In this sixth episode of Season Ten, host Andrew Martin meets New Zealand-based genealogist, author, storyteller and 'story listener', Simon Young. He hears how Simon got hooked on family history after a brown envelop was handed to him, and his thoughts on where the genealogy community may go next.

THE LIFE STORY - DR. JAMES LIND

Simon has chosen to tell the Life Story of his 5x Great Grandfather, Dr. James Lind, who was born in 1736 in Gorgie, Edinburgh, Scotland.

By 1766, he'd joined the East India Company as a surgeon, and two years later earned his Doctorate after completing his dissertation in marsh fever (malaria). 

However, James was somewhat a polymath, and surrounded by other polymaths in Edinburgh at the time. He missed out on a voyage with Captain Cook after asking for too much money, and instead headed to Iceland to study the stars.

He also mentored Percy Bysshe Shelley, and this clearly left an impression on Percy who wrote James as characters in some of his work. James was also perhaps an inspiration for Percy's wife - author Mary Shelley - who it's said, was inspired by James when she wrote Frankenstein, after one of James' 'scientific' tricks was to electrocute dead frogs so that they would twitch and jump, as if brought back to life!

THE BRICK WALL - WILLIAM and HANNAH SMITH

Yes, that's right... Simon is asking you to help him find some ancestors bearing one of the most common surnames from Britain - Smith! 

Simon knows that his ancestor George Henry Smith was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1859, but he has no further information about his parents William Smith and Hannah Smith (née 'Dardin').  When George Smith marries in the 1880s, his father is named, but the marriage takes place in New Zealand. Simon doesn't know if George's parents were alive, went to New Zealand, or stayed in Australia.

Can you help him find the correct William and Hannah Smith, parents of George Henry Smith?

If you think that you can offer Simon a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his website, or alternatively send us message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime... Simon is happy to accept Andrew's offer of help, but has a few questions first....

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Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Simon Young - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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