The Family Histories Podcast: Recent Episodes

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In this final full episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist, writer, and storyteller, Olwen Moseley. She tells him how she got hooked on researching family history and how she inherited lots of research, she shares her love of death certificates, and explains how she feels like a detective when researching.

THE LIFE STORY - MARY ANN BOWLER

Olwen has chosen to tell the life story of Mary Ann Bowler - but it took Olwen a long time to realise that Mary Ann existed.

This is a case of a group of young women - all cousins - united by the care of their grandmother and the fact that they were mostly all orphans, and died as young adults.

When research hints keep flagging a connection to Bristol in England, rather than Llangybi in Wales, Olwen kept dismissing them... but... a newspaper article caught her eye, with Olwen assuming they'd made a mistake with the name 'Mary Ann Bowler' rather than Mary Jane Bowler.

Further investigation was needed when the references started to stack up... resulting in Olwen discovering Mary Ann Bowler existed, and that her story was just as fascinating as the others.

THE BRICK WALL - ELIZABETH BOWLER

An Elizabeth Bowler (another of the cousins) is what is giving Olwen a research headache - particularly when it comes to her life after the 1851 census.

Where did Elizabeth go after appearing on the 1851 census with her parents Joseph and Elizabeth at Market Street, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales? Olwen knows that Elizabeth (her mother) dies in 1858... so what becomes of the family by then?

If you think that you can help Olwen with a clue or a research idea, then you can send her a message via her Substack account, or via the email address she gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime, Olwen is happy to accept Andrew's offer help, but they're in for a bit of a shock...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Olwen Moseley - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

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Joining host Andrew Martin for this sixth episode of Season Eleven, is public historian and award-winning author Tamiko Nimura, who tells Andrew about how she got hooked on history, how she ended up deciding to publish her father's memoir of his time as an incarcerated Japanese-American child, and her thoughts on the future of archives.

THE LIFE STORY - JUNICHI 'FRED' NIMURA

Tamiko has chosen to tell the life story of her Grandfather - Junichi Nimura who was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1885.

Junichi emigrates from Japan to Mexico in 1925, before entering the US the following year. His first wife, unhappy with life in the US, returns to Japan, and so Junichi then meets his second wife via the 'picture bride' service (think; Tinder by mail). The couple stay together, and raise a family.

However, when World War Two begins, Junichi, his wife, and their children, have to leave their home with whatever they could carry and move to a concentration camp at Tule Lake, California, where they lived for years. Junichi becomes separated from his family and is taken miles away.

Eventually Junichi was reunited with his family and they all left the camps for home - but everything was lost. The impact of this time never left Junichi, but his son - Tamiko's father, recalled his childhood years at the camp - which Tamiko has now published as her book 'A Place For What We Lose - A Daughter's Return To Tule Lake' (UW Press, 2026).

THE BRICK WALL - JUNICHI NIMURA

It's a brick wall in Mexico that has Tamiko scratching her head.

Whilst researching her Grandfather, Junichi Nimura, she found a tourist certificate in Mexican Spanish, dated 19th November 1926, which states that her 41 year old married Grandfather was traveling alone and had been permitted to spend 15 days in Mexico.

Tamiko would love to know;

• Why was Junichi there?
• What did he get up to?

If you think that you can offer Tamiko a research idea or clue to help her solve her brick wall, then you can send her a message at her website or via her Bluesky account, alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along.

Meanwhile, Tamiko is fascinated by Andrew and Sándor's offer of help but is it safe?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Tamiko Nimura - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

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You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
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In this fifth episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets Australian genealogist, tech and AI fan, and former school teacher Andrew Redfern - whom some of you may recognise from the podcast Ironclad Sisterhood which uncovers the lives of convict women in Australia.

THE LIFE STORY - WILLIAM MILLWARD BESTWICK
Andrew has chosen to tell the life story of his 3x Gt Grandfather William Millward Bestwick whose life has left a fascinating paper trail. William is born in 1818 in Derbyshire in England, but in the early 1830's his family migrated to the US.

In the 1840s/early 1850s, William had been part of the Santa Fe Trail trade route, writes a letter who explains that he was captured during this and worked on a Man of War ship but escapes and eventually ends up in Australia. Meanwhile, his mother Amy was completely unaware that he was still alive.

William did leave Australia to return to the US, but the ship was turned around and William was escorted off the ship as he was bankrupt and trying to escape his creditors.

Andrew has worked hard to find the trail of documents scattered around the world, including a letter to the US President of the time.

THE BRICK WALL - ROBERT REDFERN

Another globetrotting 3x Gt Grandfather is up next - this time Robert Redfern is causing Andrew a headache with his research.

Robert was born circa 1770, and he ends up in jail, then finds himself in Portugal, then the USA, then the UK and eventually Australia... but Andrew is wanting to know about his early life, which stems back to Ireland.

However, Andrew can't find details about Robert's birth or baptism, and his cousins even consulted Australia's top psychic to help - who advised them to look for a slave trade connection. DNA has also thrown some curious matches, and what seems to be a name change from O'Neill to Redfern...

Can you help find Robert Redfern's birth or baptism?

If you think you can help Andrew with a research idea or clue, then you can message him via the email address he gives in the episode or check out his website. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along.

In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor offer guest Andrew some help... but things are about to get complicated...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Andrew Redfern - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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In this fourth episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets Polish professional genealogist Eliza Karpińska - the co-owner of Genealogia Polonica. He hears how she got hooked on researching family history, the challenges of researching in neighbouring Ukraine, and how she ended up turning professional.

THE LIFE STORY - WLADYSLAW SIEMIONOW

Eliza has decided to tell the Life Story of her grandfather Wladyslaw Siemionow of Lithuania, who was captured by Nazis during World War Two and put on a train to do forced labour. Despite his father bribing the German station guards to let him off the train, Wladyslaw decided he wanted to stay on the train with his friends as he wanted to travel.

Things did not go well, and despite being shot at during the forced labour, he escaped. Unfortunately he fell into the hands of the Soviet Red Army where he was forced to sign-up to their army. Whilst here, he sustained another injury during an explosion - this time to his head - which caused him to be sent to multiple places for treatment. Miraculously, once he'd regained enough strength, he escaped again and made his way home - the long way round!

THE BRICK WALL - ANNA SIEMIONOW

Related to the Life Story above, Eliza is asking for help to find records for her Great Great Grandmother Anna Siemionow - who, as she has discovered, was a single mother seemingly from Dubki near Pskov in Russia. The challenge for Eliza is that Anna was a peasant, and peasants in this area did not have surnames until the 19th century - meaning that it's hard to reliably find her in records (even just a birth record).

She does know, that Anna's father was an Ivan Siemionow, but apart from the Dubki connection, she's not managed to get any further back.

Can you help?

If you think you can help Eliza with a research idea or clue, then you can email her via the address she gives in the episode, or head over to her Genealogia Polonica website and use the form there. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along to her.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Eliza some help, but she decides it's time for war...

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Eliza Karpińska - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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For our third episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets public historian and family historian Ulysses Swanson, and hears about his family history journey, his use of Wikitree, and his project Transgender Ancestors - tracingthe lives and family histories of gender nonconforming people from the 1840s to the 1940s.

THE LIFE STORY - EDGAR WALES BURNHAM

Ulysses has chosen to tell the life story of organist Edgar Wales Burnham who was born in 1841 in Woodstock, Vermont, USA, as Ellen - the daughter of Milo and Ellen Burnham.

In 1859, Ellen married Luke Winthrop Powell, and by 1863, Ellen's father had renamed his drugstore to 'M. L. Burnham & Son', signalling the transition of Ellen to Edgar.

In 1868, Edgar and Luke are found on a train, where Luke is noted as State Agent, and Edgar is arrested as a 'confederate spy in women's clothing'. This soon leads to a string of newspaper articles that reveal Edgar's transition, and those articles would go on to be republished for more than 20 years.

The author of the article.... happens to be Edgar's ex-husband, Luke Powell, now down on his luck. Did he write those in an attempt to raise money?

THE BRICK WALL - SALLIE TALBOY BINNS

It's a brick wall in Philadelphia, USA, that has Ulysses asking for help.

Ulysses has identified a popular actor named John 'Sallie' Talboy Binns, who was famous for playing lots of female roles. However, there's hints in newspapers that Sallie had Irish roots... but Ulysses has not yet been able to confirm that.

He knows that Sallie was born in about 1812, and that she's reported as having been in the US since the 1850s, and that she possibly had Irish roots.

Sallie is admitted to the Philadelphia Almhouses in 1853, and she dies there in 1882... but Ulysses wants to know about her life before 1853. Can you help?

If you think that you can help Ulysses with a research idea or clue, then you can message him via the email he gives in the episode, or edit Sallie's Wikitree entry, or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along.

In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor's offer of help appeals to Ulysses, but can they help him find answers without mishap?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Ulysses Swanson - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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In this second episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin is delighted to welcome the family historian, author, lecturer, historical interpreter, One-Place and One-Name studier Dr. Janet Few who amongst these roles is also the President of the Family History Federation.

Janet explains how she got hooked on researching family history, her passion for One-Name and One-Place studies and how they complement family history research, and her thoughts on the genealogy industry.

THE LIFE STORY - ANN STRATFORD
Janet has chosen to tell the life story of her 2x Great Grandmother Ann Stratford b.c. 1834, with whom Janet discovered a surprise extra connection to. Ann's family were based in a rural community in Buckinghamshire, England, and times were hard. Ann learned straw plaiting (something Janet wasn't as successful with) and this brought the family a valuable income.

However, plaiting was taught at an early age in specialist schools, and those who were good at it could earn sometimes twice as much as the men... and this seems to have been a problem! The plait girls and women were thought of as disreputable, and they were victim of lots of bad press.

THE BRICK WALL - MARY CARDELL
An unusual surname gives Janet a long-term brick wall - Mary Cardell - her 2x Great Grandmother and the only one of her 2x Great Grandparents whose parents (her 3x Gt Grandparents) remain unknown.

Janet has found several references to Mary having been born in Highgate, Middlesex, England, with her 1841 marriage certificate giving her father as James Cardell, and the witnesses including a Catherine Cardell. Janet can't find a baptism record for Mary, but she can find references to other Cardells, but she isn't able to link them up. Is there a Worcestershire connection?

Can you help Janet;

• Find Mary and her husband Philip Woolgar in the 1851 census?
• Find Mary's baptism, with James Cardell as her father?

If you think you can help Janet with a clue or idea, then you can contact her at her Granny's Tales website. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, Janet is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but has concerns over her safety...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dr. Janet Few - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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In this first episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets family historian John Matheus. He hears how John only recently got hooked on researching his family's history, hears about his wonder of the spelling of his last name, and why he thinks Warren Zevon's 1978 song 'Lawyers, Guns and Money' describes his family tree well.

THE LIFE STORY - NOAH DAVIS

John has chosen to tell the life story of his 3x Gt Grandfather Noah Davis born in 1818, who went on to become a Judge and a significant figure in American law and politics after making it into the US House of Representatives in 1868.

His success did not stop there, as after being nominated as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York by President Ulysses S. Grant, he ended up convicting the notoriously corrupt and powerful politician William 'Boss Tweed' Tweed.

THE BRICK WALL - HULDAH TAYLOR

John is looking for help to find records of the early life of his ancestor Huldah Taylor, and her parents. He believes that her father may have been called Gad Taylor, but evidence is somewhat thin - as he can't find a suitable Gad Taylor, and he's seen a few other trees that suggest other names than Gad.

Huldah, born in 1758, is present in Suffield, Connecticut, but can you help John confirm her parents, and shed light on Gad Taylor?

If you think that you can help John with a clue or research idea, you can send him a message via his Bluesky account, or alternatively, send us a message and we'll pass it right along.

Whilst John is curious of Andrew's offer of help, can they Connect with the truth?

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• John Matheus - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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The Family Histories Podcast is back, and ready to share a whole load of brand new episodes from our eleventh season.

Join host Andrew Martin and the 19th Century Hungarian assistant Sándor Petőfi as they welcome another 7 guests to the show, each with 7 fascinating life stories to tell, and 7 annoying brick walls for you to help solve.

Find out more about this season and meet our guests.

Support the show

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This is a special episode released as part of Podcasthon - an annual event for podcasters to produce an episode to raise awareness of a charitable cause. This year we have chosen to support the veterans' mental health charity Combat Stress. This episode contains references to trauma.

In this special Season Ten episode, host Andrew Martin meets family historian Natalie Mayhew who has spent more than 2 decades researching her family tree, has found a connection between her family and Charles Booth (of the poverty maps), and she shares her love of newspapers.

THE LIFE STORY - TED MAYHEW

Natalie has chosen to tell the life story of her Great Uncle, Ted Mayhew, who fought in World War Two but was captured by the Germans after Dunkirk. He was sent to a Prisoner of War camp where he lived for almost 5 years.

Whilst Ted survived, the horrific effects of war affecting him for long after - with him suffering from what we'd likely recognise now as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To help us navigate this part of the episode, we're joined by Professor Walter Busuttil - the Consultant Psychiatrist and Honorary Advisor to the Board at Combat Stress.

If you're able to support Combat Stress' work, you can donate here. For those of you outside of the UK, there's a list of support organisations in other countries.

THE BRICK WALL - MARY ANN COOPER

Natalie's 3x Great Grandmother Mary Ann Cooper, baptised in Portsea, Hampshire, UK in 1820 is puzzling her.

By 1840, a George Cooper is baptised in Portsea, but surprisingly born at Stamshaw House - an asylum.

This puzzle leaves Natalie with a few questions:

1. Where was Mary Ann Cooper in 1841?
2. Why was George born at Stamshaw House in 1840?
3. Was Mary Ann a patient, employed there (whilst pregnant) or just a visitor?

If you think you can help Natalie answer these with a research clue or idea, then you can contact her via her website Funny Where Life Takes You or via Bluesky. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime, host Andrew offers his help, but Natalie appears to know more than he expected…

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Natalie Mayhew - Guest
• Prof. Walter Busuttil - Guest
• Conor Walsh - PR Lead (Combat Stress)

Support the show

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... following on immediately from our previous episode - 'The Glassworker', we find host Andrew Martin and guest Lene D. Kottal in the garage, where they've been interrupted by Andrew's old friend Santa. When Santa starts to act strangely, they find themselves fleeing for their lives...

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Lene D. Kottal - Guest
• Peter Baker - Santa
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
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In this seventh and final full episode of Season Ten of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets Danish professional genealogist Lene D. Kottal. She explains how she got hooked on family history, why she turned professional, and how skills in researching patronymics can help researchers of Danish ancestry.

THE LIFE STORY - ANNA MARIA SÖDERLUND

Lene has decided to tell the life story of her Great Grandmother Anna Maria Söderlund - someone that she has seen smiling in photographs but has since discovered led a hard life.

When Anna's father is fired for supporting a strike, the family fall upon harder times. Lene finds that Anna also worked in a glass factory too, but not within the glass blowing, but in the lesser skilled (and lower paid) jobs - much like her father had been forced into after being fired from his skilled job.

The hardship continues as Anna marries and grows older, and with her husband, she ends up living in a convent. Lene likes to imagine that she lived here peacefully and in some comfort.

THE BRICK WALL - FREDERIK DRÆBY

Lene is trying to find evidence that proves or disproves the paternity of her 2x Gt Grandfather Frederik Dræby, born in 1849 as the reputed son of customs officialFrederik Dræby of Silkeborg, Denmark.

However, Lene is struggling to find documented evidence, or genetic evidence that either confirms this, or points to a different paternity.

Frederik Dræby senior has plenty of other children, and Lene has traced their descendants but has not found them in her matches with MyHeritage. She has yet to take an Ancestry test, but hopes that a paternal match for this branch will prove it was Dræby or will point elsewhere instead.

• Can you help Lene find evidence of Frederik Dræby, or do you have that name in your tree?

If you think you can help her with a research clue or idea, then you can send her a message via her website, join her Dræby Facebook group, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime, Lene is happy to accept Andrew's offer of help, but they're interrupted by an old friend... or are they?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Lene D. Kottal - Guest
• Peter Baker - Santa

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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In this sixth episode of Season Ten, host Andrew Martin meets New Zealand-based genealogist, author, storyteller and 'story listener', Simon Young. He hears how Simon got hooked on family history after a brown envelop was handed to him, and his thoughts on where the genealogy community may go next.

THE LIFE STORY - DR. JAMES LIND

Simon has chosen to tell the Life Story of his 5x Great Grandfather, Dr. James Lind, who was born in 1736 in Gorgie, Edinburgh, Scotland.

By 1766, he'd joined the East India Company as a surgeon, and two years later earned his Doctorate after completing his dissertation in marsh fever (malaria).

However, James was somewhat a polymath, and surrounded by other polymaths in Edinburgh at the time. He missed out on a voyage with Captain Cook after asking for too much money, and instead headed to Iceland to study the stars.

He also mentored Percy Bysshe Shelley, and this clearly left an impression on Percy who wrote James as characters in some of his work. James was also perhaps an inspiration for Percy's wife - author Mary Shelley - who it's said, was inspired by James when she wrote Frankenstein, after one of James' 'scientific' tricks was to electrocute dead frogs so that they would twitch and jump, as if brought back to life!

THE BRICK WALL - WILLIAM and HANNAH SMITH

Yes, that's right... Simon is asking you to help him find some ancestors bearing one of the most common surnames from Britain - Smith!

Simon knows that his ancestor George Henry Smith was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1859, but he has no further information about his parents William Smith and Hannah Smith (née 'Dardin'). When George Smith marries in the 1880s, his father is named, but the marriage takes place in New Zealand. Simon doesn't know if George's parents were alive, went to New Zealand, or stayed in Australia.

Can you help him find the correct William and Hannah Smith, parents of George Henry Smith?

If you think that you can offer Simon a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his website, or alternatively send us message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime... Simon is happy to accept Andrew's offer of help, but has a few questions first....

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Simon Young - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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In this fifth episode of Season Ten, host Andrew is joined by professional genealogist, adoption research specialist - Kathy Wilshaw. She tells Andrew about how she got hooked on family history, the challenges of researching as an adoptee, and her work to mediate for other adoptees and their birth parents.

THE LIFE STORY - IVY COLLISON

Kathy has chosen to tell the story of her... shhhh.... Great Aunt, Ivy Collison who was born in Northamptonshire, UK in 1893. The problem for Kathy in researching Ivy, is that no-one was supposed to talk about her. Obviously, Kathy had to go rummaging as soon as she could...

What Kathy found was, at face value, a woman living a somewhat uneventful life, but then a turn of events leads Kathy to the newspapers... and suddenly Ivy's extravagant and criminal lifestyle began to appear.

Ivy was a con artist, a fraudster, and she managed to take large amounts of money from unsuspecting hopeful men, and from those who fell for her schemes. Of course, this landed her in trouble many times and this led her to prison sentences and a host of pseudonyms too.

Amongst Ivy's story, Kathy has found what is perhaps a woman who was unwell, or desperately sad and lonely, leaving her wondering who the real Ivy was.

THE BRICK WALL - JOHN WILSHAWOne of Kathy's longest-running brick walls is in her husband's family - with his 3x Great Grandfather John Wilshaw born circa 1804.

Whilst Wilshaw is an unusual surname, it isn't unusual in Staffordshire, England, and Kathy wants to know where her husband's ancestor John Wilshaw was from. Sources seem to point to a birth circa 1804, and there's references to Cheddleton too, but despite there being John Wilshaw in the Cheddleton parish register, they don't appear to be him.

Can you help her find the correct John Wilshaw, son of John Wilshaw?

If you think that you can help Kathy to break down this brick wall with a research idea or clue, then you can message her via her website or via the email address she gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Kathy help to break that brick wall... but she chooses a different adventure...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Kathy Wilshaw - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

Support the show

Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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In this fourth episode of Season Ten, Andrew once again has two guests… and they’re siblings! Joining him are brothers who as Parra Genealogía, focus on researching family history in Mexico - it’s Roberto and Ramón Parra!

THE LIFE STORY - FLORENCIO PÉREZ COMOTO

Ramón and Roberto have chosen to tell the life story of Florencio Pérez Comoto - the son-in-law of their 5x Great Grandfather.

Florencio was born around 1775 in Cádiz in Andalucía, Spain, and when he graduated from medical training, he headed over to Nueva España (part of which is now modern Mexico) and settled in Veracruz. He worked as a military medical doctor and after arriving he found himself deep in epidemiology. After Edward Jenner's discovery of using cowpox to vaccinate against smallpox, Florencio ended up leading the efforts of vaccination against the spread of a deadly smallpox epidemic in Mexico, and encouraging people to get vaccinated.

Florencio's work is a success, but when Mexico gains Independence in 1821, he and his family flee back to Spain.

THE BRICK WALL - FLORENCIO PÉREZ COMOTO

It's a research brick wall that also surrounds their Life Story choice Florencio Pérez Comoto, that has Roberto and Ramón asking for help.

Whilst Florencio and some of his sons were writers, translators, and poets, Roberto and Ramón have yet to find anything biographical about his life during the smallpox epidemic and his family's fleeing back to Spain after the Declaration of Mexico's Independence in 1821.

If you think that you can help with a research idea or a clue to help bring their brick wall down, then you can contact them via their Parra Genealogía website, or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along.

In the meantime, Roberto and Ramón are keen to accept Andrew's offer of help, but it's all a matter of timing...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Roberto Parra - Guest
• Ramón Parra - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

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In today's 3rd episode of Season Ten, host Andrew Martin is joined by tech nerd, un-retiree, and YouTube and Facebook live-streaming genealogist, who is perhaps better known by her award-winning blogging nom-de-plume - it's the wonderful DearMYRTLE!

THE LIFE STORY - MYRTLE ELIZA WEISERMyrt has chosen to tell the life story of her much beloved, and namesake, grandmother who was born Myrtle Eliza Weiser in May 1895, in Salt Lake City in Utah, USA.

Grandmother Myrtle heads to a strict nursing school. She then gets a job for US $1 a week as a postpartum nurse - involving caring for infants and doing laundry.

After marrying in 1917, Myrtle gives birth to her first child amidst the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 (often called 'Spanish Flu'). DearMyrtle reflects on the experiences that her grandmother must have had as young mother and trained nurse during that flu epidemic, and relates it to her own experience during the Covid-19 pandemic that swept the world in 2020.

Moving to Seattle, her kindly ways emerge again - serving as a nurse during World War Two, giving inoculations to servicemen on the waterfront and would bring an occasional young recruit home to have dinner with the family. She also campaigned for children to have shoes.

Myrt's fond memories of her beloved grandmother beam from this episode, and has clearly shaped her own life.

THE BRICK WALL - HANNAH HUDSON
It's a brick wall in Bisham, Berkshire, UK that has Myrt asking for help. Hannah Hudson and her husband Benjamin Sanders take their daughter Zillah for baptism in 1788, but prior to that, remains a mystery.

Myrt has searched for Hannah's origins - checking the parish registers for marriages and baptisms, but she can't find Hannah Hudson's parents, nor her marriage to Benjamin Sanders.

A record on FamilySearch gives a baptism of a Hannah Hudson of John and Anne Hudson elsewhere in Berkshire, but there's not enough evidence yet to connect her Hudsons to them.

• Who are Hannah Hudson's parents?
• When/where was she born?

If you think that you can help Myrt with a research idea or clue, then you can message her via her Substack page. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Myrt is enthusiastic about Andrew's offer of help, but maybe she knows more than he does...

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• DearMYRTLE - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petofi

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

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In this 2nd episode of Season Ten, host Andrew is joined by Norfolk-based family historian, churchyard lurker, heirloom re-uniter, and TikTok video maker - Simon Howard.

THE LIFE STORY - ELEANOR THORNBERRY SMITH

Simon has chosen to tell the life story of his 3x Gt Grandmother Eleanor Thornberry Smith, who was born circa 1822 in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

Simon discovered Eleanor was baptised by her mother Elizabeth Smith, who was unmarried. There was no mention of a father, but that middle name of Thornberry seemed unusual, and would be the clue to help him unlock the identity of his 4x Gt Grandfather.

What he found was a man called David Thornberry living a very different life than Eleanor's mother Elizabeth. He was a young engineer working on the sluices and riverways of the area.... and he was also married.

As Simon discovers, Elizabeth manages to get David to contribute to his daughter in her early years, but when he discovers that she's not mentioned in his Will, did she ever know who he was?

THE BRICK WALL - BERNARD LOWN

Simon is looking for help to track down Bernard Lown and his family, who go missing in the Norfolk area of Clunchwarton, Terrington St. John, and Terrington St. Clements.

He's been able to find the Lown family - Bernard, his wife Mary, their sons Richard, George, and Bernard, in the 1841 and 1851 censuses, and he's found Mary with a burial in 1867 at Clunchwarton... but that 1861 census remains a mystery.

• What becomes of Bernard Lown?
• Where were the Lown family in 1861?

If you think you can help, you can send him a message via his social media channels - Facebook, Instagram, or via the email he gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight along to him.

In the meantime, Simon is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but does he have time?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Simon Howard - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

Visit www.sog.org.uk/aatp to find out more.

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In this first opening episode of Season Ten (TEN?!), host Andrew welcomes family historian, author, RootsTech and TEDx speaker, former CEO of the Society of Genealogists and now the CEO of the Black Cultural Archives - Dr. Wanda Wyporska.

THE LIFE STORY - THEODORE JOSEPH PAUL

Wanda has chosen to tell the Life Story of her Great Grandfather, Theodore Joseph Paul, who was born in East Stonehouse, Devon in 1888. While she never met him, her grandmother would regularly speak of her father, and this therefore gives Wanda a fondness and curiosity of his life.

Theodore was sent off, without his family, at the age of 12, where Wanda has found him at the Royal Greenwich Hospital School in Greenwich, London.

Wanda is soon able to trace him through Naval records - of which there are plenty - and she can see that he travelled the world with them, but was drawn back to the UK, where he also became a member of the Freemasons.

In 1912, he marries Nellie Mabel Turpin... sparking off a family rumour that the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin was also a relative. Theodore and Nellie start their family which includes Wanda's grandmother.

Despite travelling the world with the Navy, there's something that keeps drawing him back to the city of Chester in Cheshire, UK.

THE BRICK WALL - RICHARD HOLMES and SARAH NANNY ROGERS

We're looking for clues in Barbados to help Wanda solve her Brick Wall, as she looks for the origins of her 3x Gt Grandparents Richard Holmes and Sarah Nanny Rogers.

Richard appears to have been born in 1797 and died in 1849, It is believed that Sarah was a freed woman who owned slaves, but in this period, Wanda explains a few scenarios that may have meant that Sarah had enslaved people and Wanda hopes to unravel this story one day.

Sarah marries Richard Holmes on 28th September 1844 in Christ Church, Barbados, but Wanda would love to know the origins of Sarah Nanny Rogers.

If you think that you can help Wanda with a research clue or idea, then you can contact her via her Twitter account, or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime.... while Wanda accepts Andrew's offer of help, she's struck by a sense of déjà vu....

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dr. Wanda Wyporska - Guest

ALL ABOUT THAT PLACE is back!
The FREE family history and local history online event is back with over 190 talks and 150 speakers.

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It's time for our tenth season!

Join host Andrew Martin and assistant Sándor Petőfi as they introduce 8 guests across a brand new batch of 7 episodes!

In this season you'll hear stories from around the world about a kindly woman, a physician, an adventuress, a sea-faring young man, a hardworking glassworker, a disinherited daughter, and a pioneering vaccinator. Of course, there will also be a fresh set of pesky brick walls for you to solve too... so get your sleuthing skills ready!

Check out our guests, and find out more about what's coming up in these new episodes.

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It's time for the first of our special BRICKDUST episodes - where one of our previous guests return to the show to give host Andrew Martin an update on the progress of their pesky brick wall.

This time, we're welcoming back local historian Pam Smith, last heard in Season One back in 2021. If you've not heard Pam's episode, you can catch-up now by listening to 'The Activist' with Pam Smith.

THE BRICK WALL - SIR RICHARD ETHERINGTON

It's been four years since Pam asked for help in her episode - where she was trying to find a connection between the family of George Etherington from Driffield, who'd been Knighted after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the family of Sir Richard Etherington of Rillington, who'd been Knighted in 1603.

Were these two ennobled men related - if so, how?

Has she been able to get her answer about Sir Richard Etherington? Will that brick wall turn to brick dust? Listen now to find out!

THE QUESTION

We asked our listeners; What's the weirdest or funniest name that you've found whilst researching your family history?

We've picked some of our favourite answers from our listeners which you can hear in this episode. If you'd like to submit your answer via email or voicemail, head to our Question page.

FANCY A CHALLENGE?

Check out the full list of our guests research Brick Walls - can you help them make a breakthrough?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Pam Smith - Guest

Read this episode's Shownotes

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In this short bonus episode, that follows on immediately from 'The Incorrigible' with Karen Cummings, host Andrew Martin is ready to take a long-awaited holiday in post-war 1940's England. However, instead of the 1940's, he finds himself in the 1640s.... and it's witch-hunt season!

To make things worse, he's just been accused of witchcraft after making one of the villagers vanish into thin air!

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi
• Stacey Hughes - Agnes Poppelwell and Ethel Skinner
• Ruth Bramley - Libbit Weaver
• Sarah McDowell - Nell Podley
• Meg Spencer-Thomas - Mary Chandler
• Eliot Lees - John Hardwyke

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In this final episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, scientist, and owner of Pharos Tutors - Dr. Karen Cummings. He hears about how she got interested in family history, her adventures in DNA testing, her thoughts on the future of the genealogy industry, and why even hobbyist family historians should consider studying courses.

THE LIFE STORY - JONATHAN HORSLEY

Karen has chosen to tell the life story of her husband's ancestor Jonathan Horsley born in Coggeshall, Essex in 1869, who she is amused to reveal was 'a baddun'.. or at least to start with.

Jonathan was born in the workhouse with an absent father - times were hard and in 1886 he's up before the courts and being handed 14 days of hard labour where he's noted as 'incorrigible'. As Karen's research continued, she finds a trail of reports of poor behaviour. By the turn of the century, Jonathan has become an apprentice within the booming fishing industry of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. However, he resumes his pattern of behaviour, including absconding.

After joining the army, he does finally settle down at about the age of 30. Sadly though, after marrying and becoming a father, after a few years working at sea, he is killed when his ship is struck by a mine.

THE BRICK WALL - SELL COWLING

Karen's choice of brick wall is a DNA mystery waiting to be solved!

Her ancestor, Sell Cowling appears on the 1841 census for Ickleton in Cambridgeshire, England, where it states that he was born in Cambridgeshire circa 1775. However, he dies in 1850, and therefore the parish of his birth is not revealed.

Karen has checked the parish registers in the area for his name and surname variants... but there's no match. She's researched so much, that she's ended up running a Cowling One-Name Study!

Being from the Science community, Karen has turned to DNA testing and is examining DNA matches.... but nothing pointing to hers in Cambridgeshire. Were they connected?

Therefore, Karen would like to do a Y-DNA test of a living male Cowling descendant - making this a super-specific brick wall.

• Where was Sell Cowling born?
• Are YOU a male Cowling descendant, from an unbroken male line - if so, Karen would like to hear from you?

If you think that you can help Karen with a research clue, or some precious Cowling saliva, then you can contact her via her website or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, Karen accepts Andrew's offer of help but witch way will it go?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dr. Karen Cummings - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this sixth episode of Series Nine, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Asad Khabibullin. He hears how Asad got hooked on family history, the challenges he has faced in tracing his ancestors from the Republic of Tatarstan, and his thoughts on how the genealogy community could become a more helpful place for new-starters.

THE LIFE STORY - VALIT HALITOV

Asad has chosen to tell the life story of his relative Valit Halitov who lived in the village of Olı Mäñgär in the Republic of Tatarstan. The village was being oppressed by Russian authorities, and they had heard rumours that they were to be forced to convert to Christianity - something the local officials didn't deny. When a constable visited and was beaten, Valit was picked out as a perpetrator and beaten under the orders of the Russian Governor Nikolai Skariatin.

Whilst Valit was beaten, he and the villagers raised a complaint against the Russian authorities, and surprisingly the Senate at St. Petersburg found that the Governor's punishment was too extreme and it was now he that was punished for his actions.

THE BRICK WALL - HASAN-HUSAIN

It's a brick wall also in Olı Mäñgär that has Asad stumped for clues. Asad is looking for information about his relative at the top of his tree Hasan-Husain who migrated from the Crimean Khanate.

Problem is, there's a tree already, that was kept by the villagers, and the difference between them is that sometimes Hasan-Husain is one person, and sometimes the name is split because they're two brothers instead.

• Are Hasan-Husain one or two men?

If you think that you can help Asad with a clue or research idea, then you can contact him via his Instagram page, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along.

In the meantime, Asad is curious about Andrew's offer of help, can Andrew get it to work?

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Asad Khabibullin - Guest

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In this fifth episode of Series Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional family historian, author, and former FamilySearch volunteer, Robin R. Foster and hears about how she got hooked on researching her family history, her drive to help people through online communities like Facebook and Substack, and how she found herself surrounded by sources when she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

THE LIFE STORY - BEVERLEY VANCE

Robin has chosen to tell the life story of her 2x Great Grandfather, Beverley Vance who was born into slavery circa 1832 in South Carolina, USA.

While Robin and her mother were not initially searching for Beverley, they found him and his wife Matilda whilst researching her Great Grandfather (Beverley's son, Lafayette Vance) on the 1880 US Census for Cokesbury in Abbeville County, South Carolina.

It was here that they were presented with their ancestors' names - Beverley and Matilda for the first time.

Robin soon found herself on the research trail, and this led her back into Beverley's life in enslavement, his slave owner's name, and ultimately to reveal the identity of her 4x Great Grandfather - his slave master Samuel Vance!

With the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery just a few years beforehand, Robin finds Beverley in 1868 where he testifies to a Senator about the way the Democrats treated him.

THE BRICK WALL - MATILDA VANCE

Whilst her name was discovered on that 1880 census alongside her husband Beverley, Matilda's origins are less clear. Robin knows that she was born as Matilda Dunlap circa 1841, but there are some questions to answer;

• Who were Matilda's parents?
• When did Matilda die (did she survive Beverley in 1899)?

If you think you can help Robin with a clue or a research idea, then you can contact her via the email address she gives in the episode, or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Robin accepts Andrew's offer of help, but will it help her to get the answers she needs?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Robin R. Foster - Guest

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In this fourth and mid-way episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist John Boeren and hears about how he got hooked on researching his Dutch ancestry, why he became a professional researcher, and how he ended up being awarded a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 for services to local history and genealogy.

THE LIFE STORY - MAARTEN VAN LEEUWENJohn has chosen to tell the life story of his 4x Great Grandfather, Maarten van Leeuwen, who was born in 1795 in a small village near Gouda (yes, as in the home of the cheese) in the Netherlands.

When John finds references to a silver shield and medal awarded to Maarten in 1825, it sets him on a trail to discover why he was being called a 'hero' and of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

Despite his service in the Napoleonic Wars as a gunner, this was not why he received his medal - that's down to his relationship with fire!

THE BRICK WALL - JACOBUS HENDRIKX and JENNEKEN HEIJLIGER JANSSENJohn's looking for help to find the earliest ancestors in his Boeren line, except this is during a time where patronymics were being used... therefore 'Boeren' is not the name to find, and this makes it much harder for him.

Whilst John knows the names of his brick wall ancestors - Jacobus (Jacob) and Jenneken (Joan), he can't find their marriage nor their baptisms. He can see their children being baptised in villages close to the border between Netherlands and Belgium during the 1660s, but there's no further clues to their identities.

Can you help him with;

• Where were Jacobus Hendrickx and Jenneken Heijliger Janssen married?
• Where were Jacobus and Jenneken baptised?
• What were their fathers' patronymic surnames?

If you think you can help John, then you can send him a message via his website or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, John isn't quite sure what to make of Andrew's offer of help... but will it work?

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• John Boeren - Guest

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In this third episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets Gary Stanley - a family historian who has researched his Romany roots. Andrew hears about Gary's research web project in which he documents all references in the UK and USA of Roma families, and he explains the challenges of researching relatives, the benefit of baptismal records and newspapers, and how he participated in a DNA test led by Professor Turi King.

THE LIFE STORY - ELIZABETH NICHOLSGary has chosen to tell the life story of one of his Romany relatives Elizabeth Nichols... and it is quite extraordinary!

Elizabeth appeared to baptise a child, with the father noted as Antonio Nichols - a Portuguese sailor. Then Gary finds another baptism... then another... except the baptisms spread around the area, and sometimes the details are a little different. Sometimes Elizabeth's surname is Nichols, Nicholas, or Nicholson, sometimes it's Stivery or Twivey. Sometimes Antonio is deceased or at sea.

This pattern intrigued Gary, and following the clues and an incredible amount of research, he has found around 600 baptisms during the 1830s! So many, that he even created a website to map them around England and Scotland.

It's very clear that Elizabeth did not have 600 children, and the register entries note that sometimes the child is a new-born, or of a few years old. So, did Elizabeth have a few children that could span this age?

The question is obviously; Why go to this much effort? Gary believes that in order for Elizabeth to receive parish relief (a monetary benefit paid by the church), the child had to be baptised. Given Elizabeth's Romany heritage, she moved around regularly, and therefore amassed 600 known baptisms for her children, in order to receive relief!

THE BRICK WALL - ELIZABETH NICHOLSConnecting directly to the Life Story that Gary has told, is his brick wall.

Gary may well have found hundreds of baptisms for her children, but he's wanting to find out;

• Where was Elizabeth Nichols before the 1830s
• What became of Elizabeth Nichols after 1840s?

If you think you have a research idea or clue to help Gary with his research, you can send him a message via his website, alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to him.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Gary some help,

Explore over 300 years of history
Trace your family history through 50 million+ newspaper pages at the British Newspaper Archive.

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Host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Helen Brooks for this second episode of Series Nine. Andrew hears how Helen's family history research got started by a button, the importance of writing everything down when your aunt tells stories, and her love of photographs.

THE LIFE STORY - GERTRUDE LESTER / SISTER HELENE DU ST. SACRAMENT Helen's choice of life story is her Great Aunt Gertrude Lester who later became a Catholic nun known as Sister Helene du St. Sacrament within the order Les Filles de la Sagesse.

Helen uncovered a story of a woman’s rise through her order and her work in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi), right through to a tragic accident at Croydon Aerodrome on 25th January 1947 which would see Sister Helene make the ultimate sacrifice in a moment of bravery that saved a man’s life.

With the aerodrome demolished and the site covered in housing, residents in the 1970s are reported as having seen the nuns had return in a ghostly form…

THE BRICK WALL - GEORGE WRIGHTFollowing directly on from her choice of Life Story, Helen has been researching the other people in the plane crash. She's managed to find information on all of them apart from the most significant one (to her) - the man that Sister Helene saved!

He's known as George Wright, and in January 1947 he had been de-mobbed from wartime service. She doesn't know his age but assumes that he's in his 20's, but she does know from newspaper reports that he was catching a later flight to Johannesburg, South Africa to find work.

Despite her searches, Helen does not know what became of him after the day of the crash.

• What happened to George Wright after 25th January 1947?
• Where did he go?

If you think that you can help Helen with a research idea or clue, then you can find her on Bluesky, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor's offer of help results in a dangerous and tricky manoeuvre...

Episode credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Helen Brooks - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this first episode of Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets Canadian genealogist Ron Williams whose family tree research resulted in him encountering a 57 year old mystery... Understandably, Ron couldn't not investigate and in doing so, uncovered a fascinating story which he then turned it into a book.

THE LIFE STORY - ALFRED VICTOR WILLIAMSRon has chosen to tell the fascinating story of his paternal Grandfather - Alfred Victor Williams - one that involves mystery and intrigue, and 57 missing years.

The story sees Ron find just a few clues that hint towards some very different elements of his Grandfather's missing first 57 years - an affidavit, a school photograph of a son, and a letter. Why did Alfred spend years living under the alias Roy Hammond?

Ron has turned Alfred's story into a book titled 'The Lost Fifty-Seven - A genealogical journey of discovery, deception, secrets and scandal' (2024).

THE BRICK WALL - MARY WILLIAMSIt's the identity of his 2x Great Grandmother - Mary Williams - that is causing Ron problems in his research.

He knows that she was born in about 1831, and likely in Shropshire (or Salop as it was known back then). After finding a confusing 'Cumberland in Salop' reference, Ron has found further Salop references in her census entries after her marriage to George Williams.

As Ron doesn't know the birth name of Mary, he's struggled to find the correct marriage, which he estimates was circa 1853, as the couple rapidly grow a family, starting with his Gt Grandfather in 1854.

• What was Mary Williams' pre-marriage surname?

If you think you have a clue or a research idea, you can contact Ron at his website, or alternatively you can find him on Twitter and Bluesky. You can also send us a message, and we'll pass it on to him.

In the meantime, Ron is fascinated by Andrew and Sándor's offer of help... but someone's clearly hungry....

Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Ron Williams - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Explore over 300 years of history
Trace your family history through 50 million+ newspaper pages at the British Newspaper Archive.

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We're back! It's time for Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast.

Your host - family historian Andrew Martin, will once again be joined by seven guests, for seven more fascinating life stories and of course a load of those pesky brick walls for you to help solve.

As usual... as a 'thank you' treat, each guest is given a return trip back in time in Andrew's (shh: secret time) machine, all with the help of his assistant - the 19th century missing Hungarian poet and revolutionary, Sándor Petőfi.

Join us right here for Season Nine, which begins on 6th May 2025.

Find out more about the new series.

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For this special ninth episode of Series Eight, we're taking part in Podcasthon 2025 - an annual global event for podcasters to collectively raise awareness of charities they care about. With our guest, we've chosen to support the charity Mind, and you can hear more about their work and access support here: mind.org.uk. If you're outside the UK, you can find international support here.

NOTE: This episode contains archaic terminology, and historic references to conditions and treatment methods of people with mental health issues, and refers to suicide.

In this episode, host Andrew Martin is joined by Jane Hough - a genealogist, blogger, and former guest (see 'The Laundress' from Series One). He finds out how her research has progressed, her work with Few Forgotten Women, and her love of Wills and studying.

THE LIFE STORY - LILIAN MAUDE EVANSFor this part of the episode, Andrew and Jane are joined by Kathryn Burtinshaw - genealogist, genealogy tutor, and co-author of 'Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots - A History of Insanity in Nineteenth Century Britain & Ireland' (Pen and Sword, 2017).

Jane tells the moving story of her Great Grandmother Lilian Maude Evans, who was found wandering the streets in distress, and was arrested. Given the choice of prison or the workhouse, she chose the latter.... and she ends up in a mental health institution. We turn to Kathryn to help us to understand the context of Maude's diagnosis and treatment.

THE BRICK WALL - RICHARD and MARY HUTCHINSONThis time, Jane has chosen her 3x Great Grandparents Richard and Mary Hutchinson of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.

Jane has them on the 1841, 1851, and 1861 censuses in Huddersfield, but cannot find a sure match for their origins. They were both born in the 1790s and there's some Lancashire connections.

If you think that you can offer her some help with a clue or research idea, then you can contact her at her website allthosebefore.org.uk or Bluesky account, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

Meanwhile, Jane knows how helpful Andrew can be... but will she take his offer a second time?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jane Hough - Guest
• Kathryn Burtinshaw - Guest

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This is a short bonus episode, continuing on immediately after the cliffhanger at the end of 'The Nationalist' with Daniel Loftus.

As Andrew realises he's not alone in the garage, they'll have to work together to fix a dangerous time travel paradox before it erases the podcast.

Thank you once again for joining us for another series, and letting us have your ears. Whilst we're off making new episodes, why not check out our back catalogue with more than 60 guests! You can also sign up to our email list for the latest news (and occasional special offer).

thank you,
Andrew

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Andrew Martin - Andrew Martin
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

This episode references:

• 'The Tyrant' with Daniel Smith-Ramos
• 'The Shoemaker' with Kelly Cornwell
• 'The Rioter' with Andrew Martin
• 'The Nationalist' with Daniel Loftus

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In this final full episode of Series Eight, host Andrew Martin meets Irish genealogist, speaker, occasional podcaster, and Project Infant founder, Daniel Loftus. He asks Daniel how he got hooked on researching his family history, challenges he's faced with DNA testing and adoption, and why he's leading a project that brings Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland under the spotlight.

If you’d like to volunteer for Project Infant, you can do so at: https://projectinfant.ie/volunteer

THE LIFE STORY - PATRICK WHELAN Daniel has chosen to tell the life story of his Great Grandfather Patrick ‘Pax’ Whelan, who was born to Patrick (known as ‘Patsy’) and his wife Bridget in 1890 in the coastal town of Dungarvan, in County Waterford, Ireland. Sadly though, Bridget died when Pax was aged 8, and his youngest sister was just one month old.

With tensions building in Ireland and in World War One, Pax’s brother Michael enlisted in the British Army… but to Pax – who’d joined the local branch of the Irish Republican Army, this was unacceptable and the brothers ceased speaking for decades.

Whilst Pax didn’t really speak of his time in the Army, Daniel has managed to find sources in museums and archives that help tell the story of his Great Grandfather.

THE BRICK WALL - PATRICK LAVIN and ANN BRENNAN
A vanishing act in the 20th Century is what is causing Daniel to collide with a Brick Wall – he’s looking for information on Patrick Lavin (or Lavan) and wife Ann Brennan.

The couple married in January 1882 and remained around the area of Kiltimagh, County Mayo, in Ireland, and had a family of six daughters between 1882 and 1893.

However, Daniel is stuck with trying to find much about their parents. He knows Patrick’s father was alive in 1882 and also called Patrick, but that Ann’s father John had died.

• Where did Patrick and Ann go after 1911?

If you think that you have a research idea or clue that can help Daniel to overcome his brick wall, then you can find him via the links at his Carrd profile or drop him a message on Bluesky or Twitter. Alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact form and we’ll pass your message on.

In the meantime, Daniel accepts Andrew’s offer of help, but will he agree to an important errand too?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Daniel Loftus - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this episode of Series Eight, host Andrew meets Australian genealogist Jennifer Jones, who tells him about how she got hooked on researching family history, her motivation to blog her research, and her One-Place Study in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

THE LIFE STORY - THOMAS WATERSJennifer has chosen to tell the life story of Thomas Waters, her 2x Great Grandfather who was born in 1829 in the little village of Dunton in Bedfordshire, England, but in 1852 he emigrates to Australia. It has always baffled Jennifer quite why he did this, but it's been fascinating to speculate.

Once out there, Thomas writes home to his family, and through a fortunate cache of letters being deposited in an archive, Jennifer has been able to read his words and can see that he really was homesick. It appears that he didn't necessarily want to move so far away, and that his family back home did not particularly want to write to him either.

THE BRICK WALL - JAMES McEWANIt's a research dead end for a Captain James McEwan that causes Jennifer's Brick Wall. Unfortunately, his name also comes with variants, including McQueen.

Jennifer has traced James back to his military career with the 33rd Regiment Foot in Jamaica, where he is a landowner and also unfortunately the owner of an enslaved person.

Whilst Jennifer knows that he leaves Jamaica, and ends up in Australia in 1832 via a return to the UK, she doesn't know his origins. She knows he's born about 1796 and it's thought that there is a connection to Scotland, and perhaps his surname reflects this, but she is yet to find any evidence.

If you think that you can help Jennifer with a research clue or idea, then you can send her a message at her Twitter or Bluesky account or via the email address she gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send a message via our contact form and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor offer Jennifer some help, but will she take it?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jennifer Jones - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

For more episodes on researching genealogy within Australia check out:

• 'The Priest' with Jill Ball
• 'The Shoemaker' with Kelly Cornwell

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In this episode of Series Eight, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist Richard Holt. He finds out how Richard got hooked on family history, what made him turn professional, has he ever experienced 'imposter syndrome', and his efforts to access original Wills - and challenging a proposal by the UK Government's Ministry of Justice on the disposal of historic Wills.

THE LIFE STORY - MATTHEW BUYRN (aka JOHN DUNMORE)Richard has chosen to tell the life story of his 4x Great Grandfather Matthew Buyrn, who was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England in 1793. However, throughout the records, another name for Matthew repeatedly emerges - John Dunmore. Why does he have two names?

Matthew enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1812 (during the Napoleonic Wars) starting out at the Royal Marines Barracks at Chatham, Kent, before transferring to Plymouth. He then set sail with the Marines but by 1833 he was discharged to hospital due to suffering from what was described at the time as 'mania'.

What follows is a series of events that would see him end up in prison, and as a man whose mental health was at a low.

THE BRICK WALL - RICHARD BROOKSA puzzle in the village of Bledlow Ridge, Buckinghamshire, England has Richard scratching his head... and seeming half the village too.

His ancestor - Richard Books - was born circa 1740, but the location is not yet known. During his life this Richard built a house on common land, married and had lots of children... who in turn had lots of children too, but he was a poor man, with no Will, and no marked grave.

• Can you identify the birthplace or baptism location of Richard Brooks?

If you think that you can help Richard with a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his website, alternatively you can send us a message via our contact form and we'll pass it along to him.

Meanwhile.... Richard is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but can he get him to the right place?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Richard Holt - Guest

Explore over 300 years of history
Trace your family history through 50 million+ newspaper pages at the British Newspaper Archive.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Hello folks,

I had such a lovely time recording our episode 'The Nightingale' with Danielle and Galeet Dardashti, that after having talked with them at length about the old tape cassette recordings of family conversations, celebrations, singing, and music that Danielle had found stashed in a box in their parents' basement, we decided it would be nice for you to hear some of those recordings for yourself!

So, here's the full first episode of The Nightingale of Iran, aptly titled "The Time Machine" for you to listen to. You can find the rest of their series by searching wherever you enjoy your podcasts, or alternatively head over to www.nightingaleofiran.com.

We'll be back, as usual, on 3rd December, with our next full episode of Series Eight - 'The Marine' with professional genealogist Richard Holt.

Thank you for listening,
Andrew

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Joining host Andrew Martin for this fourth episode of Series Eight is not one but two guests! We're delighted to welcome Emmy-winning journalist Danielle Dardashti and her musician and anthropologist sister Dr. Galeet Dardashti. Danielle and Galeet researched the history of their family in Iran via audio recordings they found at their parents' house, uncovering some fascinating insights into their father and grandfather's musical success. The episode highlights the importance of audio recordings in our research, particularly where the written documentation is both inaccessible for them, and lacking the raw emotion that can be captured in sound.

THE LIFE STORY - YOUNES DARDASHTI
Danielle and Galeet have chosen to tell the life story of their religious Jewish Grandfather - Younes Dardashti.

Left an orphan as a child in Tehran, Iran, Younes went to live with his uncle who really didn't want him to sing - despite recognising his talents.

However, it was during a power cut at a party that Younes decided to share his vocal talents - and in a case of right-place-right-time, he was heard - his voice in the darkness led to him being discovered by a popular Iranian singer and his path to becoming the 'Nightingale of Iran' was set and saw him earn many Muslim fans.

His granddaughters have since turned his story into an award-winning podcast called The Nightingale Of Iran, which is rich in audio interviews, archive recordings, and beautiful singing.

THE BRICK WALL - FARID DARDASHTIIt's a brick wall in 1960's Tehran that has Danielle and Galeet stumped.

During the making of their podcast, and in conversations with relatives, friends, academics, and fans, they've heard so many references to their father - Farid Dardashti's teen idol career in early 1960's Iran. Despite the fond memories and beloved descriptions, they've yet to see any photographs, video recordings, or hear audio recordings of him during this time.

• Can you help find recordings of Farid Dardashti in Iran?

If you think that you can help Danielle and Galeet with a research idea or a clue that might help turn their brick wall to dust, then you can reach out to them at The Nightingale of Iran website, alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact us page, and we'll pass it along to them.

In the meantime, Andrew offers his help to Danielle and Galeet, but will it lead them to new clues worth checking out?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Danielle Dardashti - Guest
• Dr. Galeet Dardashti - Guest

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It's a special delivery in today's episode from Series Eight, as host Andrew Martin meets family history and military history researcher, champion eBayer, and postman, Adam Simpson-York. Andrew finds out how Adam got hooked on researching family history, how he has honed his research skills that enable him to buy family heirlooms on auction sites and then trace their living relatives, allowing him to reunite them with their descendants, and hears about his letters from a Queen.

THE LIFE STORY - DAVID EDWARD ELLISAdam has chosen to tell the story of his Great Grandfather David Edward Ellis, who was born in Shotton Colliery, Durham, England in 1907.

David's father William was a coal miner, originally from Wales, and this was an occupation that was synonymous with the village of Shotton Colliery - David's brother worked in the mine, and David followed suit. At the time of David's marriage in 1929 in London, he's still noted as a coal miner.

David later served in World War Two as a Driver in the Royal Army Service Corps' 18th Division Transport Company. He was captured and was forced to march with 7,000 men a distance of 290km during the wet season to Songkurai, Thailand, where he contracted cholera and died of this and tropical ulcers. His remains were exhumed and re-buried in Burma (now Myanmar).

News of his death took a very long time to reach home, and whilst a lack of letters may have hinted towards his demise, the eventual news deeply affected his son for the rest of his life.

THE BRICK WALL - THOMAS TYLERIt's a research puzzle involving his wife's Great Grandfather Thomas Tyler that has Adam stuck for ideas.

Adam knows when Thomas died, and when he married, but there's ambiguity surrounding his date of birth (circa 1910-1912), and there's also a family rumour that Thomas Tyler wasn't his real name, and a rumour that he was a minder for London gangster Jack 'The Hat' McVitie. Tantalising isn't it?

Adam's mother-in-law is going to take a DNA test to try to help solve this, but can you help Adam to identify a birth record for him? Was he really 'Thomas Tyler' or was that a pseudonym to protect his real identity during or after a potential gangster involvement? Was his father, as stated in marriage records, also 'Thomas Tyler' or did he simply not know who his father was and made it up? Can you help solve this brick wall?

If you think you can help Adam with a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his Medals Going Home profiles on Facebook, Twitter, or BlueSky, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along.

Meanwhile, Adam has concerns that despite their offer of help, Andrew and Sándor won't be able to deliver him to the churc

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Andrew meets genealogist and Chair of the Register of Qualified Genealogists, Sylvia Valentine. He hears about how she got hooked on researching family history, her love of life-long learning and research, and her opinions on the terrifying workhouses!

THE LIFE STORY - NAOMI HAWARTHSylvia has chosen to tell the life story of her Gt Grandmother, Naomi Hawarth, who was born as a twin, but was the only one of the two to survive. She was not the only twin to her parents, or to outlive a twin sister. Fifteen years before Naomi's birth was that of Mary, who looked exactly like the twin of Naomi.

Whilst twins are often observed as having similar lives, and family historians spot common behaviours in families, Sylvia's research has found that Naomi's siblings have carried many similar traits in education and music to their descendants.

THE BRICK WALL - BERNARD BRAND FIEGEHENIt's one of Sylvia's husband's ancestors - Bernard Brand Fiegehen who appears working as a china man in City Road, London that has Sylvia facing a brick wall. Phonetically, that surname sounds like 'Fee-gun', and whilst that phonetic pronunciation might sound on face value like it has Irish origins, Sylvia has been stuck to find them.

Sylvia has seen many online trees that have few or no sources for this man, but many point to him as being from Berlin in Germany.

If you think that you can help Sylvia with a research clue or idea, then you can message her via the email address she gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Sylvia isn't sure of the safety of Andrew's research idea, but will her leap of faith work out?....

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Sylvia Valentine - Guest

Explore over 300 years of history
Trace your family history through 50 million+ newspaper pages at the British Newspaper Archive.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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In this first episode of Series Eight of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets author, family historian, and the host of the Italian Roots and Genealogy YouTube series and podcast - Bob Sorrentino, and finds out about his Italian-American roots, and his connections to Italian and the wider European nobility.

THE LIFE STORY - ISABELLA D'ESTEWe're off to the 15th Century to hear about one of Bob's ancestors - Isabella d'Este (born 1474 in Ferrara, Italy) was the wife of Francesco II Gonzaga - the Marquis of Mantua, Italy, and whilst her husband appeared to prefer going off to fight as a mercenary, Isabella found herself left in charge.

Under her influence, she encouraged culture and art, and became one of the leading women in the Italian Renaissance. She also ensured that women could access education, and she herself is known to have amassed a collection of around 20,000 letters.

She died in her 60's in 1539, and no doubt left an important legacy for both Italy and women.

THE BRICK WALL - MARIA ANGELA DE RISOWe're only stepping back to the 18th Century this time for Bob's brick wall, and this is his 4x Great Grandmother - Maria Angela De Riso. He knows that she was born circa 1750, likely in Carpinone, in western Molise, Italy, but her origins, and the identity of her parents remains unknown.

Maria was an Italian Baroness by birth, but Bob cannot find information on the generation further back - did her parents buy their land and titles?

• Who were Maria's parents?
• Where did they come from before Maria's birth?

If you think you can help Bob crack this brick wall with a clue or research idea, then you can contact him at his Facebook Group - Italian Roots and Genealogy, his YouTube channel, or alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass it along to him.

In the meantime, while Bob is curious of Andrew's offer of help, will he get to his answer safely...

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Bob Sorrentino - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

What will you discover?
Discover your family history with a MyHeritage DNA test.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Our Eighth Series is here! But, before the first full episode arrives on 5th November 2024, there's just enough time for Andrew to pop back to compare notes with an old friend...

In this new series we'll meet a Marchioness, a Twin, a 'Nightingale', a Marine, a Nationalist, a Collier, and a homesick migrant.

Read more about our new series.

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Nicolas Balaguer - Nostradamus

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It's our 50th guest episode! So, to celebrate this special milestone episode, host Andrew Martin decides to head to the Society of Genealogists to meet three guests taking part in the annual All About That Place event. However, he doesn't quite end up where he expected...

All About That Place is a series of talks brought to us by the Society of Genealogists, supported by the Society of One-Place Studies, British Association for Local History and Genealogy Stories. You can join in with the All About That Place event, running from September 27, to October 6, 2024 online to find out all the details at https://www.subscribepage.com/allaboutthatplace

THE INTERVIEW - DR. ANGELA BUCKLEYAndrew meets crime, policing, forensics historian, and author Dr. Angela Buckley and finds out how she got hooked on researching family history and crime history. He hears how she finds and follows the criminals and detectives, and about her relative's own criminal activities!

THE LIFE STORY - ERICA DOREEN FULLER with DR. NICK BARRATTNext, Andrew meets genealogist, author, Medievalist, and broadcaster (The House Detectives, Hidden House Histories, Who Do You Think You Are?) Dr. Nick Barratt and hears about his grandmother Erica Doreen Fuller who was born in 1911 in Belgium. He finds that she was sort-of informally fostered into care at a remote farm house in Norfolk, England... but as he found out, not all was quite as it seemed...

THE BRICK WALL - JOSEPH QUIN with CHRISTINE PAYNEAndrew meets family and social historian Christine Payne - the winner of the All About That Place prize draw, and hears about her brick wall - her paternal Great Grandfather Joseph Quin who was born in 1840.

In 1897, Joseph walks into Brixton Prison in London, and confesses to bigamy.. but what motivated him to do so - was he being blackmailed or did he want to face up to his crime?

Christine is also trying to find his date and place of death - as after his jail sentence he appears to go missing.

If you think you can help Christine with a research clue or idea, then you can message her at the email address she gives within the episode, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to her.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Christine some help, but he has a secret to reveal first...

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dr. Angela Buckley - Guest
• Dr. Nick Barratt - Guest
• Christine Payne - Guest
• Else Churchill - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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This is a Series Seven Bonus Episode, following on immediately from the previous episode 'The Sailor' with Morag Peers.

When two children inexplicably appear, host Andrew Martin and guest Morag Peers realise that the (shh: secret time) machine has moved time and location, and that they are now part of one of history's most baffling disappearances.

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Morag Peers - Guest
• George Orchard - King Edward V
• George Mills - Richard, Duke of York

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In this final full episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Morag Peers - an award-winning professional genealogist who specialises in researching the lives of the people of Scotland. He hears how she got hooked on family history, how she ended up going professional, and her love of using passport records to trace family and world history.

THE LIFE STORY - JOSEPH CLARKEMorag has chosen to tell the story of her 2x Great Uncle, Joseph Clarke. He was born in Kelton in 1846, into a family with long roots in the area. However, when the 1861 census arrives, he's just 14 years old and listed on a sloop ship named 'George and Jane' and apprenticed to a wool merchant.

Morag traces Joseph's travels from Liverpool in England, to Chilé, Australia, China, and countless trips between these locations.

Whilst his wanderlust takes him around the world and back, sadly it didn't last for long, and Joseph is taken ill on board the ship the Dundonald. Despite the help of the Captain, his illness continues to develop and he died.

Morag has been able to view the Captain's log of the voyage, and discovered that the exact latitude and longitude has been recorded, and being far away from home, the location of his burial at sea is recorded too.

THE BRICK WALL - MARGARET LAUGHLANMorag is looking for help with her 2x Great Grandmother Margaret Laughlan who was born in 1841 in Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland to two Irish immigrants. Unfortunately, her last name has been subject to many variants which hasn't helped in Morag's research.

Morag knows that Margaret had two illegitimate daughters - Margaret and Agnes, but there is no clue to the father's name (or names), and Margaret senior remains living with her parents through the censuses.

Unfortunately, DNA testing has not provided many matches at all, and so that leaves Morag wondering

• Were Margaret junior and Agnes sisters or half sisters?
• Who was/were their father(s)?

If you think that you can help Morag with a clue or a research idea, then you can contact her at her website www.glasgowgenealogy.co.uk or the email address she gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to her.

In the meanwhile, Morag is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but neither of them are expecting it to be such a moving experience...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Morag Peers - Guest

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Host Andrew Martin meets radio presenter and family historian, and host of the Extreme Genes radio show and podcast - Scott Fisher. He finds out how Scott got hooked on researching his family history, the lengths he goes to to solve genealogy puzzles, and why he

THE LIFE STORY - DONALD OLSENScott has chosen to tell the life story of his maternal half-uncle Donald Olsen.

Donald was one of several brothers who ended up serving in the Second World War, but it's a naval record that gave Scott a detailed account of Donald's time at sea in the Pacific Ocean. Whilst there, Donald experienced terrifying and harrowing events that would seemingly haunt him deeply until he decided to take his own life.

THE BRICK WALL - JAMES STOCKSIt's a Brick Wall in London, England, that has Scott stuck. Scott has managed to find a fantastically detailed description of James Stocks - right down to the state of his clothing, thanks to a detailed article in an old newspaper from 1818. Sadly, this article was published because James had abandoned his wife Catherine and their children.

The article, and some US census records for the children (after they'd emigrated) state that he was from Scotland, but some also say he was from England.. so it's a little uncertain. This is where Scott is stuck. Can you help?

• Where was James Stocks born?
• Where did James Stocks go in 1818?

If you think you can help Scott with a clue or research idea, you can send him a message via our contact form and we'll send it straight to him.

In the meantime, Scott is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but will it shine a light on things?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Scott Fisher - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Send us a Text Message.

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In the fifth episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets anthropologist and Welsh professional genealogist, Dai Davies, and finds out how they got hooked on researching family history, the challenges of researching Welsh family history from afar, and their thoughts on how the genealogy community could become a better place.

THE LIFE STORY - DAVID DAVIES
Dai has chosen to tell the life story of their 8x Great Uncle, David Davies who was born in 1754 in a small parish near Lampeter in West Wales, and was the son of tenant farmers and Wesleyan Methodists.

Dai was excited to discover this person in their tree, as David Davies was a highly influential educator, minister, and political poet in Wales during the 18th Century. He is known to have had a school in Castell Hywel, and was a minister at Llwynrhydowen Chapel.

His work to translate English into Welsh for the newly literate communities, resulted in him even being described as 'improving into Welsh' on the popular poem by Thomas Gray - 'Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard'. However, sometimes his political thoughts on the rapidly changing world around him, including the French Revolution, would cause controversy.

THE BRICK WALL - DAVID THOMAS
It's the family of Dai's 7x Great Grandfather David Thomas (brother-in-law of the above David Davies), that has them stuck for answers.

Dai has found 76 records attributed to David Thomas, and knows about his life between 1757 and his death in 1816, Lampeter in Ceredigion, Wales, but Dai has found no trace of David Thomas' parents or siblings.

• Who were David Thomas' parents?
• Who were David Thomas' siblings?
• Where was David Thomas pre-1757?

If you think that you can offer Dai a research clue or idea, then you can email them on the address they give in the episode, or find them at @GenealCymru at Twitter. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on.

In the meanwhile, Dai has concerns about Andrew's offer of help... will this source be reliable?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dai Davies - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this fourth episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Anglo-Belgian professional genealogist, and country manager at MyHeritage - Marie Cappart, and finds out how she got addicted to researching her family history, what made her a 'DNA geek', and what it's like to work for MyHeritage.

THE LIFE STORY - MARGUERITE NICHOLLS
Marie has chosen to tell the life story of her Anglo-Belgian Great Aunt Marguerite Nicholls, who she discovered in her teenage years was missing from her family tree.

Marie tells how Marguerite remained in Belgium with her Swedish husband as war broke out, rather than returning to the UK with her own family, and how she ended up saving the lives of British and Canadian airmen as a member of the Belgian Resistance.

Whilst Marguerite's story comes to a sad ending, Marie is adamant that she takes her rightful place in her family tree, and that her memory and bravery is never forgotten in Belgium.

THE BRICK WALL - CORNEILLE DE LESTRE
It's a baptism record for her husband's ancestor Corneille de Lestre, somewhere in the mid-16th Century, that has Marie puzzled.

Marie has been trying to locate Corneille's baptism for some time, but she lacks both an accurate year of birth and location. She has searched in the 1540s-1550s, and after viewing some work in an archive that had no cited sources, she has attempted to research its theories of the identity of Corneille's father and the travelling that person did.

However, there's no tangible evidence emerging yet that connects Marie's husband to that person - so it's a mystery that leads her on a process of elimination.

Can you help Marie discover;

• Where Corneille de Lestre (or le Lettre) was baptised?
• Who are Corneille's parents?

If you think that you can help Marie with a research clue or idea, then you can either send her a message at her @histfamilles Twitter account, or send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime, Marie is curious of Andrew's offer of help... but can you smell burning?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Marie Cappart - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this third episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, and host of The Filipino Genealogy Channel on YouTube - Todd Lucero Sales. Andrew hears how Todd got hooked on researching family history in the Philippines, the challenges of researching Filipino family history, the impact of hundreds of years of rule by Spain on records, and why he started his YouTube channel.

THE LIFE STORY - FELICIANA MARIA CEBALLOSTodd has chosen to tell the story of his 4x Great Grandmother Feliciana Maria Ceballos who had two children with a old priest named Father Francisco Diaz in Argao, Cebu, Philippines.

Family lore through the generations reached Todd with a story of Feliciana being so beautiful that she caught the attention of many priests travelling the area, but by using surviving records he's been able to verify the details and discover her life raising their children alone against a backdrop of stigma of being an un-married mother.

Despite this stigma against her and the children, the church did appear to accept and provide for her and her descendants.

THE BRICK WALL - MR TANIt's a research brick wall in his maternal tree that has Todd stuck - the identity of his Great Grandmother's father. Whilst he knows that he was Chinese (which is reflected in the percentage of Chinese DNA detected in his 23andMe test), Todd knows only the man's family name - Mr. Tan.

Mr. Tan fathered Todd's Great Grandmother, and remained in Argao, Cebu Island, the Philippines to support his partner, until returning to his first family in China, and never being seen or heard from again.

DNA tests have provided Todd with some results, and he thinks he may have come from the Fujian region of Southern China, but it's hard for him to isolate this branch. Researching in China and via China DNA results has proved to be difficult from outside the country.

Can you help identify Mr Tan, who left China for Philippines circa 1882?

If you think that you can help Todd with a research idea or a clue, you can contact him at the email address he gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to him.

In the meantime, Andrew is keen to offer help, but will Todd get the answers needs?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Todd Sales Lucero - Guest

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In this second episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, lecturer, Fellow, and former Principal Family History Specialist of the National Archives - Dave Annal. Dave tells Andrew how he got hooked on researching his family, how he ended up working for the National Archives, his thoughts and hopes on where he sees the genealogy industry going next, and his love of Wills.

THE LIFE STORY - MARGARET HOWLAND
Dave has chosen to tell the life story of his paternal Grandmother, Margaret Howland, who was born in Edinburgh in 1906 to an unmarried mother also named Margaret Howland.

Whilst both Margarets were known to be hoarders, it seems that they both continued this behaviour when it came to the identity of Dave's Great Grandfather.

However, one day, whilst on a walk to a cemetery, Margaret, then in her 80's, decided to reveal her father's identity... and the time she had shared with him.

THE BRICK WALL - THOMAS FLYNN
It's a research brick wall with Irish roots that is baffling Dave.

Whilst Thomas Flynn and his wife Catherine have been found in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1851 and 1861, Dave is unable to find out about them before and after this date.

Dave descends from one of the couple's sons, and he has that documented, but Thomas and Catherine - along with their marriage, births, baptism, and deaths, all remain a mystery.

If you think that you can help Dave with a research idea or clue, then you can contact him at his Lifelines Research website, via his @lifelines_dave Twitter account, or via the email address he gives during the episode. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to him.

In the meantime, Dave is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but is he really ready for what's in store?...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dave Annal - Guest

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In this first episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Jackie Kohnstamm - a lecturer, author, playwright, and family historian. Jackie tells Andrew how she got hooked on researching family histories after hearing stories with missing bits, and then finding letters. She tells him what motivated her to write her book 'The Memory Keeper: A Journey Into The Holocaust To Find My Family', and...

THE LIFE STORY - CHARLOTTE RYCHWALSKIJackie has chosen to tell the life story of her maternal aunt, Charlotte Rychwalski (known as 'Lotte').

It's clear from Jackie's description of Charlotte, that she has some very fond memories of her aunt being the daring, and fascinating relative who would bring excitement into the family home after the Second World War, but through the memories Charlotte shared, and a cache of letters, Jackie has been able to discover more about her life.

THE BRICK WALL - JUTTA TOWNSENDJackie is looking for one of her maternal cousins - Jutta - the surviving descendant of a family that was sadly murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Jutta Rychwalski escaped from Germany on one of the Kindertransport trains.

Jackie knows that Jutta was married at least once, perhaps twice, but her last husband was named Frederick Townsend, and they lived in the Wakefield area of Yorkshire. Jutta is known to have died in the Wakefield area in 2012 aged 87 years, having been predeceased by Frederick in 1982. The couple had a son named Steven in 1955, but he died in 1973.

Jackie would like your help to discover more about her cousin's life.

If you think you can help Jackie with a clue or research idea, then you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass the message straight on to her.

In the meantime, Jackie is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but can he get her to the church on time?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jackie Kohnstamm - Guest

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The Family Histories Podcast is back for Series Seven!

Once again, host Andrew Martin, and his 19th century assistant Sándor Petőfi, welcome seven more guests, each with a fascinating life story, and of course a pesky genealogy research 'brick wall' for listeners to try to solve.

However, before they welcome their first guest, there's something in the garage that needs some maintenance.... from an expert.

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host & Producer
• Etienne Durandt - Charles Babbage
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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Previously, on The Family Histories Podcast......

As last week's guest James Danter is zapped back in time via the (shhh: secret time) machine without any glitches, all seems well for the series' final episode. However, Andrew is knocked unconscious after tripping over a cable and causing something heavy to fall on his head....

Who are the ghostly voices he can hear, and what do they want?

Find out now in this bonus episode inspired by Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'...

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Derek Scurll - The Ghost of Brick Walls Past
• J P Wright - The Ghost of Brick Walls Present
• Haley Banks - The Ghost of Brick Walls Future
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this final full episode of Series Six, host Andrew meets James Danter - a family historian who is also a professional archaeologist. Andrew learns about how he got into both of these areas, and how they overlap and help him with his research in both fields. He also asks James on his thoughts of how these two areas could work closer.

THE LIFE STORY - DARCY FOWLERJames has chosen to tell the story of his wife's ancestor, Darcy Fowler (later known as D'arcy Fowler) who trained and worked as a solicitor. However, as James' research progressed he soon uncovered a story that led Darcy to move from the UK to America, and fighting as a loyalist in the American Revolution.

THE BRICK WALL - GEORGE RICHARD CORDWELLIt's a First World War mystery that has James digging around for clues.

His 2x Great Grandfather George Richard Cordwell, born in 1894, earned medals for his work in The Great War, and James has a photograph of him in his military uniform, but beyond this, he's been unable to find any conscription, army service records, medal cards, or discharge records. Somehow, he's missing.

• Which battalion was George in?
• Does a Cordwell surname variant hide the truth?

If you think that you can help James with a research idea or a clue to turn that brick wall to dust, then you can contact him on his Twitter/X profile at @jdanter or alternatively, you can contact us and we'll send your message on to him.

In the meantime, James is hoping to dig into some new clues in Andrew’s garage, but will he strike gold, and will Andrew take a trip of his own?

Episode Credits:
Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
James Danter - Guest

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In this Sixth episode of Series Six, host Andrew Martin meets family historian Teresa Vega and finds out how she got hooked on researching family history, how her background in anthropology has helped her research, her adventures with DNA testing to trace her Ramapough Lenape Nation ancestors, and her work on the Family Tree DNA Malagasy Roots project with TV's DNA Detective CeCe Moore.

THE LIFE STORY - ANTONIA 'TUN' SNYDERTeresa has chosen to tell the life story of her 4x Great Grandmother, Antonia Snyder known as 'Tun', who was born circa 1790. Her mother's family had roots in Madagascar.

Teresa found an 1815 advert in a New York newspaper for a runaway slave - Tun. Crucially, this gave Teresa the key to solving her father's identity. Having found him, she was able to find her mother and siblings too.

Despite having been on the run from her enslaver, she does return to households of some of the big enslaver families in the area, where she is traded whilst having 13 children. She died in 1881.

THE BRICK WALL - ROBERT HENRY FISHERIt's a close-to-home brick wall for Teresa - her Gt Grandfather Robert Henry Fisher. He was born circa 1898 but was legally declared dead in the 1930s after going missing.

Whilst the death is not the point of interest, it's his origins that have spawned conflicting stories and theories - one tells of him being a descendant of Jewish traders in White Plains, New York, whilst others point to a Cuban connection.

Despite her efforts to analyse the DNA for clues about Robert's family, fascinating gaps seem to hide the answer.

• Was Fisher/Fischer actually his surname?
• Who were his parents?
• Does he descend from the Dutch merchants?

If you think that you have a clue or a research idea that could bring Teresa's brick wall crashing down, then you can contact her at the email address she gives in the episode, or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to her.

In the meantime, Teresa is keen for Andrew's help, but will he be able to get her to the right place?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Teresa Vega - Guest

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In this fifth episode of Series Six, host Andrew is joined by family history tutor Jackie Depelle. He finds out how she got interested in family history, how she became a full-time family history lecturer, her thoughts on how genealogists and academic researchers are working together, and how the genealogy industry could evolve in future.

THE LIFE STORY - JOHN HAYHURST DAWSON
Jackie has chosen to tell the life story of John Hayhurst Dawson who was born in 1841 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Thankfully, his middle name (which was his mother's maiden surname) allows him to be identified easily, as his father and grandfather were also John Dawson.

John Hayhurst Dawson went on to work in multiple roles within his community, including a Justice Of The Peace (a 'JP'), a businessman, held many layperson roles at his church, and was also the churchwarden. This has enabled Jackie to amass an impressive collection of documents to his name.

THE B̶R̶I̶C̶K̶ ̶W̶A̶L̶L̶ STUMBLING BLOCK - THE DAWSON FAMILY
Refuting the existence of 'brick walls', Jackie has a Dawson family 'stumbling block' that keeps her perplexed - where did the Dawson family come from?

Jackie has been able to identify a brother to the oldest John Dawson (the grandfather of John Hayhurst Dawson), named William Dawson, but beyond this, she's stuck. The earliest deed on the family home is signed on 12th December 1820, but prior to this - she's stuck in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

• Where did the Dawson family come from before 1820?
• Where did John Dawson get the money to build his house?

If you think you can help Jackie with a clue or a research idea, you can contact her via her website www.yourfairladies.co.uk or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, Andrew's offer of help results in some unexpected practical advice from Jackie.... will he take it all on board?

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In this fourth episode of Series Six, host Andrew meets family historian Sven Grewel, who has been tracing his German ancestry for many years and has since become a professional genealogist. He explains how he got hooked on researching his family history, and the challenges of researching in Germany - a country that has frequently changed its borders through history.

THE LIFE STORY - JOHANN CARL MAX SABELSven has chosen to tell the life story of his 2x Great Grandfather Johan Carl Max Sabel who worked as a policeman in between the First and Second World Wars. This was a dangerous time, and unfortunately whilst delivering justice as a policeman, he is accused of a crime.

He spends years fighting for his innocence against a backdrop of rising Nazism, which includes time in prison and a psychiatric clinic, as his crime gets bigger and evidence seems lacking. Something doesn't seem right!

THE BRICK WALL - KARLSTADT RECORDSA puzzle in Karlstadt, Bavaria, Germany is causing Sven a headache, so it's time for us to try to help.

Sven's research has been troubled by the destruction and burning of records that took place during The 30 Years' War that spread across what is mostly now Germany between 1618 and 1648. For many of his family branches, this is war causes his research to hit a dead end.

One place in particular he would like to find records is the town of Karlstadt in Bavaria, but the records are either lost, mislaid, or destroyed. Sven is feeling lucky though, and hopes that a listener might just be able to help find some.

If you think that you can offer Sven some help, then you can reach out to him directly at his website svengrewel.com. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to him.

In the meantime, Sven jumps at Andrew's offer of help but will he get the information he's hoping for?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Sven Grewel - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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Our third episode of Series Six sees host Andrew Martin meet professional genealogist Clare Kirk, and he'll be finding out how she got hooked on researching her family history, why she does it for other people, what she does for Friends of Friendless Churches, and her hopes for an unusual 18th Century record in Buckinghamshire that reveals who the local cake man, rat man, and pig poker were!

THE LIFE STORY - HARRIET READ
Clare has chosen her husband's relative Harriet Read - a 'cousin' of his grandfather.

Family stories involving Harriet involved a nurse, the King, a silent movie star, a dancer, a private detective, a Baron, Joseph Merrick (known as 'the elephant man'), and a Royal pay-off to America.

However, when these stories began to collide and conflict, it was time for Clare to delve into them to determine fact from rumour and to help her husband's family to learn exactly who Harriet was.

THE BRICK WALL - THOMAS BOWEN MAULTBY
It's a brick wall in West Ealing, London that has Clare stuck - her Great Grandmother's brother was Thomas Bowen Maultby, and whilst she knows that he was born in Newport Pagnell in 1867.

Clare has been able to follow him through the census returns until 1881 when he appears as a ten year old. He then appears twice more - once, in 1915 named as a beneficiary in the Will of an aunt, and secondly as the person who seems to have lived in West Ealing, London when he purchased a plot at Hanwell Cemetery in London, where his mother was buried.

If you think you have a clue or a research idea, then you can contact Clare at her website digupyourancestors.com or via her Twitter/X account @digupancestors, alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Clare has concerns about Andrew's help, but is she wise to be worried....?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Clare Kirk - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this second episode of Series Six, host Andrew Martin meets Rick Glanvill - a family historian, author, and tour guide, who is also the official historian of Chelsea Football Club. Andrew will be finding out how Rick got hooked on researching his family tree, how his work as a tour guide is affected by this, and how he ended up being the expert of a football club's history.

THE LIFE STORY - WILLIAM URMSTON SEARLE GLANVILLE RICHARDSRick has chosen to tell the life story of his third cousin, three times removed - William Urmston Searle Glanville Richards.

William, like Rick, spent countless hours researching family history, but unlike Rick, William began taking on the rich and well-to-do Victorian clients for whom he would be paid to research and write up their family history, having already written up his own Glanville family.

This all sounds impressive, but then Rick started to spot cracks in his research. Upon further analysis, he found a case of William taking a creative route to his family history work involving the defacing of records in the British Library and the Bodleian Library. This landed him in big trouble.

THE BRICK WALL - ELLEN TAYLOR
Rick needs your help to solve a mystery that's been causing him problems for years - he's trying to find his 3x Gt Grandmother, Ellen Taylor, who appears to have married Henry David Linsell... However, Rick can't find their marriage, and she can't find a correct registered birth for Ellen either.

He has a few theories of why he can't locate her; maybe Taylor was a surname from a previous marriage, maybe Ellen was a middle name, maybe Ellen or Eleanor wasn't her first name.

Fascinatingly, there is a cousin noted at the time of Ellen's death in 1890, called Harriet Copping - but where does she fit in the tree? Was she a first cousin? A second cousin? Or not even Ellen's cousin but her husband's cousin instead? All this remains a mystery.

If you think that you can help Rick solve his brick wall with a research idea or clue, then you can send him a message via his Twitter account @RickGlanvill or via the email address he gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send a message and we'll pass it straight on.

In the meantime, Rick accepts Andrew and Sándor's offer of help, but will there be penalties?

Episode Credits:
Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Rick Glanvill - Guest
John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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Series Six of The Family Histories Podcast begins with host Andrew Martin meeting family historian, storyteller, and author of 'Quilt Of Souls: A Memoir' - Phyllis Biffle Elmore. She explains what got her hooked on researching family history, the value of listening to our elders, and collecting oral histories.

THE LIFE STORY - LULA HORNPhyllis has chosen to tell the life story of her grandmother Lula Horn, born in 1883 in Sandersville, Mississippi, USA, whom she met for the first time aged 4 when she was taken to live with her.

Phyllis recalls how her grandmother made her feel welcome, which kickstarted an unbreakable bond over the telling of family history stories whilst making quilts from the clothes of ancestors.

THE BRICK WALL - LULA HORNReturning to her beloved Grandmother, Lula Horn, Phyllis is keen to discover the descendants from Lula's aunts and uncles.

Phyllis has explored DNA matches, but despite filtering out the DNA matches from other parts of her ancestors in GEDmatch, she's been left with a few matches that she's been unable to tie in to her research. Can you help?

• Who were Lula's parents?
• Are there modern descendants of Lula's aunts and uncles?
• Do you have matches against GEDmatch kit A331399?

If you think that you can help Phyllis smash through her brick wall, or you can offer a clue or research idea, then you can contact her via the email she gives in the episode or at her website www.thequiltofsouls.com. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to her.

In the meantime, Phyllis is concerned about Andrew's offer of help... but will she find it useful?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Phyllis Biffle Elmore - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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Series Six is ready! However, before we join our first guest, Andrew thinks there's just enough time to go out for some celebratory drinks... or perhaps shots - assuming no-one gets bard...

Our first episode arrives on 7th November 2023 - see the full list of our forthcoming Series Six guests and episode schedule by checking out our Series Six page.

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Robert Neumark Jones - William Shakespeare
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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Previously on The Family Histories Podcast....

Whilst trying to send the previous episode's guest Kelly Cornwell back in time, Andrew makes a mistake and suddenly finds himself in an alternate dimension where things are the same but also a little bit different. In this reality, the host of The Family Histories Podcast is author and historian Dr. Wanda Wyporska who has been waiting for her guest - Andrew!

In this Series Five bonus episode, Wanda hears how family historian Andrew Martin got hooked on researching his family tree, his love of family documents, his thoughts on what's next for the genealogy industry, and his work to catalogue and digitise the collection of the town archive of The Littleport Society.

The Life Story - John GoltripAndrew has chosen to tell the life story of his maternal 5x Great Grandfather John Goltrip who was born in 1771/1772 in Littleport, Cambridgeshire.

By the time John and his wife Elizabeth are married and having children, the Napoleonic Wars are in full swing, then The Corn Law begins which raises inflation and causes the poorest to get even poorer with food prices rocketing, and then an Indonesian volcano erupts.

Andrew explains how this combination of events culminates in his ancestor taking action as part of the Littleport Riots of 1816, and how John risked changing things forever.

The Brick Wall - Mary ClarkeIt's a sense of revenge that makes Andrew so keen to solve this long-running brick wall.

In 1841, his paternal 4x Great Grandmother Mary Clarke, by then Mary Bailey, was serving a 6 month prison sentence with hard labour in a gaol in Ipswich, Suffolk, England for the neglect and abuse of her step-children.

Moving ahead a few years, and the family briefly reunites in Botesdale, Suffolk, before William dies and widowed Mary returns to the workhouse in Eye, Suffolk in 1881. This is the last trace of Mary, who by this time is about 70yrs old. Having checked many burial, marriage, and death certificates, Andrew has not been able to finally kill off his nasty-piece-of-work.

• What happened to Mary after the 1881 census?
• When did she die?

If you think that you can help Andrew with a clue or a research idea, then you can contact him on Twitter at @FamilyTreeUK, or via his website. Alternatively you can head over to our website and we'll send your message on to him.

In the meantime, Andrew is very enthusiastic towards Wanda's offer of help, which makes her suspicious of him...

Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode Eight (Bonus)

• Dr. Wanda Wyporska - Host
• Andrew Martin - Guest and Producer
• Kelly Cornwell - Guest
• Phoebe Batteson-Brown - Jane Austen

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In this final episode of Series Five, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist Kelly Cornwell and hears about her love of researching family history, and how that led on to her going professional, as well as her work on an extremely niche One-Place Study.

The Life Story - Rebecca MonksfieldKelly has chosen to tell the life story of her 5x Great Aunt Rebecca Monksfield of Shoreditch, London,who, like her mother, worked for a shoe factory.

However, a chance search in newspapers followed by a search on the Old Bailey Online site, revealed that Rebecca was seemingly not been the model employee. She was charged with the theft and sale of many stolen pairs of shoes. She was found guilty and her punishment was given as transportation for 7 years. So, as a teenager, she was taken from London and sent to Tasmania, Australia.

Despite still serving her sentence, Rebecca continued to to test, bend, and break rules in her new country - some of which Kelly seems to admire her for!
The Brick Wall - Rebecca Monksfield
Kelly is annoyed that she can't find Rebecca Monksfield in Hobart, Tasmania after 1836, and so it's her later life that she has chosen to ask for your help with. Despite help from the Tasmanian archives, and numerous other sites including Trove, she can't find a death or a marriage.

• What happened to Rebecca Monksfield after 1836?
• Did she die, or did she change her name to start a new life?
• Did she marry?
• Did she travel home or move somewhere else?

If you think you can help Kelly with a clue or a research idea, then you can email her on the address she gives in the episode, or you can contact her via her website, her Twitter, of Facebook page. Alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass that on.

In the meantime, Kelly jumps at the chance of some help from Andrew, but something very strange is about to happen...

Episode Credits:
Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Kelly Cornwell - Guest
Daniel Loftus - Guest

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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NOTE: This episode contains discussion on the topics of eugenics, suicide, and abuse. Please consider others when listening aloud.In this sixth episode of Series Five - The Cousin, host Andrew meets Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and now family history author John Erickson. Andrew will be finding out about how John's 30 years in journalism has helped him with researching his family, how his mother surprised him with news of her younger brother, and how the life of his Grandmother has affected him.

The Life Story - Carolyn McClainJohn has chosen to tell the story of his cousin Carolyn McClain who, despite a lot of painful memories of her traumatic loss of her father, brother, and sister, was able to help him establish facts and write his book When Mortals Play God.

The Brick Wall - Patricia and Robert AndersonAnderson is a rather common surname in the USA, and so this brick wall has been hanging around for quite some time. John wasn't able to discover much about his cousins, but he does know that they were the children of Raymond Anderson (b. 1925) who served active military service as a young man in World War Two.

John thinks that both Patricia and Robert would have been born in the 1940s, and in at least the 1980s, they were living in Minnesota, USA... but that's it!

This is a real needle in a haystack, but if you think that you have a research idea or clue that can help John's brick wall to come tumbling down, then you can send him a message via our Contact Form and we'll pass it on to him.

Meanwhile, John is unsure about the safety of Andrew's offer of help... and what IS that noise?

Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• John Erickson - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Support is available to those who are affected by abuse, and suicide, or if you are feeling suicidal. You can find your local support lines and resources here: https://findahelpline.com/

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Andrew is joined by professional genealogist Fiona Brooker for this fifth episode of Series Five. Andrew finds out how she researches family history in Scotland and England from New Zealand, as well as the challenges of researching within New Zealand and its privacy laws. She reveals how she got hooked on family history, and also shares her thoughts on how our modern lives will be researched in future.

THE LIFE STORY - THOMAS URQUHARTFiona has decided to tell the life story of her Great Grandfather, Thomas Urquhart, who was born in Aberdeen in 1882.

Thomas starts off as a mason but joins the Police Force in 1907, and through detailed staff records she's able to trace his career until he resigns in 1924.

With his wife Ann, and their seven children, he embarks on a journey to a fresh new start in New Zealand... but his journey take a tragic turn before they even arrived.

THE BRICK WALL - JANE RICHARDSONIt's a woman in New Zealand that's causing Fiona a headache - her xxx Jane Richardson, but whilst Jane's later life is known, it's her origins that remain a mystery.

Her marriage records suggest that she was born circa 1833, and other records suggest she was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but sadly, her parents are documented only as 'Richardson' and 'Richardson'. Not very helpful!

Can you help Fiona discover;

• Who were Jane's parents?
• Do Jane's children's names follow the Scottish Naming Pattern - offering hints of their ancestors' identities?
• When did Jane arrive in New Zealand? Was she with her parents, or alone?

If you think you can help Fiona with a research clue or idea, then you can contact her at her MemoriesInTime.co.nz website or alternatively, you can send her a message via our website and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Andrew is surprised at just how keen Fiona is to accept his help...

Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode Five:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Fiona Brooker - Guest

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this fourth episode of Series Five, host Andrew meets family historian, blogger, and Family Tree Magazine columnist Paul Chiddicks. He tells Andrew how he got into family history, about his Old Palace School Bombing project, and shares his ideas for some genealogy-themed Lego sets.

The Life Story - William WoottonPaul has chosen to tell the life story of his maternal Great Grandfather William Tom Wootton, who was born in 1863 in Kentish Town, London. Paul describes him as an 'entrepreneur' although others might describe him as a 'chancer' given some of his actions.

William had 7 children with his first wife Elizabeth Compton, but the final child saw Elizabeth die in childbirth. William re-married to an Emily Dodd, and they added a further 9 children to their family - and as you might expect - this came at a price!

William worked as a lead glazier on some of England's most impressive architecture, but his determination to keep a roof over his family's head led him to take on a number of other jobs to make ends meet, including Punch and Judy shows, busking and there's even a family rumour about a sale of some well known East End songs.

The Brick Wall - Samuel ChiddicksIt's a brick wall that's been standing for 30 years that is asking for help with, and it's one that he has tried to crack time and time again.

Paul knows that Samuel Chiddicks was buried in South Fambridge in Essex, England, in 1816, with a given age of 55 years old, which in turn gives an approximate birth year of 1761.

He is believed to have married a Mary Turner in 1787 in South Fambridge, but he is known to have married Ann Beard in 1794.

Paul has undertaken an autosomal test with Ancestry, and a Y-DNA test with Family Tree DNA, and this has given him some Chiddicks matches in the USA and Northern Ireland, that all lead back to County Tyrone and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland... but how?

• Where was Samuel Chiddicks born?
• Who were his parents?
• Is Northern Ireland in his Chiddicks ancestry?

If you think that you can help Paul with his brick wall, you can contact him via his website chiddicksfamilytree.com or you can find him on Twitter @chiddickstree. Alternatively, you can send us a message via our website and we'll pass it on to him.

Meanwhile, Paul is cautious of Andrew's offer of help, but maybe he has a good reason to be...

Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode Four:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Paul Chiddicks - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi.

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this third episode of Series Five - The Missionary - host Andrew meets family historian Kim Brengle and hears how she got hooked on tracing her family history, and how she manages to trace her nomadic relatives.

The Life Story - Daniel and Emily OliverKim has chosen to share the life story of her Great Grandparents Daniel and Emily Oliver, and this is one that sees Daniel leave his agricultural labouring life in Caithness, Scotland, and Emily leaving her Quaker family in Yorkshire, to both independently end up living and working in the mountains near Beirut in Lebanon.

Here, they married, raised a family, and set up a school and an orphanage, the legacy of which still lives on today in the memories their community.

The Brick Wall - Juliaetta HarringtonKim's 2x Great Grandmother Juliaetta Harrington/Herrington (later Stephenson) is causing her a headache. Born in 1841 in Michigan, USA, Kim knows about Juliaetta's life - which lasted just 38yrs until her death in 1879. The puzzle here is the identity of Juliaetta's parents.

Despite lots of close-ish DNA matches, Kim has not been able to piece together the evidence to identify how these matches and her known ancestry are connected.

Can you help Kim identify Juliaetta's parents?

If you think you can help Kim with a clue or research idea, then you can make contact with her via her website at generationsofnomads.com or alternatively, you can head over to our website to read this episode's show notes and send her a message - we'll pass it straight on.

In the meantime, Kim is curious of Andrew and Sándor's offer of help, but what could possibly go wrong?

Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode Three

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Kim Brengle - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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In this second episode of Series Five - The Righteous - host Andrew meets Slovak professional genealogist, and host of the Slovak Ancestry Podcast, Michal Razus. Andrew finds out how Michal got into researching family history, the challenges of researching in Slovakia, and finds out about his work to assist people with citizenship.

The Life Story - Michal Razus
Michal has chosen his 2x Great Grandfather also named Michal Razus as his relative to tell the life story of. This Michal was born in 1908, and lived in Czechoslovakia (as it was back then). Amidst World War Two, Michal, who worked as a cabinet maker, took in, fed, and employed a young Jewish man in carpentry - thus helping to save him from the on-coming Nazi forces and the Holocaust.

Years later, and after Michal's death in 1985, Michal the younger's family had been unaware of their ancestor's act until contact was made from a man in the USA. That man had been the young Jewish man who'd been taken in, and he came with news that he was being posthumously honoured with the Righteous Among the Nations award by the State of Israel.

The Brick Wall - Juraj Franko
It's a 2x Gt Grandfather, born in Chmelovec, Slovakia in 1890, that is causing Michal a headache.

However, it's not the Slovak part that's the problem - Michal has traced his ancestor Juraj Franko to 150W, 104 Street, Manhattan, New York, USA on 25th April 1942, and that's where his trail ends.

• What happened to Juraj after this date?
• Did he stay in Manhattan, or did he travel elsewhere?

If you think that you can help Michal with a clue or a research idea that might help him solve his brick wall, then you can make contact him via the email address he gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can head to our website where you'll find this episode's show notes, and be able to send a message which we'll pass straight on to him.

In the meantime, Michal is intrigued by Andrew's offer of help - but will he stick to the rules?

Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode Two

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Michal Razus - Guest

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this first episode of Series Five of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Jenni Phillips, and finds out how she got hooked on family history, why she can't get enough of studying genealogy, her love of family and local history societies, and the lengths she goes to to research house history.

The Life Story - John SpringJenni has chosen to tell the life story of her 7x Gt Grandfather John Spring of West Cholderton in Wiltshire, England.

John was a carpenter, baptised in West Cholderton in 1730 to a carpenter and parish clerk Thomas Spring and his wife Mary. John would go on to inherit his father's carpentry business, and he also inherited a number of thatched cottages... with an unexpected tenant - a British Army veteran of the American War of Independence - Sir William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe!

How did this Viscount end up in a Wiltshire carpenter's cottage? Jenni had to find out.

The Brick Wall - David DaviesIt's a birth and parental puzzle that's been bugging Jenni for a while now, so she's asking for your help to demolish her brick wall.

David Davies is Jenni's 4x Great Grandfather, and she has traced him to New Street, Swansea, Wales during the mid 19th century's censuses. However, his place of birth is not consistent - sometimes Swansea, sometimes Carmarthenshire. Records point to him having been born between 1797 and 1801, but Jenni has found a lot of David Davies candidates in both Swansea and Carmarthenshire as it's quite a common name.

Can you help her find out;

• Who David Davies' parents were?
• When and where was he born?
• Is there a baptism entry for him?

If you think you can help Jenni with a research idea or a clue, then you can contact her via Twitter at @JenniPh, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, Jenni can't believe her luck when Andrew offers his help, but was it a wise choice?

Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode One:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jenni Phillips - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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The Family Histories Podcast returns for its fifth series on 2nd May 2023, but before episode one arrives, there's just enough time for a spot of tea... in 1811... with Jane Austen!

Host Andrew Martin returns for Series Five, along with seven more genealogy addicted guests, seven more fascinating life stories, and seven more annoying family history research brick walls that will need your help to demolish them.

Of course, there's also a secret time machine in the garage, but we know you won't tell anyone else about that, right?

Series Five begins on 2nd May 2023, and is available from wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss an episode!

Meet the Series Five guests!

Episode Credits
Series Five, Trailer

• Andrew Martin: Host and Producer
• Phoebe Batteson-Brown: Jane Austen

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Previously.... on The Family Histories Podcast:

Computer has given host Andrew and guest Simon Last a stark warning and now they find themselves in immediate danger... but from what, and who can save them?

This is the Series Four bonus episode, following on from the cliff-hanger of episode seven - 'The Reunited'.

Episode Credits
Series Four, Episode Eight (Bonus)

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Simon Last - Guest
• Courtney Dunn - Computer
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Show notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com

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In this final episode of Series Four, host Andrew meets professional genealogist and author Simon Last. Andrew will find out about Simon's love of War Memorials, his work with the Western Front Association and the Commonwealth Graves War Commission, why he turned professional, and his love for collecting postcards.

The Life Story - Tadeusz BialosiewiczSimon tells the story of his grandfather, Tadeusz Bialosiewicz of Poland, whom he discovered over 20 years ago, after Simon was researching his mother's adoption in 1949.

With a desire to track Tadeusz's family down, he used his research skills to locate a Bialosiewicz overseas that very swiftly led to him picking up the phone and discovering that he was actually talking to his biological Grandfather.

What follows is a wonderful story of reunion, as Simon and his mother welcome Tadeusz and his family in both England and Poland.

The Brick Wall - Edith Rosa SinclairWe're now on the trail of Simon's Great Grandmother, Edith Rosa Sinclair, who has proven difficult to research, not just because her age seems to be wrong by about 10 years, but because documents give her father different names.

Whilst Rosa appears to have been born on 5th November 1881 (confirmed by a birth certificate and her 1939 Register entry). Her mother is noted as Clara Martha Boys, and her father is noted as William Henry Sinclair - lamp maker. Her sister Alice's father is noted as William Henry Poulett - 'a gentleman'. By the time Edith marries in 1915, her father is noted as 'deceased' and as Edward Sinclair - commercial clerk.

DNA has yet to yield any matches for this branch, so Simon is stuck with this brick wall for now.

Can you help Simon work out who Edith's real father was?

If you think that you can help Simon with a clue or research idea to help break down his brick wall, then you can contact him on Twitter at @CharnwoodGenie , at his Charnwood Genealogy website, or via the email address he mentions in the episode. Alternatively, you can send him a message via our contact form and we'll pass it on to him.

In the meantime, Simon accepts Andrew's offer of help, but there's an unexpected warning...

Episode Credits
Series Four, Episode Seven:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Simon Last - Guest
• Courtney Dunn - Computer

Show notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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In this sixth episode of Series Four, Andrew meets Irish professional genealogist Claire Bradley. He'll be finding out how she got hooked on family history, the impact of the Irish Civil War on her family history research, how she's teaching genealogists, and her time as a genealogist in control of the national @Ireland twitter account.

The Life Story - Michael JoyceClaire has chosen her 2x Great Grandfather, Michael Joyce who was born in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland, in 1851.

Michael was both a Mayor of Limerick, and a Member of Parliament (MP) in the UK Government.

His journey to politics was quite eventful, seeing him survive four shipwrecks, and another one involving a torpedo during later life, but he remained dedicated to the people he served almost until his death in 1941.

The Brick Wall - Thomas ReillyIt's a brick wall that's seemingly in Cork, Ireland, that's giving Claire a headache.

She's looking for the marriage and earlier life of a Thomas Reilly, who married Elizabeth Murphy. The challenge is that those two surnames are very common in Ireland, and she has already manually gone through all the Thomas Reilly's that she can find, leaving her with just two men, neither of whom she can prove are her Thomas Reilly.

Where was Thomas Reilly really from, and where did he marry Elizabeth Murphy?

If you think that you can help Claire with a clue or research idea, then you can contact her directly at her twitter account (@CBGenealogy), her Facebook Page, or her website. Alternatively, you can send a message via our contact form, and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Claire accepts Andrew's offer, but will he really able to help her?

Episode Credits
Series Four, Episode Six:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Claire Bradley - Guest

Show notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this episode from Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets author and former journalist Paul Roberts to find out how he got hooked on researching his family's history. He'll find out how Paul's early research skills helped his work as a journalist, and how he managed to write a book about 30 men who fought in the First World War.

Life Story - Sam RobertsPaul has chosen to share the life story of his 1st Cousin, 2x Removed, Sam Roberts.

Sam was born in 1895 in Teignmouth, Devon, England, and he joined the Devonshire Regiment when The Great War broke out. He soon found himself on the front lines, and along with most of the regiment, was shot by enemy forces as they went 'over the top' into No Man's Land. By a stroke of luck, Sam survived, despite being shot in the chest. This earned him the nickname 'Lucky Sam'.

After a long recovery period, Sam returned as a Corporal to the trenches of The Somme, and sadly it was here that his luck would run out.

The Brick Wall - James Arscott and Eliza MitchellWe're on the trail of a retired Battle of Trafalgar veteran James Arscott who dies in Teignmouth, Devon in 1816. Despite knowing his date of death, Paul has been unable to locate his burial location.

In addition, in James' Will, a ring is bequeathed to an Eliza Mitchell who 'hailed from Teignmouth'... but her identity remains a mystery. Can you help?

If you think you can help Paul with a research idea or clue, then you can contact him at his website, or alternatively head over to our contact form, and we'll pass your message on to him.

In the meanwhile, Andrew offers Paul some help, but he's not quite sure it's genuine...

Episode Credits -
Series Four, Episode Four:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Paul Roberts - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petofi

Show notes and more at familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this fourth episode of Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets Canadian professional genealogist and author, Janice Nickerson, who specialises her research into the families and history of Upper Canada, the Hudson Bay Company, and crime and punishment. Andrew will be finding out how she got hooked on family history, the value of court records, the challenges of researching in Canada, and the how she gets non-genealogists and children interested in family history.

Life Story - Emma Bell ChantJanice has chosen to tell the life story of her Great Grandmother, Emma Bell Chant, whom she never met. Janice had been told that Emma was quite a formidable and stern woman, but her true personality flows from the pages of a collection of letters loaned to her by an aunt.

Emma, who was born in 1873, married and had 11 children, somehow found the time to care for her family whilst doing neighbours laundry, reading classics, and helping to push political boundaries for Canadian women.

The series of consecutive letters which span the period of 1918 to 1924 show the warmth, the humour, and the motherly advice given to one of her sons.

The Brick Wall - John George CarterA family story has kept Janice stumped relating to her grandfather, John George Carter. John was born in 1900, and the story goes that he had a semi-professional hockey career. John, who was known as 'Jack', but also went by the name 'Nick' Carter in his hockey circles, is in Canada in 1921 and 1928, but is seen crossing the border from Canada into the USA in September 1924. Janice has heard that he may have gone to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to play hockey, but evidence is not forthcoming.

It is during the period of 1924 and 1928, that John (or 'Jack' or 'Nick') is believed to have received a head injury during a game and he vanished, but was found a while later, far from the game with amnesia. Janice has found no evidence for this incident, which surely would have attracted some newspaper, police, or medical attention.

So, did John George Carter (aka 'Jack' and 'Nick' Carter) have a professional hockey career, and did he really have a period of amnesia that caused him to go missing? Can you help?

If you think you can help, you can email Janice at the email address she gives in the episode, or make contact with her via her Upper Canada Genealogy Facebook page. Alternatively, you can also head over to our website and send her a message via our contact form.

In the meantime, Janice is keen to accept Andrew's offer of help, but she has a few questions first...

Episode Credits:
Series Four, Episode Four:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Janice Nickerson - Guest

Show notes and more at familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this third episode of Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets with historian, author, TEDx speaker, and family historian, Shaquan McDowell to find out how he got hooked on researching his family, his adventures with DNA, and how he got involved in the New York Times' 1619 Project.

Life Story - Elizabeth ScottShaquan has chosen to tell the story of his 5x Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Scott - a Free Person of Colour born in 1810 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Whilst her country was going through significant changes, Elizabeth managed to navigate them whilst holding together her household, as the head, and as the mother.

Life was hard, but her connections to the community around her enabled her to cross the colour line repeatedly. She managed to break through and provide for her children and grandchildren.

Despite dying in 1883, Elizabeth's influence continues down today, even inspiring Shaquan to become an author of his E. L. Moran series.

The Brick Wall - Wiley FullerIt's Shaquan's 4x Great Grandfather, Wiley Fuller that is giving him a headache in the archives.

It is known what happens to Wiley from the 1870 US Census onwards, but it's a mystery what happens before this date. DNA analysis by Shaquan has hinted that his father was an Enoch Fuller, but documentary evidence remains elusive. Can you help?

If you think that you can help Shaquan with a research idea or a clue, then you can contact him via his email address (given in the episode), or via his twitter account (@S_C_McD). Alternatively, you can send him a message via our contact form.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Shaquan some help with his brick wall, but he's not entirely convinced that it's safe...

Episode Credits:
Series Four, Episode Three:

• Andrew Martin- Host and Producer
• Shaquan McDowell- Guest

Show notes and more at familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this second episode of Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets with Else Churchill, who has spent 40 years working in the genealogy community, and is the Genealogist at the Society of Genealogists in London. She also regularly teaches, lectures, and has played a pivotal role in organising conferences, and representing the family history community at national and governmental level.

Life Story - Else's Mother and FatherAfter decades of research into the Churchill family of Herefordshire in England, Else finally gave in and took an autosomal Ancestry DNA test in 2019.

What happened next has led her to look at her childhood in a somewhat different light, thanks to an unexpected cousin match, an old photograph, and an office Christmas party.

The Brick Wall - Mary DaviesIt's a brick wall in 1820's Herefordshire, England that has been causing Else a research headache in the Churchill tree.

Else knows that Mary Davies married William Churchill in 1851, but she's struggling to find the right parents for Mary in the Herefordshire villages close to the Welsh border. Can you help her?

If you think you can help Else solve her brick wall, then you can contact her via email at else.churchill@sog.org.uk. Alternatively, you can head over to our contact form and we'll pass the message onwards.

Meanwhile, Andrew bends the rules with his offer of help, but which choice will Else make?

Episode Credits
Series Four, Episode Two:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Else Churchill - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Show notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this first episode of Series Four- 'The Undead', host Andrew Martin meets Swedish genealogist Linda Kvist to find out about her love of family history, how she became a DNA coach, how she uses archives and Arkiv Digital to trace her Swedish ancestors, and how she DNA tested a non-human family member!

Life Story - Nils Peter BengtssonLinda tells the life story of her partner's ancestor Nils Peter Bengtsson, a man who was born in 1858 and emigrated to the USA. In about 1900, and now widowed, he decided to return home to his native Sweden, sending his daughter home first.... but as he stands on the dock before boarding his ship he collapses and dies..... or at least that's how the story goes.

Left with an old photograph of Nils, a curious passenger list entry, and a death certificate that didn’t quite look right, Linda embarked on her own journey to uncover an unusual story… with a strange twist, and an important lesson.

The Brick Wall - Nikolai Edvard Seck and Julia VernoWe're on the trail of Linda's maternal Great Grandparents Nikolai Edvard Seck and Julia Verno who were both born in the 1880s. Whilst it's known that they were married in Pskov, Estonia (now in Russia) on 9th May 1915, and that they fled to Sweden during 1944, little else is known of them.

It is known that Nikolai was a wrestler (Linda has some photos), and that Julia's parents were named August Verno and Anna Lindenberg, but no other details have been found. Can you help Linda find out about their earlier life?

If you think you have a clue or a research idea, you can contact Linda at her Facebook Page, or via the email address she gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send us a message at familyhistoriespodcast.com and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, whilst Linda is happy to accept Andrew's offer of help, Sándor has made other plans...

Episode Credits:
Series Four, Episode One:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Linda Kvist - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Episode show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Series Four of The Family Histories Podcast is ready!

It's time for the brand new Series Four of The Family Histories Podcast with seven more brilliant family historians, seven fascinating life stories, and seven more of those pesky research brick walls for you to help solve.

For a list of our list of Series Four guests and all the latest updates about the podcast, visit familyhistoriespodcast.com

It all begins on 1st November 2022 ..... assuming host Andrew Martin can get home on time from a rather spooky forest in 1843. 

Episode Credits
Series Four, Trailer:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jim Kirk - Edgar Allan Poe

Show notes and latest news: familyhistoriespodcast.com

Thank you for listening!You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, or Instagram.
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In this short Series Three bonus episode, we return right back to the ending of Episode Seven, where guest Sheldon K. Goodman and host Andrew Martin are facing a perilous fate where a bearded stranger has them both held at sword-point.

Who is this stranger, where did he come from, and what does he want?

Episode Credits
Series Three, Episode Eight (Bonus)
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Sheldon K. Goodman (Guest)
Prince Sterling (Charlemagne)
Yetunde Abiola (Guest)
Show notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this seventh and final episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets public historian and tour guide, Sheldon K. Goodman, to find out about how he became obsessed with family history, why he co-founded the Cemetery Club, and how he researches and shares the often hidden lives of LGBTQ+ people.

Life Story: John TraynorSheldon has chosen his Great Grandfather's life story to share with us, but it's one that's filled with pain and trauma.

When Sheldon's Grandfather was just 4 years old, in a fit of rage, his father threw him into scalding water, which resulted in burns that were so severe that the 4 year old child received his last rites. He did survive though, badly scarred, but never spoke of what happened, nor about his father. The family subsequently destroyed photographs of John, and removed him from his own headstone.

Sheldon, with help from his Twitter followers, unravelled some of John's earlier life, that has made him reassess his mental state - believing that whilst his act against his son is inexcusable, he may have been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after his time fighting in the First World War.

The Brick Wall: R H Bates 'The Bird Man of Hyde Park'In what is probably the most quirkiest of all our guest's brick walls so far, Sheldon is trying to find out what happened to local character R H Bates, known affectionately on the streets of London, and the press, as 'the bird man of Hyde Park'.

• Who was R H Bates?
• What did he do in life before he dedicated his time to feeding the sparrows?
• When did he die, and of course, where can Sheldon visit his grave?

If you think you might have a clue for Sheldon, you can aptly tweet him via his twitter profile @CemeteryClub, or you can head over to familyhistoriespodcast.com and use our contact form and we'll send the message on.

In the meantime, as Andrew and Sheldon head to the garage, there's a surprise waiting for them...

Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode Seven
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Sheldon K. Goodman (Guest)
Prince Sterling (The Intruder)
Show notes can be found at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this sixth episode of Series Three - THE MATRIARCH, Andrew meets genealogist and RootsTech Ambassador Yetunde Abiola to find out how she researches her family history in Jamaica and Nigeria, and what kind of records are available in two countries involved in the slave trade in seemingly different ways.

Life Story: Agnes Ancita Chambers
Yetunde has chosen her 2x Great Grandmother Agnes Ancita Chambers for her Life Story.

After being shown a photograph of Agnes dressed in her finery, Yetunde needed to find out more, and she soon discovered that Agnes was born in 1867 in Jamaica, right at the end of slavery. Agnes was a woman of means.

After marrying her seemingly secretive (more on that later) husband Charles Adolphus Williams, in 1889 in Manchester, Jamaica, the couple had 15 children (12 of whom survived).

The Brick Wall: Charles Adolphus WilliamsIt's now the turn of Agnes' husband (and Yetunde's 2x Great Grandfather), Charles Adophus Williams, whom is giving Yetunde a long-term brick wall.

He was born in about 1863, and is known to have owned property. He also had 5 or 6 brothers, and according to a court record, he was a 'staunch Moravian' (an old Protestant denomination of Christianity).

Yetunde has seen the marriage certificates for Charles and his brothers, all of whom name their father as 'Robert'... but this is where the trail goes cold.

Yetunde cannot locate Charles or his brothers' birth certificates that would otherwise confirm if this 'Robert' really was Charles' father, and whether they were all full-blood siblings, and who the mother was.

• Where are the births (and the certificates) for Charles and his brothers?
• Who were the parents?

If you think you have a clue, or a research idea, that might help Yetunde demolish her research brick wall, then you can contact her at info@thegenealogypiedpiper.com or you can send her a message via our contact form, and we'll pass them on to her.

In the meantime, Yetunde is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but have recent updates made things more accurate?

Episode Credits
Series Three, Episode Six
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Yetunde Abiola (Guest)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Show notes available at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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NOTE: This episode names and discusses the life of a First Nations Indigenous Australian who has died. If you wish to skip this section, you can do so from the 6m 15s mark, until the 7m 44s minute mark.

In this fifth episode of Series Three - THE PRIEST, host Andrew Martin meets Australian former-librarian now genealogy addict, Jill Ball. He'll find out about how she got into family history, how she found her convict ancestors, her work as President of The Lake Macquarie Family History Group, and they'll share their love for the Australian online archive Trove.

Life Story: Michael Harrington RyanJill was excited to find a religious man in her tree, and so has chosen to tell the life story of her 3x Great Uncle, Michael Harrington Ryan. Was he a saint or sinner as he travelled the globe through his work? It took Jill a lot of effort to track him across numerous countries throughout his career, and she proves how a chance glance in a book, gave her the ultimate prize.

The Brick Wall: James DuncanWe're off to the mid-1800's to see if we can find out what became of Jill's 2x Great Grandfather, James Duncan. He'd been born in Aberdeen, Scotland, but turns up in Melbourne, Australia in May 1853 to marry a Mary Cligan (there's many variants to that name). The couple had three known children, but it's after Jill's Great Grandfather (also James) was born in 1857 in Victoria, that James senior vanishes.

Where did he go? Did he or Mary die shortly after?

If you think you can help Jill with a clue to break down her brick wall, then you can contact her via her website, or at @geniaus on Twitter, or via our contact form at familyhistoriespodcast.com (and we'll pass it on to her).

In the meantime, Jill's I.T. skills come in handy in the garage, but will it make things more reliable?

Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode Five
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Jill Ball (Guest)
Show notes can be found at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this fourth episode of Series Three - THE DEFIANT, host Andrew meets with the President of the Sephardic Genealogical Society, David Mendoza to find out how he got into tracing his family's history, and what it's like to trace Sephardic roots.

Life Story - Miguel de Mendonça ValladolidDavid has chosen his ancestor's nephew Miguel de Mendonça Valladolid as the life story to share, and this is a remarkable story about a man's defiance against religious persecution, and his strength of mind and principles to not convert from Sephardim to 'New Christian', something that he would hold until his execution in Lisbon in 1731.

The Brick Wall - Aaron MendozaIt'sDavid's ancestor, Aaron Mendoza that is giving him a headache, and this brick wall is seemingly endless. Aside from a marriage at Bevis Marks Synagogue in London in 1730 to his wife Benvenida, his work in 1733 to translate the first Jewish book to be published in England, and an appearance in London in 1744, he completely vanishes.

There is an Ireland connection somewhere (where there were some small Portuguese Jewish communities), and Benvenida appears receiving charitable payments in 1749, but what becomes of Aaron? When and where did he go, and when and where did he die? It really could be a pin-in-a-map scenario!

• Did he die between 1744 and 1749?
• Was his death in Ireland?

If you think you can help David with a clue or a research idea, then head to our contact form at familyhistoriespodcast.com and we'll pass your message on to him.

In the meantime, David is initially unsure whether to accept Andrew's offer of help, but then things don't always quite go to plan...

Episode Credits
Series Three, Episode FourAndrew Martin (Host/Producer)
David Mendoza (Guest)
Show notes can be found at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this third episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets author, genealogist, and counsellor Helen Parker-Drabble to find out how she got hooked on family history, what exactly is a 'geneatherapist', and how she uses this skill within her research to help understand her ancestors' psychological inheritance.

Life Story: Walter ParkerHelen has chosen to tell the life story of her Grandfather Walter Parker, who was born in the village of Upwell in Norfolk, England in 1885. Walter is also the central topic of her book 'A Victorian's Inheritance'.

We'll hear about how a 21 year old Walter's silent protest led to him having to choose either to leave the family home in Thorney, Cambridgeshire, or see his family evicted. He chose emigration to the prairies of Winnipeg, Canada, but sometimes the problems that you're trying to escape from, escape with you.

The Brick Wall: Walter Parker!Helen has chosen to stick with her Grandfather Walter Parker, as she needs our help to solve a conundrum. Walter emigrated to Canada in March 1907, and she has many pieces of evidence, including passenger lists from the SS Ionian, and postcards, to support this. Yet, there's a vaccination card from the same ship that has survived amongst his papers, stamped from almost exactly one year earlier. What does this mean?

• Did he manage to afford to travel to Canada twice in a year?
• Was the SS Ionian stamping vaccination cards with the wrong year?
• Was this card someone else's, and if so why did Walter have it, and keep it?

If you think you can help Helen with a clue or research idea that can help her break this brick wall, then you can visit her website, her twitter, or drop her a message via our contact form, and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, Helen jumps at Andrew's offer of help, but will he be able to get her aboard on time?

Episode Credits
Series Three, Episode ThreeAndrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Helen Parker-Drabble (Guest)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Debanjali Biswas (Photography)
Show notes can be found at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this second episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, and genealogy tutor - Chris Paton, and finds out how he got hooked on family history, and what it's like to research family history in Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. He asks Chris about his tutoring work with genealogy course provider Pharos, and his former television producer career with the BBC.

Life Story - Jessie MacFarlane
Chris has chosen his Great Grandmother Jessie Paton (born Jessie MacFarlane) from Inverness, Scotland. After marrying David Paton in 1889, the newly-weds moved to Brussels in Belgium where David managed two shoe shops for Glasgow shoe manufacturer R & J Dick Ltd. When the First World War broke out, German soldiers occupied Belgium, and following David's sudden death, Jessie is left alone with their children - trapped in war.

This is a story of his Great Grandmother's bravery and determination to survive and get home, told through a collection of letters Chris found in The National Archives.

The Brick Wall - Thomas Graham
Chris has chosen his 3x Great Grandfather Thomas Graham of County Armagh, who was born in 1820/1821 in what is now Northern Ireland. Having discovered his origins, Chris just can't find the date and place for his death.

Thomas is living as a 60yr old Clerk in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England with his wife Eliza at the time of the 1881 census, but after attending a wedding in 1881, that's it! Eliza appears listed as a widow in Belfast in 1901, but what happened to Thomas?

• When did Thomas Graham die?
• Where did Thomas Graham die?
• Will the Poor Law records of Barrow-in-Furness hold a clue?

If you think you can help Chris with solving his research brick wall, then drop him a message at his website Scotland's Greatest Story, or simply head to familyhistoriespodcast.com and use our contact form - we'll pass the message on to him.

In the meantime, Chris is keen for Andrew's help, but he's curious of what awaits in the garage...

Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode Two
Andrew Martin (Host & Producer)
Chris Paton (Guest)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Show notes can be found at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this first episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist and fellow podcaster Denise Geelhart. He'll find out how she got hooked on family history, how she researches her American and German roots, and balances that with researching the family history of the perpetrators and victims of true crime for her Murderous Roots podcast.

Life Story: Joseph HaberstrohDenise has chosen her German 3x Gt Grandfather, Joseph Haberstroh, who was born near Frieberg im Breisgau, in Baden, Germany in 1843. However, along with his parents and siblings, he left Germany during the 1848 Revolution, travelled to France, and then emigrated to the USA, where they arrived after many months (including a birth of another sibling) in 1850.

Joining his uncles, Joseph and his family were able to start life a-fresh in their new adoptive homeland. After a few years serving in the American Civil War, Joseph married and raised his own family. The family's success enabled Joseph to make a donation to the Lutheran church in which he married his wife Elizabeth, and the bell still rings out to the residents of St. Louis today.

Joseph's ability to start from scratch and build up wealth and property, earned him a legacy that still bears his name today, and it's something that Denise and her family are immensely proud of.... particularly an unusual family recipe for a 'German Christmas Cake'.

The Brick Wall: Nancy RominesOne of Denise's 2x Great Grandmothers - Nancy Romines - is her research brick wall.

Nancy was born in Tennessee, USA on 11th August 1851, possibly in Putnam County. Whilst Denise knows mostly about what became of her, she has no clear evidence of her origins.

Information that Denise has previously received, stated that a Thomas Romines and Phoebe were her parents, but she has since discovered this cannot be correct, because according to a probate record, Thomas Romines died in 1835 - 16 years before Nancy's birth.

• Was Nancy her real name?
• Was Nancy a child of Isaac or George Romines?
• What's the link between Nancy and Thomas senior, which the DNA seems to show?

If you think that you can help Denise with a clue or research idea, then you can contact at on Twitter at @Jayhawkmommy, via the email address Denise gives in the episode, or alternatively over at the MurderousRoots.com website. You can also just head over to our show contact form, and we'll pass your message on to her.

In the meantime, Denise is curious of Andrew's offer of help to solve her brick wall, but she's concerned about its safety...

Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode One:
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Denise Geelhart (Guest)
Show notes and more at familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod
©2022 The Family Histories Podcast

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We're excited to announce that Series Three of The Family Histories Podcast is ready, and once again host and family historian Andrew Martin will be meeting 7 more genealogy-addicted guests, will be hearing about the lives of 7 more fascinating relatives, and there's 7 more annoying research brick walls that we'll be asking for your help to solve.

We're also excited to announce the guests too - Chris Paton, Helen Parker-Drabble, David Mendoza, Jill Ball, Yetunde Abiola, and Sheldon K. Goodman, and we'll be starting with Denise Geelhart on 3rd May 2022.

Don't forget to subscribe (it's free!) on your podcast platform of choice, and then you'll get each episode as soon as it's released.

You can also listen and check out the show notes at our website familyhistoriespodcast.com, and you can follow us on Twitter at @FamilyHistPod.

Episode Credits
Series Three, Trailer:
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)

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In this Series Two short bonus episode, we join host Andrew Martin in the garage, as he explains to Sándor Petőfi, why his gift has to be returned to 18th century London.

However, they're interrupted by a long overdue guest returning to the present day, and she has clearly been having a wonderful time...

Episode Credits:
Series Two, Episode Eight (Bonus)
Andrew Martin (Host & Producer)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Ruby (Hodge)
Ruth Bramley (Guest)

Check out our news and show notes at familyhistoriespodcast.com, and join us on Twitter at @FamilyHistPod.
©2022 The Family Histories Podcast

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In this seventh and final episode of Series Two (sorry folks!), host Andrew meets professional genealogist and author, Emma Jolly. He'll be finding out how she got into family history, what it was like to work on TV shows Who Do You Think You Are? and Mancs In Mumbai, and ideas on how to encourage children to become interested in family history.

Relatively Speaking - William JollyEmma has chosen her paternal Great Great Grandfather, William Jolly born in 1842 in Montrose, Forfarshire (now Angus), Scotland, as the life story to share with us.

It's a story set against British military history, and sees William travelling around the world wherever his work and family took him - including Scotland, Ireland, Malta, Norfolk in England, and a few places in London that have coincidentally been significant in Emma's life too.

The Brick Wall - Elizabeth Holmes
We're off to August 1832 during a cholera epidemic in Sedgeley, West Midlands, England, as Emma is trying to find clues about her maternal 5x Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Holmes.

What's been puzzling Emma for so long, is the identity of Elizabeth's parents. Elizabeth is believed to have married in 1797 and Staffordshire, England, and died in 1827. Her mtDNA results - haplogroup T2b - are not giving any clear leads yet, so Emma is keen to find evidence to confirm Elizabeth's family.

If you think you have any clues that can help Emma with her brick wall, then you can send her a tweet at @EmmaJolly or head over to our Contact form, and we'll pass your message on.

Emma is happy to accept Andrew's offer of help, but little do they realise that they're about to be interrupted by a very unexpected visitor.

Episode Credits:
Series Two, Episode Seven
Andrew Martin (Host, Producer)
Emma Jolly (Guest)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Father Christmas (Himself)
JP Wright (Voice Actor)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
©2021 The Family Histories Podcast

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In this sixth episode, host Andrew Martin meets family historian Steve Jackson, who not only traces his family tree, but also undertakes a One-Name Study for the Atcherley surname, and a One-Place Study too. We'll be finding out how he got into genealogy, and the challenges he's faced whilst researching.

Relatively Speaking - Captain James AtcherleyWe're all at sea, as Steve tells us about his 2nd Cousin, 7x Removed, Captain James Atcherley.Captain Jamesfought as part of Admiral Nelson's fleet in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, against the Franco-Spanish fleet. Despite his successful naval career, his personal life was not quite as honourable.

The Brick Wall - Henry AtcherleySteve has been bothered by the brick wall of Henry Atcherley for a long time. He was presented for baptism at Hinstock, Shropshire, England, in August 1822, but who were his parents? The baptism register names a 'Mary Atcherley, Widow', but was she really Mary? Was she really a widow? Why not at her home parish at nearby High Ercall? Can you help him break this brick wall? Head over to the episode show notes at familyhistoriespodcast.com to find out more and how to contact Steve.

In the meantime, Andrew offers to help, but Steve has a few more questions...

Episode Credits:
Series Two, Episode Six
Andrew Martin (Host, Producer)
Steve Jackson (Guest)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
©2021 The Family Histories Podcast

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In this fifth episode, The Noble, host Andrew Martin is joined by professional genealogist Marina Brizhatova. She'll be explaining what it's like to research ancestry in Russia, what kind of records are available, and how she got into genealogy.

Relatively Speaking - Vladimir UdovenkoMarina chose her step-mother's great grandfather Vladimir Udovenko as her Life Story to tell, and this is a story of a secret identity, but not a voluntary one. It wasn't until many years after Vladimir's death, that the truth about his noble origins came to light - a complete surprise for his descendants.

The Brick Wall - Aleksey Grigoryevich SarychevMarina's Brick Wall is actually mid-way through the life of Aleksey Grigoryevich Sarychev. He and his family had lived in Nyukhovets, in the Ryazan region of Russia for generations until 1812 when all of a sudden they left for another village called Chernobayevo. Then, when the next Revision Tale took place, they'd returned.

Can you help Marina identify why the family suddenly left their ancestral base, only to return later? Were they escaping something? Were they forced to leave?

Marina accepts Andrew's offer of help, but her nervousness might be entirely justified...

Episode Credits:
Series Two, Episode Five
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Marina Brizhatova (Guest)
Show Notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com

©2021 The Family Histories Podcast

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In this fourth episode, The Pimp, host Andrew Martin is joined by writer and Mafia genealogist Justin Cascio. We'll be finding out about how he got into researching his Sicilian family history, and the challenges of researching there, He'll also tell us about how his ancestors lived as immigrants in the US.

Relatively Speaking - Giuseppe LongoJustin has chosen his Gt Grandfather Giuseppe Longo (sometimes 'Joseph') for his life story, and we're straight into a life of crime and prostitution that's all set amongst some of the most notorious mafia gangsters.

We'll find out how this impacted Giuseppe and his family.

The Brick Wall - Giuseppe Longo!In a surprise turn, Justin's brick wall is also his Life Story choice - Giuseppe Longo. However, it's Giuseppe's parents and siblings that are proving hard to find, thanks to conflicting sources of information, and archives that are hard to view.

Was Giuseppe baptised in Cefalu or Capachi, Sicily? Maybe you can help Justin unravel this mystery that allows him to trace another generation back.

Finally, Justin is happy to accept Andrew's offer of help, but there's a bit of an 'IT glitch'...

Episode Credits:Series Two, Episode Four
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Justin Cascio (Guest)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
©2021 The Family Histories Podcast

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In this third episode, host Andrew Martin meets genealogical crime mystery author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin to find out how he got into family history, how he keeps his ancestral reality separate from his fantasy worlds of Morton Farrier, Mrs McDougall, and the Venator Cold Case Team, and we'll get some teasers from the brand new Morton Farrier book.

Relatively Speaking - Silas ThomasNathan has chosen his ancestor Silas Thomas, of Sussex, England, and it's an unusual story featuring an unusual metal find that ends up earning him a fortune before landing him in prison.

The Brick Wall - Thomas GoodwinAwkwardly, it's his own Goodwin line that provides Nathan with his research brick wall, so it's over to the listeners to try to help him find his 4x Great Grandfather Thomas Goodwin, born circa 1781, married in 1800 in St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London, but Nathan needs to find out where he was born. His only clue is the scant detail of the 1841 census, that simply tells him it wasn't Sussex.

Can you help locate more information and bring this brick wall tumbling down? If you think you can help, head over to our show notes for ways to make contact.

Andrew offers Nathan some help in solving this mystery, but he'll have to tread carefully....

Episode Credits:
Series Two, Episode Three
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Nathan Dylan Goodwin (Guest)
John Spike (Sandór Petfői)
Eliot Lees (Foley)
Show Notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com©2021 The Family Histories Podcast.

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In this second episode - The Granddaddy - Andrew meets genealogist True Lewis and discovers how she got hooked on researching her family tree, what challenges she faces when researching her enslaved African-American ancestors, her work to research her American Revolutionary ancestor, and she talks about her co-host role on the Black Pro Gen Live show.

Relatively Speaking - Ike IveryTrue has chosen her 2x Great Grandfather Isaac 'Ike' Ivery for her life story.

Ike was born into slavery in Alabama, USA, but when emancipation came, it is then that his family became the Ivery family - adding an 'r' to discontinue the name of their enslaver.

Ike lived a long and full life, marrying 3 times, having 23 children, and becoming a chaplain and a farmer - and listening to this life story, you can hear just how much love and respect True and her family continue to have towards their granddaddy.

The Brick Wall - Anna Maria LambertIt's True's 5x Great Grandmother, Anna Maria Lambert that is giving her the biggest Brick Wall headache.

Anna was born in 1764 in Albany Township, Pennsylvania, USA. Despite knowing this, and having done DNA tests that show a U5b1c2 ancestor group, True has not been able to find records that detail her parents, rumoured to be Dorothea Zimmerman and Nicholas Lambert, and she's been unable to confirm Anna's death too.

She really is True's mystery, and it's one that True believes gives her a connection to European, perhaps German, ancestors.

Can you help her find out more about Anna Maria Lambert? Do you know of records or research techniques she could try? If you think you can help True with her research, you can contact her at her website or via her Twitter account @MyTrueRoots, or over at familyhistoriespodcast.com's contact form.

In the meantime, True is keen to accept Andrew's offer of help, but her enthusiasm might just cause a bit of a problem...

Episode Credits
Series Two, Episode Two
Andrew Martin (Host, Producer)
True Lewis (Guest)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
©2021 The Family Histories Podcast.

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In this first episode of Series Two - The Tailor, host Andrew Martin talks to genealogist and former-colleague Ruth Bramley about how she got hooked on tracing her Jewish family history, her passion for re-creating history, and how she traced the history of an object known as 'Alice'.

Relatively Speaking: Woolf Bernstock
Ruth tells the story of her 2x Great Grandfather Woolf Bernstock who was born in Warsaw, Poland in about 1844. By 1876, working as a tailor, he, his wife and family moved to Portsmouth, England to start a new life.

The Brick Wall: Milly MattenburgRuth has been struggling to break her research brick wall, which is her Great Grandmother Milly Mattenburg (later Schneider), born about 1866.

Whilst Ruth knows her whereabouts from 10th June 1883 onwards, when she gives birth to son Harry in London, UK, it's her earlier life that remains a mystery. She married Lipman Schneider in about 1882 (if the date on the 1911 census is to be believed), and her place of birth is given simply as 'Russia'.

Ruth wonders whether Milly was born in Białystok (now in Poland), and knows that her Hebrew name was Malka. Her headstone from 1915 notes her father as having been Awigdor or Avigdor. Where was Milly born and did she have any siblings?

If you think that you can help Ruth with solving her brick wall, head over to our show notes and send her a message via our contact form at familyhistoriespodcast.com.

Andrew offers Ruth some help to overcome her brick wall, but she seems rather too keen....

Episode Credits:
Series Two, Episode One
Andrew Martin (Host, Producer)
Ruth Bramley (Guest)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
©2021 The Family Histories Podcast

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The trailer for Series Two of The Family Histories Podcast is here! That means only one thing - Series Two is imminent.

Subscribe for free now to receive the first episode of the series as soon as it is released on 2nd November 2021.

Keep up with the latest news at: familyhistoriespodcast.com, or join us over on Twitter at @FamilyHistPod.

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In this little bonus Series One episode - The Epilogue, we rejoin Episode 7 guest Pam Smith, and19th century Hungarian revolutionary and poet Sándor Petőfi, just as an explosion leaves them both in danger in the garage, and Andrew has suddenly vanished....

Credits:
Series One, Episode Eight
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer),
Pam Smith (Guest),
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi).More at:familyhistoriespodcast.com

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In the seventh and final episode of this series (sorry folks!), host Andrew Martin meets Pam Smith, a family historian who went from hobbyist, to professional genealogist, and then to local historian. We'll find out how she made those moves, how she ended up co-founding the research site NameAndPlace.com, and her dual loves of North Yorkshire and heraldry.

Relatively Speaking:Pam's choice of life story is that of her Great Great Uncle, Albert 'Ginger' Goodwin. Ginger left the collieries of Yorkshire behind and headed to Canada where he advanced his political activism until he met an untimely death. Pam will tell his incredible story, and his legacy that is still very much felt in the communities he stood up for even now, more than 100 years after his death.

The Brick Wall:The hunt is on for Sir Richard Etherington of Rillington, North Yorkshire, England, as Pam explains her current Brick Wall. Aside from owning land and collecting his knighthood in 1603, it's his connection to other Etheringtons in the area that is baffling Pam. Do you have a connection to a Knight? Does he connect to the others? What are his origins?

Pam agrees to Andrew's offer of help, but something is about to go very wrong indeed...

Credits:
Series 1, Episode 7.
Andrew Martin (Host, producer), Pam Smith (Guest), Eliot Lees, John Spike, Meg Spencer-Thomas (Additional sound production).
Here's the Episode Show Notes.
Show site: familyhistoriespodcast.com

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Host Andrew Martin is joined by David Ryan, an Irish family historian who discovered his passion for genealogy after studying for his MA in Medieval History. He'll be telling us how he made this transition, the challenges of researching family history in Ireland, and what it's like to work for Ancestry as one of their team of professional genealogists.

Relatively Speaking:David has chosen to tell the life story of his Great Great Grandfather John Hyland. He'll explain the hardship that John was born into at the end of the devastating famine in the early 1850s, and the events that have since shaped Ireland in the 20th century - most of which were revealed by a chance discovery of a record in The National Folklore Collection.

The Brick Wall:Family rumour has always said that David's paternal and maternal 3x Great Grandmothers - Honora and Bridget Williams, were sisters. They are both born in the 1820s, and both married in the 1840s, all in the village of Ballyporeen in County Tipperary, Ireland.

Were they sisters, or is it just a case of coincidence? Can you help David solve this old family story?

David isn't sure whether Andrew's offer of help will come to much, but he's in for a surprise...

Credits:
Series One, Episode Six.
Andrew Martin (host, producer),
David Ryan (guest),
Eliot Lees (additional sound production).
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com

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In this episode, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Valmay Young to find out how she got into researching her far-flung family tree. We'll also hear about what it's like to work for a county archives, and her work with the Families In British India Society (FIBIS).

Relatively Speaking
Valmay chooses her 3x Gt Grandfather, Richard Sheridan Wardley. As you'll hear, he sounds like a complicated man, with regular vanishing acts, trips to the USA, his attempt to publish someone else's work, and more seriously, posing as a medical doctor. In the process, Valmay also quashed a family rumour about Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

The Brick Wall
Fred Beckwith is Valmay's 2x Gt Grandfather, and he's proving to be a mystery for her. Aside from his marriage to Selina Woolf at West Ham Registry Office in 1882, and his death in 1939, there seems to be no other trace of him. Where was his father Henry? Why is he so vague about addresses? Is Fred the link to Valmay's rumoured Romany ancestry?

Andrew tries to help Valmay with her breakthrough, but they're not alone in the garage....

Credits:
Series One, Episode Five.
Andrew Martin (Host, producer)
Valmay Young (Guest)
Eliot Lees (Foley)
John Spike (Sándor Petőfi)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this episode, host Andrew is joined by family historian, author, lecturer, and podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke (Genealogy Gems). She talks about how she got hooked on researching her own family history as a child.

Relatively Speaking
Lisa chooses her husband's entrepreneurial grandfather Harry Cooke as her life story. We follow him from his beginnings in mid-19th century rural Huntingdonshire, to Kent in England, before a double family tragedy sends the family off for a brand new life in Canada.

The Brick Wall
The hunt is on for Lisa's great grandfather Gustaf Sporowski, born in Kotten in Kreis Johannisburg, East Prussia (modern-day Poland). Do you have any research ideas or clues that could help her demolish her research Brick Wall? If you think you can help, then head over to Lisa's LisaLouiseCooke.com website, or alternatively you can visit our contact form and drop us a message (we'll pass it on).

Andrew offers to help with Lisa's research by using something special he keeps in his garage. How could she refuse?

Episode Credits
Series One, Episode Four:
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Lisa Louise Cooke (Guest)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter: @FamilyHistPod

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In this episode, host Andrew meets George Hall - a fairly recent convert to researching family history, who will talk about how he got into researching as a Generation Z genealogist. He'll explain what it's like to be a younger researcher, the tools he uses, and the work of The Hidden Branch, and his One-Place study.

Note: There is a background sound throughout this episode that was not detected whilst recording. Unfortunately despite our best efforts, we've not been able to remove it, and hope you will forgive us.

Relatively Speaking - Henry HopkinsonGeorge chose to tell the life story of Henry Hopkinson, his 4x Great Grandfather, from Birstall, West Yorkshire, UK. Henry made it somehow from the textiles industry to becoming an empire-building Butcher, whilst doing his best to raise his family with his wife Agnes. This came with plenty of challenges, often seeing Henry falling foul of planning laws, fines, and money troubles.

The Brick Wall - James Conley
It's off to census night 1871 in Sunderland, UK, where we hear about George's attempts to discover the origins of his 3x Great Grandfather James Conley. James seems to have origins in Ireland, but with a lack of clear evidence, a place name that doesn't seem to exist, and a mystery Catherine Collins, it's left George with a puzzle.

Can you help George demolish this brick wall? If you think you have a clue or a research idea, then you can contact him via our show contact form and we'll pass the message on.

Episode Credits
Series One, Episode Three:
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
George Hall (Guest)
Eliot Lees (Foley).
Show notes at familyhistoriespodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter at @FamilyHistPod

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In this episode, host Andrew Martin talks to UK genealogist Jane Hough about how she got hooked on researching her family tree in the 1980s, and her impressive DNA deciphering tactics that is getting her closer to solving an illegitimacy mystery.

Relatively Speaking - Mary StoneJane chooses her 5x Great Grandmother, Mary Stone, as the life story to share with us - detailing her life in Stourton, Gloucestershire as a laundry worker, through to an error of judgement that saw her being transported to Australia as a convict.

The Brick Wall - Thomas EdwardsJane's Brick Wall sits right at the beginning of the Victorian era, with the origins of her 3x Great Grandfather Thomas Edwards. Jane is fairly sure the evidence points to his family having come from Wales, but with a mixture of theories and a name that is fairly common in Welsh records, it's over to you listeners to help solve it.

If you have a clue or a research idea, then you can head over to our show contact form, and we'll pass your message on.

Jane jumps at the offer of research help from Andrew, but it doesn't go completely to plan....

Episode Credits
Series One, Episode Two:
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Jane Hough (Guest)
Eliot Lees (Foley)
Show notes at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Follow us at Twitter at @FamilyHistPod

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In this first episode, host Andrew Martin talks to his guest Daniel Smith-Ramos - a genealogist with Spanish, English, and Italian-American ancestry. Daniel will explain how he got hooked on researching his family history, the challenges of researching in Spain and the Spanish language, and we'll find out about how his new venture Revista Descendientes hopes to help make it easier.

Relatively Speaking
Daniel chooses to share the life story of his tyrannical 5x Great Grandfather Alonso Martínez (1765-1837) from Galicia, Spain, whose hypocritical and calculative ways ensures he alienates his entire family.

The Brick Wall
Finally, Daniel will introduce us to his current research Brick Wall - Mary Elizabeth Vickress - a Victorian woman who seemingly outlived her entire family, only to go missing in 1886 in Birmingham, UK. Can you help find the next clue in this mystery that could bring that brick wall crashing down? If so, you can message Daniel via his twitter @DSRGenealogist, or alternatively you can head over to our contact form and we'll pass your message on to him.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Daniel some help with solving this puzzle using something he keeps in his garage....

Episode credits
Series One, Episode One:
Andrew Martin (Host/Producer)
Daniel Smith-Ramos (Guest)
Eliot Lees (Foley)
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Follow us on Twitter at @FamilyHistPod

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Series One of The Family Histories Podcast is coming!

If you make sense of the census, go potty for parish registers, or gaga over gravestones, then this is the show for you.  Our host - author and family historian Andrew Martin - will be meeting the quiet army of family historians who are tirelessly breathing life back into our collective family and social history.

Each episode we'll meet a genealogy addict, find out how they got hooked, hear about one of their most fascinating relative's good, bad, or ugly life stories, and then try to solve their research 'brick wall'.

.... and they'll find out what exactly Andrew has in his garage, and how it might help.

Subscribe now for free to ensure you can get the latest episode.

Find out more about our show at familyhistoriespodcast.com or follow us over at Twitter @FamilyHistPod.