Lesley Trotter PhD
AGRA Associate
With over 40 years' experience in genealogy and archive research I have a passion for exploring the hidden aspects of history, teasing out the facts and fascinating stories from the records of the everyday lives of people in the past.
As a genealogist in Cornwall with an MA and PhD in Cornish Studies, I have a detailed knowledge of the main Cornish archives, as well as lesser-known local collections and sources. My postgraduate work focused on emigration and the transnational nature of Cornish families, so I have a good understanding of how the Cornish migrated around the world, and I specialise in helping people of Cornish descent who want to explore their roots west of the Tamar.
Based near the main Cornish archives at Kresen Kernow I can also provide a cost-effective solution to researchers outside the West Country needing lookups or copies of specific documents.
My other services include property and local history research for private clients, and in support of museum exhibits and heritage arts projects, as well as cataloguing of estate archives (see my website for details).
As a writer and speaker, I enjoy helping people discover and understand the history of their family and communities. I give regular talks to community, local history and Cornish heritage groups, especially on my research into the experiences the wives ‘left behind’ by emigrating miners in the 19th century, and have presented at major conferences on women's history, genealogy and Cornish culture in the UK and USA. Author of ‘The Married Widows of Cornwall’.
I am a member of Society of Genealogists (since 1980), Vice-Chair of the Cornwall Association of Local Historians, and an Honorary Research Fellow of the Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter. I also hold an Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Local History from the University of Oxford.
Specialities
- Cornwall Research
- Family History
- House History
- Local History
- Speakers / Talks
- Emigration and Immigration
