Our third episode of Series Six sees host Andrew Martin meet professional genealogist Clare Kirk, and he'll be finding out how she got hooked on researching her family history, why she does it for other people, what she does for Friends of Friendless Churches, and her hopes for an unusual 18th Century record in Buckinghamshire that reveals who the local cake man, rat man, and pig poker were!
THE LIFE STORY - HARRIET READ
Clare has chosen her husband's relative Harriet Read - a 'cousin' of his grandfather.
Family stories involving Harriet involved a nurse, the King, a silent movie star, a dancer, a private detective, a Baron, Joseph Merrick (known as 'the elephant man'), and a Royal pay-off to America.
However, when these stories began to collide and conflict, it was time for Clare to delve into them to determine fact from rumour and to help her husband's family to learn exactly who Harriet was.
THE BRICK WALL - THOMAS BOWEN MAULTBY
It's a brick wall in West Ealing, London that has Clare stuck - her Great Grandmother's brother was Thomas Bowen Maultby, and whilst she knows that he was born in Newport Pagnell in 1867.
Clare has been able to follow him through the census returns until 1881 when he appears as a ten year old. He then appears twice more - once, in 1915 named as a beneficiary in the Will of an aunt, and secondly as the person who seems to have lived in West Ealing, London when he purchased a plot at Hanwell Cemetery in London, where his mother was buried.
If you think you have a clue or a research idea, then you can contact Clare at her website digupyourancestors.com or via her Twitter/X account @digupancestors, alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.
In the meantime, Clare has concerns about Andrew's help, but is she wise to be worried....?
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