The first family history TV comedy series 'Family Tree' finished this week on BBC2. It's had generally favourable reviews and improved as the series went on, finishing with a cliff-hanger of a storyline which sets it up for a second series. I've enjoyed the series, the style was new and it's not often we are given a comedy show dedicated to researching your family history. What did you think of the show?
Chris O'Dowd discovering his ancestors in the comedy series 'Family Tree'
The next episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' continues tonight on BBC1 at 9pm. The celebrity featured this week is a star of Eastenders and numerous films, Nitin Ganatra. He moved with his family to the UK from Kenya when he was aged 3, so tonight's programme has a real international feel to it covering both Africa and Asia as Nitin pieces together his family tree.
It promises to be another interesting episode. I've enjoyed the series so far, with both personal, emotional and historic family history journeys featuring in the series so far. The Nick Hewer feature last week had some interesting historical elements and tonight's show looks like being similar. Will you be watching?
If you'd like to read a bit more about Nitin Ganatra, there's a featured article on TheGenealogist at http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/wdytya2013_ganatra.php
Tonight's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? features Eastenders actor Nitin Ganatra
The latest Email News from S&N and TheGenealogist is now available to view. Containing details of over one million ‘Apprenticeship Records’, 26,500 new Parish Record Transcripts and new Directories to view, there's a large number of new records released this month to read about!
There's a feature on ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ for those that may have missed some of the episodes in the excellent series so far and news on the major new family history event ‘Echoes of The Past’ which S&N and TheGenealogist are now sponsoring. It's all at http://www.genealogysupplies.com/email_news.htm
New Apprenticeship records launched on TheGenealogist
Last night's episode featuring Gary Lineker focused on just 2 main characters- Thomas Billingham and James Pratt and their paths through life which went in very different directions.
Whilst Tom received a 'lucky break' from his gardener father's wealthy employer, who paid for his education, James Pratt struggled throughout his life with no real change in his luck. With a big family to feed and employment very difficult to find, James had to turn to poaching to put food on the table.
The programme really highlighted the struggles of life in Victorian England and also the opportunities (particularly in London) that could open up if you had that bit of help!
What did you think of the programme?
The current series of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' on BBC1 has been a fascinating one so far. For those family historians interested in their sport, tonight's celebrity is former England footballer and now popular TV presenter, Gary Lineker. A Leicester boy, born and bred, the majority of his roots are from that area. Gary knows very little about his family history apparently, so it's a major voyage of discovery for him.
The previews to the programme feature on two of Gary's distant ancestors who had very different lives. Both came from poor backgrounds but a lucky break happened to one to get him into a respectable profession but definitely didn't happen to the other ancestor!
It promises to be another great programme looking at the family of one of England's most famous recent iconic heroes. Will you be watching?
TheGenealogist.co.uk has looked into Gary's family history. If you'd like to know more in advance of the programme visit http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/wdytya2013_lineker.php
Gary Lineker featuring on tonight's Who Do You Think You Are?
The latest e-newsletter is now available to download from S&N Genealogy. Featuring their new range of archival pens and the brand new CD 'The East Anglian' covering the years from 1858 to 1904, the newsletter contains some great family history news and products for the family historian. There's also a money saving offer on RootsMagic Version 6 and a feature on the current series of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' as well as other special offers.
To see the e-newsletter go to http://www.genealogysupplies.com/email_news.htm
Newly released from S&N Genealogy 'The East Anglian' CD
TheGenealogist has just released over 90,000 criminal records which cover indictable offences in England and Wales between 1782 and 1892. The records also uniquely cover prisoners 'pardoned' and those classed as 'criminal lunatics'. This creates a significant collection of Transportation and Convict records of nearly 500,000 records.
It's a useful resource if you had an ancestor who fell foul of the law and paid the consequences!
There's more details available at http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/news.php#latest
New criminal records released by TheGenealogist.co.uk
For those family historians that use the excellent RootsMagic software, you'll appreciate that such is the amount of features and help available within the software, it's easy to miss something or not be aware of that useful feature or nugget of information that can really make a difference to your family research.
One such feature is that of 'Problem Alerts', the feature that scans everyone in your file to try and find any potential data entry errors (people born before their parents, etc) for everyone in your file.
Since making people more aware of this, the new 'Problem Alerts' feature has proved very popular! Here's more information and a short video from the RootsMagic blog that shows you how RootsMagic's Problem Alerts can help you to find potential errors in your data. Have you used the new feature and what did you think?
Latest news from Your Family History magazine is that the current August issue will be the last one under the title of 'Your Family History' and with its current editorial staff. The magazine from September will be known as 'Discover Your History', the name the magazine currently uses for its overseas edition.
The magazine has always been a high quality production and we are sure this will continue with the magazine re-brand and the new editors at the helm. We await the September issue with anticipation!
Your Family History now changing its name to Discover Your History
The episode featuring Lesley Sharp this week on 'Who Do You Think You Are?' was certainly different but none the less just as interesting for family historians. Looking at the issue of adoption firstly (as Lesley was adopted at just 6 weeks old) and then as Lesley delved deeper into her paternal side, looking at the early fostering of children around 1900 as part of the Barnardo's scheme to help children in poverty, it was a very emotional programme.
The series has been excellent so far and hopefully the remainder of the series will be just as good!
If you'd like to read a bit more about Lesley and her family, including the tale of fostering young George Maybury before he was sent to Canada, there's more details at TheGenealogist website.
George Maybury, fostered by Lesley's great great grandfather, Charles Patient
