WDYTYA S14

pinkypinky

Totally agreed about the luas works, Jellybaby1!

Having to explain the 1798 rebellion though. Really lacking in knowledge.

It was so much fun to see people I know in real life. Great research.

Hermy

Hermy wrote: »

Maybe it was because of the Irish content but I really felt the absence of the research in this episode as the records just appeared as if by magic.

I could perhaps have worded that better.

I don't mean to suggest that there wasn't good research and lots of it but rather that because of the manner in which each new piece of information seems to just appear on command, the unwitting observer might think that this level of detail is easily achievable.

Of course anyone who has poured over old registers for hours on end looking for that all important clue knows only too well the work involved. And while it obviously wouldn't make for good televisual viewing I think not making some allusion to the work involved does genealogy a disservice.

jos28

Just caught up on last's night's episode. Didn't know much about Emma Willis and I thought she came across as a very down to earth person. Loved the bits in Birmingham (I was born there) and I'd be chuffed to find someone like Michael Kirwan in my history. I'd imagine there are a lot more references to him in various archives. Make a good topic for a research assignment. All in all a good episode.

Jellybaby1

Hermy wrote: »

Some great contrasting stories in that episode.

Maybe it was because of the Irish content but I really felt the absence of the research in this episode as the records just appeared as if by magic.

Speaking of magic wouldn't it be great if Mr G. was waiting for you every time you visited the Registry of Deeds like the fez-wearing shopkeeper waiting patiently for Mr Benn.:)

Thanks for that Hermy, now the Mr. Benn music is all I can hear inside my head! Mr. G would look very fetching in a fez!

Save

pinkypinky

Chris Noth on the US WDYTYA (on the RTE player) features Irish ancestry.

jos28

Did anyone watch Chris Noth, do you remember the military sources that the historian in Cavan used ? I've a military ancestor based in Castletownbere in the early 1800s and am having no luck finding anything on him. I was interested in the sources used on WDYTYA and wondering if similar records exist that might help me.

pinkypinky

They were records in the National Archives at Kew - not online. I don't think they specified the series.

It's still on the player: https://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/who-do-you-think-you-are-usa-1788/10760727/

jos28

Thanks Pinky, watched it again and it was the Regiment of Militia - Adjutants Roll that caught my eye. Might be worth trying to see if similar documents exist for West Cork. Cheers

tabbey

jos28 wrote: »

Thanks Pinky, watched it again and it was the Regiment of Militia - Adjutants Roll that caught my eye. Might be worth trying to see if similar documents exist for West Cork. Cheers

Although Cork county is traditionally divided into East and West ridings, the militia for some reason was North (HQ Fermoy) and South. covering West Cork.

Militia Muster Rolls are generally found in Kew, look up their Discovery website to locate the appropriate collection and file number.
Muster rolls are basically monthly pay returns, they show where the militia or part of it was stationed at any given time. The officers had to sign for their pay on these rolls, but other ranks were assumed to be illiterate.
Militias were moved around during times of war or unrest, and the privates might have been reluctant to deal firmly with miscreants in their home areas. My own militia ancestor served in various parts of Ireland, and also in England. We often hear of English soldiers oppressing Irish residents, but Irish militia did on occasion perform the same role in England.

If you have not been to Kew before, or your card has expired, bring two forms of ID.

Also, do not wear a clean white shirt when you delve into boxes of muster rolls, as you near the bottom of the box, it is like soot, as centuries old ink drops off the parchment

jos28

Thanks a million for that Tabbey, tons of information there and much appreciated.
Cheers

Jellybaby1

Lulu's episode was a very interesting story, but I was left wanting to know more about the rest of the children, and her great grandfather on the Protestant side, great-granny was impressive for the time. Pity about the Irish branch though, I cried along with her.

cobham

Yes I also had a lot of questions....
what became of the younger children after the death of the mother and what became of the father? Have all died by now? And no indication that the granny helped with the children and what of the grandfather? were they disowned? and what of grandparents/family on the father's side?
And what religion were the children raised?

I suppose a lot of things are not neatly recorded in records.

tabbey

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Lulu's episode was a very interesting story, but I was left wanting to know more about the rest of the children, and her great grandfather on the Protestant side, great-granny was impressive for the time. Pity about the Irish branch though, I cried along with her.

There is more about it on the Findmypast blog.

pinkypinky

I see the final episode - Ruby Wax - is airing this Wednesday after a significant gap.
Hopefully it'll be good: they usually keep a great discovery for the last episode.

I also noted that Eamon Holmes admitted he was rejected for the show in 2010 on the grounds that his ancestry was dull.

Has anyone here ever researched a famous person's ancestry?

Hermy

I wonder how many invites are sent out and how many celebs families are actually researched before the producers arrive at a shortlist for broadcast?

pinkypinky

I heard somewhere before that they start with 4 times the number of celebs to produce a series of 8-10 episodes.

Hermy

pinkypinky wrote: »

I see the final episode - Ruby Wax - is airing this Wednesday after a significant gap.

Did anyone watch it last night?
It was short on genealogy but a very compelling tale nonetheless.

Alicat

Hermy wrote: »

Did anyone watch it last night?
It was short on genealogy but a very compelling tale nonetheless.

Yes, very short on genealogy for our standards but I suppose to someone who knew absolutely nothing, it was probably huge for her. I sometimes forget how little some people know about their own family.

Very interesting though, and I can imagine almost a relief in a way for Ruby to finally see how mental illness had been a big part of the family history. It didn't just begin out of nowhere, and it wasn't because of anything she and her mother did necessarily.

pinkypinky

Agree with you both - having just finished it.

I also was amazed that she'd never looked at the back of the photos, when one of them actually had a name on it!

Waitsian

Alicat wrote: »

Just managed to catch the episode today, what a great start to the series! It was so close to home for him so understandably emotional. That chest was the stuff of dreams! I keep asking my granny is she absolutely sure we don't have one of those somewhere! :pac:

mod9maple wrote: »

Wow, what an episode! The first half was kinda meh, but the second. I won't spoil it but that ending. Talk about hitting the genealogical mother lode! As well as being as teary-eyed as he was I was so envious. That would be a dream come true for me. If you haven't seen it yet you'll know what I mean when you do. Wow.

I hope I don't get my knuckles wrapped for this (I don't think the thread is old enough for that) but I had to share. Remember that chest in the Charles Dance episode? Above are two reactions, including my own.

Well....guess what I got last night? From my oldest aunts collection of papers. She sadly passed away aged almost 90, and my cousins decided I was the man to take possession of a 'wee' box of treasures. Letters, obituaries, newspaper clippings, military records, photos, documents, mass cards, pay slips, state and church certs, postcards and much much more. I'm ecstatic. I've tonnes of new info and new leads.

pinkypinky

Wow! That's fantastic. Hope you find lots of goodies.

Jellybaby1

Fabulous treasures! What an inheritance! People usually accuse me (in fun) of using my research to look for money. But these documents and photographs are the type of treasures I seek!

Hermy

Wonderful stuff -well done!!