Genealogist. Writer. Grave Hunter. Speaker of TEE TALKS. Sleuthing YORKSHIRE and Beyond. Founder of The Polite Tourist Walking Tours.
TEE – THE DEAD SLEUTH
Ancestral Hawkshaw. Research Fiend and Genealogist for Hire.
Sleuthing YORK and Beyond.
Sometime Speaker. Storyteller and Grave Hunter.
Founder of THE POLITE TOURIST TRUE CRIME WALKS and WALK AWHILE?
Tee’s Tombstone Persona is THE GRAVEYARD SQUIRREL.
THE – determiner.
Denoting a person that is already or about to be mentioned.
DEAD – adjective.
No longer alive.
SLEUTH – noun.
A person who investigates mysteries.
Is there a mystery within those gnarled branches and fallen leaves of your family tree?
Or are you in search of that final resting place of an ancestor within Yorkshire and beyond?
Welcome to the world of Tee – a professional botherer of the dead, and founder of The Dead Sleuth.
The Dead Sleuth is a registered company located in the City of York offering professional genealogical services for those looking to solve the riddles and absurdities of their own family history.
With access to a wealth of local repositories and archives throughout York, and beyond – Tee works with those who need an experienced and dedicated history sleuth by their side as they embark on a fascinating journey to uncover the lives of their ancestors.
From genealogical advice, family history research, probate transcription, archive retrieval, to photography, lineage reports and ancestral storytelling – The Dead Sleuth offers a rich menu of research services.
~ George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
As every research commission is as unique as the person who is requesting it – an initial FREE thirty minute consultation by Zoom, Whatsapp, or telephone is offered to ensure that Tee is the perfect sleuth to undertake any research of your behalf.
If, after the initial consultation you wish to work with Tee – a written proposal including confirmation of the research as discussed and an estimate of the charges involved will be drafted for your consideration.
From the initial proposal to the completion of your research commission – Tee will encourage you to share your thoughts, and observations throughout every stage of the process.
Tee’s collaborative approach is to ensure that her research report(s) will surpass your expectations.
The research report(s) with any and all electronic attachment(s) will be sent to you by email.
However, if you do not have access to email and/or would prefer to receive any research report(s) with copies of any and all attachment(s) by post – Tee is happy to oblige.
To consult with Tee about genealogy and sleuthing your family history, or chat about her research in progress, make an enquiry concerning her diary of upcoming talks and walks or to book a TEE TALK – sign the guest book below:
The Dead Sleuth also offers bespoke ancestral tours for visitors who are curious about understanding their family history in the context of location and would love to walk in the footsteps of an ancestor, visit the place they once called home or stand at the foot of their grave in a quiet churchyard.
As a public speaker, Tee is happy to chat with eager ears and curious minds about her tales of Victorian criminality, tombstone tourism, sleuthing those elusive ancestors and fallen women.
Passionate about the benefits of Ancestral Healing – Tee also works alongside those who are seeking to understand, reveal and free inherited grief and trauma from their family histories.
And with this love of family history, storytelling and Victorian crime – Tee is the founder of The Polite Tourist which offers unique walks through the unquiet streets of York, Scarboro’, and beyond.
‘Beautifully Presented’
‘Professional to THE core.
Her work uncovering my family history was flawless and beautifully presented.
AND she is one of the nicest genealogists to work with too!’
Katherine K.
United States of America
‘Skilled Professional’
“As publicity and events coordinator for York Family History Society it was my good fortune to meet Tee Bylo on an open day at York cemetery.
She took time to guide me effortlessly to the unmarked grave of my lost grandfather. Her knowledge of the place is without equal.
She is a truly skilled professional – one of those key figures in York that people defer to if engaged in family history or local history research notably of the Victorian period.”
Stephen Barrett
York Family History Society
‘If you don’t know your history, then you don’t know anything.
You are a leaf that doesn’t know its part of a tree.’
~ Michael Crichton
Should Tee not be in search of a missing ancestor or poring over the details on a newly discovered death certificate or trawling through the parish records in search of a burial entry – she will be wandering among the tombstones somewhere with notebook and camera in hand.
As a enthusiastic taphophile with an interest in tombstone symbolism – Tee undertakes grave hunts with the use of parish records and newspapers as the location and image capture of the resting place of our ancestors can be a poignant piece of the jigsaw.
In the absence of a marked grave, Tee can research and photograph the surrounding vicinity in which an ancestor rests.
However, as every research commission is as unique as the person who is requesting it – Tee offers an initial FREE thirty minute consultation to ensure that she is the perfect sleuth for her client.
Tee shares the tales and triumphs of family history and of of wanderings among the tombstones in search of the unquiet dead as The Graveyard Squirrel.
‘Ever the Detective’
‘Ever the detective – Tee’s discoveries about some of the lost members of my family have been truly amazing.
Tee’s understanding, knowledge of genealogy and enthusiasm for family history is incredible and I would love to work with her again!
Jean T.
York. United Kingdom.
‘Skilled Professional’
“‘To say that I am very impressed with Tee’s sleuthing into my family history would be an understatement!
Enthusiastic and friendly – her meticulous research, passion for the craft and attention to detail is incredible.
And that she was was also able to find AND photograph an ancestral grave I had long believed to have been lost was simply amazing’
Christine W.
Yorkshire. United Kingdom.
As a seeker of elusive ancestors and a wanderer of graveyards and with access to the local repositories and archives throughout Yorkshire and beyond – Tee loves working with those who wish to solve the mysteries, riddles and absurdities of their family history.
And as an enthusiastic taphophile – Tee can also be found with notebook and camera in hand as she goes in search of those final resting places of the long forgotten dead.
See YOU on the other side?
For all of those tales from the archives, ancestor gossip AND whispers from an unquiet graveyard with The Dead Sleuth – sign up for THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT AND bring forth EVERY snippet of chatter direct to your inbox!
The brilliant and inspirational author Lailah Gifty Akita once wrote that “The graveyard is the ever lasting home of every man” and nestled in the shadow of the quaint St Stephen’s Parish Church of Acomb in York with its decoration of Tadcaster limestone, a wealth of stained glass and the fish topped weather vane perched upon the steeple – a beautifully tranquil churchyard awaits the curious visitor.
Although a haven for the preservation of wildlife under the care of the Eco Church Team – there is also much to delight any tombstone tourist who loves nothing more that whiling an hour or so wandering around a local graveyard.
A passionate taphophile or grave hunter since her teenage years – St Stephen’s Churchyard remains a favourite for Tee – not only because it is the place where her beloved grandparents now rest but also for the diverse array of tombstones and monuments erected in tribute to those long-forgotten folk for whom this fascinating place remains their everlasting home.
For all who relish the adventures of long forgotten ancestors or the curious folk unable to resist the temptation to eavesdrop on unquiet family history and for those smitten with the genealogy bug – welcome to a little slice of the web Tee as The Dead Sleuth has claimed as her own.
As I watched from the shadows as the volunteers carefully plucked the ceramic poppies from the muddy ground and into the safety of their cardboard nests – I was disappointed that no poppy would be finding its forever home with me.
One rainy November weekend and in the company of my genealogical assistant – I took a wander through the past during a visit to London as I strolled up and down Fairfield Road in Bow…
Although I don’t usually enjoy receiving brown envelopes through the post – I will make an exception when one arrives from the UK General Records Office!
Situated on the exhilarating coastline of North Yorkshire and affectionately known as the ‘Queen of English watering places’ – Scarborough occupies a fascinating place within the history of seaside resorts.
And along with a history of besieged castles, dinosaur remains, literary prodigies, fishing ports, religious persecution, folklore, medicinal drinking waters, smuggling, and pirate radio – Scarborough enjoys an enduring charm.
From a population of just over 32,000 in 1801 – Scarboro’ Gothic is a record of this unique town, its history and the local characters from the heady days of the Georgian era until the dawn of the Edwardian epoch.
The stories of prostitutes from the Victorian era in YORK, SCARBORO’, HULL, LEEDS and GLASGOW.
A study of the history of Female Penitentiaries from YORK, SCARBORO’, HULL, LEEDS and GLASGOW.
The social history of the coastal town of SCARBOROUGH in North Yorkshire from the Regency to the Edwardian era for the Society of One-Place Studies.
The history, and transcription of the churchyard of THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN in Acomb, York for the Society of One-Place Studies.
The life of CHARLES TOFT NEWSTEAD (1836-1900)
To consult with Tee about genealogy or family history, chat about her research in progress, make an enquiry concerning her diary of upcoming talks and walks or to invite Tee to speak at an event – please use the message board below:
QUESTION:
What kind of mischief could possibly be unleashed by one lowly professional genealogist and grave hunter with an unseemly fascination with the history of death; a passion for Victorian true crime, the tales of long forgotten folk and a love of storytelling?
ANSWER:
She becomes a company founder and solopreneur!
As the founder of The Polite Tourist Limited in the spring of 2022 – Tee has been waking the dead who flirted with criminality in the Victorian era while creating a calendar of innovative, and meticulously researched true crime walks through the City of York.
And with the peeling back of the murky shadows of a seaside town’s criminal past – a stroll through the old cobbled streets in search of Scarborough’s long forgotten dead with The Polite Tourist now beckons to the curious.
And those tales of mayhem, murder and miscreants who once lay claim to the unquiet passageways of Hull, Leeds, Glasgow and London also await the telling!
