6 minute read time Introduction History often comes alive through the stories of families whose fortunes rose or fell as power shifted. My own writing is frequently inspired by family history research, and the tale of the Warenne family—Earls of Surrey and Lords of the Manor of Wakefield—is no exception. This time, however, we journey much further back, to the origins of Norman England. Our story begins in 1066, at the Battle of Hastings—a turning point that reshaped the English landscape and its ruling elite. Among the few Norman nobles positively identified as having fought alongside William the Conqueror were the earliest members of the Warenne family. Many others were…

As told by the Bayeux Tapestry This updated AV has additional content and is now available in 4K video. The Grey Apple Tree brings to life the gripping tale of ambition, betrayal, and the battle that shaped a nation. From the death of Edward the Confessor, through the fierce rivalry of four claimants to the English throne, the story unfolds against the backdrop of one of the most decisive clashes in history—the Battle of Hastings. The battle marked the defeat of King Harold II by William, Duke of Normandy, bringing an end to more than 500 years of Anglo-Saxon rule. This victory established William as King of England and ushered…

The story of the Bradford arsenic poisonings has already been reported on this website, but I wanted to make a depiction of it as an audio-visual presentation. I’ve had great fun creating the images in historical style and putting it all to music. I do hope you enjoy watching it! If you do, please comment, like and subscribe to the channel ! Link to the Bradford arsenic poisonings full story on my Blog.

Richard Wilson’s Long Walk Here’s the short version of Richard’s long walk combined with the Leeds First White Cloth Hall. Enjoy!

Because Archer is an occupational surname…like Fletcher, Butcher, Smith and so on, it should have arisen in many different areas of the country, in men who were not actually related to each other but had the same occupation. It’s a little surprising, therefore, that, in the 1881 Census, by far the biggest concentration of families of the name “Archer” resided in the woollen towns of the West Riding, with the second largest group in London and the south east. My Archer family can be traced back to Dewsbury Parish records from 1581 and my branch of the family comes from Chickenley and Earlsheaton (known as Soothill and pronounced “soootil”) and the…