By The Family Histories Podcast
The Family Histories Podcast is a show that celebrates those of us sat in archives, libraries, and spare bedrooms all around the world, tirelessly piecing together our collective social and family
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The podcast currently has 64 episodes available.
It's our 50th guest episode! So, to celebrate this special milestone episode, host Andrew Martin decides to head to the Society of Genealogists to meet three guests taking part in the annual All About That Place event. However, he doesn't quite end up where he expected...
All About That Place is a series of talks brought to us by the Society of Genealogists, supported by the Society of One-Place Studies, British Association for Local History and Genealogy Stories. You can join in with the All About That Place event, running from September 27, to October 6, 2024 online to find out all the details at https://www.subscribepage.com/allaboutthatplace
THE INTERVIEW - DR. ANGELA BUCKLEY
Andrew meets crime, policing, forensics historian, and author Dr. Angela Buckley and finds out how she got hooked on researching family history and crime history. He hears how she finds and follows the criminals and detectives, and about her relative's own criminal activities!
THE LIFE STORY - ERICA DOREEN FULLER with DR. NICK BARRATT
Next, Andrew meets genealogist, author, Medievalist, and broadcaster (The House Detectives, Hidden House Histories, Who Do You Think You Are?) Dr. Nick Barratt and hears about his grandmother Erica Doreen Fuller who was born in 1911 in Belgium. He finds that she was sort-of informally fostered into care at a remote farm house in Norfolk, England... but as he found out, not all was quite as it seemed...
THE BRICK WALL - JOSEPH QUIN with CHRISTINE PAYNE
Andrew meets family and social historian Christine Payne - the winner of the All About That Place prize draw, and hears about her brick wall - her paternal Great Grandfather Joseph Quin who was born in 1840.
In 1897, Joseph walks into Brixton Prison in London, and confesses to bigamy.. but what motivated him to do so - was he being blackmailed or did he want to face up to his crime?
Christine is also trying to find his date and place of death - as after his jail sentence he appears to go missing.
If you think you can help Christine with a research clue or idea, then you can message her at the email address she gives within the episode, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to her.
In the meantime, Andrew offers Christine some help, but he has a secret to reveal first...
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Episode Credits
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This is a Series Seven Bonus Episode, following on immediately from the previous episode 'The Sailor' with Morag Peers.
When two children inexplicably appear, host Andrew Martin and guest Morag Peers realise that the (shh: secret time) machine has moved time and location, and that they are now part of one of history's most baffling disappearances.
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
In this final full episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Morag Peers - an award-winning professional genealogist who specialises in researching the lives of the people of Scotland. He hears how she got hooked on family history, how she ended up going professional, and her love of using passport records to trace family and world history.
THE LIFE STORY - JOSEPH CLARKE
Morag has chosen to tell the story of her 2x Great Uncle, Joseph Clarke. He was born in Kelton in 1846, into a family with long roots in the area. However, when the 1861 census arrives, he's just 14 years old and listed on a sloop ship named 'George and Jane' and apprenticed to a wool merchant.
Morag traces Joseph's travels from Liverpool in England, to Chilé, Australia, China, and countless trips between these locations.
Whilst his wanderlust takes him around the world and back, sadly it didn't last for long, and Joseph is taken ill on board the ship the Dundonald. Despite the help of the Captain, his illness continues to develop and he died.
Morag has been able to view the Captain's log of the voyage, and discovered that the exact latitude and longitude has been recorded, and being far away from home, the location of his burial at sea is recorded too.
THE BRICK WALL - MARGARET LAUGHLAN
Morag is looking for help with her 2x Great Grandmother Margaret Laughlan who was born in 1841 in Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland to two Irish immigrants. Unfortunately, her last name has been subject to many variants which hasn't helped in Morag's research.
Morag knows that Margaret had two illegitimate daughters - Margaret and Agnes, but there is no clue to the father's name (or names), and Margaret senior remains living with her parents through the censuses.
Unfortunately, DNA testing has not provided many matches at all, and so that leaves Morag wondering
If you think that you can help Morag with a clue or a research idea, then you can contact her at her website www.glasgowgenealogy.co.uk or the email address she gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to her.
In the meanwhile, Morag is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but neither of them are expecting it to be such a moving experience...
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
Host Andrew Martin meets radio presenter and family historian, and host of the Extreme Genes radio show and podcast - Scott Fisher. He finds out how Scott got hooked on researching his family history, the lengths he goes to to solve genealogy puzzles, and how he ended up making his hit radio and podcast show.
THE LIFE STORY - DONALD OLSEN
Scott has chosen to tell the life story of his maternal half-uncle Donald Olsen.
Donald was one of several brothers who ended up serving in the Second World War, but it's a naval record that gave Scott a detailed account of Donald's time at sea in the Pacific Ocean. Whilst there, Donald experienced terrifying and harrowing events that would seemingly haunt him deeply until he decided to take his own life.
THE BRICK WALL - JAMES STOCKS
It's a Brick Wall in London, England, that has Scott stuck. Scott has managed to find a fantastically detailed description of James Stocks - right down to the state of his clothing, thanks to a detailed article in an old newspaper from 1818. Sadly, this article was published because James had abandoned his wife Catherine and their children.
The article, and some US census records for the children (after they'd emigrated) state that he was from Scotland, but some also say he was from England.. so it's a little uncertain. This is where Scott is stuck. Can you help?
If you think you can help Scott with a clue or research idea, you can send him a message via our contact form and we'll send it straight to him.
In the meantime, Scott is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but will it shine a light on things?
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
In the fifth episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets anthropologist and Welsh professional genealogist, Dai Davies, and finds out how they got hooked on researching family history, the challenges of researching Welsh family history from afar, and their thoughts on how the genealogy community could become a better place.
THE LIFE STORY - DAVID DAVIES
Dai has chosen to tell the life story of their 8x Great Uncle, David Davies who was born in 1754 in a small parish near Lampeter in West Wales, and was the son of tenant farmers and Wesleyan Methodists.
Dai was excited to discover this person in their tree, as David Davies was a highly influential educator, minister, and political poet in Wales during the 18th Century. He is known to have had a school in Castell Hywel, and was a minister at Llwynrhydowen Chapel.
His work to translate English into Welsh for the newly literate communities, resulted in him even being described as 'improving into Welsh' on the popular poem by Thomas Gray - 'Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard'. However, sometimes his political thoughts on the rapidly changing world around him, including the French Revolution, would cause controversy.
THE BRICK WALL - DAVID THOMAS
It's the family of Dai's 7x Great Grandfather David Thomas (brother-in-law of the above David Davies), that has them stuck for answers.
Dai has found 76 records attributed to David Thomas, and knows about his life between 1757 and his death in 1816, Lampeter in Ceredigion, Wales, but Dai has found no trace of David Thomas' parents or siblings.
If you think that you can offer Dai a research clue or idea, then you can email them on the address they give in the episode, or find them at @GenealCymru at Twitter. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on.
In the meanwhile, Dai has concerns about Andrew's offer of help... will this source be reliable?
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
In this fourth episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Anglo-Belgian professional genealogist, and country manager at MyHeritage - Marie Cappart, and finds out how she got addicted to researching her family history, what made her a 'DNA geek', and what it's like to work for MyHeritage.
THE LIFE STORY - MARGUERITE NICHOLLS
Marie has chosen to tell the life story of her Anglo-Belgian Great Aunt Marguerite Nicholls, who she discovered in her teenage years was missing from her family tree.
Marie tells how Marguerite remained in Belgium with her Swedish husband as war broke out, rather than returning to the UK with her own family, and how she ended up saving the lives of British and Canadian airmen as a member of the Belgian Resistance.
Whilst Marguerite's story comes to a sad ending, Marie is adamant that she takes her rightful place in her family tree, and that her memory and bravery is never forgotten in Belgium.
THE BRICK WALL - CORNEILLE DE LESTRE
It's a baptism record for her husband's ancestor Corneille de Lestre, somewhere in the mid-16th Century, that has Marie puzzled.
Marie has been trying to locate Corneille's baptism for some time, but she lacks both an accurate year of birth and location. She has searched in the 1540s-1550s, and after viewing some work in an archive that had no cited sources, she has attempted to research its theories of the identity of Corneille's father and the travelling that person did.
However, there's no tangible evidence emerging yet that connects Marie's husband to that person - so it's a mystery that leads her on a process of elimination.
Can you help Marie discover;
If you think that you can help Marie with a research clue or idea, then you can either send her a message at her @histfamilles Twitter account, or send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.
In the meantime, Marie is curious of Andrew's offer of help... but can you smell burning?
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
In this third episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, and host of The Filipino Genealogy Channel on YouTube - Todd Lucero Sales. Andrew hears how Todd got hooked on researching family history in the Philippines, the challenges of researching Filipino family history, the impact of hundreds of years of rule by Spain on records, and why he started his YouTube channel.
THE LIFE STORY - FELICIANA MARIA CEBALLOS
Todd has chosen to tell the story of his 4x Great Grandmother Feliciana Maria Ceballos who had two children with a old priest named Father Francisco Diaz in Argao, Cebu, Philippines.
Family lore through the generations reached Todd with a story of Feliciana being so beautiful that she caught the attention of many priests travelling the area, but by using surviving records he's been able to verify the details and discover her life raising their children alone against a backdrop of stigma of being an un-married mother.
Despite this stigma against her and the children, the church did appear to accept and provide for her and her descendants.
THE BRICK WALL - MR TAN
It's a research brick wall in his maternal tree that has Todd stuck - the identity of his Great Grandmother's father. Whilst he knows that he was Chinese (which is reflected in the percentage of Chinese DNA detected in his 23andMe test), Todd knows only the man's family name - Mr. Tan.
Mr. Tan fathered Todd's Great Grandmother, and remained in Argao, Cebu Island, the Philippines to support his partner, until returning to his first family in China, and never being seen or heard from again.
DNA tests have provided Todd with some results, and he thinks he may have come from the Fujian region of Southern China, but it's hard for him to isolate this branch. Researching in China and via China DNA results has proved to be difficult from outside the country.
Can you help identify Mr Tan, who left China for Philippines circa 1882?
If you think that you can help Todd with a research idea or a clue, you can contact him at the email address he gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to him.
In the meantime, Andrew is keen to offer help, but will Todd get the answers needs?
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
In this second episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, lecturer, Fellow, and former Principal Family History Specialist of the National Archives - Dave Annal. Dave tells Andrew how he got hooked on researching his family, how he ended up working for the National Archives, his thoughts and hopes on where he sees the genealogy industry going next, and his love of Wills.
THE LIFE STORY - MARGARET HOWLAND
Dave has chosen to tell the life story of his paternal Grandmother, Margaret Howland, who was born in Edinburgh in 1906 to an unmarried mother also named Margaret Howland.
Whilst both Margarets were known to be hoarders, it seems that they both continued this behaviour when it came to the identity of Dave's Great Grandfather.
However, one day, whilst on a walk to a cemetery, Margaret, then in her 80's, decided to reveal her father's identity... and the time she had shared with him.
THE BRICK WALL - THOMAS FLYNN
It's a research brick wall with Irish roots that is baffling Dave.
Whilst Thomas Flynn and his wife Catherine have been found in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1851 and 1861, Dave is unable to find out about them before and after this date.
Dave descends from one of the couple's sons, and he has that documented, but Thomas and Catherine - along with their marriage, births, baptism, and deaths, all remain a mystery.
If you think that you can help Dave with a research idea or clue, then you can contact him at his Lifelines Research website, via his @lifelines_dave Twitter account, or via the email address he gives during the episode. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to him.
In the meantime, Dave is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but is he really ready for what's in store?...
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
In this first episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Jackie Kohnstamm - a lecturer, author, playwright, and family historian. Jackie tells Andrew how she got hooked on researching family histories after hearing stories with missing bits, and then finding letters. She tells him what motivated her to write her book 'The Memory Keeper: A Journey Into The Holocaust To Find My Family', and...
THE LIFE STORY - CHARLOTTE RYCHWALSKI
Jackie has chosen to tell the life story of her maternal aunt, Charlotte Rychwalski (known as 'Lotte').
It's clear from Jackie's description of Charlotte, that she has some very fond memories of her aunt being the daring, and fascinating relative who would bring excitement into the family home after the Second World War, but through the memories Charlotte shared, and a cache of letters, Jackie has been able to discover more about her life.
THE BRICK WALL - JUTTA TOWNSEND
Jackie is looking for one of her maternal cousins - Jutta - the surviving descendant of a family that was sadly murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Jutta Rychwalski escaped from Germany on one of the Kindertransport trains.
Jackie knows that Jutta was married at least once, perhaps twice, but her last husband was named Frederick Townsend, and they lived in the Wakefield area of Yorkshire. Jutta is known to have died in the Wakefield area in 2012 aged 87 years, having been predeceased by Frederick in 1982. The couple had a son named Steven in 1955, but he died in 1973.
Jackie would like your help to discover more about her cousin's life.
If you think you can help Jackie with a clue or research idea, then you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass the message straight on to her.
In the meantime, Jackie is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but can he get her to the church on time?
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
The Family Histories Podcast is back for Series Seven!
Once again, host Andrew Martin, and his 19th century assistant Sándor Petőfi, welcome seven more guests, each with a fascinating life story, and of course a pesky genealogy research 'brick wall' for listeners to try to solve.
However, before they welcome their first guest, there's something in the garage that needs some maintenance.... from an expert.
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Episode Credits:
Thank you for listening!
You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.
You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.
If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.
The podcast currently has 64 episodes available.
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