Clare Kirk

Image: Screen grab showing pop-up message on the FreeBMD website. Text as follows: Thank you for using FreeBMD. New project alert! Seeking YOUR support for FreeProbate! Launching in 2026, it will be the only free-to-access probate index of its kind, searchable by deceased and executor names, date, address, occupation. To launch the new website, we need to raise £10,000 in pledges for this year's Big Give Christmas challenge to unlock the match funding. If you feel you can give £100 or more, please use the buttons below to read more and lend your support. Don't worry if you'd like to support us with a smaller amount: you can do so easily during the Christmas Challenge campaign later this year. [Button:] More about pledging. [Button:] Pledge now.

Just spotted on the FreeBMD website: support sought for a new project, FreeProbate (or FreePRO). Initial pledges of £100 or more via theBigGive are sought (deadline 29 Aug 2025) to unlock match funding during the Christmas Challenge in December. More info on the FreeUKGenealogy website.

Good to know. I guess if they called it FreeWILL that would have other connotations!

St Lawrence is the patron saint of archivists and librarians and, rather fittingly, one of our trustees recently discovered a watercolour of St Lawrence’s, Gumfreston that was painted 161 years ago, on 15th August 1864.

A mystery carving in a Sussex church which could depict chastity The carving lies inside 14th Century St Andrew's Church in Alfriston, East Sussex.

The mystery carving at 14th century St. Andrew's Church, Alfriston, East Sussex causing much debate. 👇
BBC News - A mystery carving in a Sussex church which could depict chastity - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It really doesn’t look like a beaver to me!

For #InternationalCatDay I present a photo of my husband’s great grandfather Jack Mortimer and other crew of the SS Devanha in 1919, with a tabby cat.
Jack served on the Devanha — a troopship — as a cook in 1917 and 1918-1919. In between those posts he served on the Pekin, a minesweeper.

#ShipsCat

An experience of temporary blindness and the shame of his own profane language are said to have prompted Cuthbert Wigham, the founder of Coanwood Meeting House, to convert to Quakerism.

1/8

I had a subscription!

Ps once you have both passports: I’ve been told that the US really don’t like US citizens using a different passport to enter the US. So it’s the same going that way too. I always enter the US with my US passport and the UK with my UK passport. I’m too nervous to go to the US at the moment though.

So sorry to hear this. I have British and US passports and a few years ago the UK would not let my kids (born in the US but British citizens by descent) into the country with me without UK passports. Thankfully it was resolved the same day. I hope that you can be home with your husband very soon.

Exactly. Wordplay is very British, including making something ordinary sound posh. But Americans do this too. For example they pronounce the store ‘Target’ to sound French and fancy - “I like your skirt.” “Thanks, it’s from TarZHEY!”

Must have been pixies. It’s the only possible explanation.

NEWS: The long awaited SUFFOLK PARISH REGISTERS (with images), are coming to Ancestry on 14th August 😊.

www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/latest-news-...

#FamilyHistory #Genealogy

HT various SM sites, thanks to Trevor Rix for finding the source of the announcement.

My town!

I bought Each Peach for my own children, because I had such fond memories. But we also read lots of Julia Donaldson books together. I think that’s the equivalent for the next generation.

I loved Each Peach Pear Plum, Funny Bones and The Jolly Postman. Completely charming, witty and absolutely formative books.

My daughter is taking French but the local 6th form doesn’t offer it. Officially they do, but they need at least 5 students taking it to make it work and since the number isn’t known until applications are in, they just said it was better to apply elsewhere. ☹️

herring fleet and the Scottish herring/fisher girls would move down the coast with them. The girls worked at a terrific rate. It was hard work and the contrast between those watching and those working was is stark.

Is that like a Baker’s Dozen? I’m always up for an extra cake. #AncestryHour

William and Frederick: Case 2 In 1888 Amelia Carter and her young daughters Rose and Alice were admitted to Greenwich Workhouse after Amelia’s husband Frederick Cross had deserted them. But Alice’s father was WILLIA…

Hello #AncestryHour. Today I published a blog about a very confusing family, with 3 possible fathers (or was it just one?). I’ve not solved it yet and I’ve included as many details as possible so that other people can also give it a bash!

My ancestors were master bakers in Shrewsbury and Bedfordshire for 3 generations. #AncestryHour

I’ll be interested to hear what you find out #AncestryHour

I live right next to a church and luckily I enjoy it! They practice every Monday night and ring for Sunday services but the bells also ring for weddings and other important events. The church clock also chimes every 15 minutes and rings on the hour.

South Oxfordshire (Vale of White Horse)

Church bell practice and pink sky — the view from my bedroom window right now

For the Bite of a Mad Dog Take the Leaves of Rue pick’d from the Stalks & bruised 6 Ounces; Garlick pick’d from the Stalks & bruised, Venice Treacle or Mithridate, and the Scrapings of Pewter or Tin of each 4 ounces; Boil all these over a Slow Fire in 2 Quarts of strong Ale ‘till one Pint be consum’d, then keep it in a Bottle close stop’d, and give of it 9 Spoonfuls to a Man or Woman, and 6 to a Dog, warm, 7 Mornings together fasting. This will not fail, if it be given within 9 Days after the Biting of the Dog – apply some of the Ingridients, from which the Liquour was strain’d to the Bitten Place This Receipt was taken out of Calthrop Church in Lincolnshire where many in the Town were bitten with a Mad-Dog, & all that took this Medicine did well, & all the rest dyed mad. The Same Receipt is hung up in Bradford Church in Wiltshire, where its Efficacy had been approv’d on the like Occasion The Same Receipt, except as to the Quantity to be given, I have, as used by Dr Fortescue late an eminent Physician at Bampton, Oxfordshire, who in his Practice never knew it fail if given in Time. He prescribes 7 or 8 Spoonfulls 9 Mornings and renews the Ingredients upon the Wound once in 24 Hours. Cha. Weston Rector 1779 From: Parish Register of St Mary, Therfield, Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies ref DP/107/1/2

I found this on the inside of the front cover of the parish register of Therfield, Hertfordshire.

In case any of you should be bitten by a mad dog today, you can relax. This will, apparently, not fail!

You're welcome! 😏

Paging Mistress Agnes @janetfew.bsky.social

[Full transcript in Alt text]

I LOVE this! Especially ‘all the rest died mad’ 🤣

He was absolutely brilliant. I’ve introduced my teenagers to many of his songs.

www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2... Tom Lehrer dies at 97, was master satirist of Cold War era - The Washington Post

A Victorian poster showing a photograph of a family of musicians, including the father, 'Professor Bacon' and six children, all posed with different instruments.

Here's a picture of Professor Bacon's Family Band. When this was taken, two adult children had already left to set up their own musical careers and one had died at age 19, still leaving 6 young musicians in the band!

newspaper article from the British Newspaper Archive about a vegetarian fete in 1898 at Wembley Park

The perfect entertainment for a VEGETARIAN fete in 1898 = Professor BACON's Family Band! 🥓🥓

One of the musical Bacon family, Ada Amelia (b. 1877), is in my family tree.