SOG-UK-L Archives

Archiver > SOG-UK > 2004-10 > 1097104334


From: John Addis-Smith <>
Subject: 'Find Your Roots' Guide to accompany 'Who Do You Think You Are?' TV Series
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 01:07:36 +0100
References: <c.34b2d8e1.2e8ff701@aol.com>
In-Reply-To: <c.34b2d8e1.2e8ff701@aol.com>


The National Archives magazine 'Ancestors' and the 'BBC History
Magazine' have produced ' 'Find your Roots' a free 32 page guide to
uncovering your family history to mark BBC Television's
ground-breaking new series'. The TV Series is called 'Who Do You
Think You Are?' and is to be broadcast on Tuesdays at 9 pm on BBC from
12 October to 14 December. Each programme is immediately followed by
a half-hour show on the BBC4 digital only channel in which people
trace their roots.

My copy of the 'Find Your Roots' guide came with the Nov 2004 edition
of 'Ancestors'. I expect that copies will also accompany an issue of
the 'BBC History Magazine'. While I approve of the publishing of such
material to encourage family history, this production shows signs of a
hasty gestation to meet the deadline set by the start date of the new
BBC series. This surprises me somewhat because 'Ancestors' has set
quit a good standard in its articles - compared with the errors (both
factual and typographical) and omissions which litter the other newer
magazines such as 'Your Family Tree'.

Here is a summary of the contents of the guide with my comments.:

1. Kathy Chater wrote the first article on 'Getting Started', covering
contacting relatives, recording research (but headed 'writing up
research' which is not quite the same thing), how to save time and
money by planning repository visits and deciding whether to buy
CD-ROMs or use the Internet to save on time and some travel costs such
as an FRC visit. Then she deals with the censuses in 5 paragraphs and
ends with a section on 'Next Steps' covering a very short list of
other sources (records of the armed services, education, crime and
newspapers), buying books and magazines, attending courses and
visiting the SoG Library. Under 'Websites and Addresses', subheading
'Certificates' she (or someone else) lists the FRC, the TNA 1901
census, 1837 Online, Free BMD, Ancestry.co.uk ('for BMD and charge for
access' - not for Civil BMD they don't!), Scotland's People and GRONI.
Subheading 'Censuses on CD-ROM' lists SandN/British Data Archive and
Stepping Stones but omits Archive CD Books which has arguably the best
1841 Census images. Under the 'General' heading she just lists Family
Search and the SoG.

2. Nick Barratt wrote the next article 'The journey begins here'. 'Key
themes and sources - from wills and migration to census (again) and
probate records - emerge when studying family history. Nick Barratt,
who advised on the making of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' (the new BBC
TV Series), explains their importance.' His section on 'Census
Records starts:
'From 1801, census returns have been taken every 10 years (with the
exception of 1941 due the Second World War) as a means of monitoring
the population. However, from 1841 the name of every householder
occupying a property on the night of the census was recorded, with
basic data on age, occupation and place of birth. After 1851,
increasingly detailed information was requested by the census
enumerators, such as age, marital status, relationship to head of
household, occupation and place of birth.'
We could have a competition, and argument, on how many misleading
errors these two sentences contain . . .

I could go on in a similar vein, but will end with one of Barratt's
sentences in his 'Probate Records' section:
' A name-index called the National Probate Calendar exists from 1858
to 1943'.

3. James Taylor wrote an article on 'Genealogy Software'. In his short
article (2 pages including 2 largish and 2 small pictures) he spends
40 per cent on the Internet which includes the following gems: 'It has
almost eliminated the need to visit far-flung records offices and
libraries' and ' Start your trawling of the internet by using one of
the free services. Family Search, www.familysearch.org is provided by
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), . . .' ,
etc. He does mention Free BMD, FreeCEN and FreeREG, TNA's 1901 census,
1837 Online, Genes Reunited and Ancestry.co.uk.

4. Audrey Collins has written a good 2 page article on family history
books that covers over 50 books.

5. Lucy Fulton, Archives Awareness Campaign Officer at TNA, wrote a
one pager on archives 'Realise Your Past'.

6. Helen Cleary, who 'produces content for the BBC Family History
website and WW2's People's War, as well as writing historic fiction'
wrote a 2 pager on the BBC Website/Interactive 'Taking History to the
Net'. For Digital TV viewers (terrestrial Freeview, satellite and
cable) there will be interactive TV programmes and services on BBCi to
complement the main TV series. BBCi will also be showcasing the work
of the Digital Story unit. People from a wide range of backgrounds and
with very different stories to will be spending five days at Milton
Keynes creating short films using nothing but still pictures or
objects and their own commentary. The BBC website is at:
www.bbc.co.uk/familyhistory is also being revamped.

7. Hugh Costello pens the final article on 'The most exciting way to
cover genealogy'. Former BBC2 controller Jane Root put out the word
that she wanted the most exciting and inspiring way to cover
genealogy. Production company Wall to Wall came up with the idea of
asking a group of well-known people to trace their ancestry. Each of
the 10 celebs' stories illustrates a significant social change theme.
So comedian turned naturalist Bill Oddie takes a journey into the
history of mental health in the post-war years in researching his
mother, and moves on to the cotton mills in the north-west of England
and how the Industrial Revolution affected his family. Singer Lesley
Garrett's family tale 'reveals the unique history of the northern
working class. It's a story of mining, music and mobility as the
popular singer explores the momentous changes that have transformed
Yorkshire in the past 100 years.' Jeremy Clarkson charts the rise and
fall of British manufacturing through his family's company Kilner
Glass who created the Kilner Glass Jar. There are family stories of
Caribbean migration (broadcaster Moira Stewart), Indian migration
(comedienne Meera Syal) and Jewish migration (comedian David Baddiel).
Journalist Ian Hislop finds out what his grandfathers did in the Boer
and Great Wars. Comedian Vic Reeves examines the class structure of
19th century England and the world of domestic service. Actress Sue
Johnston finds out about British railways and whether her grandfather
did drive the 'Flying Scotsman'. Actress Amanda Redman explores
'family secrets', illegitimacy and her unknown Irish roots.

There is then yet another list of genealogy and family history contact
organisations.

Finally, the back cover of the guide tells us that BBC books are
bringing out on 11 October a book: 'Who Do You Think You Are? The
essential guide to tracing your Family History'. 'Drawing on the
knowledge and expertise of the team behind the massive BBC2 series, '
Who Do You Think You Are?', this is the essential bible for anyone
with an interest in discovering more about their family history.'
Fortunately to counter this Sutton Publishing have a full page advert
for Mark Herber's 'Ancestral Trails' in the guide. According to the
BBC book blurb: 'So, all you have to do now is grab a selection of
your closest relatives and before you know it, you'll be well on your
way to finding out who you really are!'

'nough said . . .


Cheers, John

John Addis-Smith
Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England

This thread: