The People
Soldiers and sailors, coal miners and farmers, those who died in workhouses and those who died as landowners beyond their wildest dreams - they are here in more than 40 stories. Click here for The People index.
The Places
Before the 1800s, most people in the British Isles grew up and died within a few miles from where they were born. And those places shaped their lives. Click here for The Places index to see where they lived and why.
The Times
The world of our ancestors would seem alien to us. As recently as the 1800s, we find poverty and squalor, child labor in coal mines, and an inescapable, rigid class system. Here are some essays and insights into those times.
Site video highlights
Sergeant Robert Otterson, serving in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army, was wounded and captured by German forces in North Africa in the summer of 1942. He spent three months in the grim prisoner of war camp at Benghazi, Libya, then a year in three separate prison camps in Italy, and finally 20 months in the camp known as Stalag IVB in Germany. The two videos below tell his story.
Few aspects of family history are more poignant than the stories of those who served in the armed forces, many of whom died on a battlefield far from home, shot down by anti-aircraft fire or enemy fighters or torpedoed at sea. Others were incarcerated for years as prisoners of war. This short video is a simple tribute to a few of the men from our two extended families who fought and died in battle, or were fortunate to survive, from the British Empire in its heyday to World War II.
New and recent additions
The Workhouse: When Shame was the Only Choice - added February 7, 2026
Life as a British Sailor, 1700-1900 - added February 5, 2026
Life as a British coalminer in the 1800s - added February 1, 2026
England and the Making of the Industrial Age - added January 31, 2026
How Britain Lost its Empire - added January 10, 2026
George Ovington (1781-1868) - added January 3, 2026
Working the land - the life of an English farm labourer, 1750-1900 - added January 1, 2026
Growing up in Liverpool: Mike and Catherine Otterson, the first 20 years - with video - added March 2025
Villages of Alston Moor - added July 2024
William Otterson (1916-1957) - added July 2024
More site highlights
- The family that trekked across the American wilderness in search of religious freedom
- What DNA shows about Otterson ancestors 3,700 years ago.
- The English Civil War Puritan who caused havoc in Suffolk churches
- Driven out of Ireland by the potato famine
- A sea captain with three sons who drowned or died at sea.
- The young working class Englishman who emigrated to America, and within two months married into one of the most prominent Dutch pioneering families in the state of New York.
When we made this video of the first 20 years of our lives growing up in Liverpool before emigrating to Australia, it was intended for our kids and grandchildren. After we posted it on YouTube, we've been amazed by how many views this one generated. There must be a lot of ex-Liverpudlians out there in the world.
- Mike and Cathy Otterson
Main family names on this site:
Abernethy - Berry - Calvert - Charlton - Dix - Dowsing - Dyball - Garwood - Giles - Henwood - Middlemas - Otterson - Oxton - Pipe - Reed - Reynolds - Smailes - Storey - Thornton - Wright
We'd love to hear from you
Perhaps you're a student of history. Or maybe you're just mildly curious about what it was like to live in the very different world of 100 or 200 years ago. Or, you've been tracing your family tree and come across our site. Whatever the reason, we're glad you're here.
If you think you have family lines that touch those featured here, or if you can expand or correct any of the text or help with photographs, please leave a comment so we can get in touch.
Copyright issues
We respect the artistic work of others, and so acknowledge copyright when you hover over an image. Most of the images are our own. Some are from Wikipedia under a free Creative Commons license. Any image labeled "Photo: Michael Otterson" or anything with the Otterson name on it is our own image and can be freely used for any non-commercial purpose as long as there is a link back to our site. If a picture is labeled "Public domain" or "family album," then the copyright has expired or there is no copyright. If you feel we have inadvertently infringed copyright, please advise and we will correct it.