Who Do You Think You Are - Paul Merton 28th Aug

[kiterunner]

On BBC1 at 9 p.m. and repeated on Thursday at 11:35 p.m.

Seems that Wednesday is the new night for this programme now.

[kiterunner]

Paul Merton was born as Paul Martin in Fulham, London, the elder of two children of Albert Martin and Mary Ann Power. He now lives in London with his wife Suki. Paul had photos of his maternal grandfather James Power, who was supposed to have died at sea, and of his paternal grandmother Elizabeth Martin nee Lawford, who died four years before he was born.

Paul went to visit his sister Angela, who has more of the old family photos. She said that their paternal grandmother was told by a priest that her husband had died at sea, and that this sent her into premature labour, resulting in her death in childbirth and the death of the baby at 3 days of age. Mary Ann and her sister Nellie spent time in children's homes and foster care. Angela showed Paul the death certificates of Julia Power age 27, on the 13th June 1927 and James Power jr on the 10th June 1927 age 3 days. She also had the birth certificate of James Power sr, born on the 20th May 1889 at Crooke, County Waterford, Ireland.

Paul went to the village of Passage East, Co Waterford, where James lived. He met an historian who showed him the entry for James Power on the 1901 census, age 12, Roman Catholic, scholar, the son of Edmund Power, a widower, agricultural labourer, age 40 with several other children and a "servant" who was a relative. On the 1911 census James was a farm labourer, age 20. A court document showed that in August 1911 James was found guilty of "riotous behaviour" and was sentenced to a fine of 10 shillings or a week in prison. He paid the fine. Paul then went to Richmond Barracks, Dublin, where he met an historian who showed him James's attestation form for the Royal Irish Regiment, in which he served during WW1. The service record included a charge sheet listing several offences such as "absent without a pass" etc. When the Easter Rising took place in 1916, James was among the troops sent in to kill or capture the rebels. After that, he was sent to Salonica in September 1916, and then to Alexandria and the Battle of Jerusalem in 1917. His medal index card showed that he received the Victory medal and the British War medal, but returned them. Paul then went to the military archives in Dublin and was shown James's name on a list of IRA members of the 1920's from Passage East, and suggested that maybe his membership of the "Old IRA" was the reason why he returned his WW1 medals.

Paul then went back to Crooke RC Church and met a genealogist who showed him the marriage record of James Power, age 34, a labourer, son of Edward Power, to Julia Kennedy, age 23, a domestic servant, the daughter of John Kennedy. The marriage took place at Crooke RC Church, and Paul's mother was baptised at the same church in 1926. Paul was also shown information about James's career in the Merchant Navy, with records showing that he was a fireman and trimmer on the steamship "Sheaf Lance" from Barry, Glamorgan, in Wales.

Paul went to Cardiff and met an historian who showed him the Sheaf Lance's crew list for a voyage from Barry starting on the 15th Dec 1926. James Power age 36 was listed. The ship arrived at Rio Grande in Brazil on the 10th Jan 1927 and then at Rosario, Argentina, on the 2nd Feb 1927, and arrived back in Penarth on the 5th Apr 1927. James was shown as disembarking then. An archivist at Glamorgan Archives had James's death certificate, which said that he died on the 19th Apr 1927 in the Glamorganshire Canal, and that he had a diseased heart, so he probably died before his body fell into the canal. The inquest record said that his body was found floating in the canal and was identified as James Power, address unknown. A newspaper report added that the body had been in the canal for several days, and that he was identified by a shopkeeper who recognised his ginger moustache. James was buried in Cardiff. Paul got the grave references from the burial register and visited the grave, which had no headstone. He said he would consider having one erected.

Paul then went to Southwark in London and met a genealogist who had been working on the family tree of his paternal grandparents, Albert Martin sr and Elizabeth Lawford. Elizabeth was born in Bermondsey in 1903, one of 12 children. Her father, Albert Lawford, was a carman. On the 1911 census he is a horsekeeper. Paul's 3xg-grandfather William Simmonds died in 1886 age 65, and his occupation was given as musician. His son William Simmonds jr, Paul's 2xg-grandfather, married Paul's 2xg-grandmother Caroline Plunkett in 1870, and his occupation was also musician. Workhouse admission records showed that Caroline had a baby boy in 1870 before the wedding, named William, who probably died before the birth of another William in 1871. Caroline was described as a vocalist.

Paul met a music historian who had been unable to find information on William, but had found details of an Old Bailey case in which Caroline, age 14, and one Edward Slade were accused of assault and robbery. Edward was supposed to have attacked a couple with his banjo. They were found not guilty of robbery, but guilty of assault, and Caroline was sentenced to 6 months in the House of Correction at Wandsworth. Her "degree of instruction" on the record was given as "N", i.e. illiterate. Paul went to Wandsworth Prison Museum and was told that Caroline would have been held under the "separate and silent" system, and that she was released in October 1868.

[kiterunner]

I think they have covered that "separate and silent" system in more detail in a previous episode, haven't they?

[Ann from Sussex]

It certainly rang a bell with me although I wasn't sure where from. The restored chapel at the old Lincoln prison in the castle has the same system of boxed-in pews meaning no prisoner could see another, only the preacher but I don't recall hearing that they had their faces covered all the time. How barbaric.

Paul Merton's family history didn't contain any startling revelations but I did like the way he conducted himself throughout with no histrionics....although I did have a smile at the way he read out the report of the attack by banjo! You could tell though that he was very moved by the real story of his grandfather's death in spite of no outward show of emotion.

I watched it, the program doesn't have the same fascination for me these days. I don't know if it is me or the format of the program.

I liked Paul Merton though, he came across very well. You could see that some of the information moved him but no histrionics even with the "separate and silent" system that a 14 year old went through.

I could see his dilemma, he was torn between wishing his mother was alive so he could tell her about James but then thinking probably best she didn't know.

[kiterunner]

William Simmonds is a general labourer by 1901.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interacti...67317287/facts

What is Caroline's father's occupation on her marriage certificate? Does it say "Aurist"?
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interacti...67317287/facts

[kiterunner]

Aurist = "specialist in diseases of the ear".

[Ann from Sussex]

Yes, certainly looks like aurist to me. I wonder if he was one of those quack "doctors" who stood on street corners and offered to cure you for a consideration, his speciality being ears - eek! Given Caroline's story he can't have been a Harley Street sort of doctor can he? At least he could write his name as a witness and it doesn't look too bad as it often did if someone wasn't often required to hold a pen.

[Ann from Sussex]

I was waiting for them to say that Plunkett is an Irish name, so possibly giving Paul Irish ancestry from both his parents. Sure enough, this tree

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tr...76698729/facts

has John born in Ireland.

Originally Posted by Ann from Sussex

I was waiting for them to say that Plunkett is an Irish name, so possibly giving Paul Irish ancestry from both his parents. Sure enough, this tree

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tr...76698729/facts

has John born in Ireland.

Yes I did a little trawl this morning and saw that, so mostly Irish.

I sort of wish they would be more concise rather than jumping about on the ancestors.