Karen Lucas-Thompson 🇬🇧🇦🇺🦘

Today I visited the oldest building in Perth, Western Australia - the old courthouse, completed in 1836. That’s not old by European standards but the Swan River Colony was only founded in 1829. #history #perth

Being from Liverpool, we have a strong family connection with the sea. Many of my ancestors were sailmakers and this 1935 obituary for Douglas Lucas, my 2x great uncle says his death brought to an end more than 200 years of Lucas sailmakers in #liverpool #familyhistory

A History of Liverpool’s Courtyard Housing with Elizabeth Stewart Elizabeth Stewart discusses her recent book -Courts and Alleys: A history of Liverpool courtyard housing.  I’m fascinated by court housing! Courts are a form of high density, poor quality housing w…

I had some ancestors who lived in court housing in #liverpool. A fellow family history society member shared this very interesting article - A History of Liverpool's Courtyard Housing with Elizabeth Stewart #housing #history liverpooluniversitypress.blog/2020/02/18/a...

I’m a member of 3 family history societies 😉 2 UK ones and 1 in Western Australia - Liverpool/Lancashire (where I was born) and Cheshire where most of my recent ancestors lived and the Swan River Pioneers - my husband’s ancestors arrived very early in Perth/Fremantle’s settlement.

My husband’s Scottish Uncle Jock always used to say, “let it develop”.

Sometimes we worry to much about what may or may not happen so I always think of Uncle Jock and then just let it develop 😉

Apparently the mother didn’t speak for about 6 months after the bombing. Their 2 yo son Joe had whooping cough and they had another young baby so the mum stayed home with them and sent the other kids with the 17yo daughter to the shelter which took a direct hit 🥲 #WWII

The saddest photo on my family tree. My great grandfather’s brother and his wife lost a young child in 1929 then lost 4 children in the Durning Road bombing in Liverpool in WWII 🥲 #familyhistory #liverpool #WWIi

Motorcycle Tragedies and the Thompson Brothers Nobody wants that knock on the door from the police, advising them of the death of a loved one on the roads. Sadly, this happened to the Thompson family in South Australia nearly 100 years ago, not…

In my latest blog post, I write about my husband's family - two brothers who tragically died young in separate motorcycle accidents in South Australia nearly 100 years ago. #familyhistory #motorcycle #southaustralia

yourfamilystories.blog/2026/02/23/m...

My sister and I also visited the Wycoller Hall ruins and park which was said to have been the inspiration for Ferndown Manor in Jane Eyre. This house was once owned by the Cunliffe family - one of our Lancashire family lines so we had a personal as well as literary interest in seeing it.

How lovely. Last year my sister and I visited the UK (from Australia) and went to their next home, the parsonage in Haworth which was fab too. When my husband and I later went to Penzance we saw the house where Maria Bronte (Bramwell) was born. So much wonderful history!

Excited to discover the death notice of my 4x great grandmother in an 1888 Liverpool newspaper which confirms her father’s name and gives me her grandfather’s name 😀 #familyhistory

When Love Shines Through: The Story of Merrit Beardsley Discover the dark tales of the past in my brand-new series: “Stories From The Grave.” Some family history stories announce themselves quietly, while others arrive and take hold of …

Tales from the Tomb Friday 🕯️

When Love Shines Through: The Story of Merrit Beardsley

A child taken too soon. A tomb with a window.
Not a legend of death—but of love that refused to leave him in the dark.

#TalesFromTheTomb #StoriesFromTheGrave #Genealogy

chiddicksfamilytree.com/2026/01/30/w...

Party time with the Hornby family - #liverpool England - circa 1950s #familyhistory

On this day 168 years ago, my 2 x great grandfather Joseph Lucas was born in Liverpool. Thanks to some second cousins I have connected with through doing my family tree, I can see what he, and other relatives looked like. He died aged 88 in 1946 #familyhistory

Yes indeed. He and his wife lived in Croatia for a while before heading to Spain. We had planned to visit him in Spain but with his sudden illness, we didn’t make it in time.

On this day in 2019 my uncle Rod, dad’s only brother passed away in a hospital in Spain, aged 73. He moved from England to South Africa in the 1960s and to Europe around 2000. He never had any children so I am remembering him today. Photo - Liverpool 1940S

My Grandad and World War II – Values and Virtues Inset Image: Grandad, Stanley Lucas on board one of the many ships he sailed on during his Merchant Navy career If you could sit on this bench and speak with anyone – dead or alive – who would it b…

It was 85 years ago yesterday -14th January-that my Grandad, who was a radio officer in the British Merchant Navy, was involved in his 2nd ship sinking incident.

The SS Eumaeus was transporting troops when it was hit by a torpedo fired by an Italian submarine.

yourfamilystories.blog/2025/12/05/75/

Genealogy Gold! I love my distant cousins. I didn’t know most of them until I started researching my family tree. Over the years, I have corresponded with and met many cousins, having connected via DNA matches, sh…

In my new blog post I look at the treasures you can find when connecting with distant cousins when doing your #familyhistory research. #genealogy #liverpool

yourfamilystories.blog/2026/01/13/g...

Hidden history dug up during work on East Leeds Orbital Route More than 6,000 items were unearthed by archaeologists ahead of the construction of the road.

Artefacts unearthed during the construction of a major new road in Leeds have been revealed for the first time. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sorting through some cupboards today and came across my late father-in-law’s box Brownie camera. According to google this model was from the 1950s #photography #familyhistory

'Doesn't feel fair': Australian-British citizens caught out by new passport rule

If you, like me, were born in the UK but live elsewhere and have that country’s citizenship and passport, you need to check out the new rules that come into effect next month if you plan to travel back to the UK. We now need a British passport as well.

www.9news.com.au/national/uk-...

Thank you 😉

Getting ready for a busy year of researching and writing. I have renewed my LIverpool & SW Lancashire FHS membership and joined @fhsofcheshire.bsky.social to explore those links. My GGF owned the #Runcorn Billboard Hall. Here is my Nana and her sister at the entrance circa 1930 #familyhistory

Some great ideas Paul

What Will Happen to the Horses? I was very excited when I received a letter from a distant cousin in England (yes, a real AIRMAIL letter, delivered by the postman). It contained a family story that had been passed down through th…

What will happen to the horses? That's what my 2 x great grandmother asked in the early 1900s. What prompted that question? Check out this short anecdote on my blog 😉#genealogy #familyhistory #liverpool yourfamilystories.blog/2026/01/03/w...

Researching my Lyons line who came from Ireland and ended up in Liverpool. I don’t know if this is the right Martin Lyons (I think he was born abt 1838) but I thought it was so sad to see 12 year old Bridget Lyons listed as a beggar 😢 #familyhistory #Ireland #irishfammine

That must be challenging for you. I have made up a spreadsheet with the various family lines and the ages and causes of death. It’s interesting to analyze that.

Ancestral Warnings from Beyond the Grave Have you ever visited a doctor who has asked about your family health history? You know, like, “is there any heart disease in your family?” or “does anyone in your family have asthma?” or “have any…

What have your ancestors’ death certificates told you? There’s a few things I need to be aware of …. especially during the festive season when there’s more alcohol around 🥂🍻😉 #familyhistory #deathcertificates

yourfamilystories.blog/2025/12/05/a...

LOL 😂🤣🤣🤣

I love uncovering articles about ancestors. This is about my first cousin, once removed who was a singer and actress, known as “the Belle of Perth” #familyhistory

theatreheritage.org.au/on-stage-mag...