"Who Do You Think You Are" Series 13, Episode #2: Amanda Holden

[Mowsehowse]

Aside from my amazement at how TV celebrities behave on camera, ( ) I enjoyed the programme too, and found both threads very interesting, despite the Lancastria being such "recent" history, but I was really disappointed they did not show the link through the French family to the name Louis which was then used for so many generations.

Oh, and BTW, up popped the name "Radigund".  Fancy that!! 

[Rhododendron]

And we were never told whether she took how many bottles of wine she took home (from what had been her family's vineyard)

[LizzieW]

This might answer some of your questions about the programme.

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/episode/amanda-holden?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=WDYTYA-01122016-Newsletter_49306_Who%20Do%20You%20Think%20You%20Are%3F_Newsletters

Sorry when I shrunk the link and tried it before posting, it didn't work.

[StanleysChesterton]

There was some stuff in the papers about the Lancastria, some survivor stories were published at the time.  It just didn't make major/national "horror headline" status.

There are hundreds of results for it, with the survivor stories.  One boy saved his 72 year old grandmother; one soldier got married that weekend + survivor guests; others were rescued after floating in the water for X hours.  One survived, but was shot two months later by a fellow soldier in a regular argument that got out of hand.

And a Mrs Tate of of Covent Garden Garth - with SIXTEEN children - thinks her husband must've been on it and died as she's no idea where he is. Husband = Pte. William Tate aged 40.

It just wasn't "huge news" or "the month of the sinking" - but mostly smaller stories a month later.

They had to publish something after it first appeared in American newspapers.

[jillruss]

This episode really restored my faith in WDYTYA. Recent series have been a bit disappointing: either staying close to last century or doing the 'related to royalty' bit, which makes me yawn with boredom. I still think last week's was ridiculous, but I suppose it takes all sorts! 

Amanda Holden isn't someone I know much about except the obvious, so I was pleasantly surprised to find her genuinely interested (I don't think it was 'put on') and such a delightful person. Her reactions made me smile all through the episode.

Oh, and it was so nice to see so much documentation and to go back quite a few generations without mentioning William the Conqueror or any other king or queen. Long may it last!

[Jomot]

I thought they were putting a lot of faith in the age listed in the 1841 census for Collin Thomas, working back to assumptions he was apprentice at 10 and joined the Navy at 15.

Was anybody else shouting at the telly during that bit?

Yes, me!  Overall I really enjoyed this one though - I much prefer the tales of 'ordinary' folk to the tedious stories of connections to royalty. 

[coombs]

I can relate to Mandy Holden as I have French ancestors who came over hundreds of years after the Normans. I have Huguenots and my latest born French ancestor was one of the last Huguenot immigrants in the early 1750s.

Much better than the links to royalty, which, sorry to throw cold water on your bonfire Lord Dyer but something millions of Brits have if you go back far enough, whether proven or not.

[groom]

I was also shouting at the television, especially when they found the documents saying he was 17, but rather than questioning it, it was dismissed with "That's wrong, he must have lied about his age." I suppose it makes better television, a boy of 15 joining up.

I enjoyed the programme though, as Amanda seemed really interested in her ancestors as people rather than whether they had money or were descended from Royalty. I thought the scenes with her mother at the beginning were nice as her mother had already looked at the tree and made some discoveries. Pity that she didn't go with Amanda to France.

[davidft]

I was also shouting at the television, especially when they found the documents saying he was 17, but rather than questioning it, it was dismissed with "That's wrong, he must have lied about his age." I suppose it makes better television, a boy of 15 joining up.

Perhaps they had looked at familysearch and knew he was born on 1 January 1790 and baptised on 24 January 1790.

I liked the programme and there are a few people on Ancestry who will know be able to take their trees a little further back with three generations of the French side of the family.

Whilst the part of the programme on her grandfather and the sinking of the Lancastria was important from a historical point of view it was also very sad and i felt we were intruding on private grief and wounds that had not yet healed.