WDYTYA? - Frances de la Tour

Well! That's Series 12 done and dusted in style, with last night's episode starring British actress Frances de la Tour, who has suitably posh ancestors (have you ever noticed how many of our actors and actresses are descended from aristocrats?)

 

But there was the whiff of scandal throughout the lives of these aristocratic ladies - and Frances followed the path of affairs, drugs, and the stifling conditions of life as a high-class woman. It never ceases to surprise me just how naïve celebrities can sometimes be in Who Do You Think You Are? episodes. Maybe it's just the hardened genealogist in me that automatically jumps to affairs and opium - not that I was wrong!

So, with intriguing stories and access to surviving historical documents that most of us can only dream of, Frances de la Tour closed off the series with a compelling and interesting episode.

Trafalgar - 21st October 1805

110 years ago today, the Battle of Trafalgar took place. If your anything like me, then you'll be wanting to refresh your memory on all things Trafalgar.

What was it?

Basically a big naval battle between ships off the cost of Spain, between the British forces led by Lord Nelson, and Napoleon's French and Spanish forces.

Which one was Lord Nelson again?

Admiral Lord Nelson sailed on HMS Victory, he was shot during the battle, and famously said 'Kiss me, Hardy,' as he lay dying on Victory's decks, aged 47. His first name was Horatio, which for some reason I find amusing.

Napoleon... was he the short guy?

We Brits are excellent at propaganda - and delighted at portraying Napoleon as titchy. Napoleon was about 5ft 6, not tall by any means, but not especially short either - particularly in the time period, when this would've been about average. It helped that many of the British commanders and officers were notably tall.

Why were they fighting?

Well, basically, Napoleon kept adding countries and territories in Europe to his Empire. Those countries usually already had some form of governance - and weren't so happy about being annexed. The British Empire wasn't so happy about having a powerful rival.

Who won?

Well, the Brits won the Battle of Trafalgar - but the Napoleonic Wars continued until 1815 and the decisive British victory of Waterloo.

WDYTYA? Series 12 Finale Rescheduled

Frances de la Tour's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? was due to air last night, but was postponed in favour of The Apprentice. It's now scheduled to air next Thursday (22 Oct) at 9pm. You can check here for any further changes of schedule.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to find it a little odd that the BBC would take a break before the last episode of a series, but there you have it.

WDYTYA? - Mark Gatiss

Last night's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featured the brilliant Mark Gatiss - actor and writer on shows such as Doctor Who and Sherlock. I'm going to be honest, if a TV show was just an hour a week of Mark Gatiss' random comments on life, I would watch it.

 

The episode itself focussed on Mark's intriguing and very historical Irish roots - with Mark from the outset wanting to be declared King of Ireland. The Irish history and the stories unravelled in the atmospheric countryside of Ireland were certainly worth the watch.

 

I found the link to Irish folk-lore especially interesting, but that may be because I have a general interest in all types of folk-lore (with a special interest in the Welsh.) But, of course, the vampire tale was just fabulous, and Mark was clearly delighted with the find.

 

Next week's episode is the last in the current series of Who Do You Think You Are? and stars British actress Frances de la Tour.

WDYTYA? - Anita Rani

Anita Rani - One Show presenter, and weekend twinkle-toes on this season of Strictly Come Dancing - explored her family's history in last night's episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

Anita's family are of Sikh and Hindu Indian heritage - and so it was off to India to discover her grandfather's troubled history. What was revealed was easily one of the most tragic and heart-breaking stories featured in Who Do You Think You Are? It was a story of conflict, violence, the partition of India and Pakistan, and the atrocities that take place when prejudice blinds men to the rights-and-wrongs of this world.

More than anything, this was a story of violence against women - something which this part of the world (and, many would argue, the rest of the world too,) still struggles with to this day. Only one or two generations ago, the women in this region of India were killed, or forced to kill themselves, to stop them from falling into the hands of the men of the opposite faction. Ethnic and religious differences led to the horrendous deaths of innumerable women and girls, many of whom were killed at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them. Perhaps, difficult though it may be, we should bring these things, these bloody and forgotten histories, to light more often - as a lesson to all.

What's in a Name? - A Complaint From 1894

Think names like Apple are a new trend? Think again.


The Aberdare Times 9th June 1894

STRANGE NAMES.

In a recently published volume on "Church Folk-

Lore," the Rev J E Vaux shows that many stupid

parents are still allowed to make life a burden to

their offspring by afflicting on them absurd, un-

meaning names. For example, if "Christmas Caroll"

- a perfectly competent citizen - were to sign a peti-

tion on any subject, the worthies at the House of

Commons might reject it as unreliable. They would

certainly shy at "Mineral Waters," "Wild Rose,"

"Ether Spray," "Boadicea Basher," "Liberal

Heneage Brown," "Orange Lemmon," "Jubilee

Gosling," and "Only Fancy William Brown." Yet

these are all personages recently added to baptismal

registers, and quite as much entitles to figure on

petitions as anybody else.