Genealogists' Forum - We have branches everywhere!



Go Back   Genealogists' Forum - We have branches everywhere! > Research > Family History General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-11-21, 22:38
kiterunner's Avatar
kiterunner kiterunner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 25,270
Default Who Do You Think You Are - Pixie Lott 9th November

On BBC1 at 9 p.m.
__________________
KiteRunner

Family History News updated 29th Feb
Findmypast 1871 census update
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-11-21, 22:09
Ann from Sussex's Avatar
Ann from Sussex Ann from Sussex is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,380
Default

I quite enjoyed that because her family history is so similar to my own: the London, Ireland and army connections. I found her very annoying to begin with but I warmed to her more as it went on. I did shout at the screen though when the historian in the Italian Church said her ancestors names in the church register had been written in Italian because it was an Italian church. No, they were in Latin because it was a Roman Catholic church and he should have known that.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-11-21, 23:10
kiterunner's Avatar
kiterunner kiterunner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 25,270
Default

Episode summary:

Pixie Lott was born in Kent, the youngest of three children of Stephen Lott and Beverley nee Martin. There was a family story that her maternal grandfather had ancestors from Verona which she wanted to look into. She also knew that she was supposed to have some Irish ancestors. She went to see her parents, who showed her some old photos, and told her that her father's paternal grandparents were called Joseph and Beatrice Lott, and that her maternal grandfather, Charles Martin, was the youngest of seven sons of John Frederick Martin, a Royal Marine who was also born in Kent, and Maria aka Mary. There was a photograph of John in army uniform where he was holding a mandolin, but the family story was that he was just posing with it for the photo. Beverley told Pixie that Maria / Mary was baptised at the Italian Church in Clerkenwell.

Pixie went to the Italian Church where she met an historian who showed her Maria's baptism record from 1889 - her parents were "Jacobi" i.e. James Fleming and "Brigitte" i.e. Bridget Fleming nee Goggin. (The names in the register were in Latin.) The 1891 census showed that James was a tailor living in Leather Lane, Clerkenwell, with Bridget who was born in Cork, Ireland, and several children including Mary and a son Edward. The historian said that James's mother was also from Ireland, and that the reason that Mary was baptised at the Italian Church was because it was a Catholic church and the Fleming family were Catholics.

Pixie then went to Grays Inn Gardens and met an historian who showed her a list of the Flemings' children, 11 in total, and a poverty map which showed that Leather Lane was a very poor area. There was also a report from the Islington Gazette dated 1891 about the eviction of families from the so-called "Irish Barracks" in Leather Lane while the men were away at work or looking for work. The Holborn Union Workhouse admission register for 1895 was one of many showing Bridget and her children being admitted to the workhouse at various times over a period of about 20 years.

Pixie went to see an old workhouse and was shown a list of transfers which said that Bridget was transferred to Bow along with her two youngest children at the time, Hannah and Patrick while Edward was transferred to Mill Hill and Mary and Catherine were transferred to Totteridge. Records showed that Patrick and Hannah both died of TB in the summer of 1895, and that James and Bridget both died by 1901. Mary's marriage certificate showed that she married John Frederick Martin on the 1st Jan 1908 at the age of 19, a feather curler.

Pixie then went to Chatham to find out about John Frederick Martin's career in the Royal Marines. She met a naval historian, who told her that John served in the Royal Marines Light Infantry and was not in an official band. His service papers showed that he joined up at the age of 16, height 5' 4", and was 5' 10 3/4" tall when he left. The 1891 census showed that John's father was William Martin, a musician in an army band. Pixie went to Aldershot to meet a military historian, who showed her William's service record, which said that he was born at Windsor, and that he joined the 16th Regiment of Foot at the age of 19, a musician. The medical information showed that he had webbed toes, a trait passed down to Beverley. There was a newspaper report about the band of the 16th Regiment performing at a ball at Ballyellis in Ireland. William's marriage certificate showed that he married Mary Ann Harvey at Cork, with his father being John Martin, a musician in the 2nd Life Guards, and hers Thomas Harvey.

Pixie then went to Windsor and met the custodian of the records for the 2nd Life Guards, part of the Household Cavalry, who showed her John Martin's name in the ledger from 1847. He also showed her the uniform and then the director of music for the Household Cavalry told her about what life would have been like for band members. He showed her a report of a concert that the band of the 2nd Life Guards took part in at Belle Vue with Louis Julien conducting, with an audience of 24,000.

Pixie went to Bishopsgate Hall and met a family historian, who showed her Joseph Lott's birth certificate. He was born in Ipswich on the 7th Apr 1895, the son of Robert and Emma Lott. Robert's death certificate showed that he died on the 13th Jan 1908 from asthmatic bronchitis, and Emma's that she died on the 13th Oct 1909. The 1911 census showed Joseph, age 15, as a servant for the Taylor family, lodging house keepers, at 6 Oriental Place, Brighton.

Pixie went to Brighton and met a local historian who showed her another 1911 census entry, that of Joseph's older brother William Lott, a police constable. Joseph's military records showed that he joined up soon after the outbreak of WWI. Pixie met a military historian who told her that Joseph was sent to France to fight in the Battle of Loos, and was named on a list of Prisoners of War dated 12th Jan 1916. Pixie went to the Imperial War Museum where she met a military historian who told her that Joseph was held at a camp called Münster II, and showed her an account of the bad conditions in the camp, written by another Private who was captured at around the same time as Joseph. It said that the prisoners were forced to work as coal miners. Joseph's records showed that he arrived back in England on the 27th Nov 1918, at Hull. The historian showed Pixie a letter from the King similar to the one which Joseph would have received as a returned POW. She also met an archivist who showed her that Joseph's army medical records said that he had a weak chest but had recovered and was in good condition. His marriage certificate dated 11 Feb 1922 showed that he married Beatrice Hall, his occupation given as Police Constable and his address as Shooters Hill Police Station. Pixie was shown a photo of him in his police uniform.
__________________
KiteRunner

Family History News updated 29th Feb
Findmypast 1871 census update
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-11-21, 23:12
kiterunner's Avatar
kiterunner kiterunner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 25,270
Default

I liked that episode. Not too far back, and I didn't get the feeling that the family knew it all already as in some episodes. I agree about the names in Catholic records all being in Latin, whether it's the Italian Church or any other.
__________________
KiteRunner

Family History News updated 29th Feb
Findmypast 1871 census update
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-11-21, 23:14
kiterunner's Avatar
kiterunner kiterunner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 25,270
Default

Also I think it is the kind of episode which might inspire viewers to look into their own family trees.
__________________
KiteRunner

Family History News updated 29th Feb
Findmypast 1871 census update
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-11-21, 23:16
Olde Crone Olde Crone is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,766
Default

I too warmed to her after she asked a few intelligent questions and her reactions did seem genuine.

OC
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-11-21, 23:21
kiterunner's Avatar
kiterunner kiterunner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 25,270
Default

I thought the singing part should have been a "deleted scene", though.
__________________
KiteRunner

Family History News updated 29th Feb
Findmypast 1871 census update
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-11-21, 10:01
Ann from Sussex's Avatar
Ann from Sussex Ann from Sussex is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,380
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kiterunner View Post
I thought the singing part should have been a "deleted scene", though.
I once saw her acting in some television drama series - can't remember what it was - and all I can say is she's a better actress than she is a singer. Not only did she ask intelligent questions, she drew intelligent conclusions from the various records she was shown. I did wonder though if the rest of us with guards regiments connections (mine are with the Grenadiers and the Coldstreams) would get to try on bits of the uniform and then have a personal performance by the regimental band at Windsor Castle. Somehow I don't think so.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-11-21, 11:11
maggie_4_7
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann from Sussex View Post
I once saw her acting in some television drama series - can't remember what it was - and all I can say is she's a better actress than she is a singer. Not only did she ask intelligent questions, she drew intelligent conclusions from the various records she was shown. I did wonder though if the rest of us with guards regiments connections (mine are with the Grenadiers and the Coldstreams) would get to try on bits of the uniform and then have a personal performance by the regimental band at Windsor Castle. Somehow I don't think so.
Inspector George Gently? Which is where I saw her first.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-11-21, 14:25
Ann from Sussex's Avatar
Ann from Sussex Ann from Sussex is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,380
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by maggie_4_7 View Post
Inspector George Gently? Which is where I saw her first.
I do have a feeling it was a crime drama and I did like the George Gently programmes so yes, it could be.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 18:57.


Hosted by Photon IT

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7 PL3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.