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

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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 

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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?

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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

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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  

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Hello folks, 

I had such a lovely time recording our episode 'The Nightingale' with Danielle and Galeet Dardashti, that after having talked with them at length about the old tape cassette recordings of family conversations, celebrations, singing, and music that Danielle had found stashed in a box in their parents' basement, we decided it would be nice for you to hear some of those recordings for yourself!

So, here's the full first episode of The Nightingale of Iran, aptly titled "The Time Machine" for you to listen to. You can find the rest of their series by searching wherever you enjoy your podcasts, or alternatively head over to www.nightingaleofiran.com.

We'll be back, as usual, on 3rd December, with our next full episode of Series Eight - 'The Marine' with professional genealogist Richard Holt.

Thank you for listening,
Andrew 

 

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Joining host Andrew Martin for this fourth episode of Series Eight is not one but two guests! We're delighted to welcome Emmy-winning journalist Danielle Dardashti and her musician and anthropologist sister Dr. Galeet Dardashti. Danielle and Galeet researched the history of their family in Iran via audio recordings they found at their parents' house, uncovering some fascinating insights into their father and grandfather's musical success. The episode highlights the importance of audio recordings in our research, particularly where the written documentation is both inaccessible for them, and lacking the raw emotion that can be captured in sound.

THE LIFE STORY - YOUNES DARDASHTI
Danielle and Galeet have chosen to tell the life story of their religious Jewish Grandfather - Younes Dardashti.

Left an orphan as a child in Tehran, Iran, Younes went to live with his uncle who really didn't want him to sing - despite recognising his talents.

However, it was during a power cut at a party that Younes decided to share his vocal talents - and in a case of right-place-right-time, he was heard - his voice in the darkness led to him being discovered by a popular Iranian singer and his path to becoming the 'Nightingale of Iran' was set and saw him earn many Muslim fans.

His granddaughters have since turned his story into an award-winning podcast called The Nightingale Of Iran, which is rich in audio interviews, archive recordings, and beautiful singing.

THE BRICK WALL - FARID DARDASHTI
It's a brick wall in 1960's Tehran that has Danielle and Galeet stumped. 

During the making of their podcast, and in conversations with relatives, friends, academics, and fans, they've heard so many references to their father - Farid Dardashti's teen idol career in early 1960's Iran. Despite the fond memories and beloved descriptions, they've yet to see any photographs, video recordings, or hear audio recordings of him during this time.
 

• Can you help find recordings of Farid Dardashti in Iran?

 
 If you think that you can help Danielle and Galeet with a research idea or a clue that might help turn their brick wall to dust, then you can reach out to them at The Nightingale of Iran website, alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact us page, and we'll pass it along to them.
 
In the meantime, Andrew offers his help to Danielle and Galeet, but will it lead them to new clues worth checking out?
 
- - - 
Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Danielle Dardashti - Guest
• Dr. Galeet Dardashti - Guest 

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You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news.

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It's a special delivery in today's episode from Series Eight, as host Andrew Martin meets family history and military history researcher, champion eBayer, and postman, Adam Simpson-York. Andrew finds out how Adam got hooked on researching family history, how he has honed his research skills that enable him to buy family heirlooms on auction sites and then trace their living relatives, allowing him to reunite them with their descendants, and hears about his letters from a Queen.

THE LIFE STORY - DAVID EDWARD ELLIS
Adam has chosen to tell the story of his Great Grandfather David Edward Ellis, who was born in Shotton Colliery, Durham, England in 1907.

David's father William was a coal miner, originally from Wales, and this was an occupation that was synonymous with the village of Shotton Colliery - David's brother worked in the mine, and David followed suit. At the time of David's marriage in 1929 in London, he's still noted as a coal miner.

David later served in World War Two as a Driver in the Royal Army Service Corps' 18th Division Transport Company. He was captured and was forced to march with 7,000 men a distance of 290km during the wet season to Songkurai, Thailand, where he contracted cholera and died of this and tropical ulcers. His remains were exhumed and re-buried in Burma (now Myanmar).

News of his death took a very long time to reach home, and whilst a lack of letters may have hinted towards his demise, the eventual news deeply affected his son for the rest of his life.

THE BRICK WALL - THOMAS TYLER
It's a research puzzle involving his wife's Great Grandfather Thomas Tyler that has Adam stuck for ideas.

Adam knows when Thomas died, and when he married, but there's ambiguity surrounding his date of birth (circa 1910-1912), and there's also a family rumour that Thomas Tyler wasn't his real name, and a rumour that he was a minder for London gangster Jack 'The Hat' McVitie. Tantalising isn't it?

Adam's mother-in-law is going to take a DNA test to try to help solve this, but can you help Adam to identify a birth record for him? Was he really 'Thomas Tyler' or was that a pseudonym to protect his real identity during or after a potential gangster involvement? Was his father, as stated in marriage records, also 'Thomas Tyler' or did he simply not know who his father was and made it up? Can you help solve this brick wall?

If you think you can help Adam with a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his Medals Going Home profiles on Facebook, Twitter, or BlueSky, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along.

Meanwhile, Adam has concerns that despite their offer of help, Andrew and Sándor won't be able to deliver him to the churc

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Andrew meets genealogist and Chair of the Register of Qualified Genealogists, Sylvia Valentine. He hears about how she got hooked on researching family history, her love of life-long learning and research, and her opinions on the terrifying workhouses!


THE LIFE STORY - NAOMI HAWARTH
Sylvia has chosen to tell the life story of her Gt Grandmother, Naomi Hawarth, who was born as a twin, but was the only one of the two to survive. She was not the only twin to her parents, or to outlive a twin sister. Fifteen years before Naomi's birth was that of Mary, who looked exactly like the twin of Naomi.

Whilst twins are often observed as having similar lives, and family historians spot common behaviours in families, Sylvia's research has found that Naomi's siblings have carried many similar traits in education and music to their descendants.

THE BRICK WALL - BERNARD BRAND FIEGEHEN
It's one of Sylvia's husband's ancestors - Bernard Brand Fiegehen who appears working as a china man in City Road, London that has Sylvia facing a brick wall. Phonetically, that surname sounds like 'Fee-gun', and whilst that phonetic pronunciation might sound on face value like it has Irish origins, Sylvia has been stuck to find them.

Sylvia has seen many online trees that have few or no sources for this man, but many point to him as being from Berlin in Germany.

If you think that you can help Sylvia with a research clue or idea, then you can message her via the email address she gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Sylvia isn't sure of the safety of Andrew's research idea, but will her leap of faith work out?....

- - -
Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Sylvia Valentine - Guest 

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In this first episode of Series Eight of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets author, family historian, and the host of the Italian Roots and Genealogy YouTube series and podcast - Bob Sorrentino, and finds out about his Italian-American roots, and his connections to Italian and the wider European nobility.

THE LIFE STORY - ISABELLA D'ESTE
We're off to the 15th Century to hear about one of Bob's ancestors - Isabella d'Este (born 1474 in Ferrara, Italy) was the wife of Francesco II Gonzaga - the Marquis of Mantua, Italy, and whilst her husband appeared to prefer going off to fight as a mercenary, Isabella found herself left in charge.

Under her influence, she encouraged culture and art, and became one of the leading women in the Italian Renaissance. She also ensured that women could access education, and she herself is known to have amassed a collection of around 20,000 letters.

She died in her 60's in 1539, and no doubt left an important legacy for both Italy and women.

THE BRICK WALL - MARIA ANGELA DE RISO
We're only stepping back to the 18th Century this time for Bob's brick wall, and this is his 4x Great Grandmother - Maria Angela De Riso. He knows that she was born circa 1750, likely in Carpinone, in western Molise, Italy, but her origins, and the identity of her parents remains unknown.
 
Maria was an Italian Baroness by birth, but Bob cannot find information on the generation further back - did her parents buy their land and titles?

• Who were Maria's parents?
• Where did they come from before Maria's birth? 

If you think you can help Bob crack this brick wall with a clue or research idea, then you can contact him at his Facebook Group - Italian Roots and Genealogy, his YouTube channel, or alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass it along to him.
 
In the meantime, while Bob is curious of Andrew's offer of help, will he get to his answer safely...
 
- - - 
Episode Credits 

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer 
• Bob Sorrentino - Guest 
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi 

Support the show

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