As you are aware, I have been visiting the London Metropolitan Archives and the City of Westminster Archives for over a year now.
In that time I have felt privileged to be involved in the search for your family histories. My own family lived mundane lives by comparison to some; they were born and baptised, got married and had children and then died. They did not fall foul of the legal system, they didn't require relief from the parish. Most of them turn up as regular as clockwork on the censuses.
The majority of your look-ups have been in parish registers but every now and again I have searched through records of an extremely personal nature, families who have fallen on hard times, orphaned & abandoned children in the workhouse, mentally ill patients in asylums, coroners reports.
However, due to a change in my personal circumstances, I must now withdraw my offer.
Like many others up and down the country, my husband and I face an uncertain future, as he has been made redundant.
I will carry on for as many weeks as I can and endeavour to complete as many requests that I have acknowledged before my housekeeping money runs out and won't stretch to paying the train fares. I'm even looking for a job for myself.
However, and it is with regret, I cannot now add any new look-ups to my lists.
The LMA is closed for stocktaking until 17th November and during that time I will be at the City of Westmister Archives. I will return to the LMA when it re-opens but looking at the calendar, I will most probably only get another 3 or 4 visits there before I have to stop.
If my circumstances and/or situation change in the meantime, I will let you know.