The Family Histories Podcast

In this short bonus episode, that follows on immediately from 'The Incorrigible' with Karen Cummings, host Andrew Martin is ready to take a long-awaited holiday in post-war 1940's England. However, instead of the 1940's, he finds himself in the 1640s.... and it's witch-hunt season! To make things worse, he's just been accused of witchcraft after making one of the villagers vanish into thin air! - - - Episode Credits Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this final episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, scientist, and owner of Pharos Tutors - Dr. Karen Cummings. He hears about how she got interested in family history, her adventures in DNA testing, her thoughts on the future of the genealogy industry, and why even hobbyist family historians should consider studying courses. THE LIFE STORY - JONATHAN HORSLEY Karen has chosen to tell the life story of her husband's ancestor Jonathan Horsley born in Coggeshall, Essex in 1869, who she is amused to reveal was 'a baddun'.. or at least to start with. Jonathan was born in the workhouse with an absent father - times were hard and in 1886 he's up before the courts and being handed 14 days of hard labour where he's noted as 'incorrigible'. As Karen's research continued, she finds a trail of reports of poor behaviour. By the turn of the century, Jonathan has become an apprentice within the booming fishing industry of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. However, he resumes his pattern of behaviour, including absconding. After joining the army, he does finally settle down at about the age of 30. Sadly though, after marrying and becoming a father, after a few years working at sea, he is killed when his ship is struck by a mine. THE BRICK WALL - SELL COWLING Karen's choice of brick wall is a DNA mystery waiting to be solved! Her ancestor, Sell Cowling appears on the 1841 census for Ickleton in Cambridgeshire, England, where it states that he was born in Cambridgeshire circa 1775. However, he dies in 1850, and therefore the parish of his birth is not revealed. Karen has checked the parish registers in the area for his name and surname variants... but there's no match. She's researched so much, that she's ended up running a Cowling One-Name Study! Being from the Science community, Karen has turned to DNA testing and is examining DNA matches.... but nothing pointing to hers in Cambridgeshire. Were they connected? Therefore, Karen would like to do a Y-DNA test of a living male Cowling descendant - making this a super-specific brick wall. If you think that you can help Karen with a research clue, or some precious Cowling saliva, then you can contact her via her website or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on. In the meantime, Karen accepts Andrew's offer of help but witch way will it go? - - - Episode Credits: Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this sixth episode of Series Nine, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Asad Khabibullin. He hears how Asad got hooked on family history, the challenges he has faced in tracing his ancestors from the Republic of Tatarstan, and his thoughts on how the genealogy community could become a more helpful place for new-starters. THE LIFE STORY - VALIT HALITOV Asad has chosen to tell the life story of his relative Valit Halitov who lived in the village of Olı Mäñgär in the Republic of Tatarstan. The village was being oppressed by Russian authorities, and they had heard rumours that they were to be forced to convert to Christianity - something the local officials didn't deny. When a constable visited and was beaten, Valit was picked out as a perpetrator and beaten under the orders of the Russian Governor Nikolai Skariatin. Whilst Valit was beaten, he and the villagers raised a complaint against the Russian authorities, and surprisingly the Senate at St. Petersburg found that the Governor's punishment was too extreme and it was now he that was punished for his actions. THE BRICK WALL - HASAN-HUSAIN It's a brick wall also in Olı Mäñgär that has Asad stumped for clues. Asad is looking for information about his relative at the top of his tree Hasan-Husain who migrated from the Crimean Khanate. Problem is, there's a tree already, that was kept by the villagers, and the difference between them is that sometimes Hasan-Husain is one person, and sometimes the name is split because they're two brothers instead. If you think that you can help Asad with a clue or research idea, then you can contact him via his Instagram page, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along. In the meantime, Asad is curious about Andrew's offer of help, can Andrew get it to work? - - - Episode Credits Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this fifth episode of Series Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional family historian, author, and former FamilySearch volunteer, Robin R. Foster and hears about how she got hooked on researching her family history, her drive to help people through online communities like Facebook and Substack, and how she found herself surrounded by sources when she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. THE LIFE STORY - BEVERLEY VANCE Robin has chosen to tell the life story of her 2x Great Grandfather, Beverley Vance who was born into slavery circa 1832 in South Carolina, USA. While Robin and her mother were not initially searching for Beverley, they found him and his wife Matilda whilst researching her Great Grandfather (Beverley's son, Lafayette Vance) on the 1880 US Census for Cokesbury in Abbeville County, South Carolina. It was here that they were presented with their ancestors' names - Beverley and Matilda for the first time. Robin soon found herself on the research trail, and this led her back into Beverley's life in enslavement, his slave owner's name, and ultimately to reveal the identity of her 4x Great Grandfather - his slave master Samuel Vance! With the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery just a few years beforehand, Robin finds Beverley in 1868 where he testifies to a Senator about the way the Democrats treated him. THE BRICK WALL - MATILDA VANCE Whilst her name was discovered on that 1880 census alongside her husband Beverley, Matilda's origins are less clear. Robin knows that she was born as Matilda Dunlap circa 1841, but there are some questions to answer; If you think you can help Robin with a clue or a research idea, then you can contact 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, Robin accepts Andrew's offer of help, but will it help her to get the answers she needs? - - - Episode Credits: Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this fourth and mid-way episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist John Boeren and hears about how he got hooked on researching his Dutch ancestry, why he became a professional researcher, and how he ended up being awarded a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 for services to local history and genealogy. THE LIFE STORY - MAARTEN VAN LEEUWEN John has chosen to tell the life story of his 4x Great Grandfather, Maarten van Leeuwen, who was born in 1795 in a small village near Gouda (yes, as in the home of the cheese) in the Netherlands. When John finds references to a silver shield and medal awarded to Maarten in 1825, it sets him on a trail to discover why he was being called a 'hero' and of the Order of the Dutch Lion. Despite his service in the Napoleonic Wars as a gunner, this was not why he received his medal - that's down to his relationship with fire! THE BRICK WALL - JACOBUS HENDRIKX and JENNEKEN HEIJLIGER JANSSEN John's looking for help to find the earliest ancestors in his Boeren line, except this is during a time where patronymics were being used... therefore 'Boeren' is not the name to find, and this makes it much harder for him. Whilst John knows the names of his brick wall ancestors - Jacobus (Jacob) and Jenneken (Joan), he can't find their marriage nor their baptisms. He can see their children being baptised in villages close to the border between Netherlands and Belgium during the 1660s, but there's no further clues to their identities. Can you help him with; If you think you can help John, then you can send him a message via his website or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on. In the meantime, John isn't quite sure what to make of Andrew's offer of help... but will it work? --- Episode Credits Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this third episode of Season Nine, host Andrew Martin meets Gary Stanley - a family historian who has researched his Romany roots. Andrew hears about Gary's research web project in which he documents all references in the UK and USA of Roma families, and he explains the challenges of researching relatives, the benefit of baptismal records and newspapers, and how he participated in a DNA test led by Professor Turi King. THE LIFE STORY - ELIZABETH NICHOLS Gary has chosen to tell the life story of one of his Romany relatives Elizabeth Nichols... and it is quite extraordinary! Elizabeth appeared to baptise a child, with the father noted as Antonio Nichols - a Portuguese sailor. Then Gary finds another baptism... then another... except the baptisms spread around the area, and sometimes the details are a little different. Sometimes Elizabeth's surname is Nichols, Nicholas, or Nicholson, sometimes it's Stivery or Twivey. Sometimes Antonio is deceased or at sea. This pattern intrigued Gary, and following the clues and an incredible amount of research, he has found around 600 baptisms during the 1830s! So many, that he even created a website to map them around England and Scotland. It's very clear that Elizabeth did not have 600 children, and the register entries note that sometimes the child is a new-born, or of a few years old. So, did Elizabeth have a few children that could span this age? The question is obviously; Why go to this much effort? Gary believes that in order for Elizabeth to receive parish relief (a monetary benefit paid by the church), the child had to be baptised. Given Elizabeth's Romany heritage, she moved around regularly, and therefore amassed 600 known baptisms for her children, in order to receive relief! THE BRICK WALL - ELIZABETH NICHOLS Connecting directly to the Life Story that Gary has told, is his brick wall. Gary may well have found hundreds of baptisms for her children, but he's wanting to find out; If you think you have a research idea or clue to help Gary with his research, you can send him a message via his website, alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to him. In the meantime, Andrew offers Gary some help, but will he be judged on his effort? - - - Episode Credits Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

Host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Helen Brooks for this second episode of Series Nine. Andrew hears how Helen's family history research got started by a button, the importance of writing everything down when your aunt tells stories, and her love of photographs. THE LIFE STORY - GERTRUDE LESTER / SISTER HELENE DU ST. SACRAMENT Helen's choice of life story is her Great Aunt Gertrude Lester who later became a Catholic nun known as Sister Helene du St. Sacrament within the order Les Filles de la Sagesse. Helen uncovered a story of a woman’s rise through her order and her work in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi), right through to a tragic accident at Croydon Aerodrome on 25th January 1947 which would see Sister Helene make the ultimate sacrifice in a moment of bravery that saved a man’s life. With the aerodrome demolished and the site covered in housing, residents in the 1970s are reported as having seen the nuns had return in a ghostly form… THE BRICK WALL - GEORGE WRIGHT Following directly on from her choice of Life Story, Helen has been researching the other people in the plane crash. She's managed to find information on all of them apart from the most significant one (to her) - the man that Sister Helene saved! He's known as George Wright, and in January 1947 he had been de-mobbed from wartime service. She doesn't know his age but assumes that he's in his 20's, but she does know from newspaper reports that he was catching a later flight to Johannesburg, South Africa to find work. Despite her searches, Helen does not know what became of him after the day of the crash. If you think that you can help Helen with a research idea or clue, then you can find her on Bluesky, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her. In the meantime, Andrew and Sándor's offer of help results in a dangerous and tricky manoeuvre... - - - Episode credits: Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

In this first episode of Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets Canadian genealogist Ron Williams whose family tree research resulted in him encountering a 57 year old mystery... Understandably, Ron couldn't not investigate and in doing so, uncovered a fascinating story which he then turned it into a book. THE LIFE STORY - ALFRED VICTOR WILLIAMS Ron has chosen to tell the fascinating story of his paternal Grandfather - Alfred Victor Williams - one that involves mystery and intrigue, and 57 missing years. The story sees Ron find just a few clues that hint towards some very different elements of his Grandfather's missing first 57 years - an affidavit, a school photograph of a son, and a letter. Why did Alfred spend years living under the alias Roy Hammond? Ron has turned Alfred's story into a book titled 'The Lost Fifty-Seven - A genealogical journey of discovery, deception, secrets and scandal' (2024). THE BRICK WALL - MARY WILLIAMS It's the identity of his 2x Great Grandmother - Mary Williams - that is causing Ron problems in his research. He knows that she was born in about 1831, and likely in Shropshire (or Salop as it was known back then). After finding a confusing 'Cumberland in Salop' reference, Ron has found further Salop references in her census entries after her marriage to George Williams. As Ron doesn't know the birth name of Mary, he's struggled to find the correct marriage, which he estimates was circa 1853, as the couple rapidly grow a family, starting with his Gt Grandfather in 1854. If you think you have a clue or a research idea, you can contact Ron at his website, or alternatively you can find him on Twitter and Bluesky. You can also send us a message, and we'll pass it on to him. In the meantime, Ron is fascinated by Andrew and Sándor's offer of help... but someone's clearly hungry.... - - - Credits: Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

We're back! It's time for Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast. Your host - family historian Andrew Martin, will once again be joined by seven guests, for seven more fascinating life stories and of course a load of those pesky brick walls for you to help solve. As usual... as a 'thank you' treat, each guest is given a return trip back in time in Andrew's (shh: secret time) machine, all with the help of his assistant - the 19th century missing Hungarian poet and revolutionary, Sándor Petőfi. Join us right here for Season Nine, which begins on 6th May 2025. Find out more about the new series. Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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: Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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: This episode references: 'The Tyrant' with Daniel Smith-Ramos'The Shoemaker' with Kelly Cornwell'The Rioter' with Andrew Martin'The Nationalist' with Daniel Loftus Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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 called Project Infant. 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 share the life story of his Great Grandfather Patrick Whelan (known as 'Pax') born in Dungarvan in County Waterford, Ireland in 1890. Sadly, his mother Bridget died when he was just 8yrs old. Pax joined the Irish Republican Army but whilst he 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. They married in Kiltimagh in County Mayo, Ireland in 1882 and had 6 daughters. Daniel doesn't know much about their parents, but it's their disappearance after the 1911 census that leaves Daniel with a mystery. If you think you can help Daniel with a research clue or idea, then you can contact him via his Carrd profile, his Bluesky or Twitter profiles, or alternatively you can send him a message via our contact form and we'll pass that along. In the meantime, Daniel accepts Andrew's offer for help, but first Andrew has a favour to ask*..... - - - Episode Credits: *see Series Five episode 'The Shoemaker'. For more on Irish genealogy check out these episodes: 'The Witness' with David Ryan'The Politician' with Claire BradleyFor more on 'Hidden Branch' check out this episode: 'The Butcher' with George Hall Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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 via a return to the UK, she doesn't know his origins. 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 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: Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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. 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: Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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 Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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. 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: Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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 church on time... - - - Episode Credits: Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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 Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

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? 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 Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

Our Eighth Series is here! But, before the first full episode arrives on 5th November 2024, there's just enough time for Andrew to pop back to compare notes with an old friend... In this new series we'll meet a Marchioness, a Twin, a 'Nightingale', a Marine, a Nationalist, a Collier, and a homesick migrant. Read more about our new series. - - - Episode Credits: Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.