Blog
Double-barrelled surnames: A changing tradition
Where did double-barrelled surnames originate? They are more popular than ever, and customers often ask us if we have them on our Hall of Names database. Sadly, we don’t and in this article we explain why. We look at the early origins of the tradition, and how it was...
Competition to win a coat of arms wine set!
It is International Women's Day! To celebrate, we have just launched a fantastic Facebook competition to win a coat of arms wine set! This beautiful special occasion gift is worth £63.99 and is ideal for weddings and anniversaries. Plus it's a great idea for a...
The legendary Spike Milligan
The legendary British-Irish comedian Spike Milligan died on February 27th, 2002. Born to an English mother in April 1918, 'Terence Alan Milligan' father was born and raised in India, the son of an Irish captain serving in the British-Indian army. Disliking his first...
Who was St David?
Who was St David? Many people have heard of St David’s Day: it is celebrated on March 1st every year, to mark his death on this day in 589. It is when David, as the patron saint of Wales is honoured. To celebrate, we have put together some top facts about this...
Top ten facts to celebrate decimal day
When decimalisation happened on February 15th 1971, it brought about a massive change to the British currency. Britain was not the first to convert to a decimal form of currency - for example Russia and France already used decimal currency systems, and had done since...
Your Scottish ancestry
Are you tracing your Scottish ancestry? Over the centuries, thousands of Scots emigrated to countries around the world in search of a fresh start or the chance to make their fortunes. Today people across the globe can trace their roots back to Scotland. Our friends at...
Votes for women
On February 6th 1918, votes for women finally became a reality. During the years of the First World War, up to 2 million women had proven that they were just as capable as men at doing traditionally 'male' jobs. However, the vote was only given to women over the age...
Valentine’s Day Traditions
Valentine's Day is a special time of year, when romance and love are celebrated with gifts such as flowers, chocolates and cards. Many people also choose other personal gifts to display affection. But have you ever wondered how Valentine's Day all started or what the...
What Togetherness Means
In our recent Facebook competition, we asked our followers what togetherness means to them. We had a fantastic response to the competition and many of the responses were thoughtful and heartfelt. Thank you to all who took art. We are pleased to share with you some of...
