Tracing the whereabouts of your London ancestors can be challenging, especially when they moved address constantly. Slum clearance and bombing has meant that many streets no longer exist today. Learn how you can pinpoint where they lived by reading my latest blog, "Lost in London"
The Tale of the Mathematical Instrument Maker – Part 2
In Part 1, we discovered more about William Ford's life as a mathematical instrument maker in Wapping, London, but in this story, we will be finding out about events in the early 1860s that challenged his comfortable existence. When the 1861 census was taken, he was living in the family home at 20 Lower Gun…
The Tale of the Mathematical Instrument Maker – Part 1
I’ve always been fascinated with William Ford, ever since I first saw his name in the records. For a start, he was a mathematical instrument maker, an occupation I’d never come across before. It's amazing to think that he made all these sophisticated, state of the art, precision instruments in his own workshop. He must…