One of my Grandfather‘s sisters, Edith, known in the family as Dee, married James Rae on the 6th of July 1916. He was a civil servant who rose to Under-secretary to the Treasury, and his papers are in the National Archives, though not digitised. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the… Continue reading Edith Lines and James Rae
Klara and the Sun
Klara and the Sun is a science fiction story of a future in which people can purchase an Artificial Friend, an AI humanoid robot, as a companion. It is told from the viewpoint of Klara, who is an Artificial Friend (AF), who is bought as a companion for Josie, a young girl with a health… Continue reading Klara and the Sun
Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?
Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? is a book by Michael Sandel. It deals with some of the philosophical thoughts on justice, such as utilitarianism and libertarianism, and links them to real life issues (mostly American). As with my other Book Reviews, this is partly a guide to what is in the book, and… Continue reading Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?
The Vicar of Harwell
Harwell is a village in Oxfordshire, probably best know for giving its name to the airfield which became the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell, now the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, and where I spent most of my career. It was, amongst other things, a pioneer in computing, the Harwell Dekatron Computer dating back… Continue reading The Vicar of Harwell
Good Economics for Hard Times
“Good Economics for Hard Times: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty” is an economics book aimed at the general reader by two MIT professors of economics who specialise in the economics of poverty, social and political equality, migration and globalization. Economics is important to be as one of the mechanisms to… Continue reading Good Economics for Hard Times
A better kitchen bin
Like many people, we have a kitchen waste bin, with a plastic cannister inside a metal outer. We use a plastic bin liner to keep the waste neatly contained. When the time comes to empty the bin, sometimes the liner is hard to remove because the liner forms a seal round the inner circumference of… Continue reading A better kitchen bin
About William Webster
My Great-Great Grandfather was William Webster (1823-1889). His daugher, Ada Webster (1861-1944) married my Great Grandfather, John Robert Box (1849-1826) in 1884 at Highgate Rise Church. Confusingly his father was also William Webster (1796-1888), and I think his Grandfather may have been also been a William Webster. Here I try to untangle the more recent… Continue reading About William Webster
Fitzhenry Family
My Great Grandmother, Jane Fitzhenry, married my Great Grandfather, Joseph Lines on 30th June 1877 the parish church of St Andrew in Holburn. Her father was Michael Fitzhenry, recorded in census and some other records as being born in Bristol in 1809. There is however no record of his birth, or who his parents were,… Continue reading Fitzhenry Family
The Other Lines Brothers
Most of my family history posts are based on items of information I have inherited, which is not found elsewhere, but sometimes it is handy to have a place to describe significant people who do not have a post of their own. My Grandfather, George Edward Lines had three brothers, who also went on to… Continue reading The Other Lines Brothers
William Williams Box , Solicitor – unexpectedly interesting
The family William Williams Box was born on 15th July 1851, the son of William Braund Box and Rosina Williams (whose story is told in Whatever Happened to the Williams Sisters). He had an elder brother, John Robert Box (1849-1926 – my Great Grandfather), and sister, Christina Elizabeth Box (1848-1875). His younger siblings were Frederick… Continue reading William Williams Box , Solicitor – unexpectedly interesting