"Who do you think you are?" October

[IgorStrav]

She's a very engaging character.

I found the WWI sections just as interesting as usual - and this one, where the relative had evidently seen the most awful effects of war on human beings, but enlisted and served just the same, was very moving.  It certainly makes you think about the state of mind of the young men of the country.

The contemporaneous extract concerning the battle and the injuries to the horses as well as the men was heart-rending.  And the thought that, recovered from his wound, he went back to battle when he could have been deployed at home, another contribution to the social background of the time.

Yes, of course people speculate on the circumstances, make up stories, but so do we all - I certainly do - it's not the programme's intention to put a healthy dollop of cynicism into the whole.

And the mining section - well, I had no idea of the possibility of an 8 year old from a mining family dragging himself up from his bootstraps to the financial benefit of his whole family.  And yet even more interesting the long legacy of his name even 40 years after the event of his strike breaking.

And Jodie never asked where the money went!

It has left me with further illumination on the social history of the 20th century, and a reminder to myself that theorising is just that.  Employer made the servant pregnant?  Well, maybe...... 

Don't you always find that when a newspaper or a tv programme concerns something you actually know something about, there are always details and angles they get wrong or don't consider.....

[brigidmac]

Well said Igor

Often speculation can lead to investigation and revelation .
When they said they would never know who Walter John s birth father was I did wonder if researchers had looked for affiliation orders baptisms or likely Walter John s in the neighborhood as Jodie had already mentioned English tradition of naming first born son after their father .

It must be so hard to decide what to include and which bits to skim over .
I too thought the WW1 bit was about different aspects than we've had before .

[pharmaT]

She's a very engaging character.



And the mining section - well, I had no idea of the possibility of an 8 year old from a mining family dragging himself up from his bootstraps to the financial benefit of his whole family.  And yet even more interesting the long legacy of his name even 40 years after the event of his strike breaking.

And Jodie never asked where the money went!

It has left me with further illumination on the social history of the 20th century, and a reminder to myself that theorising is just that.  Employer made the servant pregnant?  Well, maybe...... 

Don't you always find that when a newspaper or a tv programme concerns something you actually know something about, there are always details and angles they get wrong or don't consider.....

I'm still annoyed about Jodie's mum effectively being punished for something that someone else did before se was born.  I do know how strong feelings are in those communities but it makes me mad when anyone is made ot feel bad about things outwith their control.

Often when a scientifc study is 'quoted' on the TV I find myself yelling "it doesn't say that", "you can't conclude that from those results" "that's not what that means"

[candleflame]

Just Googled, it's now back, since April. Channel 75 - I never get that far down Freeview! Thanks

Not who do you think, but suggest you try freeview  channel 81 Talking Pictures. Some great old films on there .

[Romilly]

A major difference between the Australian WDYTYA and the UK ones, (that I’ve seen) is that the main protagonists all seem to start off by having DNA tests...

Is this because DNA testing is more generally used in Australia?

I couldn’t help thinking that DNA testing would probably have thrown up some clues to the likely Father of Walter John?

Romilly.

[pharmaT]

A major difference between the Australian WDYTYA and the UK ones, (that I’ve seen) is that the main protagonists all seem to start off by having DNA tests...

Is this because DNA testing is more generally used in Australia?

I couldn’t help thinking that DNA testing would probably have thrown up some clues to the likely Father of Walter John?

Romilly.

Only had DNA been available at the time sine both Walter John and his mother were deceased and no identified children for Walter were there?

[Romilly]

I was thinking of the DNA passed on by Jodie Whittaker’s ancestor, - was it her Grandmother or Great Grandmother?

I certainly have DNA matches that I can link beyond that level.

But yes, - probably no way of finding Walter John’s Father, - unless, as bridgetmac says, any Court Orders were made.

Romilly.

[pharmaT]

I was thinking of the DNA passed on by Jodie Whittaker’s ancestor, - was it her Grandmother or Great Grandmother?

I certainly have DNA matches that I can link beyond that level.

But yes, - probably no way of finding Walter John’s Father, - unless, as bridgetmac says, any Court Orders were made.

Romilly.

That DNA would be his maternal DNA, it was Jodie's Grt Grandmother.  It would be no help in identifying his father.  If you had his DNA and Jodie's you could use that to help identify maternal matches for him in order to narrow down which matches to use to find his father.

[brigidmac]

You'd have to excavate him and examine DNA from his teeth like identifying King Richard III .
I have affiliation order from 1900 for my nana father's name date of birth address included  but apparently they are rare and it's still not 100percent that named father will be actual father tho DNA has confirmed for my great grandfather and I imagine the judge at time would have taken many factors into consideration.