Journeys into Genealogy podcast

Heather Smith setup Storyfile turning videos into conversations, enabling you to share your story with your descendants.  

Local historian, Dr Sadie McMullion talks about Fletton in Cambridgeshire, the local industry of brickmaking and the famous Fletton Bricks and the Fletton one place study with tips for anyone thinking of doing their own one place study. 

A wide ranging discussion on the England and Wales censuses including why and when they began, what information was recorded, what enumerators did and much more. Did you know the 1939 register is not officially a census? Find out what it was used for any why it was taken.

A fascinating discussion on how early 18th century towns worked, politics, religions, who were the local leaders and why, with Jon Rosebank, author of Partisan Politics and host of the History Cafe podcast. We talk about Plymouth, Tiverton, Taunton, Totnes, Dartford and several others over the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Simon Guerrier is a Huguenot descendant and we talk about his ancestors and how he discovered them. Ranging from fan painters and clothiers to dock workers and cattle traders in Kent and London.

In just over a year I have recorded 30 episodes of the Journeys into Genealogy podcast. In this short review I reflect upon some of my favourite moments including Irish names, Pumpie the Elephant and looking into military history and Dunkirk and give you some insights into interviews planned for 2022.

Natalie Pithers runs the Curious Descendants Club where she helps people write interesting and entertaining stories and blogs about their family history.  We talk about her own family stories including talking about illegitimate ancestors, one name studies, adding historical context to stories and more. Plus tips for writing your own family history stories.

Antony Marr, a former deputy registrar, shares lots of tips and information about birth, marriage and death registrations in England and Wales including why sometimes there are two registrations for the same event and why you need to reregister children if you marry after they are born. Plus mentioning some of the recent changes to BMD registrations.

Fiona Fitzsimons talks about why Irish family history research can be difficult and gives lots of sources which you can use for your own research.  Including Valuation Office records, the censuses that do exist, Petty Sessions, Chancery records,  newspaper records and much more. Plus tips on Irish names and the language used.

Clive Bonny discusses some of his ancestors in Scotland and Blackpool where they owned land and hostelries. We also talk about local resources which can be invaluable for family historians. Check out Clive's guest blog post at https://emmacox.co.uk/guest-blog-my-family-story-by-clive-bonny

Do you get stuck when researching your family history? Brick walls are very common. Mary Evans discusses some of her strategies and success stories for getting through, over or around brick walls.

Jacques Arnold is the author of over 40 "Royal Houses of Europe" books showing the family histories of the descendants of Charles II and Queen Victoria. In this conversation we discuss who is in his books and how he copes with over 100,000 records. 

How organized is your family history research? Have you recorded any family stories? Carole McCulloch shares some of the tools and systems she used to record her own family history and to create the genealogy courses she runs. 

Find out more about battlefield tours and how you can discover where your ancestor fought, and possibly died, in this podcast episode. Sophie and her team will take you on a tour following your ancestors footsteps in WWI and WWII in France, The Netherlands and Belgium. Plus tips on which resources to use to start your journey.

Writer, tutor and genealogist Chris Paton shares his expertise on how to research your Scottish ancestors including which are his top resources, how to search using wildcards, sharing your research online and what is and isn't available online. 

Catherine Hughes found her GI grandfather using DNA. Now she helps other people do the same. In this conversation she tells us about her grandfather and other people she has helped as well as sharing tips on how to find your own GI relatives and if you get stuck she can help you (for free). 

Have you considered joining a family history society? Ivor Normand is Chairman of the Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society. He explains how people can benefit through joining a family history society and what records/information are available and gives some hints and tips on researching your ancestors in Scotland.

Joanna Zara makes, mends and redesigns hats at her studio in Brighton, Sussex, England. A milliner with 15+ years of experience she won a competition with Lock & Co, hatters of London and designed the "Prospect" fedora to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. Our discussion talks about fashions, inherited hats, the hat industry, Mad Hatters and much more. In the cover image for this episode you c...

Anna White was adopted in England in 1960 and she shares her journey with us, through the ups and downs and what the future holds. It touches on AncestryDNA, American GIs, helpful Facebook groups and other tips for anyone who wants to find out more about their own adoption.

Steph Wood is the co-curator of the Mary Quant exhibition setup at the V&A Museum in London and now travelling around the world. We discuss clothes, fashion, styling, how clothes can help date a photograph and how clothes reflect trends and empower people. Steph shares some of the personal stories from the Mary Quant exhibition. Plus tips on how to look after inherited garments including freezing...

Anne Bancroft is a Senior Book and Paper Conservator at the V&A Museum in London. We discuss when to wear gloves when handling objects, what to do with books, papers and photographs you have inherited and how to ensure they are cared for appropriately and Anne has lots of tips to help you with your own objects. 

Southwark Park was the first major park for South London. Setup in 1869 to give 'fresh air' and help with the health of the local residents, it has hosted temperance meetings, political rallies and local sports events. Pat Kingwell, secretary of Southwark Park 1869, talks about how and why it was setup and what difference it made to the local population including stories about the people who backe...

Graham Bandy shares lots of tips and insights into how to research your ancestors' military history including how to use military uniforms to identify regiments, medals and more.  Major-General Philip de Fonblanque was one of my own ancestors and Graham found out lots of interesting facts about him including how he was very successful at Dunkirk. 

Will Newton takes us behind the scenes of the Museum of Childhood (part of the Victoria and Albert Museum) and shares plans for the future of the museum and its collection. Family toys connect us with previous generations plus we catch up with Pumpie the elephant and discuss conservation and donations and what to do to ensure your toys survive the decades.

Did you know what you experience may not be 'yours'? It might be something carried down from a previous generation. Kimberly June explains how inherited (or ancestral) trauma works and how you can clear or stop this going onto future generations.