When families fall apart
Posted in Case Histories, For Family Historians, For Relatives
When children are separated from their birth parents and siblings at a very early age, questions remain – fundamental, painful questions such as “what happened?” and “why me?” As the decades pass, these become questions that only a brother or sister can answer. In this article, regional head Mike Lowe reports on a case where a brother and sister were reunited after more than 50 years and unanswered questions finally found a resolution.
Read moreReclaim the records – a major new resource for genealogical research in the USA
Posted in For Family Historians
If you regularly conduct genealogical research in the USA, at some point you will run into an impenetrable web of red tape: state and government agencies will tell you that records are unavailable to the public or only available if you visit them on site. In this article, case manager Terry Bridger reports on a not-for-profit group that is determined to put US public records back in the public domain.
Read moreAshes, urns and the law on moving human remains
Posted in For Solicitors
A builder laying a concrete floor in a former chapel came across an urn, shifted it out of the way and continued his work. When he enquired what to do with his find, he was informed by the Ministry of Justice that moving a funerary urn is a criminal act and in order to avoid a potential prosecution he would need the consent of a family member for it to be moved. So, is it a crime to remove human ashes if they are found buried on your property? In this article, legal researcher Rosie Kelly takes a close look at the law.
Read moreA question of identity
Posted in Case Histories, For Family Historians, For Relatives
In an era where we shred bank statements, juggle passwords and fret about identity theft, Kay Morgan discusses the story of a man who willingly allowed his friend to borrow his identity and explains why this was not uncommon in twentieth-century Ireland.
Read moreClarity all year round
Posted in For Solicitors
This time last year Anglia Research gained the right to display the Plain English Campaign’s Internet Crystal Mark on our website. In this article, Carolyn Lord discusses the importance of plain English for everyone working in the legal and allied professions, and looks at the practical steps you can take to improve the documents you send to your clients.
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