BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 10 Episode #3 - Patrick Stewart

[baggygenes]

Skoosh , baggygenes and danuslave i think those are real slant on things.

not sure quite what you mean? 

[gaffy]

Another interesting episode, simply because its subject, Patrick Stewart's father, was conflicted.

I'm not sure I always want the easy gratification of a programme that shows nice / heroic ancestors,  a programme which ties up all loose ends, or a programme that reflects 'good genealogy' (whatever that is).
 
While Patrick, understandably, assessed the available information to explain his father's behaviour to his wife and children, the viewer was left to observe and form their own judgement.

Good stuff.

[fallingonabruise]

I didn't enjoy this episode at all, I can understand that he needed to find out about his Dad, but it could have been condensed and a bit more family history put in, 

[baggygenes]

Another interesting episode, simply because its subject, Patrick Stewart's father, was conflicted.

I'm not sure I always want the easy gratification of a programme that shows nice / heroic ancestors,  a programme which ties up all loose ends, or a programme that reflects 'good genealogy' (whatever that is).
 
While Patrick, understandably, assessed the available information to explain his father's behaviour to his wife and children, the viewer was left to observe and form their own judgement.

Good stuff.

I have to agree and I think this episode was quite thought provoking - not just on the information/character of Patricks dad but for me I also found it very interesting how even as adults and even after someone is no longer with us we still want to explain or justify the actions of others  (I probably haven't explained myself very well .. but I know what I mean). 

I think that maybe they should have gone back a little to show what stock his dad came from - which may have added an explanation to his character (or not) and made it more a "genealogical show" rather than a war story - possibly gone in to something about his mum (not so sure that they would have found anything that would have helped but maybe there was something that showed this was union a mismatch?) BUT the show is called "Who Do You Think You Are" (and this relationship with his father obviously shaped his life) rather than "How Far Back Can We Go".   

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series so far

[anabanana]

I would have liked more information on his mother's background. When near the end he described his mother as timid I thought this sounded like a different person to the one who took his father to court to prove their son was his. That took some guts and determination to do but was glossed over quickly in the story.

Felt, to me, like we were nowhere near getting the full story.  Something didn't quite add up with Alfred and Patrick's mother being in formal dispute about the paternity/maintenance of the first child (who I didn't think looked anything like Alfred, Patrick or Patrick's wee brother...though looks don't have to mean anything I guess).  For then, as Panda says, P's mother to be described as timid.  Alfred was so hostile (intended, or not) to P's mother...as if he resented her or that earlier humiliation ( ) she seemingly subjected him to....if that was the case, why did he then marry her?  A lot, lot more to it than meets the eye I'm sure.

Would also have like to know what sort of upbringing Alfred himself had, and where he came from.

I had supposed there may be more on the Stewarts, and a potential Scottish ancestry.

Not one of the better episodes, but that's just my opinion.

[Phil Goater]

As usual the programme is limited in time and resources and couldn't hope to do everything.  I found it fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I only wish that I could have a few of those resources at my disposal though!   I'd love to be able to trace my own father's involvement in the 2nd World War.  Just how easy is it to access the records and at what cost?

Phil

[Maggie1895]

I've read the whole thread with interest, and don't want to get into the shell shock / hero / abuser debate because although some comfort was provided to Patrick Stewart  I didn't think anything was shown in enough depth to really understand his father, just to suggest some possibilities.    

It was a different aspect that disturbed me, and actually made me think of Rootschat's 'no living details' policy with real gratitude.   OK, his brother must have agreed to the whole programme or else wouldn't have been filmed at the end but I found something quite prurient about all the detail and debate about his mother and the birth of his elder brother out of wedlock.   It all seemed a bit heartless to wash his mother's dirty linen in public as it were, and also to highlight his brother's situation in such detail, plus his paternity question,when his brother was still alive.   It made me really appreciate how controlled everything is on here, with no publication of any details for someone who may be still living.

That led me on to think of something else, how far does one have to go to achieve the distance to make the switch from involvement to interest?  Like most of us, I get very attached to some of my ancestors as I learn more about them, but there is that distance that protects.    Trying to explain - when I found my gr.gr.grandfather didn't appear in the census because he was in jail I was intrigued, and discussed it with a fair few people.   If that had been my father I've realised I would have felt very very differently.    What if it had been my grandfather?  How far does that distance need to go?   

I hope this makes sense because I'm not finding it easy to explain but much as I love WDYTYA normally, yesterday's episode made me very uncomfortable on a lot of levels and unlike nearly all the other episodes I won't watch it for a second time.

[baggygenes]

I think I know what you mean and actually an interesting point.   I am very happy to look into my grandfather illegitimacy or my greatgran dying in a workhouse but very aware my aunts are not so I don't really even though they aren't computer literate so won't see anything .. I feel free to do so on my mothers side (bigamy) because there are no living people directly involved in my family to tiptoe round... but then her father might have gone on to have another family who could very well be still living...and to be honest I hadn't really thought about that before

[stonechat]

can't say that I think it was a good episode

Don't enjoy too much focus on one not far back story

I like previously unknown ancestors being revealed