The sights and thoughts of my youth pursue me; and I see like a vision the youth of my father, and of his father, and the whole stream of lives flowing down there far in the north, with the sound of laughter and tears, to cast me out in the end, as by a sudden freshet, on these ultimate islands. And I admire and bow my head before the romance of destiny.
Robert Louis Stevenson, Catriona, 1892
This website includes brief biographies of six generations of a British family. They were born in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Some travelled widely while others remained in or near their birthplaces. A few were well-known in their day but most had lower profiles. All had interesting experiences reflective of the times in which they lived.
Their stories are reproduced here in the hope they will be of interest to others, especially those who share my belief that our understanding of history is enhanced by reading about the experiences of ordinary people.
More detailed accounts are included in two books, both available for purchase: A Stream of Lives, published in 2021 and Probing Deaths, Saving Lives, which was published in September 2024.