WDYTYA? Series 17 - Ruth Jones

 

Monday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featured Ruth Jones, best known as the actor and writer behind the Welsh-based TV shows Gavin and Stacey, and Stella.

Probably unsurprisingly, Ruth's family was primarily Welsh - although most people from South Wales in particular have some English ancestry somewhere along the way.

The part of the family we followed with this episode, though, were Welsh through and through.

Encompassing both rural, and, more extensively, maritime Wales, Ruth's episode showed how much coal permeated through the Welsh economy in the 19th Century.

Moving on from there, the episode looked at Ruth's ancestor's connection to the Welsh medical societies that acted as a fore-runner to the NHS, and correspondence between him and Aneurin Bevan himself.

All in all, it was a sturdy little episode comprising the penultimate offering of this small series.

A brief reminder that Saturday (31st October) is the last day to get in touch with me for Christmas 2020 orders. 

Check out familyhistorybycerys.co.uk to see my range of services, and please don't hesitate to get in touch!

WDYTYA? Series 17 - David Walliams

 

Monday's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featured actor, comedian, writer, reality TV judge, etc. David Walliams.

Walliams' episode was one with interesting stories - war, travelling fairs, and a monkey playing an organ grinder... I can't help but think that some of this stuff will end up in one of his children's books!

More than the Dickensian or novelistic aspects though, Walliams' episode was about disability, and the way disabled people often fell through the cracks of 19th and 20th Century society.

One thing that I found typical of social welfare attitudes in the Victorian period was that one of Walliams' ancestors had got into trouble for getting his children to busk and beg in the street. The family was starving at the time, after the head of the house had lost his eyesight and was unable to find work. 

Victorian sensibilities saw this as an unacceptable exploitation of children - which there is merit in, of course, especially when you consider the groups of children who would beg or steal for a gang-master, a la Oliver Twist - but fails to deal with the fundamental issue of actually feeding the children, and the desperation that led their parents to this situation.

The episode also followed the story of Walliams' great-grandfather, and his experience of shell-shock due to WW1, leading to an eventual permanent residence at an asylum - though there are rays of hope in that his existence does not seem to have been an unhappy one, over all.

If you're interested in researching your own family, please don't hesitate to get in touch. And remember, my last date for Christmas 2020 orders is 31st October 2020. See familyhistorybycerys.co.uk for details of how to get in touch.

WDYTYA? Series 17 - Jodie Whittaker

 

The new series of WDYTYA? kicked off with Doctor Who herself, Jodie Whittaker.

While perhaps not the most compelling episode (but then, we've probably been spoiled by previous seasons!) Jodie's episode showed clearly two pitfalls of family history - family myths, and uncomfortable history.

Family myths usually have at least a grain of truth to them - i.e. Jodie's great-uncle was killed in the First World War - but someone, somewhere, has put two and two together to make five - i.e. her middle name was Verdun, at which there was a WW1 battle, and her brother died in the war, therefore...

You see where this is going? And it's a reasonable assumption, until you start to look into it, and you realise that things don't quite add up - for example, the lack of British forces at Verdun.

It can be quite difficult to extricate fact from myth, and both from possibility. 

Since none of us have time machines, we can posit theories based on the facts, but that doesn't mean that our interpretations are necessarily 100% accurate - they're options and scenarios based on the information available to us, here and now, in the present.

An additional story from Jodie's family's past - that of her mine-owning ancestors who made a fortune while other pits were suffering the affects of long-term striking in the 1920s - clearly made her uncomfortable.

As someone who'd grown up in a mining community, Jodie seemed to find it difficult to come to terms with her family's part in exploiting the financial opportunities such communities provided, to the detriment of the workers.

History doesn't change just because it makes us uncomfortable, however, and it's important to face the past as it is, as opposed to how we would like it to be.

Family History on TV - Wales' Black Miners and New Who Do You Think You Are? (WDYTYA?) Line-Up

 

There's some great TV shows for history fans coming up on the BBC!

Ex-Welsh footballer Nathan Blake explores the history of Wales' Black Miners tonight (5th October 2020) on BBC One Wales at 8pm.

It will be available on the iPlayer across the UK after airing.

I think it's important that we remember that Wales does have a multicultural heritage - and that BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) people have contributed to our beautiful country, and worked alongside us, for generations.

The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? (season 17!) will start next Monday (12th October 2020) on BBC One at 9pm.

There are 4 episodes this series - I have to assume that Covid has halted their production a little - but they look like good ones!

This year's celebrities are Jodie Whittaker, the first female Doctor Who, David Walliams, actress Liz Carr and Welsh actress, writer, etc. Ruth Jones.

I'll be writing my summaries/general chats about the episodes starting next week, so look out for that!

A reminder, also, that my last date for Christmas orders is 31st October 2020.

This gives me time to actually do the research before Christmas!

Details of my packages can be on familyhistorybycerys.co.uk - please get in touch if you're interested!