The final episode of the Who Do You Think You Are? series concluded last night and it was a good episode full of dramatic events and surprises. Although focusing on just a few members of John Simpson's family, it highlighted the surprises and difficulties in family history research.
The programme helped John Simpson discover more about his great grandmother leaving her husband to run off with American wildwest showman and aviation pioneer, Samuel Cody and the fabrication of details they used to disguise the fact they weren't legally married. The 1911 census document illustrated in great detail that our ancestors did not always tell the truth!
The episode had its fair share of tragedies including the death of Cody and the poisoning of his great great grandfather and also highlighted the often complicated nature of family life. As the finale of the series, it certainly had its share of twists and turns. What did you think of the programme?
John Simpson's episode on Who Do You Think You Are? was full of drama with a family history that often made the newspapers!
Latest news from the genealogy cruise specialists 'Unlock the Past' is the addition of another cruise holiday for family historians. The latest cruise announcement is called the 'British Isles Discovery' and is scheduled for 19th -29th July 2014 for ten days.
Speakers and talk subjects have yet to be announced but the cruise will travel around Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and part of Northern France.
For more information please keep an eye on the website at http://www.unlockthepastcruises.com/cruises/5th-unlock-the-past-cruise-british-isles-discovery/
There's a new beta version available to view on The National Archives website of their 'new look' forthcoming website, available from the end of September.
In the word of the TNA - "the new design will improve the experience of users on modern devices including smartphones and tablets. It will also include a new expanded menu, enabling quicker access into content, and be presented in simpler and clearer page layout."
Take a look at http://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ and see what you think.
Tomorrow (Saturday 14th September) sees the North West Group of Family History Societies and Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society (who are proudly celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2013) presenting their Family History Day Fair in Blackburn, entitled "From Cradle to Grave".
It's at King George's Hall, Northgate, Blackburn from 10am to 4pm and entry is £3.00. There's some great speakers lined up including Mark Bayley from TheGenealogist, Ian Hartas talking about BMDs on the Internet and Dr Brenda Hustler is exploring Irish ancestry. There's more information at http://www.lfhhs.org/home.php If you're in the area, why not make it along?
The 'Society of Genealogists' based in London has recently created an award for those people making an outstanding contribution to the field of family history research. Details of the 2013 award from the Society are as follows:
"A special Certificate of Recognition has been newly created by the Society of Genealogists to recognise exceptional contributions to genealogy by individuals and institutions worldwide. In the first year nomination forms were made available to Fellows of the Society for their suggestions and four candidates have been recognised by the newly formed awards panel for the new Certificate in 2013. The successful candidates were:
Dick Eastman for having the vision to promote family history through the CompuServe Genealogy Forum and by founding and maintaining the daily Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter.
Dr Hugh Kearsey for actively ensuring a wider availability of materials enabling others to pursue family history in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
Rosemary Cleaver for her continuous back-room contributions to all aspects of the West Surrey Family History Society over many years.
The Polish Archive of Przemyślu in recognition of outstanding maintenance of local family records, particularly appertaining to Akcja Wisła (Operation Vistula) was the codename for the 1947 forced resettlment of post-war Poland’s Ukranian Minority carried out by Soviet controlled Polish Communist Authorities) and in the efforts to making them accessible to researchers from far and wide.
Formal presentations will be arranged over the coming months."
Congratulations to the winners this year from Family History Social for their well-deserved awards!
Nominations for 2014 are now open to the public and forms (along with nomination guidelines) are available from the Chief Executive, June Perrin at [email protected]
Last night's episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' featuring Nitin Ganatra was a real international trip crossing continents. Nitin's family history journey involved visiting both Kenya and India as he explored the lives of his ancestors. It was an emotional journey as the tale showed the hard lives of his forebears as they worked on the Kenyan Railway and also battled to escape famine and ill-health in India at the turn of the century.
To travel back and speak to a village elder aged over 100 years old who remembered the Ganatra family did make the episode particularly fascinating. The poor record keeping in India over the years did make this programme more about what can be discovered through different channels of research, including speaking to elders, rather than the standard record sources we normally see used by the celebrities.
All told it was a very unusual but still fascinating episode. Comedienne Sarah Millican is the celebrity featured next week!
A fascinating and emotional journey with Nitin Ganatra on Who Do You Think You Are?
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 excellent series of 'Who Do You Think You Are? continues on BBC1 tonight, featuring Hollywood actress and singer songwriter, Minnie Driver. Born Amelia Fiona Driver in 1970, Minnie has had a successful film and TV career, appearing in a number of roles. Her family history also maps out like a script from a film with a number of unexpected events! Her father and grandfather both led double lives and her father also became a reluctant war hero after his exploits at the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1939. It promises to be a very interesting programme.
TheGenealogist has done some initial research into Minnie's family history, so if you'd like a snapshot before the show please visit their website.
Minnie Driver features tonight on BBC Who Do You Think You Are?
The first episode starts this Wednesday on BBC1 of Who Do You Think You Are? and it's eagerly anticipated by family historians throughout the UK. The first celebrity, Una Stubbs has an emotional journey, that features both estranged families and a look at a visionary ancestor who was instrumental in designing some of the England's new towns of the early 1900s.
TheGenealogist has a feature on Una Stubbs in their 'Featured Articles' section and you can view it here.
Una Stubbs and father Clarence pictured around 1938
The South West Area Group of Family History Societies will be holding their bi-ennial fair at the Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare on Saturday 13th July 2013.
The event will be open from 10.00am until 4.00pm and the venue details are:
Weston-super-Mare Winter Gardens, Royal Parade, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1AJ.
Entrance fee is £2.50 and there is pay and display car parking nearby.
The fair promises to be another good event for family historians. There will be a number of family history societies present and suppliers of family history products and services and there will be some useful talks including Mark Bayley, Head of Online Content at TheGenealogist who will present his very popular talk on 'Breaking down brick walls'.
