Introduction
Chair Lynda Balmforth welcomed members to the meeting and introduced Steve Manning, well known to many family historians through his long involvement in genealogy and his role within the family history community. Steve explained that the evening's presentation would be a very personal one, drawing heavily upon his own family research and demonstrating how family history becomes far richer when we move beyond names, dates, and certificates to uncover the stories behind our ancestors.
A Lifetime in Family History
Steve began by describing how his interest in family history started when he was around eight years old. Inspired by a family friend, Reg Savile, an enthusiastic genealogist, he developed a fascination with discovering family stories and preserving family memories. Over nearly seventy years of research, he has accumulated not only documents and records but also photographs, personal recollections, and family anecdotes that have brought his ancestors vividly to life.
One of the great advantages of starting early, he explained, was that older relatives were still available to talk to. Their memories, photographs, and stories became invaluable resources, many of which would otherwise have been lost forever.
The Family Murder Mystery
The main theme of the talk centred on a family story that had fascinated Steve since his youth.
As a young man, Steve recorded an interview with his great-uncle Ernest Fairchild using a cassette recorder. During the conversation, Ernest casually mentioned that there was a murderer somewhere in the family. The story described a man who had followed another from a public house and killed him in an alleyway following a dispute involving his wife.
Naturally, this revelation captured the imagination of a young family historian. Unfortunately, Ernest could provide no names or dates, leaving Steve with a mystery to solve.
Steve admitted that one of his greatest genealogical regrets was recording over the original cassette after extracting the information he wanted. At the time blank tapes were expensive, but with hindsight the original recording would have been a priceless family heirloom.
Discovering the Truth
Many years later, Steve found a reference in the Peterborough Quarter Sessions records to James William Fairchild, charged with manslaughter in 1884.
Newspaper reports revealed a very different story from the one that had been passed down through the family.
Rather than a deliberate murder, the incident occurred during a Salvation Army procession in Peterborough. Fairchild was standing outside his home when a young man playfully covered his wife's eyes before running away. Believing his pregnant wife was being harassed, Fairchild chased after him and struck him.
Tragically, the young man later died from head injuries. It transpired that the victim was actually Fairchild's brother-in-law.
Although charged with manslaughter, Fairchild was eventually acquitted. Steve reflected on how family stories often become distorted as they pass through generations, yet still contain a kernel of truth that can lead researchers to remarkable discoveries.
The Fairchild Family
The story opened the door to a wider exploration of the Fairchild family.
Steve revealed that the family frequently appeared in local newspapers. Some stories involved drunkenness, disputes with publicans, court appearances, and accidents. While none of these events reflected particularly well on the family, they provided fascinating insights into the realities of Victorian working-class life.
One example concerned Walter Fairchild, who worked in the brickworks near Peterborough. In 1898 he was walking to work along a railway line with several colleagues when they stepped aside to avoid an express train and inadvertently moved into the path of a shunting engine. Four men were killed instantly and Walter was seriously injured, suffering a fractured leg and severe head wounds. Remarkably, he survived and lived until 1944.
Steve emphasised that newspapers often reveal aspects of our ancestors' lives that would never appear in census returns or parish registers.
Norman Cross and a Convicted Felon
The second major story moved back even further in time to the Napoleonic Wars.
Steve described the Norman Cross prisoner-of-war camp near Peterborough, one of the world's earliest purpose-built prisoner-of-war camps. Prisoners often supplemented their income by producing handicrafts, but some also sold government-issued bedding, clothing, and equipment.
Steve's ancestor Jeremiah Askew became involved in purchasing such goods from prisoners and reselling them. The government took a dim view of this activity and eventually prosecuted him.
Newspaper reports and official records showed that Askew was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour. The case attracted national attention and was widely reported throughout the country, serving as a warning to others.
The story provided another excellent example of how newspapers and legal records can illuminate family history in unexpected ways.
Family Tragedies
Not all discoveries were amusing or entertaining.
Steve spoke movingly about a female relative who took her own life shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Through newspaper accounts and family research, he was able to piece together elements of her difficult life and family circumstances.
He reflected on the importance of understanding historical context and viewing our ancestors with compassion rather than judgement. Many people faced hardships that are difficult for us to fully appreciate today.
Unexpected Newspaper Stories
Towards the end of the talk, Steve shared several additional examples of unusual newspaper discoveries.
These included an affiliation case involving an illegitimate child, allegations of machine-breaking during periods of industrial unrest, and perhaps most amusingly, a Victorian newspaper report about a baker who apparently sold his young child to an Irish trader while drinking in a public house, only to be persuaded by his wife to recover the child shortly afterwards.
Whether tragic, humorous, or shocking, such stories demonstrate the richness of newspaper sources and their value in bringing ancestors to life.
Key Lessons for Family Historians
Steve highlighted several important lessons from his experiences:
- Talk to older relatives while you still can.
- Preserve recordings, photographs, and family memorabilia.
- Investigate family stories, even when they seem improbable.
- Use newspapers extensively to add context and colour.
- Remember that ancestors were real people with strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures.
- Focus on telling stories rather than simply collecting names and dates.
Questions and Discussion
The talk prompted a lively discussion amongst members.
Several attendees shared examples of surprising discoveries from their own family research, including court appearances, newspaper reports, family scandals, and stories that had changed significantly through generations of retelling.
The discussion reinforced Steve's central message that family history is ultimately about people and their experiences. Records provide the framework, but stories provide the humanity.
Conclusion
Steve Manning delivered an entertaining, thoughtful, and highly personal presentation that demonstrated the value of looking beyond basic genealogical facts.
Through a mixture of humour, tragedy, mystery, and human interest, he showed how family history research can uncover remarkable stories hidden within newspapers, court records, and family memories. His examples illustrated how seemingly ordinary ancestors often led extraordinary lives.
The evening provided an excellent reminder that our family trees are not simply collections of names and dates but are filled with real people whose stories deserve to be discovered, preserved, and shared with future generations.