The Family Histories Podcast
Subscribed: 69Played: 1,890
Subscribe
© 2025 The Family Histories Podcast
Description
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 British family historian Andrew Martin as he interviews a fellow genealogy fan 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 the guest's 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
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/familyhistpod.bsky.social
Instagram: @FamilyHistPod
Facebook: TheFamilyHistoriesPodcast
Twitter: @FamilyHistPod
85 Episodes
Reverse
Series One of The Family Histories Podcast is coming! If you make sense of the census, go potty for parish registers, or gaga over gravestones, then this is the show for you. Our host - author and family historian Andrew Martin - will be meeting the quiet army of family historians who are tirelessly breathing life back into our collective family and social history. Each episode we'll meet a genealogy addict, find out how they got hooked, hear about one of their most fascinating relat...
In this first episode of Series One of The Family Histories Podcast sees host Andrew Martin talks to his guest Daniel Smith-Ramos - a genealogist with Spanish, English, and Italian-American ancestry. Daniel explains how he got hooked on researching his family history, the challenges of researching in Spain and the Spanish language, and we'll find out about how his new venture Revista Descendientes hopes to help make it easier. THE LIFE STORY - ALONSO MARTÍNEZ Daniel chooses to share ...
1In this episode, host Andrew Martin talks to UK genealogist Jane Hough about how she got hooked on researching her family tree in the 1980s, and her impressive DNA deciphering tactics that is getting her closer to solving an illegitimacy mystery. Relatively Speaking - Mary Stone Jane chooses her 5x Great Grandmother, Mary Stone, as the life story to share with us - detailing her life in Stourton, Gloucestershire as a laundry worker, through to an error of judgement that saw her being trans...
In this episode, host Andrew meets George Hall - a fairly recent convert to researching family history, who will talk about how he got into researching as a Generation Z genealogist. He'll explain what it's like to be a younger researcher, the tools he uses, and the work of The Hidden Branch, and his One-Place study. Note: There is a background sound throughout this episode that was not detected whilst recording. Unfortunately despite our best efforts, we've not been able to remove it,...
In this episode, host Andrew is joined by family historian, author, lecturer, and podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke (Genealogy Gems). She talks about how she got hooked on researching her own family history as a child. Relatively Speaking Lisa chooses her husband's entrepreneurial grandfather Harry Cooke as her life story. We follow him from his beginnings in mid-19th century rural Huntingdonshire, to Kent in England, before a double family tragedy sends the family off for a brand new life in Ca...
In this episode, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist Valmay Young to find out how she got into researching her far-flung family tree. We'll also hear about what it's like to work for a county archives, and her work with the Families In British India Society (FIBIS). Relatively Speaking Valmay chooses her 3x Gt Grandfather, Richard Sheridan Wardley. As you'll hear, he sounds like a complicated man, with regular vanishing acts, trips to the USA, his attempt to publish someone else's work, and...
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 Jo...
In the seventh and final episode of this series (sorry folks!), host Andrew Martin meets Pam Smith, a family historian who went from hobbyist, to professional genealogist, and then to local historian. We'll find out how she made those moves, and her dual loves of North Yorkshire and heraldry. THE LIFE STORY - ALBERT 'GINGER' GOODWIN Pam's choice of life story is that of her Great Great Uncle, Albert 'Ginger' Goodwin. Ginger left the collieries of Yorkshire behind and headed to Canada ...
In this little bonus Series One episode - The Epilogue, we rejoin Episode 7 guest Pam Smith, and 19th century Hungarian revolutionary and poet Sándor Petőfi, just as an explosion leaves them both in danger in the garage, and Andrew has suddenly vanished.... - - - Episode credits: Series One, Episode Eight Andrew Martin - Host and ProducerPam Smith - GuestJohn Spike - Sándor PetőfiShow notes and more at: familyhistoriespodcast.com Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign...
It's time for the first of our special BRICKDUST episodes - where one of our previous guests return to the show to give host Andrew Martin an update on the progress of their pesky brick wall. This time, we're welcoming back local historian Pam Smith, last heard in Season One back in 2021. If you've not heard Pam's episode, you can catch-up now by listening to 'The Activist' with Pam Smith. THE BRICK WALL - SIR RICHARD ETHERINGTON It's been four years since Pam asked for help in ...
The trailer for Series Two of The Family Histories Podcast is here! That means only one thing - Series Two is imminent. Subscribe for free now to receive the first episode of the series as soon as it is released on 2nd November 2021. Find out more about Series Two, and keep up with the latest news at: familyhistoriespodcast.com. Support the show Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHi...
In this first episode of Series Two - The Tailor, host Andrew Martin talks to genealogist and former-colleague Ruth Bramley about how she got hooked on tracing her Jewish family history, her passion for re-creating history, and how she traced the history of an object known as 'Alice'. THE LIFE STORY - WOOLF BERNSTOCK Ruth tells the story of her 2x Great Grandfather Woolf Bernstock who was born in Warsaw, Poland in about 1844. By 1876, working as a tailor, he, his wife and family moved to Po...
In this second episode - The Granddaddy - Andrew meets genealogist True Lewis and discovers how she got hooked on researching her family tree, what challenges she faces when researching her enslaved African-American ancestors, her work to research her American Revolutionary ancestor, and she talks about her co-host role on the Black Pro Gen Live show. Relatively Speaking - Ike Ivery True has chosen her 2x Great Grandfather Isaac 'Ike' Ivery for her life story. Ike was born into slave...
In this third episode, host Andrew Martin meets genealogical crime mystery author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin to find out how he got into family history, how he keeps his ancestral reality separate from his fantasy worlds of Morton Farrier, Mrs McDougall, and the Venator Cold Case Team, and we'll get some teasers from the brand new Morton Farrier book. Relatively Speaking - Silas Thomas Nathan has chosen his ancestor Silas Thomas, of Sussex, England, and it's an unusual story featuri...
In this fourth episode, The Pimp, host Andrew Martin is joined by writer and Mafia genealogist Justin Cascio. We'll be finding out about how he got into researching his Sicilian family history, and the challenges of researching there, He'll also tell us about how his ancestors lived as immigrants in the US. Relatively Speaking - Giuseppe Longo Justin has chosen his Gt Grandfather Giuseppe Longo (sometimes 'Joseph') for his life story, and we're straight into a life of crime and...
In this fifth episode, The Noble, host Andrew Martin is joined by professional genealogist Marina Brizhatova. She'll be explaining what it's like to research ancestry in Russia, what kind of records are available, and how she got into genealogy. Relatively Speaking - Vladimir Udovenko Marina chose her step-mother's great grandfather Vladimir Udovenko as her Life Story to tell, and this is a story of a secret identity, but not a voluntary one. It wasn't until many years after Vl...
In this sixth episode, host Andrew Martin meets family historian Steve Jackson, who not only traces his family tree, but also undertakes a One-Name Study for the Atcherley surname, and a One-Place Study too. We'll be finding out how he got into genealogy, and the challenges he's faced whilst researching. Relatively Speaking - Captain James Atcherley We're all at sea, as Steve tells us about his 2nd Cousin, 7x Removed, Captain James Atcherley. Captain James fought as part of Adm...
In this seventh and final episode of Series Two (sorry folks!), host Andrew meets professional genealogist and author, Emma Jolly. He'll be finding out how she got into family history, what it was like to work on TV shows Who Do You Think You Are? and Mancs In Mumbai, and ideas on how to encourage children to become interested in family history. Relatively Speaking - William Jolly Emma has chosen her paternal Great Great Grandfather, William Jolly born in 1842 in Montrose, Forfarshire...
In this Series Two short bonus episode, we join host Andrew Martin in the garage, as he explains to Sándor Petőfi, why his gift has to be returned to 18th century London. However, they're interrupted by a long overdue guest returning to the present day, and she has clearly been having a wonderful time... --- Episode Credits: Series Two, Episode Eight (Bonus) Andrew Martin - Host and ProducerJohn Spike - Sándor PetőfiRuby - HodgeRuth Bramley - GuestShow notes and more: familyhistoriespodcast...
We're excited to announce that Series Three of The Family Histories Podcast is ready, and once again host and family historian Andrew Martin will be meeting 7 more genealogy-addicted guests, will be hearing about the lives of 7 more fascinating relatives, and there's 7 more annoying research brick walls that we'll be asking for your help to solve. We're also excited to announce the guests too - Chris Paton, Helen Parker-Drabble, David Mendoza, Jill Ball, Yetunde Abiola, and Sheldon K. Goodma...
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
Loving The Family Histories Podcast - the time machine makes me laugh 😂