The Family Histories Podcast

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The Family Histories Podcast is a show that celebrates those of us sat in archives, libraries, and spare bedrooms all around the world, tirelessly piecing together our collective social and family history.

Join author and family historian Andrew Martin as he interviews a fellow genealogy addict about how they got hooked; listen to his guest tell the life story of their most fascinatingly good, bad, or plain ugly relative; and then it's time to face 'The Brick Wall' - where it's over to the listeners to see if they can help solve their family history puzzle.

As a parting gift, Andrew offers each guest a surprise that no family history fan could possibly turn down.... a trip in his secret time machine.

Find out more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod
Instagram: @FamilyHistPod
Facebook: TheFamilyHistoriesPodcast

#8 in the Top 100 genealogy All time chart

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Top 10 The Family Histories Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Family Histories Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Family Histories Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Family Histories Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

S03EP08 - The Great (Bonus)

The Family Histories Podcast

07/19/22 • 5 min

In this short Series Three bonus episode, we return right back to the ending of Episode Seven, where guest Sheldon K. Goodman and host Andrew Martin are facing a perilous fate where a bearded stranger has them both held at sword-point.
Who is this stranger, where did he come from, and what does he want?
- - -
Episode Credits
Series Three, Episode Eight (Bonus)

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Sheldon K. Goodman - Guest
Prince Sterling - Charlemagne
Yetunde Abiola - Guest

Show notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com

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S06EP04 - 'The Accused' with Sven Grewel

The Family Histories Podcast

11/28/23 • 46 min

In this fourth episode of Series Six, host Andrew meets family historian Sven Grewel, who has been tracing his German ancestry for many years and has since become a professional genealogist. He explains how he got hooked on researching his family history, and the challenges of researching in Germany - a country that has frequently changed its borders through history.
THE LIFE STORY - JOHANN CARL MAX SABEL
Sven has chosen to tell the life story of his 2x Great Grandfather Johan Carl Max Sabel who worked as a policeman in between the First and Second World Wars. This was a dangerous time, and unfortunately whilst delivering justice as a policeman, he is accused of a crime.
He spends years fighting for his innocence against a backdrop of rising Nazism, which includes time in prison and a psychiatric clinic, as his crime gets bigger and evidence seems lacking. Something doesn't seem right!
THE BRICK WALL - KARLSTADT RECORDS
A puzzle in Karlstadt, Bavaria, Germany is causing Sven a headache, so it's time for us to try to help.
Sven's research has been troubled by the destruction and burning of records that took place during The 30 Years' War that spread across what is mostly now Germany between 1618 and 1648. For many of his family branches, this is war causes his research to hit a dead end.
One place in particular he would like to find records is the town of Karlstadt in Bavaria, but the records are either lost, mislaid, or destroyed. Sven is feeling lucky though, and hopes that a listener might just be able to help find some.
If you think that you can offer Sven some help, then you can reach out to him directly at his website svengrewel.com. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on to him.
In the meantime, Sven jumps at Andrew's offer of help but will he get the information he's hoping for?
- - -
Episode Credits:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Sven Grewel - Guest
John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

S03EP07 - 'The Forgotten' with Sheldon K. Goodman

The Family Histories Podcast

06/14/22 • 45 min

In this seventh and final episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets public historian and tour guide, Sheldon K. Goodman, to find out about how he became obsessed with family history, why he co-founded the Cemetery Club, and how he researches and shares the often hidden lives of LGBTQ+ people.
Life Story: John Traynor
Sheldon has chosen his Great Grandfather's life story to share with us, but it's one that's filled with pain and trauma.
When Sheldon's Grandfather was just 4 years old, in a fit of rage, his father threw him into scalding water, which resulted in burns that were so severe that the 4 year old child received his last rites. He did survive though, badly scarred, but never spoke of what happened, nor about his father. The family subsequently destroyed photographs of John, and removed him from his own headstone.
Sheldon, with help from his Twitter followers, unravelled some of John's earlier life, that has made him reassess his mental state - believing that whilst his act against his son is inexcusable, he may have been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after his time fighting in the First World War.
The Brick Wall: R H Bates 'The Bird Man of Hyde Park'
In what is probably the most quirkiest of all our guest's brick walls so far, Sheldon is trying to find out what happened to local character R H Bates, known affectionately on the streets of London, and the press, as 'the bird man of Hyde Park'.

Who was R H Bates?
What did he do in life before he dedicated his time to feeding the sparrows?
When did he die, and of course, where can Sheldon visit his grave?

If you think you might have a clue for Sheldon, you can aptly tweet him via his twitter profile @CemeteryClub, or you can head over to familyhistoriespodcast.com and use our contact form and we'll send the message on.
In the meantime, as Andrew and Sheldon head to the garage, there's a surprise waiting for them...
- - -
Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode Seven

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Sheldon K. Goodman - Guest
Prince Sterling - The Intruder

Show notes and more: familyhistoriespodcast.com

S05EP06 - 'The Cousin' with John Erickson

The Family Histories Podcast

06/06/23 • 38 min

NOTE: This episode contains discussion on the topics of eugenics, suicide, and abuse. Please consider others when listening aloud.
In this sixth episode of Series Five - The Cousin, host Andrew meets Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and now family history author John Erickson. Andrew will be finding out about how John's 30 years in journalism has helped him with researching his family, how his mother surprised him with news of her younger brother, and how the life of his Grandmother has affected him.
The Life Story - Carolyn Phillips
John has chosen to tell the story of his cousin Carolyn Phillips who, despite a lot of painful memories of her traumatic loss of her father, brother, and sister, was able to help him establish facts and write his book When Mortals Play God.
The Brick Wall - Patricia and Robert Anderson
Anderson is a rather common surname in the USA, and so this brick wall has been hanging around for quite some time. John wasn't able to discover much about his cousins, but he does know that they were the children of Raymond Anderson (b. 1925) who served active military service as a young man in World War Two.
John thinks that both Patricia and Robert would have been born in the 1940s, and in at least the 1980s, they were living in Minnesota, USA... but that's it!
This is a real needle in a haystack, but if you think that you have a research idea or clue that can help John's brick wall to come tumbling down, then you can send him a message via our Contact Form and we'll pass it on to him.
Meanwhile, John is unsure about the safety of Andrew's offer of help... and what IS that noise?
- - -
Episode Credits:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
John Erickson - Guest
John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

Support is available to those who are affected by abuse, and suicide, or if you are feeling suicidal. You can find your local support lines and resources here: https://findahelpline.com/

S06EP05 - 'The Churchwarden' with Jackie Depelle

The Family Histories Podcast

12/05/23 • 44 min

In this fifth episode of Series Six, host Andrew is joined by family history tutor Jackie Depelle. He finds out how she got interested in family history, how she became a full-time family history lecturer, her thoughts on how genealogists and academic researchers are working together, and how the genealogy industry could evolve in future.
THE LIFE STORY - JOHN HAYHURST DAWSON
Jackie has chosen to tell the life story of John Hayhurst Dawson who was born in 1841 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Thankfully, his middle name (which was his mother's maiden surname) allows him to be identified easily, as his father and grandfather were also John Dawson.
John Hayhurst Dawson went on to work in multiple roles within his community, including a Justice Of The Peace (a 'JP'), a businessman, held many layperson roles at his church, and was also the churchwarden. This has enabled Jackie to amass an impressive collection of documents to his name.
THE B̶R̶I̶C̶K̶ ̶W̶A̶L̶L̶ STUMBLING BLOCK - THE DAWSON FAMILY
Refuting the existence of 'brick walls', Jackie has a Dawson family 'stumbling block' that keeps her perplexed - where did the Dawson family come from?
Jackie has been able to identify a brother to the oldest John Dawson (the grandfather of John Hayhurst Dawson), named William Dawson, but beyond this, she's stuck. The earliest deed on the family home is signed on 12th December 1820, but prior to this - she's stuck in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Where did the Dawson family come from before 1820?
Where did John Dawson get the money to build his house?

If you think you can help Jackie with a clue or a research idea, you can contact her via her website www.yourfairladies.co.uk or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.
In the meantime, Andrew's offer of help results in some unexpected practical advice from Jackie.... will he take it all on board?

S01EP06 - 'The Witness' with David Ryan

The Family Histories Podcast

07/06/21 • 41 min

Host Andrew Martin is joined by David Ryan, an Irish family historian who discovered his passion for genealogy after studying for his MA in Medieval History. He'll be telling us how he made this transition, the challenges of researching family history in Ireland, and what it's like to work for Ancestry as one of their team of professional genealogists.
Relatively Speaking:
David has chosen to tell the life story of his Great Great Grandfather John Hyland. He'll explain the hardship that John was born into at the end of the devastating famine in the early 1850s, and the events that have since shaped Ireland in the 20th century - most of which were revealed by a chance discovery of a record in The National Folklore Collection.
The Brick Wall:
Family rumour has always said that David's paternal and maternal 3x Great Grandmothers - Honora and Bridget Williams, were sisters. They are both born in the 1820s, and both married in the 1840s, all in the village of Ballyporeen in County Tipperary, Ireland.
Were they sisters, or is it just a case of coincidence? Can you help David solve this old family story?
David isn't sure whether Andrew's offer of help will come to much, but he's in for a surprise...
- - -
Credits:
Series One, Episode Six.
Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
David Ryan - Guest
Eliot Lees - Foley
Show notes: familyhistoriespodcast.com

S07EP01 - 'The Aunt' with Jackie Kohnstamm

The Family Histories Podcast

05/07/24 • 38 min

In this first episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets Jackie Kohnstamm - a lecturer, author, playwright, and family historian. Jackie tells Andrew how she got hooked on researching family histories after hearing stories with missing bits, and then finding letters. She tells him what motivated her to write her book 'The Memory Keeper: A Journey Into The Holocaust To Find My Family', and...
THE LIFE STORY - CHARLOTTE RYCHWALSKI
Jackie has chosen to tell the life story of her maternal aunt, Charlotte Rychwalski (known as 'Lotte').
It's clear from Jackie's description of Charlotte, that she has some very fond memories of her aunt being the daring, and fascinating relative who would bring excitement into the family home after the Second World War, but through the memories Charlotte shared, and a cache of letters, Jackie has been able to discover more about her life.
THE BRICK WALL - JUTTA TOWNSEND
Jackie is looking for one of her maternal cousins - Jutta - the surviving descendant of a family that was sadly murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Jutta Rychwalski escaped from Germany on one of the Kindertransport trains.
Jackie knows that Jutta was married at least once, perhaps twice, but her last husband was named Frederick Townsend, and they lived in the Wakefield area of Yorkshire. Jutta is known to have died in the Wakefield area in 2012 aged 87 years, having been predeceased by Frederick in 1982. The couple had a son named Steven in 1955, but he died in 1973.
Jackie would like your help to discover more about her cousin's life.
If you think you can help Jackie with a clue or research idea, then you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass the message straight on to her.
In the meantime, Jackie is fascinated by Andrew's offer of help, but can he get her to the church on time?
- - -
Episode Credits:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Jackie Kohnstamm - Guest

S03EP01 - 'The Benefactor' with Denise Geelhart

The Family Histories Podcast

05/03/22 • 50 min

In this first episode of Series Three, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist and fellow podcaster Denise Geelhart. He'll find out how she got hooked on family history, how she researches her American and German roots, and balances that with researching the family history of the perpetrators and victims of true crime for her Murderous Roots podcast.
Life Story: Joseph Haberstroh
Denise has chosen her German 3x Gt Grandfather, Joseph Haberstroh, who was born near Frieberg im Breisgau, in Baden, Germany in 1843. However, along with his parents and siblings, he left Germany during the 1848 Revolution, travelled to France, and then emigrated to the USA, where they arrived after many months (including a birth of another sibling) in 1850.
Joining his uncles, Joseph and his family were able to start life a-fresh in their new adoptive homeland. After a few years serving in the American Civil War, Joseph married and raised his own family. The family's success enabled Joseph to make a donation to the Lutheran church in which he married his wife Elizabeth, and the bell still rings out to the residents of St. Louis today.
Joseph's ability to start from scratch and build up wealth and property, earned him a legacy that still bears his name today, and it's something that Denise and her family are immensely proud of.... particularly an unusual family recipe for a 'German Christmas Cake'.
The Brick Wall: Nancy Romines
One of Denise's 2x Great Grandmothers - Nancy Romines - is her research brick wall.
Nancy was born in Tennessee, USA on 11th August 1851, possibly in Putnam County. Whilst Denise knows mostly about what became of her, she has no clear evidence of her origins.
Information that Denise has previously received, stated that a Thomas Romines and Phoebe were her parents, but she has since discovered this cannot be correct, because according to a probate record, Thomas Romines died in 1835 - 16 years before Nancy's birth.

Was Nancy her real name?
Was Nancy a child of Isaac or George Romines?
What's the link between Nancy and Thomas senior, which the DNA seems to show?

If you think that you can help Denise with a clue or research idea, then you can contact at on Twitter at @Jayhawkmommy, via the email address Denise gives in the episode, or alternatively over at the MurderousRoots.com website. You can also just head over to our show contact form, and we'll pass your message on to her.
In the meantime, Denise is curious of Andrew's offer of help to solve her brick wall, but she's concerned about its safety...
- - -
Episode Credits:
Series Three, Episode One:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Denise Geelhart - Guest

Show notes and more at familyhistoriespodcast.com

S05EP03 - 'The Missionary' with Kim Brengle

The Family Histories Podcast

05/16/23 • 48 min

In this third episode of Series Five - The Missionary - host Andrew meets family historian Kim Brengle and hears how she got hooked on tracing her family history, and how she manages to trace her nomadic relatives.
The Life Story - Daniel and Emily Oliver
Kim has chosen to share the life story of her Great Grandparents Daniel and Emily Oliver, and this is one that sees Daniel leave his agricultural labouring life in Caithness, Scotland, and Emily leaving her Quaker family in Yorkshire, to both independently end up living and working in the mountains near Beirut in Lebanon.
Here, they married, raised a family, and set up a school and an orphanage, the legacy of which still lives on today in the memories their community.
The Brick Wall - Juliaetta Harrington
Kim's 2x Great Grandmother Juliaetta Harrington/Herrington (later Stephenson) is causing her a headache. Born in 1841 in Michigan, USA, Kim knows about Juliaetta's life - which lasted just 38yrs until her death in 1879. The puzzle here is the identity of Juliaetta's parents.
Despite lots of close-ish DNA matches, Kim has not been able to piece together the evidence to identify how these matches and her known ancestry are connected.
Can you help Kim identify Juliaetta's parents?
If you think you can help Kim with a clue or research idea, then you can make contact with her via her website at generationsofnomads.com or alternatively, you can head over to our website to read this episode's show notes and send her a message - we'll pass it straight on.
In the meantime, Kim is curious of Andrew and Sándor's offer of help, but what could possibly go wrong?
---
Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode Three

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Kim Brengle - Guest
John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

S05EP01 - 'The Carpenter' with Jenni Phillips

The Family Histories Podcast

05/02/23 • 52 min

In this first episode of Series Five of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Jenni Phillips, and finds out how she got hooked on family history, why she can't get enough of studying genealogy, her love of family and local history societies, and the lengths she goes to to research house history.
The Life Story - John Spring
Jenni has chosen to tell the life story of her 7x Gt Grandfather John Spring of West Cholderton in Wiltshire, England.
John was a carpenter, baptised in West Cholderton in 1730 to a carpenter and parish clerk Thomas Spring and his wife Mary. John would go on to inherit his father's carpentry business, and he also inherited a number of thatched cottages... with an unexpected tenant - a British Army veteran of the American War of Independence - Sir William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe!
How did this Viscount end up in a Wiltshire carpenter's cottage? Jenni had to find out.
The Brick Wall - David Davies
It's a birth and parental puzzle that's been bugging Jenni for a while now, so she's asking for your help to demolish her brick wall.
David Davies is Jenni's 4x Great Grandfather, and she has traced him to New Street, Swansea, Wales during the mid 19th century's censuses. However, his place of birth is not consistent - sometimes Swansea, sometimes Carmarthenshire. Records point to him having been born between 1797 and 1801, but Jenni has found a lot of David Davies candidates in both Swansea and Carmarthenshire as it's quite a common name.
Can you help her find out;

Who David Davies' parents were?
When and where was he born?
Is there a baptism entry for him?

If you think you can help Jenni with a research idea or a clue, then you can contact her via Twitter at @JenniPh, or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it on.
In the meantime, Jenni can't believe her luck when Andrew offers his help, but was it a wise choice?
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Episode Credits
Series Five, Episode One:

Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
Jenni Phillips - Guest
John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Family Histories Podcast have?

The Family Histories Podcast currently has 64 episodes available.

What topics does The Family Histories Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Family History, Leisure, Hobbies, Genealogy, History, Ancestry, Podcasts and Dna.

What is the most popular episode on The Family Histories Podcast?

The episode title 'S03EP08 - The Great (Bonus)' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Family Histories Podcast?

The average episode length on The Family Histories Podcast is 39 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Family Histories Podcast released?

Episodes of The Family Histories Podcast are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The Family Histories Podcast?

The first episode of The Family Histories Podcast was released on Mar 29, 2021.

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The Family Histories Podcast