Gnarled Branches and Fallen Leaves of Family History
Following in the Footsteps of Those Elusive Ancestors Scattered throughout Vale and Dale.
AND as there are Plenty of those Gnarled Branches and Fallen Leaves on THIS Family Tree -There are MANY Miles to Travel!
Welcome to The Flesh IS Frail?
Genealogist. Grave Hunter.
With access to the local repositories and archives throughout North Yorkshire – Tee Bylo loves working with those who wish to solve the mysteries, riddles and absurdities of their own family history.
And as an enthusiastic taphophile – Tee can also be found with notebook and camera in hand as she goes in seach of those final resting places of the long forgotten dead.
Panel 1
A Seeker of Elusive Ancestors
‘You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.’
~ William Wilberforce
Those Gnarled Branches and Fallen Leaves
Although I have been ‘properly’ researching the history of my family since 2004 – my interest in the gnarled branches and fallen leaves of my family tree began in the early teenage years.
And having always been a diligent hoarder of the scraps of family keepsakes that have come my way; those numerous large boxes of files, papers, books, photographs and other assorted genealogical matter that I have shifted down and up several sets of stairs with every house move over the years has NOT been for the faint-hearted!
King George VI once stated that “the history of York is the history of England’ and this ancient city is not only the place of my birth but also for many of those Bensons, Dalbys, Edesons and Peacocks to whom I have since laid claim – although some of whom certainly add more than a little colour to those fallen leaves.
And even though there is MORE than enough to to occupy me within the walls of this chocolate box city – I have also been very busy elsewhere.
The Female of the SPECIES?
As my interest has been piqued as of late by the welcome appearance of several Yorkshire lasses within my clan recently discovered including thrice-wed grandmothers, social reformers, lunatics and unmarried mothers â my feelings of female solidarity have been awakened.
And with the floors of my den now littered with the fruits of my genealogical findings â Iâm off in search of a more feminine line.
NOT that I believe that my female ancestors were actually deadlier than their male counterparts!
I often find myself looking to the past if I am search of an elusive ancestor for a client or trawling through the Census for THOSE pesky relatives who STILL appear reluctant to reveal themselves!
As I watched from the shadows as the volunteers carefully plucked the ceramic poppies from the muddy ground and into the safety of their cardboard nests – I was feeling disappointed that no poppy would be finding its forever home with me.
Although I donât usually enjoy receiving brown envelopes through the post – I will make an exception when one arrives from the General Records Office or the GRO as it known here in the UK.
âIf you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.”
~ Bernard Shaw
Is there a genealogical riddle or even an absurdity which has you intrigued or perplexed?
With access to the local repositories and archives throughout North Yorkshire â Tee loves working with those who wish to solve the mysteries of their family history.
Or are you in search of that final resting place of an ancestor from the ancient City of York or beyond?
As every penny I earn keeps me happy with access to genealogical research, parish records, newspaper archives, and probate deeds along with precious opportunities to explore those graveyards – every lovely human who believes in my work makes me VERY happy too!
Have you ever heard the one about how there are only two things that are certain to us?
The first one being that we are all subject to some form of taxation and the second is that one day we WILL all die.
As a genealogical researcher my time is usually spent grappling with the mystery of death.
And if Iâm not in search of a missing ancestor or researching another life long lost to history – I will be poring over the details on a newly discovered and often indecipherable certificate of death or trawling through the parish records in search of a burial entry.
Being able to locate the final resting place of those from my research endeavours has always been an important task and an unsuccessful search is disappointing as the final piece of the jigsaw remains missing.
However, if you struggle with the thought of death and have no wish to contemplate it â MY world is probably NOT for you!
The tombstone tourist
As I love nothing more than a ramble through a graveyard and have been pottering among the tombstones for as long as I can remember â I will be sharing the tales and triumphs of family history and the images and podcasts of my wanderings among the dead.
The author Lailah Gifty Akita once said that â âThe graveyard is an everlasting home of every manâ and within most of our cemeteries there is evidence of spectacular craftsmanship, awe inspiring stonework, history, sublime words of poignancy AND the occasional flashes of humour ALL just waiting to be discovered!
For all of those genealogy tales, ancestor gossip AND the whispers from the graveyard â subscribe to This Silent Land to bring forth EVERY snippet of chatter direct to your inbox!
#Graveyardsquirrel #TeeAndTombstones #GraveSleuth
Panel 3
Desperately Seeking Clarice!
‘If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.’
~ George Bernard Shaw
Many years ago as my Grandmother was regaling me with a myriad of family tales and folklore over tea and homemade cake that my interest was piqued at the first mention of ‘Poor Clarice’.
For as every family history sleuth knows – there is usually always a least one ancestor who ignites a strange curiosity leading to that irresistible urge to discover more about their life and I’ve been desperately seeking Clarice through the mists of time ever since.
And with the door of an atelier closed for the day â it is possible to catch a glimpse of a celebrated miniaturist and storyteller clad in her distinctive black feline boots wandering through the unquiet streets and secret passages of York, Scarboro’ and beyond in a quest to wake the dead.
ORDINARY FOLK. EXTRAORDINARY DEATHS.
And for those of a curious and hardy temperament â why not come along and listen to the Lady Brigante as she shares with you the tales of the illustrious, the miscreants, artists, misfits and those ordinary folk who have ALL been lost to history â until now!
However, for those of a sensitive nature who are averse to real stories of tears, heartache and tragedy â a meander through the fascinating streets of York, Scarboro and beyond with the Lady Brigante may NOT be to your taste.
WHO OR WHAT IS The Polite Tourist?
The Polite Tourist offers true crime walks through Victorian history. Through York, Scarboro’ and beyond.
Innovative, meticulously researched and inspired by true crime stories from the Victorian era and through the tales of those ordinary people woven into the rich fabric of an ancient city or town’s social history â our walks are designed to offer an informative and unique experience with a professional and spirited storyteller.
Browse the shelves of our emporium for the deliciously unusual or become a fellow taphophile on our forum Beneath Thy Feet to quench those unanswered questions or dispel gossip from truth!
THE BĂTE NOIRE OF THE DEAD. SOMETIME ARTIST.
The Lady Brigante loves nothing more than shocking unsuspecting folk with the tale that she was abandoned at birth by gypsies and raised en famille with kindly mice in the crypt of an old church.
Alas! The truth is altogether more unremarkable!
Described as the bĂȘte noire of the long forgotten dearly departed â our storyteller, the Lady Brigante is a spiritual sleuth, sometime artist and a seeker of the dead.
She is also something of a miniaturist and sculptor.
For those of a curious mind â why not cross the threshold of a twilight world nestled inside a little slice of the web to which the Lady B has since laid claim?
With Quill and Ink By Candlelight. âFac Quod Faciendum Est.â
