Denoting a person that is already or about to be mentioned.
DEAD – adjective.
No longer alive.
SLEUTH – noun.
A person who investigates mysteries.
The GENEALOGIST
Is there a mystery within those gnarled branches and fallen leaves of your family history tree?
Are you intrigued or perplexed about the history of your ancestors?
Or are you in search of that final resting place of an ancestor within Yorkshire and beyond?
Hello! My name is Tee Bylo and I am your genealogist, writer, family history coach and grave hunter here at The Dead Sleuth.
The Dead Sleuth is a registered company located in the City of York offering professional genealogical services for those looking to solve the riddles and absurdities of their own family history.
With access to a wealth of local repositories and archives throughout York, Yorkshire and beyond – I work with those who need an experienced and dedicated history sleuth by their side as they embark on a fascinating journey to uncover the lives of their ancestors.
From genealogical advice, family history research, probate transcription, archive retrieval, to photography, lineage reports and ancestral storytelling – The Dead Sleuth offers a rich menu of research services.
“If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you May as well make it Dance.
~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
The Grave Hunter
And, if I’m not in search of a missing ancestor or poring over the details on a newly discovered death certificate or trawling through the parish records in search of a burial entry – I’ll be wandering among the tombstones somewhere with notebook and camera in hand.
As a enthusiastic taphophile with an interest in tombstone symbolism – I also undertake grave hunts with the use of parish records and newspapers as the location and image capture of the resting place of our ancestors can be a poignant piece of the jigsaw.
In the absence of a marked grave I can also research, and photograph the surrounding vicinity in which an ancestor rests.
However, as every research commission is as unique as the person who is requesting it – I offer an initial thirty minute FREE consultation to ensure that I am the perfect sleuth for my client.
I share the tales and triumphs of family history and of my wanderings among the tombstones in search of the unquiet dead as a graveyard geneablogger.
Genealogy Research
Archive Retrieval
Family History Research
Newspaper
Researching Criminality
Probate Research
The professional dead botherer.
The Dead Sleuth also offers bespoke ancestral tours for visitors who are curious about understanding their family history in the context of location and would love to walk in the footsteps of an ancestor, visit the place they once called home or stand at the foot of their grave in a quiet churchyard.
I am also a public speaker and am happy to chat with eager ears and curious minds about her tales of Victorian criminality, tombstone tourism, sleuthing those elusive ancestors and fallen women.
Passionate about the benefits of Ancestral Healing – I also work alongside those who are seeking to understand, reveal and free inherited grief and trauma from their family histories.
And with my love of family history, storytelling and Victorian crime – I am the founder of The Polite Tourist which offers unique walks through the unquiet streets of York, Scarboro’, Leeds and beyond.
chat with the Dead Sleuth about:
genealogy and family History research
the victorian celebration of death
Social history of Tradition and death
victorian crime in york, and beyond
Fallen Women from the 19th century
history of the victorian penitentiary
ancestral healing
symbolism and language of Graveyards
ancestor storytelling
leave your card?
To consult with Tee about genealogy or family history, chat about her research in progress, make an enquiry concerning her diary of upcoming talks and walks or to invite Tee to speak at an event – please use the message board below:
‘WE are who we ARE because THEY were who they WERE.’
~ Unknown
‘Ever the detective – Tee’s discoveries about some of the lost members of my family have been truly amazing.
Tee’s understanding, knowledge of genealogy and enthusiasm for family history is incredible and I would love to work with her again!
Jean T – YORK
‘Ever the Detective’
‘Professional to THE core. Her work uncovering my family history was flawless and beautifully presented.
AND she is one of the nicest genealogists to work with too!’
Katherine K – USA
‘Beautifully Presented’
Panel 4
Genealogist. Grave Hunter.
For all who relish the adventures of long forgotten ancestors or the curious folk unable to resist the temptation to eavesdrop on unquiet family history and for those smitten with the genealogy bug – welcome to a little slice of the web The Dead Sleuth has claimed as her own.
As nightfall beckons – it is possible to catch a glimpse of a celebrated storyteller and infamous sleuth clad in a distinctive black coat wandering through the unquiet streets and secret passages of the City of York, Scarborough, Leeds and beyond in a quest to wake the dead.
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.
Situated on the exhilarating coastline of North Yorkshire and affectionately known as the ‘Queen of English watering places’ – Scarborough occupies a fascinating place within the history of seaside resorts.
And along with a history of besieged castles, dinosaur remains, literary prodigies, fishing ports, religious persecution, folklore, medicinal drinking waters, smuggling, and pirate radio – Scarborough enjoys an enduring charm.
From a population of just over 32,000 in 1801 – Scarboro’ Gothic is a record of this unique town, its history and the local characters from the heady days of the Georgian era until the dawn of the Edwardian epoch.
The Polite Tourist
QUESTION:
What kind of mischief could possibly be unleashed by one lowly professional genealogist and grave hunter with an unseemly fascination with the history of death; a passion for Victorian true crime, the tales of long forgotten folk and a love of storytelling?
ANSWER:
She becomes a company founder and solopreneur!
As the founder of The Polite Tourist in the spring of 2022 – I have been waking the dead who flirted with criminality in the Victorian era while creating a calendar of innovative, and meticulously researched true crime walks through the City of York.
From April 2024 my company The Polite Tourist will be peeling back the murky shadows of a seaside town’s criminal past with a stroll through the old cobbled streets in search of Scarborough’s long forgotten dead.
And those tales of brothel-keepers, prostitutes, drunks, pick-pockets and other assorted criminals who once lay claim to the unquiet avenues, lanes and terraces of Leeds, Glasgow and London await the curious too!
Nestled within the shadow of the Parish Church of St Stephen in the old village of Acomb near York lies a secluded and delightful churchyard.
And to which a number of fascinating and eclectic folk have now claimed as their final resting place from the 1700’s until the present day.
Every Day Above Ground…
As a seeker of elusive ancestors and a wanderer of graveyards and with access to the local repositories and archives throughout Yorkshire and beyond – I love working with those who wish to solve the mysteries, riddles and absurdities of their family history.
And as an enthusiastic taphophile – I can also be found with notebook and camera in hand as I go in search of those final resting places of the long forgotten dead.
See YOU on the other side?
Sign Up and Wake the Dead?
For all of those tales from the archives, ancestor gossip AND whispers from an unquiet graveyard with The Dead Sleuth – sign up AND bring forth EVERY snippet of chatter direct to your inbox!
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