About the Author

I was born in Northampton in 1950, shortly after my parents moved from Fullingdale Road to East Haddon. My father was Estates Director at LCM Co, which became Baxters Butchers Ltd, based in Northampton. I was educated at Spratton Hall, and Magdalen College School, Brackley. I followed my father into becoming a Chartered Surveyor, working both at home and abroad.

Although I have spent the majority of my life in the county, I only really became interested in local history after retirement when I discovered, from my late cousin Helen O'Neill's painstaking research, a possible family connection to William Bowers of the Culworth Gang.

Writing up Helen's family research notes resulted in my first book, Highwaymen, Hangings and Heroes, which then led to further investigating the Culworth Gang, and another book, The Culworth Gang.

Researching where the gang members were imprisoned, tried and hanged in Northampton resulted in yet another book after I found there is no much needed guide book for the county buildings. Gaols, Gallows and Ghosts was greatly assisted by Mary Pilkington.

Oh, during lockdown I wrote a book about South African diamonds, A Race for Wealth, a project I had wanted to undertake since visiting Kimberley in the 1970s.