Social Media Selection

A couple of years ago, I put together a compilation of sorts of snippets here and there from The Website Formerly Known As Twitter. Given that this was a bit of a post dump, and the nature of the site is ever more volatile, I thought it best to pick out some of the more … Continue reading Social Media Selection →

Several Uncommon Functions of the British Newspaper Archive

With the BNA announcing that "millions of pages will be made free to view" through them now and in the near future, it seems as good a time as any to consider some uses for the Archive that may not be immediately obvious, that could be useful tools for searching, or just a bit of … Continue reading Several Uncommon Functions of the British Newspaper Archive →

Harwich Poetry

As part of my month of trying different things, I thought I'd dabble in a spot of poetry, see how it goes. There's no new historical content here, but hopefully there will be something to prompt a smile or a nod of approval! First off, let's start with a simple haiku that offers a reasonable … Continue reading Harwich Poetry →

Meta-History: Explanation & Usage

Regular readers of this blog will know that I like to use my own spin on the concept of meta-history to help verify sources, so I thought I would dedicate a post to it, to explain what I mean by it, and show what uses it has when researching any subject, including genealogical research. First, … Continue reading Meta-History: Explanation & Usage →

Everyone’s a Critic II

Believe it or not, this was written in 1865, not on social media in 2020: Each time that I have visited Harwich has but served to revive and confirm my first impression. It seemed to me wonderful that people should be willing to live there. Imagine, reader, the dullest place you ever saw, and you … Continue reading Everyone’s a Critic II →

A Friday Night Thought

Something not really in keeping with this blog, but after reading about how Jeff Bezos' net worth has reached $200 billion, it's worth considering the sense of scale, so I thought I'd put it in historical terms. Christopher Jones was born in about 1570, so 450 years ago. If he was still alive today, and … Continue reading A Friday Night Thought →

Everyone’s a Critic

From an 1892 yachtsman's guide: The town of Harwich itself is devoid of interest, and the one building of note, the church of St. Nicholas, only dates from 1821.Our Silver Streak

Food for Thought

A little something for us all to consider: The fine Charity-School-House at Harwich, built by a Gift of Alderman Parsons when he was chose Member of Parliament there, is now finished: This good Example is recommended, instead of Eating and Drinking. Stamford Mercury, 31st October 1728