Who Do You Think You Are? - Gemma Collins

 

Series 21 of Who Do You Think You Are? brought down the curtain with reality TV star Gemma Collins.

This was a solid episode, but after Olly Murs' cracker the episode before, it felt a little anti-climactic.

Still, it probably didn't feel that way to Gemma - and that's what matters!

Gemma's episode featured some difficult discussions surrounding foster care and mental health.

Mostly these were done well - explaining that our modern understanding of schizophrenia is a lot different to the understanding of the condition in the 1950s. 

Sadly, a lot of 'normal' teenage behaviour, i.e. rebelliousness, skipping school, back-talking, - especially pertaining to teenage girls - was caught up in the pathology of the day. This lead to a lot of people becoming institutionalised with no medical need.

I think the episode missed, though, that along with those who were unfairly and wrongly entangled in the system, were people who were genuinely unwell.

Was Gemma's biological grandmother one of them? It's not clear - we don't have her medical notes, and the only first-hand accounts we have are from people who were children at the time, and unaware of their aunt being a patient at mental health hospitals.

It's impossible to tell whether or not Gemma's grandmother was treated fairly or unfairly without having more information - but that ambiguity wasn't really, in my opinion, made clear enough to Gemma. 

She seemed to come away with the conclusion that her grandmother had been one of those who were institutionalised for normal, frowned-upon, behaviour - which is entirely possible.

The circumstantial evidence of her teenage pregnancy and the known attitudes of some of the medical leaders at the institutions she was a patient at, strengthen that possibility.

But it's also entirely possible that her grandmother was extremely unwell. Because that also would have resulted in her becoming a patient at those same hospitals.

We sadly can't know - with the information presented - what the reality of the case might be, and it would have been better, in my opinion, to make that more clear.

Other parts of the episode included the criminality and poverty of London at the turn of the 20th Century, and Gemma's roots in Essex.

The latter was probably one of the less surprising features, but the remoteness and uniqueness of the Essex island Gemma's family came from was interesting enough.

Again, this was a solid episode, but probably would have been better off in a different place in the running order.

Ready to start your own family history journey? I offer a range of professional genealogy services, check out my website for more details.

Christmas 2024 Orders Are OPEN!

 

Yes - as early as it seems, it's time to talk about Christmas!

Because those extra-special gifts take time, and in order to get one of my packages ready for the big day itself, I need you to get in touch by 6pm GMT on 25th October 2024.

This is the Very, Very, Last date I can accept Christmas orders this year - to allow me time to both create your package, and post it.

Earlier really is better, as it gives me more time to complete the research, and make your unique gift extra-special.

But, for those of you who would rather wait, I can arrange e-mail gift certificates right up until 1pm GMT on 23rd December.

- This also has the advantage of letting the recipient give me the information needed to start my research, which is handy if you're unsure on details.

The last date for postal gift certificates is 10am GMT on Tuesday 17th December 2023 - this means I can get them printed & posted by the last post date. I am not responsible for any postal delays.

My branch or double-branch packages really do make beautiful and thoughtful gifts, with the finished research coming in a lovely paperback book form (with other printing options available.)

For full details of my packages and services, see my website, familyhistorybycerys.co.uk

Those dates again, then:

• Final order enquiries: 6pm GMT, 25th October 2024

• Postal gift certificates: 10am GMT, 17th December 2024

• E-mail gift certificates: 1pm GMT, 23rd December 2024

And if you have any other family history research enquiries, don't hesitate to get in touch and get your family history journey started!

Who Do You Think You Are? - Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Olly Murs

 

Legendary Olympian Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill came to the Who Do You Think You Are? treatment eagerly, and that energy really infused itself in her episode.

First up we looked at the English side of her family, and the mystery of a mother (Jessica's great-great-grandmother) who left one day with a suitcase, and never came home.

Things in this story were complex - every time Jessica discovered an element of the story, it turned everything she had learned up to that point on its head.

(I love stories like this - it shows that there's always more going on than meets the eye!)

So, I won't go into too much detail because this really is one that needs to be seen as it unfolds to be truly appreciated, but it covers several difficult topics in a frank and non-judgemental way, and made the episode well worth the watch for this section alone.

The other half of Jessica's episode also dealt with some difficult topics, as she made her way to Jamaica with her father to investigate her side of the family.

The sad inevitably of finding enslaved people in her family tree didn't take the sting away for Jessica, but this story was, ultimately, one of hope and survival. It finished the episode well.

Singer Olly Murs' episode of Who Do You Think You Are? was truly fascinating.

Olly's grandfather originally came from Latvia, a country which I admit I know extremely little about - but more than I did, thanks to this episode!

What followed was a couldn't-make-it-up story that encompassed the circus, extra-marital affairs, war, and the horrors of the USSR.

At the moment, this is the stand-out episode of the series to me.

It's a story that's full of colourful and vivid details, as well as the tragedies of 20th Century history and the lives that got caught up in its wake.

..And that's before you even consider the circus stuff!

Ready to start your own family history journey? I offer a range of professional genealogy services, check out my website for more details.

Who Do You Think You Are? - Mel C and Rose Ayling-Ellis

 

Obviously Melanie Chisholm, aka Mel C, and Who Do You Think You Are? were made for each other - 

- or at least made for the obvious references to the Spice Girls song of the same name. 😉

Mel C's family were definitely unique - and showed an individual spirit that helped them move beyond the expectations of their stations in life.

From money-lending in Liverpool - kind of a slightly-more above-board loan shark service - to moving into insurance in the early days of the industry, Mel's family certainly weren't content to simply sit still.

This episode covered a wide-range of stories, including the history of the Irish potato famine, which led Mel's ancestors to emigrate to Liverpool in hopes of a better life.

Rose Ayling-Ellis' episode, which aired last Thursday, carried on the themes of independence and survival.

Actress and presenter Rose recently broke new ground in becoming the first deaf person to ever present a live TV sports broadcast.

Rose's episode saw her discover that her great-great-grandfather, James Wellend, had lost a hand due to an accident at work on the railways, at the age of 19.

The accident was pretty horrific, involving a reminder of just how big trains are, and how big the wheel of a steam locomotive can be. Ouch. Just... ouch.

As well as learning about James and his trouble with supporting his growing family - eventually ending up with 17 (!) children - Rose learned about a publican ancestor, and the Italian roots of her family.

Rose - whose Eastenders character tended bar in the Queen Vic - was clearly thrilled by both elements of her family's story.

Rose's personality really shone through in this episode - and made it very much worth the watch.

Ready to start your own family history journey? I offer a range of professional genealogy services, check out my website for more details.

Who Do You Think You Are? - Paddy McGuinness

 

Last Thursday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featured comedian and presenter Paddy McGuinness.

At the beginning of this episode, Paddy knew extremely little about his family, being unsure of (or, in some cases, simply not knowing,) his grandparents' names - and, it seems, his uncle was also unaware of the names of his grandparents.

What seems even odder is there doesn't appear to be any specific reason behind the family not being talked about in subsequent generations - simply a quiet forgetting among the hardships of daily life.

As well as learning that his maternal grandfather was part of the vital workforce that constructed aircraft - including the spitfire - for World War Two, Paddy also followed the story of his paternal grandfather, who fought in the Boer War in South Africa.

William McGuinness, it seems, was far from the ideal soldier. As well as a lengthy prison sentence, with hard labour (which, under modern standards, would probably be considered torture,) for insubordination, William's military records describe his character as 'Bad.'

In my experience, that's quite impressive. No-one in the British army is 'Bad.'

The character assessments of the British armed forces rarely, if ever, call someone 'Bad,' in plain English. They prefer to be much more circumspect about the whole thing.

The main positive assessments are 'Excellent' and 'Very Good' (and sometimes there's more than one 'Very' stuck in, just for luck.) 

The negative reports are 'Good' (yes, 'Good' is bad,) and 'Fair' (which also sounds like it should be good, but like 'Good' is bad - I know, it's confusing.)

To actually have Bad on a record suggests that William was a consistent thorn in the sides of his superior officers - which may, from a modern perspective, not actually have been a bad thing at all, given the questionable conduct and rigid classism of many British army officers at the turn of the 20th Century. 

On the other hand, William may have committed crimes at every barracks and billet he ended up in - which would be bad, regardless of whether you're Edwardian or not. Or he may have been relatively poorly behaved and a thorn in the sides of the higher-ups. Without more information, we simply can't know for sure.

Other highlights from this episode were the (eventual) Ireland link and Paddy McGuinness' genuine attitude throughout.

It's clear that McGuinness is more than comfortable in front of a camera, and that makes the whole episode flow with more ease than it might otherwise have done, and gives the historical details and stories the presentation they deserve.

All in all, a 'Very Good' episode!

Ready to start your own family history journey? I offer a range of professional genealogy services, check out my website for more details.

Who Do You Think You Are? - Vicky McClure

 

Who Do You Think You Are? series 21 kicked off last Thursday with British actress Vicky McClure.

A lot of this episode focussed on relatively recent history - Vicky's grandparents and great-grandparents.

Often there are holes in our family stories that affect our understanding of even close family members, and Vicky was keen to know more about the things that made her grandmothers who they were.

First we turned to her paternal grandmother.

The mystery here was in her grandmother's parentage, and the circumstances which led to her being raised in a less-than-ideal environment by someone who wasn't her biological mother.

Poverty and infidelity created a circumstance where the way to save the marriage was to give up the child. And, as was pointed out repeatedly, the ability to vet the child's new parents at the time was almost non-existent. An impossible situation.

Afterwards, the episode shifted focus to Vicky's maternal family, and her PoW great-grandfather.

Life as a coal miner was sadly book-ended by his assignment to a Japanese PoW mine in Taiwan, where he would become the first of the prisoners to lose his life amidst the atrocious conditions.

As Vicky points out, little is known by the general public about this aspect of history.

Partly this is because it's a recent, horrible, part of history - it's uncomfortable and often disturbing to know what happened to these men, and Vicky understandably felt nervous.

I think this episode dealt well with this aspect of family history - the things that we find out aren't always pleasant, but that doesn't mean they're not important.

Ready to start your own family history journey? I offer a range of professional genealogy services, check out my website for more details.

Who Do You Think You Are Series 21 Starts Tonight!

 

Series 21 of Who Do You Think You Are? starts tonight (15th August 2024) at 9pm on BBC One here in the UK.

The first episode stars British actress Vicky McClure.

Hopefully it'll be another good series! I'll be back soon with my thoughts on the first episode.

Ready to start your own family history journey? I offer a range of professional genealogy services, check out my website for more details.