My poem from 2016 set to music with Suno

a podcast created by NotebookLM

The Tailor's Thread: A Narrative of Samuel John Allery (1847–1922)

The life of Samuel John Allery is a testament to the Victorian era's defining arc: the journey from rural craftsmanship to urban prosperity. Born into a lineage of stitchers in Totnes, Devon, Samuel's story follows the classic trajectory of the guild artisan—Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master—culminating in a legacy that stitched together two families and a substantial property empire in London.

Time is the Emperor of All Things

Time is a small word with great power

Time is measured in moments and millennia

Time is right now, before and later

Time is our friend and our enemy

Time is the Emperor of all Things!

And yet time is an illusion

Time is the one thing we cannot possess

Yet time is our greatest desire

You can take time and keep time

You can give time, and save time

You can be in time, and out of time

But you cannot own time

I might buy time or spend time

I could lose time or gain time

I can be on time or mark time

But I cannot reverse time

Time will tell and time will heal

Time to slow down and time to make haste

Playtime, pastime, every time

And virtually no time to waste

We have all the time in the world

And yet, in no time at all

Our time is up, and we’ve no time left

To mourn the passage of time

In your lifetime of learning

How will you share time with others?

Use all your time wisely, for

Time is the Emperor of All Things!

Carole McCulloch 2016

With thanks to the Author of the novel

“The Emperor of all things” by Paul Witcover, 2013

In this episode, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how I use a Master Prompt to guide my genealogy and storytelling workflows with AI. A Master Prompt is a short, powerful set of instructions that tells your AI assistant exactly who you are, how you work, what you value, and the standards you expect in your family history projects. It keeps your research accurate, your writing consistent, and your creative flow effortless—whether you’re drafting an ancestor profile, designing a course lesson, or building your digital family archive. I’ll walk you through my own quick-insert version so you can create one that reflects your voice, your goals, and your unique approach to genealogy.

AI is rapidly reshaping how we uncover our family histories, making research nearly 70% faster while preserving authenticity. Imagine having an expert assistant who instantly crafts structured research plans, suggests overlooked sources like trade directories or guild records, and helps you see new perspectives—just as it did for Henry Warren, a Victorian musical instrument maker. With AI, it’s easy to repurpose discoveries for different audiences, from blogs to family newsletters and social media. Still, every AI lead must be carefully checked against historical records—technology is a tool, not a shortcut to the truth. Used wisely, AI empowers genealogists to bring ancestral stories to life for future generations.

The content for this podcast was obtained from my article published in the Family Tree Magazine UK in November 2025.

Get your copy from:

https://www.family-tree.co.uk/store/back-issues/family-tree-magazine

Discover the extraordinary story of the Grute family of Ticklemore Street, Totnes—where Victorian traditions met modern ambition. In 1891, teen sisters Harriett and Alice defied expectations as entrepreneurial dressmakers, and their father George balanced carpentry with secret Masonic networks. Across decades, their lives reveal how one family navigated sweeping social change, deepened community roots, and broke boundaries in an era that challenged every convention.

SMART Genealogy Planning: Day 5

Put the plan into action; book some time with me