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
Don't forget the new series of Who Do You Think You Are? starts tonight! It's at 9pm on BBC1 with what promises to be a great first episode on Una Stubbs. The link between Una and one of the founders of two new towns in Hertfordshire promises to be one of a number of interesting family history stories. Will you be watching?
Latest news on the eagerly anticipated new series of Who Do You Think You Are? TV programme is the first episode in July will start off with the actress Una Stubbs.
The new series is promised to be both varied and filled with twists and turns according to the show producers.
The running order is provisionally set as follows with actress Una Stubbs on the first programme, followed by Nigel Havers, Minnie Driver, Lesley Sharp, Gary Lineker, Nick Hewer, Sarah Millican, Nitin Ganatra, Marianne Faithfull with the final episode featuring John Simpson.
Latest news and updates can be found on the Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine website
As increasingly more 'pre-1837' records are added online, it is now possible to really unearth some useful information on the life and times of your ancestors. Going beyond the census and BMD records into those earlier records is now becoming easier online, with more records now available to view.
Today, the 13 March, gives us the opportunity to look at a 'famous' example of what can be found searching for those early records. On this day in 1781, Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus. Both Sir William, his sister, Caroline and Sir William's son, John were all renouned astronomers of the time.
William Herschel
William Herschel came to England in 1757 from Hanover, Germany, after leaving the army with his brother. Using his initial skills as a musician he made his way but his interests soon turned to mathematics and astronomy.
Discovering planets and comets with his sister, he became a highly regarded member of the scientific community. Having an ancestor who achieved great things or was a prominent member of society makes things easier for the family history researcher as they can appear in biographies and other valuable records of the time. Here we can see an example of a biography describing William Herschel.
Biography of William Herschel
As awards and respect came his way, we can see from his biographical records above he was made a Fellow of The Royal Society in 1781 and then appointed as 'Court Astronomer' in 1782. Fully settled in England, he became a British naturalised citizen in 1793.
Naturalisation record for Sir William Herschel
He achieved a worldwide reputation for the manufacture of telescopes and this no doubt provided a comfortable means for Sir William. Upon his death in 1822, he left a Will, a copy of which can be seen below:
Copy of Will record
Transcribed record of the Will on TheGenealogist
The son of Sir William, Frederick, is featured on later parish records, adding to the information we can gather on the family. A prominent astronomer himself, he appears in a number of parish records. The marriage of his daughter, Amelia, is listed below in 1868.
Parish marriage record
The burial record for John Hershel is also listed allowing us a further insight into the family.
Burial of John Hershel
The parish records give us a great deal of useful information- here we have other details on the life of John Hershel- such as he was 'Master of The Royal Mint' and also was created a Baronet.
For more information on the new naturalisation records on TheGenealogist , there is more information here.
2012 has proved a great year for Andy Murray after winning Olympic Gold in the Men’s singles and a Silver in the mixed doubles. He’s now added to his success by becoming the first British player to win a Grand Slam men’s singles tournament since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray is now the first man ever to win an Olympic Gold and the U.S Open in the same year.
Although the Scottish tennis ace Andy Murray has made comments on supporting “anyone but England” in games of football, his maternal grandmother Eileen Shirley Edney was born to English parents John Marsom Edney and Joyce Mary Anderson. John Edney was a solicitor born in Berwick onTweedin 1931 and Joyce Anderson was born in York in 1906. The couple married in Berwick on Tweed in 1957.
John Edney’s mother Catherine Hush was born in Berwick in 1869, his father also John M Edney was born in the London area in 1857. The exact birth place given on the Victorian census records on TheGenealogist.co.uk varies but with the majority indicating New Cross London. The occupation given on the Northumberland 1901 census shows his occupation as a potato trader, and previous occupations given as Corn Merchant and Shirt Machinist. His ancestry can be traced further back through the London area with forbearers recorded as Railway Clerk, Accountant and School Master.
Joyce Anderson’s ancestry however is predominantly northern, giving Andy Murray a very cross-country English heritage. Her mother Gertrude Golding was born in Sheffield in 1882 and her grandparents were born in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
