I was born and brought up in Exeter, Devon. My mother came from Troon in Scotland and my father was from Exeter. I came to do a course at the University of Leeds and liked the city so much I decided to stay. Up to recently I lived in Kirkstall.

Years after I moved here my cousin and I started to investigate my mother’s family tree. I knew my grandmother was born in Ripon, North Yorkshire, but we found out that my great grandparents were born and brought up in Leeds and my great, great grandparents were born and brought up in Leeds – and had lived in Kirkstall! My greatx2 grandparents plus four greatx3 aunts are all buried at St Stephen’s Church, not a stone’s throw from where I was living in Eden Crescent. We found their graves near the church.

We then found my greatx3 grandfather had come over from Lancaster a bit before 1820 and had built a house at Kirkstall Bridge just by the relatively new Leeds and Liverpool Canal. This house we discovered features in the Turner painting of 1824-5: ‘Kirkstall Lock, on the River Aire’. The architect who had bought the property in 2001, now empty and dilapidated, was going to knock it down, but finding it was in a famous painting, restored it sensitively, so it is now 3 lovely houses, all happily lived in. The owners kindly invited us in to have a look when we explained who we were.

Also, as a result of our genealogical research, we have met a number of cousins, one of which lives in Leeds – a living link.

So you never know what exciting finds you may discover on your doorstep!