WDYTYA series 4 # 7 Matthew Pinsent

[Windsor87]

I need to find a 'Gateway Ancestor'.................................................

Gateway Ancestors are particularly handy when you are broke. Alls that you need is an internet connection. So far I've got the Dukes of Bavaria and the Electors of Brandenburg to name a few!

[Duck]

Enjoyed the prog tonight, I NEED a gateway ancestor. Nice to see it will be back on next year

Simon

[madpants]

That was brilliant, no wonder they saved the best 'til last  

He's such a lovely guy  

It must be fantastic to be able to find something like that in your tree...sigh

[ludovica]

My Gateway ancestor was a London lawyer's daughter  without a noble name or title... but had an aristocratic background.

Never ignore maternal lines.. most "Gateway Ancestors" are women

[jc26red]

So true... OHs is a woman too, mind you most of the men in his family seemed to have married money!
Wonder where he went wrong

[avm228]

I loved this episode too - and what a nice guy he is.

The only thing I thought was a shame was that that last revelation was foreshadowed (and therefore "spoiled") in the BBC trailer for the series.  I wish the news had come as a surprise to me as it did to Matthew

But what a fantastic document that old parchment scroll was - Wodun, Adam and Eve, Jesus, God.  Can't beat that!

Anna

[Polldoll]

Wow that was so interesting ...   I hope he visits rootschat now ... though he doen't really need help now ...it's all been done !! Think of al lthe research one could do with all that in one's family history I bet he's addicted now ...just like the rest of us !!
Poll
OH avm I hadnt seen the trailer ...so it was a surprise !!

[julianb]

What I found just as fascinating was the Shanghai stuff about the opium trade.  Matthew pinsent was clearly uncomfortable about that (and no doubt was having trouble rationalising it Like Graham Norton last week on the massacres).

JULIAN

[Windsor87]

My Gateway ancestor was a London lawyer's daughter  without a noble name or title... but had an aristocratic background.

Never ignore maternal lines.. most "Gateway Ancestors" are women

I agree. They are always women. I see itas flogging off the daughters all in the name of politics and cash flow.

My gateway ancestor was illegitimate. Don't know if that still counts, but it works for me. Her father was virtually bankrupt and living in a ruined castle before it became Scotland's first mainland lighthouse in 1787 (Fraserburgh Castle). He was then put up by his nephew the Lord Saltoun of Abernethy. He was good enough to leave his 'natural' daughter (and only child) 20 pound in his will. She refused it for him wronging her mother (probably just a romantic fairytale gone wrong).