Who Do You Think You Are - Paul Hollywood 13th Aug

[kiterunner]

On BBC1 at 9 p.m. and it will be repeated on Tuesday the 18th on BBC1 at 11:35 pm.

[kiterunner]

Episode synopsis:

Paul Hollywood lives in Kent with his wife Alex and their son. Paul's parents divorced when he was 10. He was very close to his maternal grandparents, Amy and Norman Harman. Norman played the piano in church and ran open services on the beach at Wallasey, where Paul grew up. Norman served in North Africa and Italy (Anzio) in WW2.

Paul went to visit his mum, Jill and his brother Lee in Wallasey. His other brother Jason had Norman's war medals, which showed that Sergeant Norman Harman served in the 90th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment) in Britain, Tunisia and Italy, including the Anzio landings.
Norman had a facial tic after the war, which the family believe was caused by his wartime experiences.

Paul's mother showed him Norman's service record, which showed his trade on enlistment as "grocer's assistant". His marriage date was shown as 1st Jun 1940. He left for Africa on the 28th Feb 1943 and returned to Britain on the 21st Dec 1945, with Paul's mother having been born while he was away. He went back to Anzio for the 50th anniversary.

Paul's mother gave him the letters and telegrams which Norman sent his wife during the war.

Paul went to Tunisia and met an historian at Medjez Al Bab, who told him about the actions that Norman took part in there, ending with the taking of Tunis from the Germans.

Paul then went to Italy, to see where Norman took part in the Anzio landings, trench warfare, and finally the liberation of Rome.

Paul then returned to England to look at the family tree that his uncle Les, his mother's brother, had done of the Mackenzie family. Margaret Mackenzie was Norman's mother, and her parents were Alexander Mackenzie who played piano in Liverpool and drank heavily, and Rebecca Elliott. Paul found the family in Liverpool on a census, which showed that Alexander was a wood turner, born in Glasgow.

Paul went to Glasgow and met an historian who showed him Alexander's birth certificate. Alexander's father was Kenneth McKenzie. Kenneth's marriage certificate showed that he was a police officer in Glasgow. Glasgow's police force was the first in Britain.

Kenneth's police records showed that he was a farm servant born in Ross-shire, age 29 and height 5'10" when he joined the police. His beat was the dock area. He was dismissed from the police in 1852 after various misdemeanours such as drinking while on duty, assaulting a prisoner, etc. He moved down to Liverpool but later returned to Glasgow, applying for poor relief on the 7th Apr 1893 and dying two days later in Govan Poorhouse. The application showed that his father was Donald McKenzie, a crofter at Poolewe, parish of Gairloch, Ross-shire.

Paul went to Poolewe to meet a local historian and to see where Donald's croft used to be. It has modern buildings on it now. The estate's rental records showed that as well as being a crofter, Donald was a "post runner" - he ran from Poolewe to Dingwall and back with the post every week, a round trip of 120 miles. There was mention of him in a book but his name was wrongly given as Duncan. He was listed on the 1841 census in his 80's.

[kiterunner]

This is Alexander and Rebecca's family in 1891:
1891 census on ancestry
11 Roderick Rd, Walton on the Hill, Lancashire
Alexander McKenzie Head M 34 Wood Turner Glasgow, Scotland
Rebecca Do Wife M 34 Armagh City, Ireland
Mary Elizabeth Do Daur 11 Scholar Bootle, Lancashire
Lilian Isabella Do Daur 6 Scholar Do Do
Gertrude Matilda Do Daur 4 Do Do
Edith Kate Do Daur 2 Do Do
Emily Rebecca Do Daur 11 mo Walton Do

[Guinevere]

I wasn't enthralled.

[Olde Crone]

I'm afraid I found the first half of this episode a bit tedious. I am sure his grandfather's wartime experiences were very moving but they were hardly unique and it felt like a school history lesson, not a family history story.

The second bit was much more interesting, not least because I have MacKenzies in my tree from the same area! The Post Runner was almost incredible - can you imagine anyone these days being able, let alone willing, to do such a job day in day out. I was interested to learn that Donald had died at a great age as my McKenzies all lived to a great old age too.

OC

[kiterunner]

Here are Alexander and Rebecca in 1881:
1881 census on ancestry
33 Berry St, Bootle, Lancashire
Matilda Squires Head Mar 39 Dressmaker Ireland
James Do Son Unm 16 Joiners apprentice Do
Matilda Do Daur 11 Scholar Bootle Liverpool
George Do Son 8 Do Do Do
Emily Do Daur 5 Do Do Do
Rebecca McKenzie Sister Mar 25 Dressmaker Ireland
Mary E Do Niece 1 Bootle Lpool
Alexander Do Brother in Law Mar 24 Wood Turner Scotland

[kiterunner]

And the 1911 census with Harmans and McKenzies on it:
1911 census on ancestry

22 Poole Rd, Egremont, Cheshire
James J S Harman Head 31 Married Upholsterer Lancs L'pool
Margaret C Harman Wife 29 Married 7 yrs 2 children, 2 living, Lancs Bootle
Emily F Harman Daughter 6 School Cheshire Liscard
James A Harman Son 3 Cheshire Liscard
Rebecca McKenzie Mother-in-law 55 Married 32 years, 8 children, 7 living, 1 died Armagh, Ireland
Gertrude McKenzie Sister in law 24 Single Cork Sorter Lancs Bootle
Emily McKenzie Do 20 Single Packer Lancs Walton
Alexander McKenzie Brother in Law 18 Single Mechanic Lancs Walton

I have found a transcription of Alexander and Rebecca's marriage, 25 Dec 1878 at Walton on the Hill, Lancashire, fathers' names given as John McKenzie and James Elliott. Haven't managed to find an image yet to check this, but Alexander's father is down as John on the 1871 census:
1871 census on ancestry
8 Rooney St, Kirkdale, Liverpool
John McKenzie Head Mar 45 Railway Porter Rossshire Scotland
Mary Do Wife Mar 36 Greenock
Donald Do Son Unm 16 Joiners Apprentice Glasgow
Alexander McKenzie Son Unm 14 Shop Boy Glasgow Scot
Christena Do Daur 9 Scholar Liverpool
Mary S Do Daur 6 Do Do
David Do Son 4 Do Do
John Harker Lodger Unm 34 Dock Labourer Rothshire Scotd

But I'm sure "John" is really Kenneth!

Edit - yes, here is David's baptism and father's name is Kenneth:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/21...l=ReturnRecord

[Margaret in Burton]

We enjoyed watching it. Father in law was in North Africa and Italy in WW2. We found it very interesting.

[Lynn the Forest Fan]

Not so interested in the first part but the Scottish bit was interesting, particularly the post runner part.

[Sue from Southend]

Originally Posted by Margaret in Burton

We enjoyed watching it. Father in law was in North Africa and Italy in WW2. We found it very interesting.

My father was also in N Africa and Italy - the programme makers are probably very aware that there are huge numbers of us whose father/grandfathers went through the same thing which is why they've included it. But personal interest aside I also thought it was more like a history lesson than a programme about genealogy, the last series was heading that way and I gave up on it, I'll give this one a few weeks to redeem itself....

As an aside I'm sure my Dad would have been telling them that they'd got it all wrong!