Previously on The Family Histories Podcast.... Whilst trying to send the previous episode's guest Kelly Cornwell back in time, Andrew makes a mistake and suddenly finds himself in an alternate dimension where things are the same but also a little bit different. In this reality, the host of The Family Histories Podcast is author and historian Dr. Wanda Wyporska who has been waiting for her guest - Andrew!  In this Series Five bonus episode, Wanda hears how family historian Andrew Martin got...

In this final episode of Series Five, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist Kelly Cornwell and hears about her love of researching family history, and how that led on to her going professional, as well as her work on an extremely niche One-Place Study. The Life Story - Rebecca Monksfield  Kelly has chosen to tell the life story of her 5x Great Aunt Rebecca Monksfield of Shoreditch, London, who, like her mother, worked for a shoe factory. However, a chance search in newspapers...

NOTE: This episode contains discussion on the topics of eugenics, suicide, and abuse. Please consider others when listening aloud. In this sixth episode of Series Five - The Cousin, host Andrew meets Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and now family history author John Erickson. Andrew will be finding out about how John's 30 years in journalism has helped him with researching his family, how his mother surprised him with news of her younger brother, and how the life of his Grandmother has...

Andrew is joined by professional genealogist Fiona Brooker for this fifth episode of Series Five. Andrew finds out how she researches family history in Scotland and England from New Zealand, as well as the challenges of researching within New Zealand and its privacy laws. She reveals how she got hooked on family history, and also shares her thoughts on how our modern lives will be researched in future. THE LIFE STORY - THOMAS URQUHART Fiona has decided to tell the life story of her Great...

In this fourth episode of Series Five, host Andrew meets family historian, blogger, and Family Tree Magazine columnist Paul Chiddicks. He tells Andrew how he got into family history, about his Old Palace School Bombing project, and shares his ideas for some genealogy-themed Lego sets. The Life Story - William Wootton Paul has chosen to tell the life story of his maternal Great Grandfather William Tom Wootton, who was born in 1863 in Kentish Town, London. Paul describes him as an...

In this third episode of Series Five - The Missionary - host Andrew meets family historian Kim Brengle and hears how she got hooked on tracing her family history, and how she manages to trace her nomadic relatives. The Life Story - Daniel and Emily Oliver Kim has chosen to share the life story of her Great Grandparents Daniel and Emily Oliver, and this is one that sees Daniel leave his agricultural labouring life in Caithness, Scotland, and Emily leaving her Quaker family in Yorkshire, to...

In this second episode of Series Five - The Righteous - host Andrew meets Slovak professional genealogist, and host of the Slovak Ancestry Podcast, Michal Razus. Andrew finds out how Michal got into researching family history, the challenges of researching in Slovakia, and finds out about his work to assist people with citizenship. The Life Story - Michal Razus Michal has chosen his 2x Great Grandfather also named Michal Razus as his relative to tell the life story of. This Michal was born...

In this first episode of Series Five of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Jenni Phillips, and finds out how she got hooked on family history, why she can't get enough of studying genealogy, her love of family and local history societies, and the lengths she goes to to research house history. The Life Story - John Spring Jenni has chosen to tell the life story of her 7x Gt Grandfather John Spring of West Cholderton in Wiltshire, England. John was a...

The Family Histories Podcast returns for its fifth series on 2nd May 2023, but before episode one arrives, there's just enough time for a spot of tea... in 1811... with Jane Austen! Host Andrew Martin returns for Series Five, along with seven more genealogy addicted guests, seven more fascinating life stories, and seven more annoying family history research brick walls that will need your help to demolish them. Of course, there's also a secret time machine in the garage, but we know you...

Previously.... on The Family Histories Podcast: Computer has given host Andrew and guest Simon Last a stark warning and now they find themselves in immediate danger... but from what, and who can save them? This is the Series Four bonus episode, following on from the cliff-hanger of episode seven - 'The Reunited'. - - - Episode Credits Series Four, Episode Eight (Bonus) Andrew Martin - Host and ProducerSimon Last - GuestCourtney Dunn - ComputerJohn Spike - Sándor PetőfiShow notes and more...

In this final episode of Series Four, host Andrew meets professional genealogist and author Simon Last. Andrew will find out about Simon's love of War Memorials, his work with the Western Front Association and the Commonwealth Graves War Commission, why he turned professional, and his love for collecting postcards. The Life Story - Tadeusz Bialosiewicz Simon tells the story of his grandfather, Tadeusz Bialosiewicz of Poland, whom he discovered over 20 years ago, after Simon was researching...

In this sixth episode of Series Four, Andrew meets Irish professional genealogist Claire Bradley. He'll be finding out how she got hooked on family history, the impact of the Irish Civil War on her family history research, how she's teaching genealogists, and her time as a genealogist in control of the national @Ireland twitter account. The Life Story - Michael Joyce Claire has chosen her 2x Great Grandfather, Michael Joyce who was born in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland, in...

In this episode from Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets author and former journalist Paul Roberts to find out how he got hooked on researching his family's history. He'll find out how Paul's early research skills helped his work as a journalist, and how he managed to write a book about 30 men who fought in the First World War. Life Story - Sam Roberts  Paul has chosen to share the life story of his 1st Cousin, 2x Removed, Sam Roberts. Sam was born in 1895 in Teignmouth, Devon, England,...

In this fourth episode of Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets Canadian professional genealogist and author, Janice Nickerson, who specialises her research into the families and history of Upper Canada, the Hudson Bay Company, and crime and punishment. Andrew will be finding out how she got hooked on family history, the value of court records, the challenges of researching in Canada, and the how she gets non-genealogists and children interested in family history. Life Story - Emma Bell...

In this third episode of Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets with historian, author, TEDx speaker, and family historian, Shaquan McDowell to find out how he got hooked on researching his family, his adventures with DNA, and how he got involved in the New York Times' 1619 Project. Life Story - Elizabeth Scott Shaquan has chosen to tell the story of his 5x Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Scott - a Free Person of Colour born in 1810 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Whilst her country was going...

In this second episode of Series Four, host Andrew Martin meets with Else Churchill, who has spent 40 years working in the genealogy community, and is the Genealogist at the Society of Genealogists in London. She also regularly teaches, lectures, and has played a pivotal role in organising conferences, and representing the family history community at national and governmental level.    Life Story - Else's Mother and Father    After decades of research into the Churchill family of...

In this first episode of Series Four- 'The Undead', host Andrew Martin meets Swedish genealogist Linda Kvist to find out about her love of family history, how she became a DNA coach, how she uses archives and Arkiv Digital to trace her Swedish ancestors, and how she DNA tested a non-human family member!  Life Story - Nils Peter Bengtsson  Linda tells the life story of her partner's ancestor Nils Peter Bengtsson, a man who was born in 1858 and emigrated to the USA. In about 1900, and now...

Series Four of The Family Histories Podcast is ready! It's time for the brand new Series Four of The Family Histories Podcast with seven more brilliant family historians, seven fascinating life stories, and seven more of those pesky research brick walls for you to help solve.  For a list of our list of Series Four guests and all the latest updates about the podcast, visit familyhistoriespodcast.com  It all begins on 1st November 2022 ..... assuming host Andrew Martin can get home on time...

In this short Series Three bonus episode, we return right back to the ending of Episode Seven, where guest Sheldon K. Goodman and host Andrew Martin are facing a perilous fate where a bearded stranger has them both held at sword-point. Who is this stranger, where did he come from, and what does he want? - - - Episode Credits Series Three, Episode Eight (Bonus) Andrew Martin (Host/Producer) Sheldon K. Goodman (Guest) Prince Sterling (Charlemagne) Yetunde Abiola (Guest) Show notes and more...

In this seventh and final episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets public historian and tour guide, Sheldon K. Goodman, to find out about how he became obsessed with family history, why he co-founded the Cemetery Club, and how he researches and shares the often hidden lives of LGBTQ+ people. Life Story: John Traynor Sheldon has chosen his Great Grandfather's life story to share with us, but it's one that's filled with pain and trauma. When Sheldon's Grandfather was just 4 years...

In this sixth episode of Series Three - THE MATRIARCH, Andrew meets genealogist and RootsTech Ambassador Yetunde Abiola to find out how she researches her family history in Jamaica and Nigeria, and what kind of records are available in two countries involved in the slave trade in seemingly different ways. Life Story: Agnes Ancita Chambers Yetunde has chosen her 2x Great Grandmother Agnes Ancita Chambers for her Life Story. After being shown a photograph of Agnes dressed in her finery,...

NOTE: This episode names and discusses the life of a First Nations Indigenous Australian who has died. If you wish to skip this section, you can do so from the 6m 15s mark, until the 7m 44s minute mark. In this fifth episode of Series Three - THE PRIEST, host Andrew Martin meets Australian former-librarian now genealogy addict, Jill Ball. He'll find out about how she got into family history, how she found her convict ancestors, her work as President of The Lake Macquarie Family History...

In this fourth episode of Series Three - THE DEFIANT, host Andrew meets with the President of the Sephardic Genealogical Society, David Mendoza to find out how he got into tracing his family's history, and what it's like to trace Sephardic roots. Life Story - Miguel de Mendonça Valladolid David has chosen his ancestor's nephew Miguel de Mendonça Valladolid as the life story to share, and this is a remarkable story about a man's defiance against religious persecution, and his strength of...

In this third episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets author, genealogist, and  counsellor Helen Parker-Drabble to find out how she got hooked on family history, what exactly is a 'geneatherapist', and how she uses this skill within her research to help understand her ancestors' psychological inheritance. Life Story: Walter Parker Helen has chosen to tell the life story of her Grandfather Walter Parker, who was born in the village of Upwell in Norfolk, England in 1885. Walter is...

In this second episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets professional genealogist, author, and genealogy tutor - Chris Paton, and finds out how he got hooked on family history, and what it's like to research family history in Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. He asks Chris about his tutoring work with genealogy course provider Pharos, and his former television producer career with the BBC. Life Story - Jessie MacFarlane Chris has chosen his Great Grandmother Jessie Paton...