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When Henry Arscott asked Kate Southwood to marry him in the 1890s and then broke off the engagement, he could not have imagined that he would end up in court, be ordered to pay damages and face bankruptcy. It was a peril confronted by many men in the Victorian age. Here, I look at the breach of … [Read more...] about Henry ends up in court after breaking wedding promise

At least five members of my family – including a mother and her two daughters – died in the Blitz and ‘Doodlebug’ attacks in London and Portsmouth in the Second World War. Their stories are told here with the help of research carried out by Norina Dixon and the Essex Commemoration Project, who are … [Read more...] about Blitz and ‘Doodlebug’ raids killed five members of my family

As a boy, I was enthralled by two of the greatest battles ever fought at sea – Sir Francis Drake’s famous victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 and Admiral Lord Nelson’s remarkable triumph at Trafalgar in 1805. One hundred and seventy years after the Battle of Trafalgar, I worked near the place … [Read more...] about James Arscott: A hero of the Battle of Trafalgar

It was a day – a disaster – many of us will never forget. Just after 9am on Friday October 21, 1966 an avalanche of half a million tons of mine waste descended on Aberfan in South Wales, destroying the village school and 20 houses and killing 116 children and 28 adults. The tidal wave of waste … [Read more...] about Aberfan: how two of my cousins died in the coal waste avalanche

Fred Russell was one of the great survivors of the First and Second World Wars. He had four extraordinary escapes from death at sea between 1916 and 1939. Here, I look at the wartime adventures of Fred – who married into the Roberts family in 1922. Gun layer Fred Russell was staring death in the … [Read more...] about Lucky Fred’s four escapes from death at sea in two wars

Eight Devon soldiers – all connected to my family – fought together on a remote hilltop battlefield near Jerusalem in 1917. They were all serving in the 16th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment on what would become the darkest day in the history of the battalion. Their stories are told here for the … [Read more...] about Eight went into battle – only five came home

It was a jaw-dropping discovery. Made in an old newspaper cutting ‘hidden’ in a village archive. It revealed that a John Roberts had 30 grandsons serving in the Great War. The clipping, which I had stumbled across by chance, included a grainy image of John wearing a bowler hat – and a broad … [Read more...] about History Maker John had a record 30 grandsons serving in the Great War