Posted in the Past – genealogy & postcards

Posted in the Past is a project that began almost 20 years ago when I researched a postcard sent to a soldier in the Chelsea Barracks. I discovered that he was killed during the First World War and over the years that followed I researched his short life using the genealogy resources familiar to family historians and viewers of the TV programmes Who Do You Think You Are? and A House Through Time. Since that first postcard I have researched hundreds more and some of those stories have been published in Posted in the Past and Posted in the Past Second Delivery. 
I begin by locating the recipient in either the 1901 or 1911 census returns. From there, I begin creating their family tree and this reveals their story. Genealogy can be frustrating and it can be wonderful; using genealogy to research the postcards is exactly the same and is one of the reasons I enjoy it.
Each of my books include a hundred or so true stories – revealed through genealogy.