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Who Do you Think You Are? New Series |
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#951 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 729
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There can be a surprising amount of information available on 'ordinary people', you can pick up lots of details in old newspapers though all too often you just have the basic baptism, marriage, burial and censuses - you have to remember there is ten years between each census and a lot can happen in that time!
Often something like an occupation will lead to you wanting to find out more about it just as happens in the programme. |
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#952 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 517
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I too have found references to some of my ancestors in old newspapers. Nothing of interest to others but they gave me a little insight into their lives.
In my case I had a lot of ancestors in London in the nineteenth century, one of which was deported to Australia. I searched for her in the records of court cases in a site called oldbaileyonline.org and not only found details of her case and a conviction of another more distant relative but also found that several members of my family appeared in various other cases when they were victims of, or witnessed, theft. The details of each case are only a brief summary of events but add a little colour to the canvas of my relative's story and tell a tale of Victorian life in London. |
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#953 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Herts
Posts: 17,003
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Lovely girl Sheridan.
Compared to last week's crap it was very entertaining. |
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#954 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Now fully retired
Posts: 3,055
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Quote:
I too have found references to some of my ancestors in old newspapers. Nothing of interest to others but they gave me a little insight into their lives.
In my case I had a lot of ancestors in London in the nineteenth century, one of which was deported to Australia. I searched for her in the records of court cases in a site called oldbaileyonline.org and not only found details of her case and a conviction of another more distant relative but also found that several members of my family appeared in various other cases when they were victims of, or witnessed, theft. The details of each case are only a brief summary of events but add a little colour to the canvas of my relative's story and tell a tale of Victorian life in London. |
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#955 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 2,010
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After 20 minutes I thought this banjo stuff better be going somewhere bloody interesting, maybe a tale of derring-do in WW1
" Severely wounded .Capt. Smith led his men out of the trench towards Vimy Ridge, inspiring his men by playing a selection of popular tunes on his banjo, witnesses recall the last sighting of Capt. Smith before he was blown to smithereens he was seen swinging his banjo with deadly force at the advancing Hun . " |
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#956 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 230
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This was half an hour's worth of material stretched over an hour.
Surely there were other branches of the family they could research. What about her mother's side? As others have said, only Brian Blessed's story has felt like a proper WDYTYA |
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#957 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 447
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I couldn't believe the "picking up a banjo for the first time" sequence. If it was really the first time she had pressed her fingers into some steel strings she would be going "Ow ow ow" for 10 minutes. You have to harden them up with practice before you can stand it for more than a couple of seconds.
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#958 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London
Posts: 5,859
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Yes, Sheridan was surprisingly a very lovely down to earth person but I'm still not liking the format of just focusing on one ancestor. I feel cheated!
Perhaps they've been through all the celebrities with two interesting relatives. I'd love to trace on of my ancestors. Probably born in Russia as we can't find any trace of a birth record and there's a Russian christening cup but was fostered and adopted at the young age and siblings ended up in a boarding house. Did the parents die or did they stay in Russia. Guess I'll never know. |
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#959 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,491
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I enjoyed last night's episode because I really liked her. But I agree that it feels much more padded than it used to. I'm sure it's budget cuts. They didn't even show trying to find out who Benjamin's parents were and why they ended up in the workhouse or who his wife's was, let alone who her mum's family were - it felt like they didn't want to travel anywhere. But I really liked her, her parents and Professor Derek, so I did enjoy it.
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#960 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,237
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If you look carefully at the 1901 census page her second cousin showed her, where Benjamin's wife Sarah Jane and two of the children were in "Birmingham", they are in Smethwick, which I guess is near enough to Birmingham, but under the surname of Brown, with a John Brown as the head of the family and Sarah Jane down as his wife. I would far rather they had explained what was going on there instead of skipping over it and having all that banjo stuff.
It did get me thinking about past episodes and wondering what would have been the most exciting activities the celebrities could have tried to emulate their ancestors. The one that springs to my mind is Alan Cumming's grandfather playing Russian roulette (sorry, I have nothing against Alan, just couldn't resist.) |
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#961 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 7,903
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Sorry but this episode was turgid rubbish. It was basically an excuse to indulge the flavour of the moment, Sheridan "jazz hands" Smith.
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#962 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: West Wiltshire
Posts: 1,453
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If you look carefully at the 1901 census page her second cousin showed her, where Benjamin's wife Sarah Jane and two of the children were in "Birmingham", they are in Smethwick, which I guess is near enough to Birmingham, but under the surname of Brown, with a John Brown as the head of the family and Sarah Jane down as his wife. I would far rather they had explained what was going on there instead of skipping over it and having all that banjo stuff.
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#963 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 15,280
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I have always liked Sheridan since 2 Pints, her star has risen rapidly while the other two girls have almost disappeared. However as others have said it was a bit boring just concentrating on one relative. I wish I had watched Eddie Izzard discovering Radar. When is that being repeated?
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#964 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,637
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I have always liked Sheridan since 2 Pints, her star has risen rapidly while the other two girls have almost disappeared. However as others have said it was a bit boring just concentrating on one relative. I wish I had watched Eddie Izzard discovering Radar. When is that being repeated?
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#965 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,940
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It looks like Mary Berry next week will be investigating more than one ancestor.
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#966 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,462
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The problem is the other relatives might have just been ordinary folks with nowt interesting so not worth following.
Perhaps they've been through all the celebrities with two interesting relatives. I'd love to trace on of my ancestors. Probably born in Russia as we can't find any trace of a birth record and there's a Russian christening cup but was fostered and adopted at the young age and siblings ended up in a boarding house. Did the parents die or did they stay in Russia. Guess I'll never know. |
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#967 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,462
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Sorry but this episode was turgid rubbish. It was basically an excuse to indulge the flavour of the moment, Sheridan "jazz hands" Smith.
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#968 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,462
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Quote:
I have always liked Sheridan since 2 Pints, her star has risen rapidly while the other two girls have almost disappeared. However as others have said it was a bit boring just concentrating on one relative. I wish I had watched Eddie Izzard discovering Radar. When is that being repeated?
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#969 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,693
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Quote:
After 20 minutes I thought this banjo stuff better be going somewhere bloody interesting, maybe a tale of derring-do in WW1
" Severely wounded .Capt. Smith led his men out of the trench towards Vimy Ridge, inspiring his men by playing a selection of popular tunes on his banjo, witnesses recall the last sighting of Capt. Smith before he was blown to smithereens he was seen swinging his banjo with deadly force at the advancing Hun . "
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#970 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,693
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I enjoyed last night's episode because I really liked her. But I agree that it feels much more padded than it used to. I'm sure it's budget cuts. They didn't even show trying to find out who Benjamin's parents were and why they ended up in the workhouse or who his wife's was, let alone who her mum's family were - it felt like they didn't want to travel anywhere. But I really liked her, her parents and Professor Derek, so I did enjoy it.
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#971 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,693
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I enjoyed it and had never seen her before, never watch soaps etc. So I don't see why she is 'flavour of the month'.
I don't dislike her and think she is a great actress - she's a bit flavour of the month because she was Mrs Biggs (great!) and she's Cilla in the new biog that's due out soon? So just a bit high profile in recent years. Plus she's she's been in super successful stuff in theatre ... (I don't know what!)
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#972 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,693
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Quote:
If you look carefully at the 1901 census page her second cousin showed her, where Benjamin's wife Sarah Jane and two of the children were in "Birmingham", they are in Smethwick, which I guess is near enough to Birmingham, but under the surname of Brown, with a John Brown as the head of the family and Sarah Jane down as his wife. I would far rather they had explained what was going on there instead of skipping over it and having all that banjo stuff.
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#973 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1,693
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Quote:
I couldn't believe the "picking up a banjo for the first time" sequence. If it was really the first time she had pressed her fingers into some steel strings she would be going "Ow ow ow" for 10 minutes. You have to harden them up with practice before you can stand it for more than a couple of seconds.
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#974 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 5,982
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Quote:
Yes, Sheridan was surprisingly a very lovely down to earth person but I'm still not liking the format of just focusing on one ancestor. I feel cheated!
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#975 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,462
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Quote:
I also really liked Professor Derek - he was reminding me of someone - possibly Matthew Kelly as Sqirrel in Benidorm!
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