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June edition of Discover Your Ancestors Periodical

In the June 2023 issue of Discover Your Ancestors periodical you can read the following excellent articles:

- What do we think they’ll discover? Who Do You Think You Are? is back on TV this month. Andrew Chapman introduces the new series
- The fasting girl: Stephen Wade looks at the phenomenon of the Welsh fasting girl, Sarah Jacob, whose story dominated the press for much of 1869
- Meet Kitch: unflappable Spitfire pilot: In 1980 Nick Thorne met a man on a yacht in the English Channel. Thanks to online RAF records, here is his story
- On the trail of George Orwell: Richard Willis follows the life and adventures of this giant of letters, born 120 years ago
- Making the censuses crystal clear: We explore how the latest technology can improve your research
- The forgotten rural martyrs: 150 years ago this month, 16 women – two of them with babies – were imprisoned. Keith Laybourn commemorates the Ascott Martyrs
- History in the details: Picturing fashion c.1710

Sign up today for only £24.99 and receive the following:

  • 12 monthly issues of the Periodical
  • Access to 500,000,000 birth, marriage and death records
  • Free data: Titanic passenger list
  • Free ebook: Liverpool Street Map c.1890

https://discoveryourancestors.co.uk/subscribe/

 

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Joe Sugg is next in the UK series 18 of Who Do You Think You Are?

Episode 6 of Who Do You Think You Are? will be Joe Sugg's family research and will be on Tuesday 23rd November 2021, BBC One 9 pm.

 

YouTuber and actor Joe Sugg uncovers some incredible stories in his family tree, with a little help along the way from fellow social media star and big sister, Zoe.  Joe, very aptly, discovers a great-great-great grandfather who was involved in the earliest days of communication technology – in electrical telegraphs. Pushing further back, he finds seven-times-great grandparents who fled religious persecution in France and a goldsmith who survived the Great Fire of London.

 

WARNING: SPOLIER ALERT! If you don't mind knowing what is going to be in the programme before you watch it then you can read all about it here: Joe Sugg – Who Do You Think You Are? Otherwise there are six days to go before its on your TV!

 

Look out for the broadcast which will be on BBC One Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 9 pm.

 

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Who Do You Think You Are? – Pixie Lott

We are looking forward to watching the Pixie Lott episode of the UK series 18 of Who Do You Think You Are? Due to be broadcast on Tuesday 9th November on BBC One at 9pm it looks like it will be another very interesting one.

Singer-songwriter and talent-show judge Pixie Lott hopes to confirm the family story that she has Italian ancestry from Verona but instead discovers ancestors battling poverty and hardship in London.  On her dad’s side, Pixie learns of her great grandfather’s harrowing and surprising experience in the First World War.  And, wondering if she has any musical genes, Pixie is delighted to discover three generations of military musicians whose legacy gives Pixie an opportunity to sing with the band of the Household Cavalry.

If you want to read about what she finds out then you can here, but beware if you intend to watch it first as this article contains spoilers!

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Missed Dame Judi Dench's family history on Who Do You Think You Are?

If you missed the really thrilling ride on the recent BBC One airing of the second programme in the UK series of Who Do You Think You Are? there is a precis of what you missed here:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2021/who-do-you-think-you-are/dame-judi-dench-1467/

The programme is available to watch for a short time in the UK on the BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0010st7/who-do-you-think-you-are-series-18-2-dame-judi-dench

 

Named Britain's best actor on multiple occasions. Her roles range from James Bond films to Shakespearean dramas and in the episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (that was broadcasted on BBC One on Tuesday 19 October 2021) Dame Judi told us how her parents were both incredibly full of life with lots of visits to theatre as a child. She discovers in the programme that her Irish ancestors link back to Denmark and an important family. Dame Judi, as a Shakespeare lover is thrilled to find a connection to the castle which The Bard used in Hamlet.

 

Warning! Article contains spoilers for the programme broadcasted in the UK on Tuesday 19th October 2021.

 

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Who Do You Think You Are? UK Series 18 Celebrities announced!

Dame Judi Dench, Pixie Lott, Joe Lycett, Alex Scott and Josh Widdicombe make up the lineup of stars taking part in the 2021 UK series of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’


Two-time BAFTA award-winning genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?, produced by Wall to Wall, returns to BBC One this October with yet another star-studded line-up.

 

Exciting News! The BBC have announced the return of the genealogy TV series, Who Do You Think You Are? Expected to be on air this October, here are all the names of the stars taking part in this year’s UK series.

https://thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2021/who-do-you-think-you-are-returns-with-a-new-series-18-1449/

 

Expected to be aired in October 2021 on BBC One. The seven episodes of the UK series will feature the family histories of a host of celebrities including; Ed Balls, Dame Judi Dench, Pixie Lott, Joe Lycett, Alex Scott, Joe Sugg and Josh Widdicombe.

 

Dame Judi Dench is set to unearth her Danish roots and discover some intriguing Shakespearean connections, while former Labour MP and TV presenter Ed Balls uncovers great bravery, and some less-admirable conduct from his ancestors. Singer-songwriter Pixie Lott finds that in her family tree there is a musical legacy that is three-generations strong, whilst comedian Joe Lycett comes across a darker side to his family history story.    

Alex Scott, the TV Pundit and former footballer, learns about her Jewish and Jamaican heritage, discovering that her ancestors had suffered enormous hardships in their lives. YouTuber Joe Sugg learns that his family history can be traced as far back as the Great Fire of London, and comedian Josh Widdicombe’s lineage will take viewers back to the Elizabethan and Tudor Courts.

 

 

 

 

Emily Smith, BBC Commissioning Editor for Documentaries, says: “We are very excited for this new series of Who Do You Think You Are? and for viewers to share in the extraordinary mix of personal celebrity histories taking us across the world, and which together reflect our rich collective history”.

 

Executive Producer for Wall to Wall, Colette Flight, says: “Who Do You Think You Are? is back with another line-up of Britain’s best-loved celebrities exploring their family histories across the UK, Ireland, Denmark and Jamaica. The incredible personal stories they unearth of their ancestors’ lives - from royal love triangles to labourers fighting for their rights, from Victorian child sweeps to battling fascists in London’s East end – reflect and illuminate all our collective history.”

 

Who Do You Think You Are? is produced by Wall to Wall Media for BBC One.

 

The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? launches on BBC One this October. Read more about the new UK series here

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Liz Carr's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? was fascinating

The Who Do You Think You Are? episode on BBC One this week was a fascinating programme.

Silent Witness actor Liz Carr, who is best known for her role in the crime drama as the forensic scientist Clarissa Mullery explored an ancestor involved in an assault. This made her smile as she admits that she loves crime!

The only thing that Liz knew about her paternal side of the family is that they had come from Ireland. On her maternal line Liz knew that her mother's father died when her mum was just seven or eight. This means that she has no sense of who her grandfather was. Liz feels that she has "a bit of the wanderlust" and so she was hoping to find out if there were adventurers amongst her ancestors. And as Liz is an activist she wondered if any of her forebears had the same passion to fight injustice. The Who Do You Think You Are? TV series was, therefore, an ideal way for Liz to explore her past family.

 

For a precis of Liz Carr's episode you can read one on TheGenealogist's site where they have found some of the records relating to her ancestors.

But just be warned, if you are thinking of watching the programme on Catchup this article contains spoliers!

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/who-do-you-think-you-are/liz-carr-1344/

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David Walliams - Who Do You Think You Are?

 

David Walliams - Who Do You Think You Are?

Last Monday night on BBC One many of us were glued to the screen to see what family history story was going to be revealed in David Walliams' episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

In many people's opinion he came across as a genuine person and while the war experiences of his paternal great grandfather was perhaps a bit harrowing for some (John George Boorman, joined the Grenidier Guards to serve in WW1 and suffered "shell shock" as a result) the story was fascinating.

In the second part of the programme David was introduced to his tenacious maternal great-great grandfather, William Haines who became a succesful showman despite being blind.

 

There is a review of the programme here: David Walliams – Who Do You Think You Are?

Or for a short period watch on BBC iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b007t575/who-do-you-think-you-are

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New-look website for Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine

NEWS

The Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine have announced that they have upgraded their website to offer fantastic family history news and features on a more up-to-date and accessible platform.

 

Here is what Rosemary Collins from their website writes:

The new-look website is available at the same URL, whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com.

It now loads faster and is easier to access on mobile devices.

 

WDYTYA? Magazine editor Sarah Williams said: “We’re delighted to be moving to a new platform that will enable us to add even more content to help family historians across the globe.

“As well as our usual news stories and tutorials we will be adding some of our popular Q&As and inspirational real life stories.

“It will also remain the premier destination for anyone interested in the TV series.”

From today, our readers will also see our new-look newsletter, delivering the latest news and features from our website to your inbox every Friday morning.

Unfortunately, as part of the transition we had to shut down our popular online family history forum.

However, a group of readers set up a new forum: Who When Were Genealogy.

 

Founder member Hilary Groves (active on the WDYTYA? forum as phsvm) said: “We hope that our new forum will be as popular, friendly and helpful to all those who are looking for helping breaking down the inevitable brick walls or just help finding an elusive record as the WDYTYA? Forum has been over the years.”

WDYTYA? Magazine readers are also welcome to join our Facebook group.

 

PDFs of the old forum are available on Google Drive.

 

Source: https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/

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Appeal to return Second World War love letters to couple’s descendants

This is a story that is being run by the family history magazine Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine and is worth passing on.

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine reader is seeking the family of Robert and Margaret Raven to return their love letters to them.

Raven love letters from Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine

Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, are hoping to give the couple’s descendants an extra Christmas present by reuniting them with the precious documents.

The correspondence between Robert Raven and Margaret Blyth was bought as a lot by Bob Sheridan, a Rutland man interested in the history of the armed forces postal service and the postal marks on the letters.

But the letters revealed a moving story of lovers separated by wartime.

Bob and his friend Tracey Dene Powell researched Robert and Margaret in family history, immigration and RAF records, but have yet to find a living descendant to give the letters to.

 

Read more on the Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine website:

 http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/appeal-return-second-world-war-love-letters-couple%E2%80%99s-descendants

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Daniel Radcliffe's Who Do You Think You Are? BBC1 9:00 Monday 22 July 2019

Can't wait to see the first episode of the much loved Who Do You Think You Are? UK series when it returns this evening!

Featuring Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe's ancestors it should be great viewing.

 

There is a good article we have found here but be warned, if you intend to watch the programme this contains spoilers!

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/who-do-you-think-you-are/daniel-radcliffe-1132/

 

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