BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 8 Episode #5: Rupert Penry-Jones

[stonechat]

Hi

Can't see an existing thread

An interesting programme and to my suprise the indian blood was proved to be correct

The moment that jarred was when the Indian woman researcher handed Rupert the letters written by his great great grandfather (or was there another great) and Rupert just took them as if it was no surprise

Still I enjoyed it

Bob

[Maggie1895]

Agree totally - really interesting programme

Agree also that for someone to casually hand over your gr. gr.gr. grandfather's letters home over 150 years later, and to have no reaction, that was strange.   Can only assume he knew they were coming, but it was a shame that the local expert didn't give any clue as to where she obtained them

The other thing that made me smile was his looking at a baptism record on IGI and saying 'ah, mother has no surname, that's suspicious...'  Perhaps he was in Spooks too long!

[Keith Sherwood]

I do think the input of the person about whom the programme is being made is so important...
Have to say that I was pretty much underwhelmed by both the Rupert actors (was the other one called Everett?), who really had very little to say about some quite detailed research on their behalf.
Such a contrast to Monty Don, and the delightful sensitive insights and comments he made throughout last week's episode.
keith

[LizzieW]

The other thing that made me smile was his looking at a baptism record on IGI and saying 'ah, mother has no surname, that's suspicious...'

I was shouting at the TV, no it's not suspicious most of the baptism records on IGI don't show a mother's surname.

Also surprised when they said he'd found his grandfather's war records (WWII) at Kew.  Could this be correct, or was it just his war diaries?

Actually, I found the whole programme rather boring.

Lizzie

Lizzie

[jubee]

India is not really in my field of family research but found it very interesting nonetheless.
I did cheer though when he was trying to prove his "Indian ancestor" and the researcher over in India told him that he thought this line was at a dead end  Yippee I thought, at last an honest experience of genealogical research. Although I was half expecting the voice-over to announce that suddenly some more documents had been miraculously found.......Oh! what I cynic I am 

[kooky]

Like Jubee, India has not featured in my research.
I was quite taken with Rupert's determination to go back as far as he could.
This is what I am always asked when I mention my family history quest - "How far back have you got?"
I think he may have been concentrating so hard on his note taking, that he did not always react to the info. 
I hope his mother was impressed with his discoveries!
Quite an enjoyable programme.
Kooky

[california dreamin]

Hi all -

Yes -  I found this one quite interesting in respect to the Indian research, especially in that the East India men at first were encouraged to marry with local girls and then years later this was very much discouraged.

I found the discovery (as has been mentioned) of the letters of his great - great etc. grandfather a huge surprise and wish they had told us where these documents had come from! They were such personal letters you would have expected them to have remained with family papers (maybe they did?). (Did the original researcher in England make any one else nervous as she was pointing and tapping documents with her pencil!)

I also thought the same as Lizzie regarding the discovery that Susannah had no surname listed on the IGI.  Susannah & how many hundreds of other people!

I see that Rupert had the prerequisite pen & notepad which seems to be in vogue in this series.  Bet we see a keen note taker in next week's episode!

All in all very enjoyable!

[Inchworm]

It would have been a nice ending if he had gone back to his mother and showed her his findings.
After all, she is still as much of a celebrity as he is.

[Plummiegirl]

I too thought the programme ended too soon, I would have loved to see his mothers reaction to the proof of the Indian blood

Lizzie W - why would he know about the IGI index and how marriages are recorded there.  Unless you are really into Genealogy, this fact would be an unkown.  Therefore to him this missing maiden name would be "suspicous".

I thought the programme was very good,  I always love it when they go to India as the record keeping is often so meticulous.  Not just the British Army & British Raj records but the records kept within all the villages etc.  Loved the fact that he managed to get so far back.