BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 7 Episode #6: Martin Freeman

[lindylou2_2002]

Really interesting, especially that she had been infected twice. Which possibly means that the father had caught it from one of his previous wives (or a casual encounter?)

I wonder if any of his  earlier children had also suffered the same fate. ( I see that possibility has already been mentioned!) occurred .
An hour wasn't enough for this search
Spring

Could it also be the cause of His blindness, maybe if we go back over his family there will be big gaps of children born and dying young. Maybe they both brought it through both the lines.
 
Was quietly amused by how many children he had over his many wives.
 My husband is the eldest of 7 and his mother is also Blind. Always joked it was a form of hobby she could get involved in with out being sighted.

(also Dorton house Blind school is a lovely as it looks. My 2 sighted children have private swimming lessons there every week. Mother in law should have gone there in the 50s but her mother wanted her home for weekends and the school wouldn't allow it only home at the end of term. They do now though. Katie Prices Son goes there too so they have had a fair bit of publicity over the last few years too.) sorry totally off topic just thought you might like some more info

[Gillg]

My gt-grandparents lost 5 out of their 9 children - 4 in a row either stillborn or up to a few months old, then a girl who survived and then another lost child.  This would be in the 1870s.  The fact that around 10% of the population would have been suffering from syphilis at that time is startling.

There's never been any mention of syphilis in family legend (well, there wouldn't be, would there ), nor of blindness,  but after watching this programme I'm beginning to wonder whether I should be sending for some death certificates for those lost children.  

Gt-grandfather was a pillar of the Strict & Particular Baptist Church, but maybe he wasn't strict or particular enough.

Gillg

[lindylou2_2002]

Perhaps the 1911 census hadn't come on line when the researchers were doing their stuff, but there is an Emily Freeman bn 1857 Petworth in East Preston district (the district Tarring comes under I think)

Does she have any children living with her? I dont have acess to the 1911 census at the moment. Maybe the third marriage was not legal.

[lindylou2_2002]

Gt-grandfather was a pillar of the Strict & Particular Baptist Church, but maybe he wasn't strict or particular enough.

Gillg

LOL they said that lots of people just didnt know.

[millymcb]

I really liked this programme - it reminded me more of the original programmes which centred more on the research journey and less on a history lesson.  

I also wondered about the missing marriage certificate for Richard and Ada.  I can't imagine they did not go through the Marriages page by page (although I am tempted to have a look myself) but agree they could have made that clearer.

I also questioned the six alive and six died calculation as in their family tree diagram they were including Phillip as one of the six from "this" marriage although they knew he was from the marriage to Fanny. i wondered if whoever filled in the form for Richard and Ada in 1911 misunderstood or did it wrong. Perhaps the other two children who died were actually those from his earlier marriage (as referred to earlier in the programme).   Possibly not - but just a thought

But very interesting about the Syphalis - I didn't know that. Would be interesting to see what Ada's parents died of.  

Also - I can't remember which of his wives they had a death certificate for.   What did his second wife die of and how does that fit in time-wise with his mysterious demise as the church organist?  Maybe there was some scandal?

Yes - lots of questions for Rootschatters to dig into....


Milly






 

[LizzieW]

General Paralysis of The Insane and meant sufferers were not of sound mind

My great, great uncle died of that.  He had 3 wives, but as far as I have found out so far, no children who died.  I'll have to research further but as he had a common name and his first marriage was in 1876, 2nd in 1887 and third in 1896 there would be too many children born during that time with his surname to know which were his.

Lizzie

[Springbok]

Viktoria,

I know that years ago there was a theory that Henry V111 suffered from Syphilis as  it  manifested  itself as megalomania in later years ? Hence the executions. Barrenness of Mary, early death of Edward.and other still births.


When you realize that many of these diseases become resistant to modern drugs, I do wonder if later generations will suffer the same horrors that our ancestors did.
Sexual diseases are still rife, as human nature doesn't change

Spring.

[Half Pint]

especially the comment at the end about how many of us could find ancestors with a certain medical condition.  I haven't knowingly found any yet?

[Gaille]

especially the comment at the end about how many of us could find ancestors with a certain medical condition.  I haven't knowingly found any yet?

Yeah Mum & I commented on that too, I have collected a lot of Death certs over the years, I usualy buy the direct desendants one & then at least one for each generation of a branch of a tree ............ I havent found a single one yet in any branch with anything that could be syphillis or its effects.

Gaille