together pieces of John Hardwicke's life I'd been collecting for weeks. Still plenty of gaps, but the picture is finally starting to make sense. Part 3 of the Curious Domestic Arrangements of John Hardwicke... #familyhistory #genealogy

regencyrelatives.co.uk

The Curious Domestic Arrangements of John Hardwicke c.1755 – c.1826 (Part Three)

The search for my 4th great grandmother Elizabeth Harris has gradually evolved from what appeared to be an entirely ordinary piece of family history research into something resembling a Regency det…

041

Lisa | Regency Relatives @regencyrelatives.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Back on the train to Kew. Today's mission is John Hardwicke (again). I'm hoping somewhere in the Excise records there's another piece of the puzzle waiting to be found. If history has taught me anything, I'll probably leave with three new questions instead. #FamilyHistory #Genealogy

1100