Who Do You Think You Are - Jodie Whittaker 12th Oct - Genealogists' Forum

kiterunner · #1 11-10-20, 18:33

On BBC1 9 p.m. (Monday) though I suppose it's possible the start time might be delayed if there is a government announcement earlier.
Repeated next Sunday on BBC2 at 5 p.m.

#2 12-10-20, 13:59

Just looked at the listing for Jodie Whittaker and the summary says 'Contains some scenes which viewers may find upsetting'!

Doesn't contain that message on David Walliams summary.

kiterunner · #3 12-10-20, 22:20

Episode summary:
Jodie Whittaker grew up in West Yorkshire, and her parents Adrian Whittaker and Yvonne nee Auckland still live there. Her Dad grew up living above the Junction Pub which was run by his parents, Harold Whittaker and Greta Verdun nee Bedford, who moved there in 1951. Adrian had several old photos of the pub, including some of his parents. He said that Greta came from Finchley in London, and met Harold in the early 1940's, and that she was the youngest of about 8 or 9 children. Supposedly one of her brothers died at the Battle of Verdun on the day of her birth, and so she was given the middle name Verdun.

When Greta died, among her papers was a list of her family members, including her parents George Henry Bedford and Eliza Frances nee Clements and a brother Walter who died in the First World War.

Jodie looked at the 1911 census, which showed that the family lived in East Finchley. George was a gravedigger at St Marylebone, and Eliza's birthplace was Eastville in Lincolnshire. The eldest children with them were Eliza jr, age 14, also born at Eastville and George jr age 10. Walter was not listed with the family.

Jodie went to Eastville and met a local historian at the village chapel. She was shown the 1881 census where Eliza was aged 5, with her mother Sophia and several other children. On the 1891 census Eliza was aged 16, living in Fulham, London, working as a servant to a family. Jodie was shown the 1893 birth certificate of John Walter Clements ("Walter"), born in Lincolnshire. Mother's name was Eliza Frances Clements, but there was no father's name. On the 1901 census, Walter was John W Clements, age 7, grandson to Sophia Clements in Eastville, while his mother was in Finchley with her husband and children.

An article from the Boston Guardian dated 24 Oct 1914 said that Walter Clements, a member of the local branch of the Red Cross, had left for duty at Netley Hospital, a military hospital in Hampshire. Jodie went to Netley and met a writer who showed her the chapel, which was the only remaining part of the hospital. He showed her a picture of what the hospital looked like. It was very big and had a new extension built behind it during WW1. Walter worked there as an orderly until he enlisted voluntarily at the end of 1915 and was sent to France.

Jodie went to the archives of the King's Royal Hussars in Worcestershire, where she heard that Walter had served as a soldier on horseback with the 10th Hussars. Greta's birth certificate showed that she was born on the 20th Mar 1916, and the Battle of Verdun was going on then, but it was fought between French and German soldiers and the King's Royal Hussars weren't there. However, it was fashionable at the time to give the name of a battle as a middle name. Jodie was shown two books about the 10th Hussars, one of which listed Pte Clements among the wounded in 1917.

Jodie went to the disused Cambridge Military Hospital and met a medical historian, who showed her records stating that Walter had been wounded in his thigh and recovered and returned to the 10th Hussars. A clipping from the Boston Guardian of 20 Apr 1918 showed that Lance Corporal J W Clements was seriously wounded in his side and was in hospital in Manchester. The death certificate showed that he died in Salford on the 27th Apr 1918 from a shell wound. His age was given as 25 although he was really 24. Jodie looked on the CWGC website and found out that he was buried at East Finchley Cemetery. The record said "son of Mrs E F Bedford". Jodie went to East Finchley Cemetery to visit his grave.

Jodie then turned to her mother's side of the family, and went back to Yorkshire to ask her mother about a photo which showed her (Jodie's) great-grandfather Edwin Auckland and his brothers surrounded by police during the strike of 1921. Jodie's mother confirmed that the Aucklands owned the New Inn Colliery at Clayton West and kept it open during the strike. Edwin was the youngest of 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. His son Lewis Auckland was Yvonne's father but he didn't tell her much about the strike. However, Yvonne said that local people still remembered it in the 1960's. Most of the Auckland family were well-off, but Lewis went bankrupt in his 20's.

Edwin's marriage certificate showed that he married Doris Martin, the daughter of Alfred Martin. Edwin's father was Edwin Auckland sr, a "gentleman". Jodie went to the National Coal Mining Museum and was shown the 1901 census entry for the Auckland family. Edwin sr, age 47, was listed as a "coal miner, hewer". Edwin jr was only 3 years old, but some of the older children worked in the mines. A newspaper article about the death of Mr Edwin Auckland on 3 Jan 1938 said that he had started working in the pit aged 8, and had continued working in mining until he was over 60. It said that he came to Shelley Woodhouse as a contractor at the colliery, which meant that he would have been in charge of hiring miners and paying their wages.

Jodie met her second cousin once removed, Roger Auckland, the grandson of one of Edwin jr's brothers, and he showed her the site of the Auckland brothers' first mine. They had worked that mine themselves, and employed other miners, and made enough money to buy some land and open New Inn Colliery.

Jodie then went to the NUM office in Barnsley to meet a professor who told her about the strike of 1921, during which only a few small mines stayed open, including the New Inn Colliery. Then in the General Strike of 1926, most mines were closed for several months, but a newspaper report from 3 Jun 1926 said that the Beamshaw Colliery, owned by the Auckland Bros, had reopened with dozens of men working under police protection, and their coal was selling for a much higher price than before the strike. Edwin jr's probate record showed that he died in 1942 leaving a gross estate worth £31,367 - a very large amount of money at that time.

kiterunner · #4 12-10-20, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by maggie_4_7

Just looked at the listing for Jodie Whittaker and the summary says 'Contains some scenes which viewers may find upsetting'!

I can't think what that would be - child labour, maybe? I remember learning about that at school when I was about 10.

Or have I blocked something out?

I don't remember any other celebrity being so happy to see a death certificate! Usually it makes them cry!

And I was surprised to hear how the name "Greta" was pronounced.

kiterunner · #5 12-10-20, 22:27

Oh, I forgot to say - Jodie had a theory that the eldest son was generally named after the father, and so she suspected that Walter wasn't George's son because a younger brother was named George, but then on the other side of her tree, Edwin jr was the youngest of 6 brothers! Disproved that theory then.

kiterunner · #6 12-10-20, 22:33

Here is Walter's entry in the Army Register of Soldiers' Effects, showing that his mother received his outstanding pay etc:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...rce&pId=136344

And this is his medal index card:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...ce&pId=1671788

kiterunner · #7 12-10-20, 22:44

I was surprised to hear that Privates actually fought on horseback.

Lynn the Forest Fan · #8 13-10-20, 06:05

I thought it a bit strange that she automatically assumed that Walter's father was his mother's married employer. But generally I found it really interesting.

Ann from Sussex · #9 13-10-20, 07:00

Oh dear, I found it really boring I'm afraid, fell asleep somewhere during the mining bit and woke up to find we were 10 minutes into the news! I did like Jodie and her parents though, real down-to -earth Yorkshire folk! Was it my imagination or did her accent get more and more Yorkshire as the programme went on?

I could only think that the "distressing" stuff was the account Jodie read out of the injuries suffered during the battle.

Olde Crone · #10 13-10-20, 07:22

What an annoying woman!

I agree with Kate, never seen anyone so pleased to see a death certificate.

The usual assumptions - must have been her employer who did her wrong. Must have abandoned the child to her parents because he was with them on one night in ten years.

I didn't enjoy this one very much!

OC