About Michael

Michael is perhaps best known for his regular column which used to appear in Family Tree Magazine. He also edited the Leigh (Lancashire) Parish Register Guide and has served on the committee of the Liverpool and South West Lancashire Family History Society. He has conducted evening classes in Family History in Lancashire and Cheshire for the last twenty years. Following work as a design engineer in nuclear power, with a two year spell at Chalk River, Canada, he joined the University of Manchester as a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, specialising in thermodynamics and power plant. Retirement eight years ago has led to the opportunity to overdose on family history research and piano playing. Family tree development continues slowly but surely, with two grandchildren, so far.

Michael and Christopher are both family historians each with over 25 years experience. Until a few years ago, their full-time jobs did not allow them time to carry out significant work for others. Both are now "retired" and are able to apply their enormous pool of experience and skills to help others.

They are perhaps best known for their acclaimed books:

	My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman. How do I find out more about him? published by the Society of Genealogists. Currently out-of-print but a revised edition is due out later this year.
	My Ancestor was in the British Army. How do I find out more about him? published by the Society of Genealogists. Currently out-of-print but a revised edition is being worked on.
	Records of Merchant Shipping and Seamen: Public Record Office Readers' Guide No. 20 written in conjunction with Kelvin Smith and published by the PRO

These are/will be available from good genealogical booksellers such as those run by the Society of Genealogists, the Public Record Office and Family Tree Magazine.

They have also published numerous articles, including several in the Genealogists' Magazine, on:

Their research experience in local records stretches from London and the home counties, north to Tyneside and Scotland, west to Devon and Cornwall and east to Norfolk. Overseas material has been sought in Germany, France, Holland, Australia, the USA and Canada.

Both have conducted night classes for beginners and advanced students, and have spoken on a range of genealogical topics.