‘All criminals turn preachers under the gallows.’
~ Proverb
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 autumn of 2020 – I have been waking the dead who flirted with criminality in the Victorian era ever since while creating a calendar of innovative, and meticulously researched true crime walks through the City of York.
And from March 2024 I shall 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.
With the motley crew 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 – their tales await the curious too!
The research into the history of crime and punishment from the Victorian era to the present day is a popular and expansive area for study – particularly for those who are seeking to understand the truth of their more infamous ancestors.
For even with the most nefarious deeds of the family member has a story to tell despite the long shadow often cast over their descendent’s ancestral history.
Although I undertake the exploration of an ancestor’s criminal history on the instructions of a client – I usually require a commission of a minimum of five (5) hours for any study and which may include archive retrieval, document transcription, newspaper research and photographic images.
And with the conclusion of any research undertaken on behalf of a client – I can also create a written account of the ancestor’s story which may include a psychological autopsy.
However, as every research commission is as unique as the person who is requesting it – our informal chat by way of my no-obligation initial consultation will ensure that my research into the life of your ancestor is productive for both you and I.
