BBC "Who Do You Think You Are?" Anne Reid (WDYTYA Series 12 Episode 6)

[Colin D Gronow]

Was it that bad, no one has started a thread on it?

[StanleysChesterton]

Was it that bad, no one has started a thread on it?

The original "new series" thread was resurrected.

I watched it, then nodded off and missed the end.  I thought she needed a good talking to.  Mad woman.

[Christine53]

I was quite interested in John Reid and the events leading to his transportation , but I found Anne Reid's reactions strange to say the least. She seemed to decide that her ancestor must really have been innocent and that he had been 'framed' by his father in law without any evidence and it was a little extreme to wish a horrible death to all concerned !

Not the best of episodes, for me at least.

Christine

[LizzieW]

I thought the part where she kept laughing about what her g.g.uncle had done, drunkenness etc. was hilarious, I save it for my husband to see when he came in.  The rest did annoy me.  Why was she so uptight about how her g.g.grandfather had been treated, and blamed his f.i.l who, although she didn't seem to realise it, was also her ancestor.  He would have been one of her g.g.g.grandfathers.  Also, I don't know why the BBC paid for her to have a freebie to Tasmania (Van Diemens Land) - and presumably paid for her niece to fly over from Australia to meet up with her.  All that info is available on line - I know as I've got similar info about my 2 x g.g.aunt and the man she met and married in Van Diemens Land - also a convict.

Lizzie

[Mowsehowse]

I have just watched this on catch-up........I am TOTALLY flabbergasted!!

She was told by the expert in Tazzy that the £20 to £40  berth to return home was the annual wage of most laborours, and still we did not see her compute that her drunken hero had attempted to steal in the order of a years wage from his father-in-law.  And yes, that "horrid man" WAS also her ancestor.

£50 in 1842 was the equivalent of about £4,500. Perhaps Annie Reid just has SO MUCH money she can't understand what a HUGE sum that was in 1842.

The woman stated she was "proud to be the ancestor of a convict" !! No-one even bothered to put that right!

[ankerdine]

What a strange attitude for her to take.

When we found OH's gtx2 grandfather had to do 5yrs hard labour for stealing a cheque of a similar value C1870 we thought he deserved it. We were more concerned for his wife who had to support their 15 children, not all of whom were still at home though, but 8 under 10.

I enjoyed the part about a convict's life aboard ship and on arrival in Tasmania. We could do with more about transportation. They have so much information available in Australia.

Judy

[larkspur]

"Was it that bad, no one has started a thread on it?"

Yes.

The over the top hysterical laughter at the fact her ancestor was a drunk, not funny for his wife and the rest of the family, or the community, or the children he was meant to be teaching.
The threats and wishing horrible deaths on others -all very unneccessary, I thought.
After all the detested father in law did raise his grandson, feed and clothe him, despite the fact the father had stolen a fair amount of money from him.

[lisalucie]

Right I haven't been a fan of this series as I find it a bit "dumbed down" especially how the "experts" say oh can you read that, then without waiting for a reply whip out transcribed version for the celebs to read.
But this one took the biscuit!!
I'm sure Annie Reid is a lovely lady but she did my head in!
She jumped to so many conclusions and what really annoyed me was how she felt the convict bloke was so hard done to and was picked on by his father in law (the father in law that HE defrauded and who was now raising his kids)!
Yes sending prisoners to the other side of the works was very harsh and inhumane but he wasn't exactly a saint was he!!
I actually shouted at the tele and woke up the dog!

[kooky]

I managed to stay awake throughout
I was waiting for the next strange reaction to the information!
Why do people say ancestor when they mean descendant?
Kooky