BBC "Who Do You Think You Are?" Derek Jacobi (WDYTYA Series 12 Episode 3)

[Mowsehowse]

Ummmm   Armand Laplain married in 1846 and he was a whitesmith, illiterate, his father Joseph was said to be a Police Officer.  So in just over 100 years the family went from being Chaplin to the Duke if Devonshire to an illiterate whitesmith.   

The financier in France made shed loads of money which is how he got out of the fortress and was presented at Court in England.  His 25 year old bride then spent the fortune (partially backing her brother I imagine,) and succeeding generations had to struggle.

Not something I would be quite so proud of.  Or am I misunderstanding??

[jaywit]

Joseph Laplain was born in Chesterfield, son of Armand and Ann Laplain ( both died in Derby).

I still can't see how they went down so quickly.

[sharonmx5]

Ummmm   Armand Laplain married in 1846 and he was a whitesmith, illiterate, his father Joseph was said to be a Police Officer.  So in just over 100 years the family went from being Chaplin to the Duke if Devonshire to an illiterate whitesmith.   

The financier in France made shed loads of money which is how he got out of the fortress and was presented at Court in England.  His 25 year old bride then spent the fortune (partially backing her brother I imagine,) and succeeding generations had to struggle.

Not something I would be quite so proud of.  Or am I misunderstanding??

Didn't a newspaper cutting show that Joseph's son William made a good marriage to a lady of some fortune?

[jaywit]

Rev William's will is on National Archives, but you have to pay to see it.

So did he die with money? Did he leave money to Armand? and did it filter down? At least one member of the family was applying for outdoor relief.

[alpinecottage]

Had a v quick read of the will.  The Rev William left bequests in his will of well over £500.  He made the will in 1764 and died the following year.  £500+ was a lot of money in those days!


Added, he left £330 to his wife, to live on the interest and £200 to share between his 4 children.  Then there were other bequests for mourning rings, and all his goods.

[StanleysChesterton]

It went straight back to about 1700 ... and abroad .... and I mentally switched off .... and then it ended.

I can only be interested in things I'm interested in.  Selfish, I know, but that's how we all are. 

I like the sort of material that bobbles around in England in times more recent.  Stuff that's understandable and general ... rather than this new format that seems to land straight into one time period/event and stay there.

I like disappearing granddads ... and what happened to them.

[Caw1]

I think it is a great pity they don't have a "how we did it" section at the end of each show, (as suggested above by Caw1,) but I suspect that after the WDYTYA web site was set up it was considered unnecessary, as advice on specific topics can be accessed here when required.

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tutorials

Yes, I think that's probably the case -
What are the thoughts on tonight's episode with Derek Jacobi?

I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's programme, it is to me exactly what the title suggests!
All those wonderful documents that he was provided with too. I'm sure TNA must have worked their socks off to find them. Amazing too that there was quite a lot of info in France too.
Last year my husband and I stayed in the Loire and drove through Loches, the castle is unbelievably imposing and overshadows the area, what a terrifying place to be shut away in!
Joseph was certainly a tough cookie, but fancy trusting a woman with all that money!!
Still the family certainly prospered early on and it's obviously in Derek's DNA playing kings and other royal parts!
I would have liked to know how they went from boom to bust ending up in a poor environment?
Caw1


Moderator Comment: topics merged

[LizzieW]

So the 25 year old wife had one son, but we don't know how many children he had, or how many children his children had.  Bearing in mind that any money would probably have gone to the eldest son, it's easy to see how the others and their children ended up poor. 

It happened with my ancestors, they were very rich and for a few generations my ancestor was the eldest son, then my 8 x g.grandfather was the 3rd son, my 7th g.grandfather was the 6th son and so on, so that in a few generations we end up with my 3 x g.grandfather dying in a workhouse in 1846.

[silvery]

Joseph was certainly a tough cookie, but fancy trusting a woman with all that money!!

This is a bit sexist