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!
This Wednesday sees the final episode of series 10 of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' on BBC1. It's the turn of BBC Foreign Affairs Editor, John Simpson or John Cody Fidler-Simpson to give him his full name. Born in Lancashire in 1944, John has spent all his working career at the BBC.
The final episode of the Who Do You Think You Are? series is usually the one with the most twist and turns and surprises and this one promises to be no exception. John discovers a poisoning in the 1800s and also investigates the truth behind his supposed family link to the pioneering aviator and wild west showman, Samuel Cody. There's also the family rift he experiences as a small child that damaged his relationship with his mother. The episode looks to feature as much drama in his own family history as there is on one of his usual BBC news reports!
TheGenealogist has an article on John Simpson looking at his eventful family history. It can be found at http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/wdytya2013_simpson.phpThe John Simpson programme airs on BBC1 this Wednesday 25th September at 9pm.
John Simpson in the final episode of the series of Who Do You Think You Are?
Last night's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? was full of twists and turns as Sarah Millican's ancestors experienced hazards and dangers from off the coast of Kent to the Hudson Bay in Canada before settling down in South Shields in the North East.
Sarah experienced a taste of the life her ancestors went through, wearing snow boots in Canada to trying on a diver's suit similar to the one her 3x Great Grandfather James Hoult used in his working life. It was an eventful and emotional episode, particularly the near death experience and gruesome injuries of her ancestor, John Malcolm. What did you think? If you missed it, the programme is available on the BBC iPlayer.
Sarah Millican's episode on Who Do You Think You Are? took her on a wide journey far from South Shields
A number of genealogy bloggers have picked up on the new comedy series from Christopher Guest, entitled 'Family Tree' which started yesterday on HBO in the US and is rumoured to air on BBC 2 in the UK in the near future.
Chris O'Dowd in Family Tree (HBO)
It stars Chris O'Dowd (pictured) who sets out to uncover his family lineage after being left a box of objects from a great aunt. Four of the eight parts are set in the UK, the other four are set in the US, giving the programme an international feel.
There appears to be no definite date when it will screen on the BBC and we will await with interest. With Chris O'Dowd starring, it looks like proving a humourous take on family history research which may attract the attention of a younger audience and hopefully interest them enough to look into their family history!
