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David Baddiel knew that his mother’s family fled Nazi persecution to Britain during the Second World War, and the subsequent search for his uncle Arno led David to conclude that Arno had died during the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw.
Jeremy Clarkson’s research into his family tree revealed ancestors who were at the heart of the industrial revolution. The Kilner family had established several glassworks across the north of England during the nineteenth century.
Lesley Garrett made a shocking discovery when she ordered the death certificate of her great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann Garrett, who died in 1899.
Ian Hislop had always been interested in military history, having produced an in-depth study of the Boer War for a school project. His maternal grandfather served not only in the First World War but also in the Boer War.
Sue Johnston had always thought that her grandfather Alfred Cowan was the driver of the ‘Flying Scotsman’, but research revealed this to be a family myth.
Bill Oddie was motivated to look into the history of his family because of what happened to his mother. Bill has few memories of his mother, apart from the fact that she was afflicted by mental illness and was admitted into an asylum for treatment when he was a child.
One reason behind Amanda’s decision to delve into the secrets of her family’s past was that she knew nothing about a mysterious uncle. Amanda’s immediate family knew very little about him.
Vic Reeves was particularly intrigued by stories that his maternal grandfather, Simeon Leigh, had been married before he met Vic’s grandmother, Lillian Crow, in 1926.
Moira’s quest to discover her roots led her from Scotland back to the Caribbean, and the island of Dominica. The requirement to travel overseas in search of records is often an obstacle to family historians whose ancestors came to Britain.
Meera’s research led her back to India and the Punjab, where records were centred on records of worship. Meera travelled to her family’s village to find someone who could tell her about her ancestors.
