BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 10 Episode 6 Alex Kingston

[DozyDora]

I also enjoyed last night's episode very much.  If it had been someone less confident, I doubt whether they would have allowed all that about running a brothel, but good on her - it was either that or a life in the Poor House.

I lost track of which child Alex descended from in the end but I have recorded it so can look at it again.

In those days not much was hidden from the children, so it is any wonder that her son Lewis acted a little weird.

I wonder what the family made of it all when Alex told them.

Dora

[Plummiegirl]

I thogoughly enjoyed this episode and the bit about WW1 was fascinating, something I had never heard of before.

Loved the comment of in the morning finding her inner jew and in the afternoon her inner whore.

This was one of my favourites so far.

As for the will I did notice a little faarther down the name Susan mentioned and another which I did not quite catch.  Wish they had told us more,

As said before we know that a lot of this is thoroughly researched before, how else would they had all the various certificates to hand and all the old documents, they do take time to dig out.

It is just a shame that they do not say so.  Us who have been at this game for some time know exactly just how long some information can take to find.

Overall this eposide was good for me and I found Alex great and although she did well up at one point she did not start blubbing which is quite common.  A real trooper..

[rayard]

WW1 yet again, yawn, at least I didn't fall asleep this week!  I think it's because I'm jealous as Grandad's records were destroyed.

One of "mine" is listed as a lodging -house-keeper!! Must dig deeper!!!

rosie.

[sharmar]

I found it interesting about the WWI sound waves but then spent the second half saying no wonder she played 'Moll Flanders' so good!

[LizzieW]

Dont you have playback Lizzie.

What is playback?  We have Sky+ and set programmes to record with series links, so Grand Design is recorded (and watched live last night ) but WDYTYA isn't set to record.

Lizzie

[Lydart]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.    The WW1 details were different to previous programmes, and show that its not impossible to find out stuff even though some records were destroyed in WW2.    The sound wave thing was new to me.

Loved her comment about the 'inner Jew and the inner whore' !!

This is one programme where I would have LOVED to see the reaction of her family when she told them all she had found out ! 

[Mavals]

I really enjoyed this programme. yes it was WW1 again, BUT that event impacted on nearly every one of us and cannot be ignored in family history. The information we were given also demonstrated the absence of the official record is not necessarily a hurdle to finding out more. I have often yelled at the TV when they actually HAVE the record when we all know so many records were lost! I found the information about the sound recording fascinating.

The second part was hilarious. How to succeed at the oldest profession - Elizabeth did OK out of it as her will displayed and she was obviously very savvy about the impact of matrimony on a women's property.

I too would have loved to see her family's reaction to the information.

May be the additional footage will help to plug some of the gaps other RC posters have identified too.

Now, must go and look at my widowed ancestors again to see if any of them were lodging house keepers or dressmakers.......!!

[roopat]

In OH's family of Ag Labs a great-aunt owned a big house with lots of nice furniture etc. (according to elderly relative who used to be taken there as a boy) I think the rest of the family rather looked up to her - my M-I-L was named after her. Everybody told me she had married into money.

In censuses she was a dressmaker  then was in service in London, then owned the 'big house' in Norwich where she was living on her own means  , then she married a much younger man who had been one of her lodgers    so she owned the big house before she married him. 
 
Although I knew 'dressmaker' could be a euphemism, I hadn't put two and two together - but now I'm beginning to wonder.....   

[7igerby7he7ail]

One of mine . a lodging house keeper, with two daughters-dressmakers and five other females-dressmakers, either a busy house or a bawdy house . Must investigate further now......