Helen Parker-Drabble

Do you want to understand your ancestors? Discover your family’s psychological inheritance through my books.

Author of the series ‘Who Do I Think You Were? ®’

My name is Helen Parker-Drabble. I have a counselling background. And I’m a family historian turned geneatherapist, exploring family history through a psychological lens.

By combining counselling training and experience with meticulous historical research, I show how our ancestors’ experiences continue to shape us and our loved ones, using members of my family as an example.

‘Yet’: A Story of Triumph Over Childhood Separation, Trauma, and Disability, is a powerful account of the diagnosis and treatment of childhood bovine tuberculosis (1930s-1950s).

A Victorian’s Inheritance shows how you can use psychological theory to explore your family. This book explores how the lasting generational impact of childhood trauma, addiction, and depression were woven through all the branches of my family originating from my great-grandmother Parker.
I am currently crafting the biography of Mary Allott (née Hopkinson), whose personal Victorian recipe book offers fascinating insights into 19th-century middle-class women’s lives. You can find out more and sign up for the waitlist on my website.

​I believe every family tree contains untold stories of resilience, struggle, and triumph. I invite readers to join me in exploring these hidden narratives, understanding that today’s family patterns often echo yesterday’s experiences. Whether you’re passionate about family history, psychology, or mental health, I would be delighted if you would share your own discoveries or explore the fascinating intersection of family history and mental health with me.

I hope to hear from you. [email protected]

Take care,

Helen

‘As soon as we die, we enter into fiction… once we cannot speak for ourselves, it is up to others to interpret us.’ — Dame Hilary Mantel

'Who Do I Think You Were?' A Victorian's Inheritance

Family History, Social History, Psychology 

A window into Victorian lives—and what it means for ours.

What psychological  inheritance have you received from your ancestors?

We inherit more than heirlooms. The struggles, triumphs, and even traumas of our forebears can be handed down through generations, shaping who we are.

In A Victorian’s Inheritance, family historian and former counsellor Helen Parker-Drabble brings to life the working-class world of her Victorian grandfather, uncovering how his mother's hardships, bereavements and alcoholism in 19th-century England left their indelible mark on him. Through a unique blend of family history, social analysis, and a groundbreaking approach, she reveals how addiction, grief, and mental health challenges can influence future generations.

This deeply personal, yet relatable, book invites you to reflect on your own family’s untold stories. Whether you’re an avid genealogist, a lover of Victorian history, or simply curious about how your ancestors’ lives have shaped your own, A Victorian’s Inheritance will inspire you to discover the hidden legacies of your family—and better understand yourself and your relations.

Victorian Recipe Book: A Handwritten Book of Family Receipts

Historic cooking

Taste the past at Mary Allott's Table

Immerse yourself in middle-class Victorian Sheffield with Mary Allott's nee Hopkinson's meticulously kept recipe book started in 1860. Compiled amidst the turmoil of a life challenged by the abandonment of her spouse, this collection stands as a beacon of Mary's inner fortitude as she expressed her creativity and dedicated herself to her family's nourishment and well-being.

Born in 1833 in the town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Mary grew up in Sheffield, where the hardship of an unhappy marriage marked Mary's life as her husband's reckless actions threatened the stability of their home. Despite immoral conduct and desertion, Mary found purpose in the pages of her household receipts, and unwittingly gave us a glimpse into women's lives.

Now, for the first time, this facsimile of a primary historical source offers a rare, unfiltered look at 19th-century recipes, inviting us to explore the flavours of the Victorian age. Through the replication of Mary's original recipes, you can connect with the past in the most intimate way—through the ingredients and aromas that once filled Mary's kitchen.​

​‘Yet’: A Story of Triumph over Childhood Separation, Trauma, and Disability

​Portrait Memoir

Synopsis (description)"No one believed me. ‘Children couldn’t have been treated like that.’ But we were."—Harry Drabble

In 1937, two-year-old Harry Drabble was diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis after drinking unpasteurised milk. Torn from his mother’s arms, he spent much of his childhood confined to Sheffield’s King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children, enduring emotional neglect and years of isolation while immobilised in bed.

Told through Harry’s unflinching words and his daughter Helen Parker-Drabble’s meticulous research, this poignant memoir reveals the shocking inadequacies of early 20th-century healthcare while celebrating one boy’s extraordinary resilience.

Harry’s life was defined by a simple yet transformative mantra: ‘I can’t… yet.’ Told he would never work, find love, or support a family, Harry refused to give in to those predictions. He taught himself to read and mastered the violin while living with physical challenges, earned professional qualifications despite limited schooling, and went on to create the loving family he was told was out of reach.

This father-daughter collaboration offers a rare glimpse into a forgotten chapter of British medical history, ensuring the forgotten children institutionalised during the early to mid-20th century are seen, heard and remembered. Yet is both a tribute to Harry’s indomitable spirit and a timeless reminder of the power of hope, perseverance, and the word ‘yet.’