Who Do You Think You Are - Frank Gardner 24th Sep

[kiterunner]

On BBC1 at 9 p.m. and repeated next Tuesday at 11:55 p.m.

[ElizabethHerts]

Fascinating, and what a lovely man. The story of his great-grandparents was so sad. Grace must have been suffering from severe depression, and it made me shudder thinking of her being force-fed.

I wish I could get all those experts together to help me with my research!

[Margaret in Burton]

I agree Elizabeth

[kiterunner]

Episode synopsis:

Frank Gardner, BBC News' security correspondent (seen reporting from Mecca right at the start of the news bulletin which followed this programme), lives with his wife and two daughters. His father, Neil Gardner, died in 2010, and his mother, Grace Rolleston, died very recently. Grace always said that her ancestors came over with the Normans. Frank visited his parents' old house in Hampshire, and his cousin Theresa joined him there and showed him some old photos of their grandparents John Davy Rolleston and Mary Edith Waring. She thought that John had an unhappy childhood as he never talked about his parents. An obituary of John showed that he was born in 1873 at Oxford, the son of George Rolleston MD, Linacre Professor of Anatomy, Physiology and Zoology. Theresa also had photos of George and his wife Grace Davy.

Frank went to Oxford University Museum of Natural History, where George taught. There was a bust of George there. Frank was shown a letter from Charles Darwin to George. He looked at the Rolleston family on the 1871 census, where George and Grace had several children listed; then on the 1881 census Grace was listed as the head of household with her occupation shown as "Wife of professor of anatomy". This was crossed out and the historian explained that this was because "wife of..." was not counted in any of the occupation categories on the census.

Frank met a genealogist who showed him a letter from Grace to her sister-in-law in Mar 1881, saying that George had been sent to Italy for his health. A letter from George to Grace dated 26 May 1881 said that he had only just heard that she was also ill, and that he was heading home, but a letter from him to his sister four days later said he couldn't travel because he was having treatment for heart problems. A letter from George's sister to their brother said that George had arrived home but had heart disease, and that Grace was very ill and didn't know about George. George's death certificate showed that he died age 51 having suffered from kidney disease for a year.

Frank went to the Oxfordshire Health Archives, where he saw a record showing that Grace was admitted to the Warneford Hospital on the 18th Jun 1884. Her case notes stated that she was healthy but had had previous attacks of insanity, the first three years previously on her husband's death, and then each year on the anniversary.

Frank visited the Warneford Hospital and found out about what life was like in an asylum. The records didn't show that Grace was readmitted there, but there was a record of her being admitted to Chiswick Asylum in 1885. The records said that she was refusing to eat, and was delusional, and that she was visited there by her son, a boy at school (i.e. John). She was transferred to private care in Sevenoaks where she stayed until her death in 1914 at the age of 83.

Frank went to the cemetery in Oxford to visit George Rolleston's grave, and found that Grace was also buried there.

Frank then received a letter from Theresa with a photo of a portrait of their 4xg-grandmother Dorothy Burdett who married Rev John Rolleston in 1736 at Foremark, Derbyshire. Frank went to Foremark Hall, which is now a school, and talked to the headmaster who has done a lot of work on the history of the hall. He told Frank that Dorothy was born in the house which stood there before the hall was built. Usihng records in the school's archive, he had traced the Burdett line back as far as Sir Michael Stanhope, Frank's 10xg-grandfather who lived at the time of Henry VIII.

Frank went to Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire to meet an historian who told him more about Michael Stanhope's career. A letter from The Earl of Shrewsbury to Henry VIII showed that Stanhope was on the side of the monarchy. A document from 1545 showed that he had been sent to Hull to help defend the town against the French, and was knighted as a result. In 1547, Henry died and his young son Edward VI took the throne, with his uncle Edward Seymour, who became Duke of Somerset, as "Lord Protector". Edward Seymour's wife was Anne, Michael's half-sister.


Frank went to London to meet another historian who was an expert on Sir Michael Stanhope. He heard that Stanhope was appointed "Groom of the Stool", i.e. very close confidant of the young king. But when the Earl of Warwick became the head of the army and then took over from Somerset, Stanhope lost his job.

Frank went to the National Archives and saw a transcript of the king's diary which said that Stanhope was sent to the Tower. Records show that a secret trial was held where Stanhope and others were accused of plotting against the council, which was treated as treason. Stanhope pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. He was sent to the Tower of London with the other supposed conspirators.

Frank went to the Tower and met an historian who showed him a warrant to the Exchequer from the council, ordering money to be sent to the conspirators to pay for their food and heating etc in the Tower. But the death sentence was not overturned, although Stanhope was beheaded rather than hanged. An account of his execution showed that he still maintained his innocence.

Frank then went to the College of Arms where he was shown a pedigree of the Stanhope family which went back as far as Edward I. Frank calculated that there were 24 generations between him and Edward I. He was then shown Edward I's family tree, going back as far as William the Conqueror.

[Olde Crone]

I really enjoyed this, with some reservations about the content.

A lot of jumping to conclusions and a lot of simplification. 30 generations of direct descent from William the Conqueror makes him just one of about 200 million ancestors which Frank Gardner had 30 generations ago. And that of course depends on whether the tree is accurate or not! However, I'm just jealous...what wouldn't I give to be locked in over a weekend at the College of Heralds.

Unanswered questions as usual...who brought his grandfather up then? I think his mother probably had schizophrenia, not depression, depression doesn't normally make you delusional. Also - where did the copies of the letters between his great grandparents come from?

OC

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Olde Crone

Also - where did the copies of the letters between his great grandparents come from?

I expect George Rollestone's papers were donated to the university, OC.

I really enjoyed this episode too, though I felt someone needed to check those pedigrees! They seemed to fit much more in than a lot of the recent episodes have done; it was more like they used to be.

I did find it a bit weird going directly on to Frank Gardner reporting from Mecca at the start of the Ten O'Clock News.

[Olde Crone]

Yes, I did a double take when I saw him on the News!

Thanks, yes, of course that's where the letters ended up.

I have an ancestor who refused a knighthood from Henry V111 and this puzzled me for years until I was talking to a researcher in the County Records Office and he explained that it wasn't always the honour we all assume it was. It meant very high expenditure being in the service of the King and it was really just another avenue of revenue for the monarch. Of course, a refusal required a financial payment too, but was probably cheaper (and safer!) in the long run.

OC

[Shona]

Did anyone notice that Grace Davy was the niece of Penzance-born scientist, baronet and inventor of the miners' safety lamp, Sir Humphrey Davy? Grace's father was Humphrey's brother, John.

Grace Davy was with her parents, John and Margaret, in the 1861 census. She was born in Malta. There was a visitor - George Rollston.

As to the episode, enjoyable on the whole, but marred by a few too many leaps of faith.

[Lynn the Forest Fan]

I assume that they have checked the tree more thoroughly just didn't have time to go into more detail. It was a very interesting episode

[Ann from Sussex]

Originally Posted by Shona

Did anyone notice that Grace Davy was the niece of Penzance-born scientist, baronet and inventor of the miners' safety lamp, Sir Humphrey Davy? Grace's father was Humphrey's brother, John.

Grace Davy was with her parents, John and Margaret, in the 1861 census. She was born in Malta. There was a visitor - George Rollston.

As to the episode, enjoyable on the whole, but marred by a few too many leaps of faith.

Yes, I noticed that and was surprised it wasn't even mentioned. I would be very excited to discover I was related to Humphrey Davy. I suppose it palls into insignificance beside William the Conquerer though!

I was very moved by the story of George and Grace as it was something I could relate to. After my husband died I had a breakdown. Thanks to lots of support from family, friends and a very sympathetic doctor, I managed to get back on an even keel but can well understand how, in those days, poor Grace couldn't. What a sad story.

By the way, at the beginning when Frank and his cousin were looking at a photo of Grace did he REALLY say she appeared to be "knitting a chicken"? That's what it sounded like to me!