"Who Do You Think You Are" Series 13, Episode 5 Ricky Tomlinson

[LizzieW]

No comments on this programme yet 

[silvery]

I watched it.   I thought Ricky Tomlinson got a bit individual about everything, as though it was only his family that came from that background, being carters and poor, industrial schools and everything.     Wasn't impressed with the few seconds of weeping about someone's plight 150 years ago.   

[LizzieW]

I agree.  I don't like the man and the programme only confirmed my thoughts about him.  His wife seemed so nice, I wonder why she doesn't get him to cut his hair 

I didn't like the way he and the young researcher in the library jumped to the conclusion that his 2 x g.grandmother (I think it was her) just dumped her 2 young children in the Industrial School because she'd got a new fellow who'd got her pregnant, but who wouldn't marry her until all the children were old enough to work - and he got called a rude name by Ricky Tomlinson just on one wrong assumption.  Also because she was on the census with her new man and 3 children that her original family had broken up.  It was only when they looked at the marriage cert of one of her children and saw that one of the witnesses was a half brother that they came round to the fact that probably all her family were still together.

 

[Mike in Cumbria]

I enjoyed it, despite the usual frustrations of the routes not followed.  On the marriage certificate of his ancestor (GGF?) who grew up in dire poverty, it clearly showed him as a widower - this wasn't even mentioned, despite his young age.

[Gillg]

I enjoyed this programme, but then I rather like Ricky Tomlinson anyway, being a Lancastrian, though not a Skouser myself.

It was interesting to see the name Richard passed down over the generations of this family, as was the occupation of carter. How sad that men in 2 generations died as a result of horse and cart accidents. 

Some of my ancestors sailed from Liverpool to the USA when they emigrated in the 19th century and it was a good piece of social history to see how the city boomed as an important port and business hub.  Also of interest was the effect of the Irish potato famine on the population and the resulting Protestant/Roman Catholic divide of the city - Ricky noted that he has a "mixed marriage", as he is a Protestant and his wife is a Catholic.

There were lots of  helpful archivists and historians who popped up with useful certificates, though it was disappointing to see them give up trying to trace the family before 1837 records began.  As always, assumptions were made and Ricky was sure he had inherited his union activities from his ancestors.  No expensive trips across the world for Ricky, who stayed in his beloved Liverpool as he visited the various archives.  A low key episode, perhaps, but none the worse for that.

[LizzieW]

On the marriage certificate of his ancestor (GGF?) who grew up in dire poverty, it clearly showed him as a widower - this wasn't even mentioned, despite his young age.

Yes I noticed that, perhaps it didn't fit into their agenda.

[gaffy]

I imagine that Ricky's personality mightn't be everyone's cup of tea but he is what he is and wears his emotions on his sleeve and although I would probably end up getting into an argument with him if we had to share the same space for any length of time, I liked him as a person and he showed a lot of interest and passion in the story being told.

However, the problem for me was that the story of inner city poverty and life and death was one I've visited before and one that many might recognise in their own family history, so whilst tragic, it didn't grip me in the same way that something novel would. The foray into contemporary religious divisions in Liverpool was interesting though.

[Mike in Cumbria]

I thought his concern for the injustices and the deprivations suffered by the working people of Liverpool was completely genuine and in character. I didn't get the impression that he was only thinking about his own family.  I also thought the emphasis on the Irish immigration, and the Protestant/Catholic troubles was really interesting and well handled.

I agree though that he and the researcher were far too judgemental about Mary's second husband - nobody really knows what happened in that family from the few records that they found.

[Blue70]

Another interesting but straight forward episode. Ricky can be a bit dramatic and it can be awkward watching him at times. Some of my ancestors were dockers and carters in Liverpool so it was interesting to me. Some historical information was a bit simplistic due to the limitations of time.

Irish migration to Liverpool was very high before the Famine and the Irish did not only settle in the north docks area. They were everywhere. That area had the most Irish but so called Protestant areas such as Everton had a lot of people of Irish descent living there.

I would have liked the programme to go further back to see whether the Tomlinson line was in Liverpool in the 18th century and if they could identify another place of origin, in Lancashire or elsewhere.


Blue