BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 10 Episode #1: Una Stubbs

[Time]

Where was Una Stubbs born??

[LizzieW]

I wonder if they film it out of sequence.  They showed Una a certificate possibly her grandparents marriage cert which clearly showed her grandfather was a confectioner, then later on in another context, Una asked the researcher if she knew what her grandfather's occupation was. 

My guess is that her mother, being descended from Ebenezer Howard was probably living a middle class life and married "beneath" herself and was ashamed of her husband's family, hence Una never met them.  Very odd that she never asked any questions though.  I wonder if her father secretly visited his parents.

[Meezer]

Although there are things we can criticise I don't think it's a bad thing if these programmes at least ignite people's interest in family history. If it's made to look too complicated to navigate the sites then it'll put some people off. If you were to show all the hard work and the stone walls that you can come up against then people might think twice but show little interesting snippets and you get them hooked. Understanding of certificates and the detective work needed comes with experience and practice!

[LizzieW]

I agree the detective work etc. comes with experience and practice, but anyone can read a marriage certificate, the headings show what each column is, which is why I wondered if they film the programmes out of sequence.

[heywood]

The birth of Clarence and the marriage were very close together and Arthur was very young which might have complicated matters.
I think then, as now, people didn't always do the right thing so they may not have bothered with re-registering the birth.
When she asked 'why', I think the cousin said, 'it was your mother'.
I enjoyed it- she came across as a lovely person and it was a poignant story with the various coincidences.

[Meezer]

I agree the detective work etc. comes with experience and practice, but anyone can read a marriage certificate

Maybe so but she didn't know why there was a gap against the father's name on the birth certificate and I'm sure we were all shouting at the TV for that one!

[Lydart]

I too am sure we were all shouting at the TV at that point, but then, as I said earlier, she's an innocent ... it would never have occurred to her that it meant illegitimacy; she probably thought it meant the father was elsewhere when the birth was registered !

[KGarrad]

Where was Una Stubbs born??

Welwyn Garden City I thought?

Hatfield district
June qtr 1937

[Meezer]

I too am sure we were all shouting at the TV at that point, but then, as I said earlier, she's an innocent ... it would never have occurred to her that it meant illegitimacy; she probably thought it meant the father was elsewhere when the birth was registered !

Yes, that's the point that I was making that not everyone can "read" certificates!