miles of irvings

  • CRYPT

    CRYPT

    Archaeology is not ancillary to history; it is not its slightly scruffier, grubbier handmaiden. It’s unashamedly earthy, grounded and physical, but out of the dirt come gems of understanding, bringing together these two disciplines – history and archaeology, with all these new scientific techniques – we now have an extremely powerful way of interrogating and… Read more

  • BURIED

    BURIED

    In the post-Roman period in Britain, contemporary written records all but disappear. Literacy is still there, but it’s harder to find traces of it. We get some glimpses from high-status sites, including monasteries. This is the period which used to be referred to as the “Dark Ages”, which is now seen as a pejorative term,… Read more

  • THE SYDNEY SWANS – 3. THOMAS

    THE SYDNEY SWANS – 3. THOMAS

    Thomas Cormick Swan was born on the 19th of March 1858 in West Maitland, the third child of Elizabeth, “Bessie“(Cassidy/Cain) Swan and William Swan. His Birth Certificate has his father, William as 31 years old, yet all other documentation suggests that William was actually about 41 years old when Thomas was born. His mother, Bessie, was… Read more

  • THE SYDNEY SWANS – 2. LETITIA

    THE SYDNEY SWANS – 2. LETITIA

    The name Letitia derives from its Latin counterpart Laetitia, which directly translates to joy in English. With its roots in the ancient Latin language, Letitia has a rich historical background. In ancient Roman mythology, Laetitia was the goddess of celebration and mirth, known for her cheerful and lively nature. The name Letitia gained popularity during… Read more

  • THE SYDNEY SWANS – 1. WILLIAM

    THE SYDNEY SWANS – 1. WILLIAM

    One of the most interesting branches on the Family History tree is the descendant line of Sarah Murray and Cormick Cassidy who were from the Irish border town of Monaghan. They were my 4th great grandparents and Sarah Murray’s story can be found in another entry in this history blog simply titled “Sarah (Murray) Cassidy.” … Read more

  • ANCESTORS

    ANCESTORS

    Some people can get obsessed by ancestry, by trying to establish links with long-dead relatives. The lineages that always seem to cause the most excitement are those suggesting links to royalty. Sometimes those ancestral links are used to try to establish claims to territory. That can never really work as Read more