Genealogy Archives - Vicky Adin Author

A Memoir Meant to Be Used, Not Just Read

Vicky Adin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:30:00 +0000

The book I never thought I’d write turned into more than a memoir. A personal journey. A lifetime of wisdom. A practical toolkit. Where Stories Lie Buried is part memoir, part craft narrative, part family history — and the toolkit is the part I want to tell you about today. As I worked through each...

The post A Memoir Meant to Be Used, Not Just Read appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Why Your Stories Matter — and Why Your Family Will Thank You for Writing Them Down

Vicky Adin — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 23:00:00 +0000

At a recent presentation given by six of my writing group, one of the things that struck me was their passion – the belief in their words, and the constant desire to write. As I listened to them outlining the stories behind the book, and the research involved, it made me think about all the...

The post Why Your Stories Matter — and Why Your Family Will Thank You for Writing Them Down appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Why I Wrote a Memoir About Genealogy, Family History and the Writing Life — and What I Found Along the Way

Vicky Adin — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:58:01 +0000

I’ve been talking about my historical fiction novels for a while now, but this book crept up on me. I was not planning to write it. One day, I simply found myself thinking about how my journey had begun and realised I had never properly answered the question my readers ask me most often. How...

The post Why I Wrote a Memoir About Genealogy, Family History and the Writing Life — and What I Found Along the Way appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

I’ve Never Been to Bristol: The Research Journey Behind Sarah’s Destiny

Vicky Adin — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:30:00 +0000

I have never been to Bristol. Yet I have wandered its streets, found its lost pubs, traced its floating harbour, and followed a Victorian woman through sixty years of her life there. That’s what genealogy research does to you. I’d stepped sideways in the hope of finding a link for my third and fourth great-grandparents...

The post I’ve Never Been to Bristol: The Research Journey Behind Sarah’s Destiny appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Five Minute History: The Real Sarah of Victorian Bristol — Murder, Marriage and the Welsh Back

Vicky Adin — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 03:01:11 +0000

She gave birth to eight children, had two husbands, was a witness at a murder trial, and held a victualler’s licence in her own name. This is the real Sarah — and she lived on the Welsh Back in Victorian Bristol. Sarah’s Destiny opens in 1851. At that time, Bristol was already a progressive and...

The post Five Minute History: The Real Sarah of Victorian Bristol — Murder, Marriage and the Welsh Back appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

When research inspires a new chapter

Vicky Adin — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 22:26:32 +0000

I’d reached the point in Sarah’s story that required a bit of historical background. As usual, I became distracted and ended up running down rabbit holes checking out details that may or may not end up in the final novel. Typical really. But that’s the way things run in my brain. Until I came across...

The post When research inspires a new chapter appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Family History: Why Genealogy Matters to everyone

Vicky Adin — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 01:42:48 +0000

It doesn’t matter when we celebrate, only that we do. Genealogy is all about family: discovering your ethnic branch, your indigenous roots, your European connections and the names of your ancestors. Family is what ties people together. If you don’t like secrets, those surprise ooh and ahh moments, then family history probably isn’t for you,...

The post Family History: Why Genealogy Matters to everyone appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Strange Victorian Job Titles: What Did Your Ancestors Actually Do for a Living?

Vicky Adin — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:30:00 +0000

In my previous blogs I’ve mostly talked about the women. They are the stalwarts of the time: staunch, loyal and committed. But let’s talk about some of the occupations their menfolk undertook to feed the household. Do you know what a cordwainer was? It’s similar to a snobscat. Or a cooper, or bodger? No…? Here’s...

The post Strange Victorian Job Titles: What Did Your Ancestors Actually Do for a Living? appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Remarkable Victorian Women: The Unsung Lives Behind the History Books

Vicky Adin — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:30:00 +0000

This week, let me introduce you to Harriet. Every time I follow the life story of Victorian women I am amazed at their stamina and adaptability. Only seven years younger than Queen Victoria, Harriet knew little about the reign of Kings George IV or that of William IV and lived her life knowing only Victorian’s...

The post Remarkable Victorian Women: The Unsung Lives Behind the History Books appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.

Mystery Ancestors: How Unidentified Family Photos Inspire Historical Fiction

Vicky Adin — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:59:15 +0000

A parcel arrived from overseas. Inside was a collection of family photos dating back to the 1880s. None were dated. Few were named. I immediately found my magnifying glass and plenty of sunshine and inspected them in detail. Some were of people I recognised, and could follow their age progression, others remain a mystery. The...

The post Mystery Ancestors: How Unidentified Family Photos Inspire Historical Fiction appeared first on Vicky Adin Author.