Where did I get my skills?

I have a passion for the past. Since I was a child my fascination with history and archaeology prevailed with my favourite activities being visits to castles and museums. At secondary school I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to take an O’ Level in Archaeology; my wonderful teacher opened my eyes to the world of excavation and gave education a purpose. My first dig, aged 14, was a Roman town and from then on every holiday was spent digging. I have worked on Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Medieval sites all over the country from Sandgate in the south of England, Laugharne in Wales and Hawick in Scotland with most of my work being undertaken in Cumbria. I gained a BA Hons Archaeology degree at Lancaster University. After my degree I worked as a field and community archaeologist in Cumbria for a few years before family commitments meant I needed to find more stable work, although my interest in archaeology remained.

A second career in education gave me the skills to take on the role of Education Assistant at the Ironbridge Gorge and this awoke my interest in industrial history. In this role I used the museum archives to research social histories of the area and present these in an accessible way for today’s visitors to the museums.

After 13 years as a Head teacher I returned to my passion for the past, undertaking an MA in Past Landscapes and Environments, a joint History and Archaeology MA. This provided me with up to date skills to carry out modern historical and archaeological research, including effectively researching archives and how to create maps using GIS.

I followed this by completing the Pharos Professional Genealogy course to formalise the skills I have gained over many years of family history research. I have also became an associate of AGRA (Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives) and a member of the Society of Genealogists. These skills enable me to build local social histories from archival material and create a picture of what life was like for the individuals living during these times.

With this wealth of skills I am now in a position to undertake both genealogical and historical freelance research projects. I work on an hourly rate plus expenses basis.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss any research needs you may have.