Born in Kendal in 1943 and raised in Wigton, John Studholme’s roots run deep in Cumbria. Research into his family history revealed Viking ancestors who fled Dublin in 902 AD and settled along the Solway Estuary, founding the hamlet of Stedholme—a name that still survives today.
John’s own journey has been just as rich. After qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor, he worked in the UK and Canada before travelling the world with his wife, Barbara, across the Americas and Africa. Back in England, he earned a Master of Science degree at Reading University and later settled in Kendal, where they now live in retirement.
As an author, John has written The Viking, two volumes of autobiography, and is currently working on a murder mystery. His writing blends honesty, humour, and deep research, bringing history and human stories to life. He is also a proud father of two and grandfather of four.
John Studholme was born in Kendal, Cumbria, in 1943 and grew up in his father’s hometown of Wigton in the north of the county. His fascination with history began close to home: through research into his family lineage, John discovered that his father’s ancestors were Vikings who fled Dublin in 902 AD, after the Celts sacked the city. Like many Norse families of the time, they crossed the Irish Sea and settled along the Cumbrian coast.
In John’s case, his Viking forebears travelled up the Solway Estuary and the River Wampool, where they landed, camped, and eventually built a longhouse. Others followed, and together they established a settlement. Today, that site is marked by a clay-dabbin structure still standing and used for farm storage. The name Stedholme—meaning “farm on an island”—remains attached to the cluster of buildings, a reminder of the family’s Viking roots and the marshy landscape they first called home.
For centuries, the family lived and worked in the area, farming and making clogs for passing farmers on their way to Carlisle market. Over time, they moved into Wigton itself, where they ran a clog and boot-making business before eventually becoming drapers. The shop they established still exists today—now serving as the town’s Post Office, which remains in family ownership.
John later qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and emigrated to Canada, where he met his wife, Barbara. Together, they returned to England by way of an extraordinary journey across North, Central, and South America, as well as Africa. Back home, John went on to earn a Master of Science degree at Reading University.
Now retired in Kendal with Barbara, John devotes his time to writing. Alongside his historical novel The Viking, he has published two volumes of autobiography and is currently at work on a murder mystery. He is also a proud father of two and grandfather of four.