In this fourth and mid-way episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist John Boeren and hears about how he got hooked on researching his Dutch ancestry, why he became a professional researcher, and how he ended up being awarded a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 for services to local history and genealogy.

THE LIFE STORY - MAARTEN VAN LEEUWEN
John has chosen to tell the life story of his 4x Great Grandfather, Maarten van Leeuwen, who was born in 1795 in a small village near Gouda (yes, as in the home of the cheese) in the Netherlands.

When John finds references to a silver shield and medal awarded to Maarten in 1825, it sets him on a trail to discover why he was being called a 'hero' and of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

Despite his service in the Napoleonic Wars as a gunner, this was not why he received his medal - that's down to his relationship with fire!

THE BRICK WALL - JACOBUS HENDRIKX and JENNEKEN HEIJLIGER JANSSEN
John's looking for help to find the earliest ancestors in his Boeren line, except this is during a time where patronymics were being used... therefore 'Boeren' is not the name to find, and this makes it much harder for him. 

Whilst John knows the names of his brick wall ancestors - Jacobus (Jacob) and Jenneken (Joan), he can't find their marriage nor their baptisms. He can see their children being baptised in villages close to the border between Netherlands and Belgium during the 1660s, but there's no further clues to their identities.

Can you help him with;

• Where were Jacobus Hendrickx and Jenneken Heijliger Janssen married?
• Where were Jacobus and Jenneken baptised?
• What were their fathers' patronymic surnames?

If you think you can help John, then you can send him a message via his website or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.

In the meantime, John isn't quite sure what to make of Andrew's offer of help... but will it work?

---

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• John Boeren - Guest

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this third episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets Gary Stanley - a family historian who has researched his Romany roots. Andrew hears about Gary's research web project in which he documents all references in the UK and USA of Roma families, and he explains the challenges of researching relatives, the benefit of baptismal records and newspapers, and how he participated in a DNA test led by Professor Turi King.

THE LIFE STORY - ELIZABETH NICHOLS
Gary has chosen to tell the life story of one of his Romany relatives Elizabeth Nichols... and it is quite extraordinary!

Elizabeth appeared to baptise a child, with the father noted as Antonio Nichols - a Portuguese sailor. Then Gary finds another baptism... then another... except the baptisms spread around the area, and sometimes the details are a little different. Sometimes Elizabeth's surname is Nichols, Nicholas, or Nicholson, sometimes it's Stivery or Twivey. Sometimes Antonio is deceased or at sea.

This pattern intrigued Gary, and following the clues and an incredible amount of research, he has found around 600 baptisms during the 1830s! So many, that he even created a website to map them around England and Scotland.

It's very clear that Elizabeth did not have 600 children, and the register entries note that sometimes the child is a new-born, or of a few years old. So, did Elizabeth have a few children that could span this age?

The question is obviously; Why go to this much effort? Gary believes that in order for Elizabeth to receive parish relief (a monetary benefit paid by the church), the child had to be baptised. Given Elizabeth's Romany heritage, she moved around regularly, and therefore amassed 600 known baptisms for her children, in order to receive relief!  

THE BRICK WALL - ELIZABETH NICHOLS
Connecting directly to the Life Story that Gary has told, is his brick wall.

Gary may well have found hundreds of baptisms for her children, but he's wanting to find out;

• Where was Elizabeth Nichols before the 1830s
• What became of Elizabeth Nichols after 1840s?

If you think you have a research idea or clue to help Gary with his research, you can send him a message via his website, alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to him.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Gary some help, but will he be judged on his effort?

- - -

Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Gary Stanley - Guest

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

Host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Helen Brooks for this second episode of Series Nine. Andrew hears how Helen's family history research got started by a button, the importance of writing everything down when your aunt tells stories, and her love of photographs. 

THE LIFE STORY - GERTRUDE LESTER / SISTER HELENE DU ST. SACRAMENT  Helen's choice of life story is her Great Aunt Gertrude Lester who later became a Catholic nun known as Sister Helene du St. Sacrament within the order Les Filles de la Sagesse.

Helen uncovered a story of a woman’s rise through her order and her work in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi), right through to a tragic accident at Croydon Aerodrome on 25th January 1947 which would see Sister Helene make the ultimate sacrifice in a moment of bravery that saved a man’s life.

With the aerodrome demolished and the site covered in housing, residents in the 1970s are reported as having seen the nuns had return in a ghostly form…

THE BRICK WALL - GEORGE WRIGHT
Following directly on from her choice of Life Story, Helen has been researching the other people in the plane crash. She's managed to find information on all of them apart from the most significant one (to her) - the man that Sister Helene saved!

He's known as George Wright, and in January 1947 he had been de-mobbed from wartime service. She doesn't know his age but assumes that he's in his 20's, but she does know from newspaper reports that he was catching a later flight to Johannesburg, South Africa to find work.

Despite her searches, Helen does not know what became of him after the day of the crash.

• What happened to George Wright after 25th January 1947?
• Where did he go?

If you think that you can help Helen with a research idea or clue, then you can find her on Bluesky, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her.

In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor's offer of help results in a dangerous and tricky manoeuvre...

- - - 

Episode credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Helen Brooks - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this first episode of Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets Canadian genealogist Ron Williams whose family tree research resulted in him encountering a 57 year old mystery...  Understandably, Ron couldn't not investigate and in doing so, uncovered a fascinating story which he then turned it into a book.

THE LIFE STORY - ALFRED VICTOR WILLIAMS
Ron has chosen to tell the fascinating story of his paternal Grandfather - Alfred Victor Williams - one that involves mystery and intrigue, and 57 missing years.

The story sees Ron find just a few clues that hint towards some very different elements of his Grandfather's missing first 57 years - an affidavit, a school photograph of a son, and a letter. Why did Alfred spend years living under the alias Roy Hammond?

Ron has turned Alfred's story into a book titled 'The Lost Fifty-Seven - A genealogical journey of discovery, deception, secrets and scandal' (2024).

THE BRICK WALL - MARY WILLIAMS
It's the identity of his 2x Great Grandmother - Mary Williams - that is causing Ron problems in his research. 

He knows that she was born in about 1831, and likely in Shropshire (or Salop as it was known back then). After finding a confusing 'Cumberland in Salop' reference, Ron has found further Salop references in her census entries after her marriage to George Williams.

As Ron doesn't know the birth name of Mary, he's struggled to find the correct marriage, which he estimates was circa 1853, as the couple rapidly grow a family, starting with his Gt Grandfather in 1854.

• What was Mary Williams' pre-marriage surname?

If you think you have a clue or a research idea, you can contact Ron at his website, or alternatively you can find him on Twitter and Bluesky. You can also send us a message, and we'll pass it on to him.

In the meantime, Ron is fascinated by Andrew and Sándor's offer of help... but someone's clearly hungry....

- - -

Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Ron Williams - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

We're back! It's time for Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast.

Your host - family historian Andrew Martin, will once again be joined by seven guests, for seven more fascinating life stories and of course a load of those pesky brick walls for you to help solve.

As usual... as a 'thank you' treat, each guest is given a return trip back in time in Andrew's (shh: secret time) machine, all with the help of his assistant - the 19th century missing Hungarian poet and revolutionary, Sándor Petőfi. 

Join us right here for Season Nine, which begins on 6th May 2025.

Find out more about the new series. 

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

For this special ninth episode of Series Eight, we're taking part in Podcasthon 2025 - an annual global event for podcasters to collectively raise awareness of charities they care about. With our guest, we've chosen to support the charity Mind, and you can hear more about their work and access support here: mind.org.uk. If you're outside the UK, you can find international support here.

NOTE: This episode contains archaic terminology, and historic references to conditions and treatment methods of people with mental health issues, and refers to suicide.

In this episode, host Andrew Martin is joined by Jane Hough - a genealogist, blogger, and former guest (see 'The Laundress' from Series One). He finds out how her research has progressed, her work with Few Forgotten Women, and her love of Wills and studying.

THE LIFE STORY - LILIAN MAUDE EVANS
For this part of the episode, Andrew and Jane are joined by Kathryn Burtinshaw - genealogist, genealogy tutor, and co-author of 'Lunatics, Imbeciles and Idiots - A History of Insanity in Nineteenth Century Britain & Ireland' (Pen and Sword, 2017). 

Jane tells the moving story of her Great Grandmother Lilian Maude Evans, who was found wandering the streets in distress, and was arrested. Given the choice of prison or the workhouse, she chose the latter.... and she ends up in a mental health institution. We turn to Kathryn to help us to understand the context of Maude's diagnosis and treatment.

THE BRICK WALL - RICHARD and MARY HUTCHINSON
This time, Jane has chosen her 3x Great Grandparents Richard and Mary Hutchinson of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.

Jane has them on the 1841, 1851, and 1861 censuses in Huddersfield, but cannot find a sure match for their origins. They were both born in the 1790s and there's some Lancashire connections.

If you think that you can offer her some help with a clue or research idea, then you can contact her at her website allthosebefore.org.uk or Bluesky account, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

Meanwhile, Jane knows how helpful Andrew can be... but will she take his offer a second time?

- - - 
Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jane Hough - Guest
• Kathryn Burtinshaw - Guest

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

This is a short bonus episode, continuing on immediately after the cliffhanger at the end of 'The Nationalist' with Daniel Loftus.

As Andrew realises he's not alone in the garage, they'll have to work together to fix a dangerous time travel paradox before it erases the podcast.

Thank you once again for joining us for another series, and letting us have your ears. Whilst we're off making new episodes, why not check out our back catalogue with more than 60 guests! You can also sign up to our email list for the latest news (and occasional special offer).

thank you,
Andrew

- - -
Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Andrew Martin - Andrew Martin
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

This episode references:

• 'The Tyrant' with Daniel Smith-Ramos
• 'The Shoemaker' with Kelly Cornwell
• 'The Rioter' with Andrew Martin
• 'The Nationalist' with Daniel Loftus 

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this final full episode of Series Eight, host Andrew Martin meets Irish genealogist, speaker, occasional podcaster, and Project Infant founder, Daniel Loftus. He asks Daniel how he got hooked on researching his family history, challenges he's faced with DNA testing and adoption, and why he's leading a project that brings Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland under the spotlight.

If you’d like to volunteer for Project Infant, you can do so at: https://projectinfant.ie/volunteer

THE LIFE STORY - PATRICK WHELAN
 Daniel has chosen to tell the life story of his Great Grandfather Patrick ‘Pax’ Whelan, who was born to Patrick (known as ‘Patsy’) and his wife Bridget in 1890 in the coastal town of Dungarvan, in County Waterford, Ireland. Sadly though, Bridget died when Pax was aged 8, and his youngest sister was just one month old.

With tensions building in Ireland and in World War One, Pax’s brother Michael enlisted in the British Army… but to Pax – who’d joined the local branch of the Irish Republican Army, this was unacceptable and the brothers ceased speaking for decades.

Whilst Pax didn’t really speak of his time in the Army, Daniel has managed to find sources in museums and archives that help tell the story of his Great Grandfather.

THE BRICK WALL - PATRICK LAVIN and ANN BRENNAN 
A vanishing act in the 20th Century is what is causing Daniel to collide with a Brick Wall – he’s looking for information on Patrick Lavin (or Lavan) and wife Ann Brennan.

Daniel doesn’t know much about this couple, but he has found that Patrick was born circa 1854, and Mary Brennan circa 1861.

The couple married in January 1882 and remained around the area of Kiltimagh, County Mayo, in Ireland, and had a family of six daughters between 1882 and 1893.

However, Daniel is stuck with trying to find much about their parents. He knows Patrick’s father was alive in 1882 and also called Patrick, but that Ann’s father John had died.

The last time Daniel has found Patrick and Ann in the records is on the 1911 census – and then they just vanish!

• Where did Patrick and Ann go after 1911?

If you think that you have a research idea or clue that can help Daniel to overcome his brick wall, then you can find him via the links at his Carrd profile or drop him a message on Bluesky or Twitter. Alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact form and we’ll pass your message on.

In the meantime, Daniel accepts Andrew’s offer of help, but will he agree to an important errand too?

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this episode of Series Eight, host Andrew meets Australian genealogist Jennifer Jones, who tells him about how she got hooked on researching family history, her motivation to blog her research, and her One-Place Study in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

THE LIFE STORY - THOMAS WATERS
Jennifer has chosen to tell the life story of Thomas Waters, her 2x Great Grandfather who was born in 1829 in the little village of Dunton in Bedfordshire, England, but in 1852 he emigrates to Australia. It has always baffled Jennifer quite why he did this, but it's been fascinating to speculate.

Once out there, Thomas writes home to his family, and through a fortunate cache of letters being deposited in an archive, Jennifer has been able to read his words and can see that he really was homesick. It appears that he didn't necessarily want to move so far away, and that his family back home did not particularly want to write to him either.

THE BRICK WALL - JAMES McEWAN
It's a research dead end for a Captain James McEwan that causes Jennifer's Brick Wall. Unfortunately, his name also comes with variants, including McQueen.

Jennifer has traced James back to his military career with the 33rd Regiment Foot in Jamaica, where he is a landowner and also unfortunately the owner of an enslaved person.

Whilst Jennifer knows that he leaves Jamaica, and ends up in Australia in 1832 via a return to the UK, she doesn't know his origins. She knows he's born about 1796 and it's thought that there is a connection to Scotland, and perhaps his surname reflects this, but she is yet to find any evidence.



If you think that you can help Jennifer with a research clue or idea, then you can send her a message at her Twitter or Bluesky account or via the email address she gives in the episode. Alternatively, you can send a message via our contact form and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor offer Jennifer some help, but will she take it?

- - -
Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Jennifer Jones - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

For more episodes on researching genealogy within Australia check out:

• 'The Priest' with Jill Ball
• 'The Shoemaker' with Kelly Cornwell

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this episode of Series Eight, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist Richard Holt. He finds out how Richard got hooked on family history, what made him turn professional, has he ever experienced 'imposter syndrome', and his efforts to access original Wills - and challenging a proposal by the UK Government's Ministry of Justice on the disposal of historic Wills.

THE LIFE STORY - MATTHEW BUYRN (aka JOHN DUNMORE) 
Richard has chosen to tell the life story of his 4x Great Grandfather Matthew Buyrn, who was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England in 1793. However, throughout the records, another name for Matthew repeatedly emerges - John Dunmore. Why does he have two names?

Matthew enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1812 (during the Napoleonic Wars) starting out at the Royal Marines Barracks at Chatham, Kent, before transferring to Plymouth. He then set sail with the Marines but by 1833 he was discharged to hospital due to suffering from what was described at the time as 'mania'.

What follows is a series of events that would see him end up in prison, and as a man whose mental health was at a low.   

THE BRICK WALL - RICHARD BROOKS 
A puzzle in the village of Bledlow Ridge, Buckinghamshire, England has Richard scratching his head... and seeming half the village too. 

His ancestor - Richard Books - was born circa 1740, but the location is not yet known. During his life this Richard built a house on common land, married and had lots of children... who in turn had lots of children too, but he was a poor man, with no Will, and no marked grave. 

• Can you identify the birthplace or baptism location of Richard Brooks? 

If you think that you can help Richard with a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his website, alternatively you can send us a message via our contact form and we'll pass it along to him.  

Meanwhile.... Richard is curious of Andrew's offer of help, but can he get him to the right place? 

- - -
Episode Credits: 

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer 
• Richard Holt - Guest  

Support the show

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, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.