General Chat

I found it very interesting last night myself. It was different to what I had expected. I knew Hugh's father had been an Anglican Bishop and assumed he came from a blue-blooded family. Coal miners from Scargill's heartland was not what I expected at all.

Most of us probably lost close family in WW1. And we tend to record "KIA. Buried in Henin" or similar. But, up until now, only the final Blackadder has really brought home what the brothers of both my grandfathers actually went through - and how totally brave they were.

The programme last night drove that home even more to me. Both survivors (luckily for Hugh) but it affected his family tremendously.

And, although I have no roots at all in Scotland and Annie Lennox seemed to have no roots south of the lands of the thane of Cawdor and must have been a direct descendant of Macbeth, I enjoyed last week's too.

It was the most boring one I have watched,more of a history lesson than family related.

Maryb.

A bit disappointed

Too only do research on two members of his family which was all WW1 got a bit boring

Hugh Dennis I believe is in tonights episode.

I know him from 'Mock The Week' programme

Emma

I enjoyed last night's prog too. My only wish is that it is all made to look so simple and that there is someone you can call on wherever you visit to provide you with all the info you need. It presents false ideas that it is all too easy-peasy and all you need is a relative or two and a computer.

What about us writing to the BBC to ask for a programme explaining how it all works - or doesn't?

It kind of reminds me of Ground Force. You too can be Tommy Walsh and Alan Titchmarsh at the weekend if you just watch 30 minutes a week.

Found the story gripping last night. They answered a lotof questions. Also seemed to fit a lot in in the time allowed.

Only (small) quibble was I would have liked to know how many families/people lived in the court and in how many houses, where the widowed Mary lived with her children, just around the corner from her father and half-sisters.
I think that that info. would have made the contrast even more massive.

Janet, I thought that it was useful to know that in Scotland Jessie could be another name for Janet. Might come in useful in my research.



:-) :-) :-)

Something I learned last night was that the name 'Jessie' was a form of Janet, I wouldn't have picked up on that if I had been looking for the name. So does that mean I should re christen myself Jessie..................nah.-jl

One thing they could have included to educate FH researchers.

On one of the census searches, there were two results. If she had looked at the other one and then dismissed it (or wondered if it was correct) it would have given a better impression of real life research problems.

I much prefer programmes which go back to the early 20thC or before. Although WW1 is 'history' to me, WW2 is 'Living Memory' to our parents if not to us and not quite so interesting. It's probably a generation thing.

Annie Lennox's programme was interesting, even for someone without Scottish connections.

I take it back.....good episode last night.

As an Aberdonian, living in Aberdeen knew all places
she visited, very surprised to see she was able to get
into Broadford's derelict factory.

Also enjoyed seeing other areas which I haven't visited
in ages, must make a point (weather permitting) next year
to go there.

Emma

after hearing that poor Mary was summoned before the church council I was heartened to hear that they also brought the men before the council too!! quite a surprise - I thought "here we go again" the poor female admonished and the men get away with it, but not so

Love Annie but found it similar to doing my own tree illegitimate babies included.

Very sad about Mary's life and little Jessie liiving in such povery around the corner from the 'upstanding member of the community'. Wonder if he sat on the Kirk Council to admonish the mothers. Sad that Jessie died so young after having such a short time with her own family.

Nice to see that the descendents appeared to live much more comfortable lives.

Vera

just watched the Annie Lennox one - fascinating

Its Annie Lennox tonight. The write up in the TV mag looks good.

Teresa :0)

Its Annie Lennox tonight. The write up in the TV mag looks good.

Teresa :0)

Well wonder if tonights episode will be any better,though
I don't think so as they appear to be just interested in
one member of the family. Shame really as one does not
make up a tree.

Emma

I watched the Patrick Stewart one last nght on catch up. Was prepared to ignore what I had heard about it but for me it was annoying.

I could see he was trying to justify his father's bad behaviour and minimise it. 'He never hit me'. Then he started to look at his father's experience in the second world war and injuries as a reason for his father's behaviour towards his mother. That may have been so but I could not forget that his father left Patrick's mother with a small baby without marrying her which must have been very difficult for her back in the day. If he had been killed, her life would have been even more difficult.

I switched it off. Lots of men went to war suffered the same and did not come back and beat their wives.

Vera

I THINK THE NEW WDYTYA series is going on a different line to all the others. whereas the others went back into branches this seems to be only on the father. if he was in the war.? they are giving us a description of what he did during that war. I think they will lose a lot of viewers if they are all going to be like this.
I wonder if they changed the writer of this series.and are trying something different out. up till now I am not impressed.

Did not really know Patrick Stewart before the programme. Not really crossed my radar. But I was impressed with him, cannot believe he looks as good as that at 72 (ditto his brother at presumably 76 or 77).

Had no more sympathy for Alfred at end than I did at beginning. Brave soldier, but not much good in civvy street. If he was so affected by the shell shock, I wonder why he didn't try and punch his eldest son rather than his wife.

Why don't we find out what TV programme left out. Does anyone know where and when RSM Alfred Stewart was born? Or Mrs Stewart, his mother.

I think I agree with Tess about it being more self-indulgent. Maybe nothing of interest was found by researchers and they ran out of budget so went with what they had. I was disappointed that we never went beyond one generation because I'm interested in the Stewart name. One of my lines has strong connections to the Stewarts who were Lairds of Orkney and Shetland eg. this one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Stewart,_2nd_Earl_of_Orkney

I'm not particularly interested in claiming kinship to PS but hoped there might be a link and thereby some useful/interesting information. Something along the lines of the Matthew Pinsent programme would have been brilliant. I kept looking at the time and wondering when we were going to move on to look at his mother's line.

I didn't see the one with Greg Wallace in last week so have no idea if that was any better. Thing is we've had some really special episodes that are almost too hard to follow.

Hopefully next week's will be not quite so focused on just one individual.

I missed the beginning of this prog. (messed up when trying to record).

However it seems to me from what I did see that Patrick Stewart wanted to know why his father was as he was.

I understand that he was a violent, unpredictable man.

Maybe P.S. needed to find out more about his dad (who seems to have made his childhood miserable if not scary) before he could move on to other parts of his tree.

Perhaps a cathartic experience for him.

I hope that the eldest son was able to make a decent life for himself, once he was able to leave him and get away from his father.

Maybe A. Stewart was a good and brave soldier, but he seems to have been a rotten family man. An exlemaery war record is not always an excuse.

Mr Patrick Stewart, (just in case you read this) leave this man behind you, find out about your mums family. Then move on with your life and appreaciate what you have got now.

I didn't think that it was boring. Perhaps a little self-indulgent, but I don't blame P. Stewart for finding out what HE wanted to know.

Tess