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Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: Titanic part 2

Tim Rickeard was one of the participants in Titanic, the second episode of Find My Past the TV show. Read our exclusive interview with Tim as he tells us what it was like to appear on the show.

FMP: What was the most surprising or emotional moment for you?

Tim: Reading the personal narrative by eye-witness Joseph Scarrott of the rescue of my great-uncle Harold Phillimore. It made me realise how lucky he was to be one of the four people rescued by lifeboat 14, which was the only lifeboat to go back to search for those in the water. The description of how he was rescued was quite harrowing.

FMP: How has being involved in the programme affected you or your life?

Tim: It has given me the motivation to find out about the rest of my family history. I met with my uncle Leslie who has been researching family history for over 10 years. He was able to give me a fascinating insight into our relatives’ social history. I discovered a rich naval and maritime past. My great grandfathers sailed in the Fastnet race and on board the first British yacht to challenge the America’s cup.

FMP: Are you proud of your ancestor’s role in this historical event?

Tim: Yes, I’m very proud that Harold survived and that he went on to continue a successful career as a first class steward serving, among others, the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII).

FMP: Do you feel you’ve got to know your ancestor better?

Tim: It was fascinating to get an insight into the life on board for a steward and to see a picture of my relative.

FMP: If you could meet your ancestor, face to face, what question would you ask them?

Tim: How he felt going back to sea after the disaster onto the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic.

FMP: How did you find out you were going to be in a TV programme about your family history? What was your reaction?

Tim: A letter through the post. Initially, I wondered if it was a scam but then I was intrigued to find out who in my family history was of interest.

FMP: Has it sunk in that your ancestor was involved in such a momentous point in history?

Tim: Both of my grandfathers and their families worked on cruise ships so it is not totally surprising that one of the family was on the Titanic. It was a real surprise to find out how my ancestor was rescued, however, and that he was probably the last person to be rescued two hours after the Titanic sank.

Read more about the Titanic episode

Find out more about Find My Past the TV show

Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: Titanic

Jessica Wilson appeared in Titanic, the second episode of Find My Past the TV show. We talked to Jessica to find out her experiences of appearing on the show and how it has affected her life.

Q: What was the most surprising or emotional moment for you?

A: Reading my great-grandfather’s own account in the New York Times of the night the Titanic sank. It surprised me quite how emotional I found reading it. Despite being related, I didn’t think it would touch me as much as it did. By that point I had been given so much background information on his role, his colleagues and the lead up to that night, that reading his own account brought it all together. The story of the Titanic is familiar to everyone but to hear one individual’s account was harrowing, let alone to know that person was my great-grandfather.

Q: How has being involved in the programme affected you or your life?

A: I’ve always been interested in my family history, but know more about my maternal ancestry. The programme has made me think more about exploring my paternal roots and making the most of asking my family more about it while I can. I think the programme has made me realise how important it is to have an awareness of your ancestry and to be proud of it.

Q: Are you proud of your ancestor’s role in this historical event?

A: Immensely! Not only of how important his job was on the ship but to hear just how far he went to make every effort he could to get help. Especially after the Captain had told him he could step down, to have carried on sending the distress signals, with freezing Atlantic water around his legs rather than searching for the nearest lifeboat, was a very heroic act. In such a situation as his I feel it is a true test of character how he chose to act, his loyalty to both the ship and his colleagues.

Q: Do you feel you’ve got to know your ancestor better?

A: I learnt so much about what he did and what he went through, as well as learning about his character. I was very touched by his loyalty to his colleagues and his selflessness in his actions. Even his humour at such a fraught time portrayed more of his personality and strength of character.

Q: If you could meet your ancestor face to face, what question would you ask them?

A: That is a really difficult question to answer because after following his story, there is so much I would like to ask him, but once my great-grandfather returned from New York, he never really spoke about the Titanic again. So I guess I would ask him ‘which of his relatives he was most proud of and why?’

Q: How did you find out you were going to be in a TV programme about your family history? What was your reaction?

A: The researchers traced my cousin in Swaziland, who put them in contact with my father, and he gave them my phone number. Initially I was quite apprehensive to take part in the programme; I was a little worried about what I might find out and felt uncomfortable at the idea of being filmed. The team were very reassuring though and the more I thought about it, the more I realised what a great opportunity it was. I thought that if I were ever do something significant I would like to think that my ancestors would want to know about it and be proud. If the stories in our family history aren’t told they get forgotten, and this was such a good opportunity to learn more about Harold Bride. Often family stories change from generation to generation as parts get omitted or fabricated, whereas this was a way to hear the truth and facts about my great-grandfather that I otherwise wouldn’t have known. It was a very surreal experience, especially agreeing to take part not knowing who the programme would be focusing on or where they would be taking me. So I guess it was a little bit of blind faith and pure curiosity.

Q: Has it sunk in that your ancestor was involved in such a momentous point in history?

A: I’d always know that Harold Bride was on the Titanic but I never knew the details. Reading how his actions that night played such a huge part in the reason so many people survived made it more impressive. It hits me a little more each time I discuss the programme with people, to see their reaction to his story, and how impressed they are to hear what he did. It’s interesting to me because he was my great-grandfather, but to hear how much it interests other people makes me realise how momentous his story actually is. A friend even asked me to talk to her primary school class about it, so the idea that another generation will hear his story is quite special too.

Read more about the Titanic episode

Find out more about Find My Past the TV show

Useful Manchester Collection resource

Following the recent launch of the Manchester Collection on findmypast.co.uk, we’d like to share a useful resource which adds helpful background and context to the collection.

Gerard Lodge’s website is essential viewing for anyone who wants to know more about their Manchester ancestors: Manchester Family History Research

Search the Manchester Collection now to find your Manchester ancestors.

Ask the Expert – court-martial mystery

Our resident military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Helen Fraser:

‘I have a copy service record for my great grandfather Joseph Brady who served with the Royal Artillery from 23 November 1854 until 20 February 1877. His rank at outset was gunner and driver and he was promoted to bombardier. He is stated to be awaiting court martial 26-28 May 1860 and was then reduced to gunner. He was subsequently promoted again and became sergeant by October 1869. He had good conduct badges and a long service medal and gratuity.

Is it possible to find out why his name was listed ??? times in the Regimental Defaulters Book and also why he was court-martialled and reduced in rank during service?

The Army Index 1861 lists him as number 27 (WO10/2591) and service record says number 4932.’

Paul says:

‘I’ve had a look at Joseph’s service record in the Chelsea Pensioner British Army Service Records (WO97) on findmypast.co.uk and in many respects it’s typical of the time; a career soldier who had minor run-ins with authority during the time he was in the army. It’s important to remember too that what survives in WO97 is, for the most part, only a fraction of what would have been in his file once upon a time. Over the years, records have been weeded and weeded again and so what you see now just gives the bare bones of his army service. Had the original papers not been destroyed you would have seen exactly what it was that caused Joseph Brady to be court-martialled.

There’s an excellent book by Alan Ramsay called ‘The Victorian Army At Home’ (Croom Helm, 1977) and I’m going to draw from this in my reply to you. To be court-martialled wasn’t a particularly rare occurrence in Victoria’s Army. Alan Ramsay notes that 18,950 soldiers, or just over nine per cent of the total force, were court-martialled in 1865. This figure reduced consistently over the years but even as late as 1898, close to nine thousand men were court-martialled. It’s probably safe to say that when Joseph had his brush with army authority, he was probably one of 20,000 soldiers or more who came up before his superiors.

A man could be court-martialled for a variety of reasons and Alan Ramsay quotes the following offences:

• Mutiny
• Absent without leave
• Fraudulent enlistment
• Disobedience, insubordination, etc
• Quitting or sleeping on post
• Drunkenness (all kinds)
• Disgraceful conduct
• Making away with equipment
• Other

Of these ‘crimes’, drunkenness was the most common offence, certainly from 1865 until 1880 at least, after which time disobedience and insubordination becomes the main category. Remember too that some crimes that a soldier could be charged with seem trivial today and probably seemed trivial 160 years ago too for that matter. As Alan Ramsay notes, “seven days confinement to barracks for leaving a brush out of a kit display was not uncommon.”

As far as Joseph was concerned, his only punishment appears to have been reduced in rank and within four years he had been promoted to that same rank again and would go on to achieve the rank of sergeant, ultimately receiving the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with gratuity. So as frustrating as it must be to not know the reason behind his court-martial or entries in the regimental defaulters’ book, he was discharged from the army in Secunderabad in 1876 with a character described as very good.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

Ask the Expert – unusual last name

Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Brenda Lacey:

‘My late father received a letter in 1974 containing details of the ‘Tyzack’ family from a Mr V Tyzack. As the address was a London office, I have been unable to trace his whereabouts or this family, if he is now deceased.

The information given states that his family lived at Wells Next the Sea, North Norfolk. I have found the tombstone of his Grandfather Edward Tyzack in a churchyard at Buttlands, Wells next the Sea. I have also learnt the history of the ‘Tyzack’ who lived at Little Walsingham via a local historian, but I am stuck with regards to moving forward from Edward Tyzack.

Mr V Tyzack is still a mystery, although he states that a dozen Tyzacks lived at Wells when he was a child, i.e., cousins. Can you please help?’

Stephen says:

‘Thanks for your emailed question.

My first comment is that you are very fortunate! The surname you are researching – Tyzack – is unusual and distinctive. This means that a number of broad, cross-database searches are possible which simply would not be available to you if you had to pursue a more common name.

If using findmypast.co.uk, one way to start is simply to do a very basic cross-database search from the home page. Even if you just type in the last name and search on that, you get a manageable number of results, arranged by record type, which you can then look at by clicking on the record counts (number of results) of each.

Of course, you can narrow down the search by using first name as well, i.e., by searching for Edward Tyzack and looking at all results. You should be able to identify his birth entry from his age at death (you can find his death entry easily, as you know when he was buried), and from there narrow down possible marriages to one or two candidates.

One factor which helps is that earlier this year findmypast.co.uk published fully name-indexed birth, marriage and death indexes. This really speeds up the search for you. Once you have his marriage, you can then look for the births of issue of his marriage, then for their marriages and deaths in turn, continuing the process towards the present day and building up the family tree. Unless some events took place overseas and are not recorded in the overseas BMDs on findmypast.co.uk, you should be able to reliably piece together Edward’s tree to the present day.

When searching census or civil registration records for England, use Walsingham as the registration district up to 1938. For BMD records from 1939 to 1975, however, Wells next the Sea is in Fakenham registration district. You should probably consider London districts as well, given the known family movement to the capital.

As for the London-based professional Mr V Tyzack, keep under consideration that V may have been the initial of his middle name rather than of his actual first name. You can do a Living Relatives search on findmypast.co.uk. If you cannot find the mysterious V, you may be able to find other relatives you have identified as part of the family tree reconstruction process described above.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

Ask the Expert – missing birth

Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries.

From Maureen Probert:

‘I have been trying to obtain a copy of my great-grandmother Annie Lyons’ birth certificate. She married George Carter on 23 February 1884 in Bolton Registry office and she died in Bolton in 1905. I have a copy of the marriage certificate and her death certificate but I can’t find out where she was born. One census record says Accrington, another says Bolton. Annie was born around 1863 – I have checked the birth records but I cannot find her birth. Her father must not have registered her birth – his name was Thomas Lyons and I can’t find him either. I just can’t understand why her family don’t seem to exist.’

Stephen says:

‘When a question like this is asked, two thoughts immediately occur to me: firstly, the possibility of birth outside England and, secondly, birth under a different surname.

A quick look at census returns from 1871 to 1901 for Accrington (included in Haslingden registration district), for Bolton district, and more generally for Lancashire county shows that a significant number of the families named Lyons are from Ireland. For example, in the 1871 census, there are 350 persons named Lyons resident in Lancashire with Ireland as place of birth.

This total includes a married Thomas aged 35, born circa 1835/36 in Ireland and old enough to be Annie’s father (although there are no children co-resident with him at the address he is visiting in Halliwell township in Bolton). Unfortunately, very few of these census returns are more specific about place within Ireland, which makes it difficult to take research back across the Irish Sea, although if you track them forward through later censuses you may find out more exact information.

For this first possibility to be true, the information in the 1891 and 1901 censuses (to the effect that Annie was born in Accrington or Bolton) must of course be untrue. It is not unusual for census birth place information to be incorrect – it was simply volunteered by the householders without any evidence being provided or checks being made, and there is plenty of scope for error. This leads me to the second possibility, which assumes that Annie was indeed born in Lancashire.

The second possibility I mentioned takes into account such factors as the high levels of parental deprivation (i.e., death of one or both parents of a child), remarriage of the widowed survivor of a married couple, illegitimacy and informal fostering (“adoption”) patterns. All these complicate family structure, perhaps especially in urban and industrial areas. In other words, even though Annie named her father at the date of her marriage as Thomas Lyons, this may not have been correct – Lyons may have been a step-father, for instance, or a foster parent, and Annie herself born and registered under a different surname.

This may be unlikely; however, it is not impossible that both scenarios – birth outside England and birth under a different surname – are true.

To investigate the above possibilities thoroughly will take time and patience and, very probably, the reconstruction of partial family trees for each candidate, Thomas Lyons, for example, so that by a process of elimination you close in on the truth. It could also happen that you persevere with such searches and still get no closer to finding out the answer. Unfortunately, not all family history problems are soluble and many family historians are left with brick walls which no amount of research seems able to overcome.

Good luck with your research and please let us know how you get on.’

If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account. Unfortunately our experts only have time to answer a few queries each month. If yours wasn’t answered this time, you could be lucky next month!

September newsletter competition winner

We’re very pleased to announce the winner of our September newsletter competition in which we asked you this question:

‘We found an Arthur Thomas Bowman in the Manchester Workhouse Registers. In which year was he born?’

Congratulations to Tracy Suthers who correctly answered ’1905′. Tracy wins a copy of ‘Tracing Your Ancestors’ by Simon Fowler.

Tracy found out the answer by searching the Manchester Workhouse Registers on findmypast.co.uk

Thanks to all of you who entered – look out for the next competition question in our October newsletter, coming very soon.

Family photos: looking after family photographs

Welcome to the 10th and final in our series of blogs about how to understand and interpret your old family photos. In this series, Jayne Shrimpton, internationally recognised dress historian, portrait specialist, photo detective and regular contributor to Family Tree, Your Family History and Family History Monthly magazines, dates and analyses different types of photographs and helps you to add context to your old family pictures.

Jayne Shrimpton

Family photographs may seem relatively commonplace items because they exist within a domestic setting and often in large numbers, but they need to be looked after carefully. Inherited studio portraits or amateur snapshots may have survived so far in remarkably good condition, or they may already be damaged.

Photographs can be surprisingly complex objects and may consist of several layers, each containing different substances that react to outside influences in various ways. Unfortunately this means that certain types of photograph deterioration are untreatable, so the best policy is to try to prevent commonly-occurring problems from happening in the first place.

There are many potential causes of damage and deterioration to photographs:

• High temperatures, which accelerate fading and tarnishing
• Exposure to light, especially sunlight, which causes fading of the image
• Damp conditions, which can produce mould, ‘foxing’ (dark spots) or discolouration
• Very dry conditions, which can cause brittleness, cracking and flaking
• Poor quality or inappropriate storage, framing and mounting methods, which may emit pollutants, leading to fading, discolouration and tarnishing. This can also cause tears and creases and staining from sticky adhesive tapes and album pages
• Some photographs are at risk from insect attack such as silverfish, woodworm, booklice and carpet beetle
• Handling causes further deterioration as dirt can scratch vulnerable surfaces, while fingers may leave prints and damaging moisture from the skin

Family photos tend to be passed around frequently because we enjoy looking at them and they are easily portable, but we shouldn’t underestimate their value as fragile historical artefacts. It is important to consider how they are stored, displayed and handled if they are to last in good condition for another hundred years, or more.

Storage

It is important to store and file photographs using boxes, envelopes or albums of suitable archival quality – see later section below. Once in an appropriate storage system, they should be kept in a cool location at home where surrounding conditions are neither very damp nor very dry – a stable environment ideally with a relative humidity within the range 30-40%. Old photographs, therefore, should not be stashed in damp basements or garages, or in stuffy, un-insulated lofts, but perhaps in a dark cupboard or spacious drawer, in a room where there are no significant fluctuations in temperature or humidity.

Daguerreotype and ambrotype frames and cases (see blog one) and old albums (see blog nine) should be regarded as integral to the photographic images they contain and in these instances it’s important to keep the whole artefact intact. If any elements have a problem – for example, if a hinged case is broken – this should be dealt with by a professional conservator who will use processes geared towards maintaining the integrity of the photograph in its original context (fig.1).

Display

It is tempting to exhibit old family photographs where they can be seen; however, try to avoid displaying them at high light levels, or for long periods of time. Ultraviolet (UV) filtering glass helps to protect photographs during periods of light exposure. Any framing materials should also be of high quality. Ideally, make a copy print for display purposes, so that the original photograph isn’t exposed to the light.

Handling

Try to keep handling of precious original photographs to a minimum, but if it is necessary, make sure that hands are clean and dry. Ideally, wear lint-free cotton researchers’ gloves: there is currently some debate about the advisability of using gloves when handling fragile papers, but most professionals agree that they are important for working with photographs (fig.2).

In addition, hold photographs by their edges and use a supporting base, such as stiff paper or card to move particularly fragile photographs. Scanning photographs (see below) then storing them suitably, working instead from printed copies or from digital image files on the computer, saves regular handling of the fragile originals.

Conservation

For more detailed expert advice about looking after photographs, visit the website of the Institute of Conservation. The downloadable Icon leaflet, Care and Conservation of Photographic Materials, offers further information (fig.3).

If, as the family custodian of photographic heirlooms, you are in any doubt at all about the care and repair of old photographs in any format, professional advice from a trained conservator is always recommended. The aim of photograph conservation is both to reverse damage, if this is possible, and to ensure that future deterioration is reduced to a minimum. The Icon website also offers a useful Conservation Register of qualified, professional conservators.

Conservation quality archival storage materials

Public museums, art galleries, archives and record offices generally preserve their important photographs (and other historical items, such as pictures on paper, documents and old books) in specially designed conservation quality storage systems. Essentially these provide fragile and potentially vulnerable objects with physical support and protection against permanent damage and decay in a safe, acid-free environment.

The kinds of products that public institutions use are also commercially available to the wider public for use at home, so there is no excuse not to take good care of precious family pictures and other important keepsakes. This applies not only to old photographs but also to more recent photos and other family papers and ephemera that need to be preserved. The archival products available offer many different storage and display possibilities, including acid-free boxes of varying shapes and sizes, ring binder systems, photo album pages, folders, envelopes, pockets, tabbed dividers, sleeves and even CD cases (fig.4).

Particularly useful for convenient handling and viewing of family photographs of different sizes are transparent inert polyester or polypropylene pockets which (unlike PVC) contain no harmful chemicals and are safe for long-term storage. Other accessories include researchers’ lint-free cotton gloves, pH neutral pens for marking and mounting products, such as acid-free paper and card, archival mount strips, tape and adhesive (fig.5). These and other items are available from specialist conservation suppliers and from some general genealogical suppliers. Reputable companies can offer advice and answer queries about the best products for preserving and archiving photographs.

Creating digital images

Family picture researchers with computer skills will already be familiar with making digital copies of photographs and storing these as compressed image files on the computer or other electronic media. It’s always a good idea to create digital versions of old photographs as these can be used for research purposes, to save handling the fragile originals. Digital images are also easy to share with others via email and can be uploaded onto family history or image-sharing websites.

Photographic prints, negatives and slides can all be scanned. Card-mounted photos are the simplest to scan at home, but even framed or cased daguerreotypes and ambrotypes, which are three-dimensional objects, can usually be scanned successfully using a flatbed scanner.

When scanning photographs, it is advisable to scan each one individually rather than several at a time, as they may need to be separated later anyway for research purposes and, additionally, the details will be clearer if scanned separately. Scanning black and white photographs as colour pictures, rather than greyscale, gives the best picture quality and scanning at normal size, at a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) is a good choice for most photographic images. The resolution doesn’t generally need to be any higher, unless the original photograph is very small – for example a tiny snapshot or small tintype, which are best scanned at 600 dpi.

Picture files of 300 dpi and higher resolutions naturally take up more computer or disc space than those scanned at a lower resolution but these high-quality pictures will be suitable for most purposes, including reproduction in many kinds of printed publications, should the need ever arise. Scanned images can be saved in various digital formats: both JPEG (jpg) and GIF are currently in widespread use, jpg being perhaps the more popular and considered by some users the most convenient format.

For picture researchers uncertain about scanning or without necessary equipment, there are many commercial photo-scanning companies that will carry out this work for a fee. Some high street outlets provide this service although, depending on the number of pictures to be copied, it may be worth searching the internet for the most cost-effective option.

Some of the popular genealogy websites offer a scanning service as part of the package and there are also specialist photo companies experienced in scanning old family photos. If having pictures scanned commercially involves sending original material through the post, be sure to use the most secure postal service available, such as registered post, or a reputable courier company offering parcel tracking facilities.

Finally, if storing digital images and indeed any important data on discs and other electronic media, remember to protect them also from environmental damage and accidents. Clean computer drives routinely to prevent damage to the media and only handle CDs by the very edges, storing them well away from liquids, dust, extreme heat and direct sunlight. Rigid purpose-designed storage containers are ideal, special conservation quality CD cases affording the best protection.

Old family photographs are unique and precious mementoes – irreplaceable if lost or badly damaged. Let’s do our best to ensure that they are well-preserved for future generations to enjoy and learn from.

Fig.1 Damaged cased daguerreotype, 1840s - click to enlarge. Daguerreotype photographs are old and fragile pictures and when cased they consist of at least five different materials. Repairs are therefore complex and should only be undertaken by a trained conservator. (www.whatsthatpicture.com)

Fig.2 Jayne Shrimpton dating photos at ‘Who Do You Think You Are? Live’ - click to enlarge. Wearing lint-free researchers’ gloves when handling original photographs prevents dust, dirt and grease from being transferred between the hands and the vulnerable picture. These cotton gloves are inexpensive, easy to wash and are widely available. (Family Tree: www.family-tree.co.uk)

Fig.3 Icon Leaflet: Care and Conservation of Photographic Materials - click to enlarge. The Institute of Conservation (Icon) produces a downloadable leaflet giving helpful advice about looking after old photographs – visit www.icon.org.uk

Fig.4 Conservation quality storage products - click to enlarge. Original photographs should be protected from damage and deterioration by using special conservation/archival quality products for storage and display. These acid-free box, mounting sheets and clear polyester pages are all good for organising photos. (www.timecare.co.uk)

Fig.5 Archival quality photograph accessories - click to enlarge. These professional clear polyester ‘V’ mounting strips, easier to use than glue or tape, are acid-free and therefore ideal for safely mounting and displaying old family photos. (www.familytreefolk.co.uk)

Behind the scenes of Find My Past the TV show: Dunkirk

David Greene was one of our three participants in the Dunkirk episode of Find My Past the TV show. We’ve been chatting to David to hear about his experiences of appearing on the show.

Q: What was the most surprising or emotional moment for you?

A: Hearing my grandad’s voice on the recording of his time on the beach at Dunkirk.

Q: How has being involved in the programme affected you or your life?

A: It has put into perspective what the soldiers went through in the war and how we should always remember those that fought for their country.

Q: Are you proud of your ancestor’s role in this historical event?

A: Without question. I wish I could have spoken to him about his time in the war.

Q: Do you feel you’ve got to know your ancestor better?

A: I was very close to my nan and granddad anyway as we saw them every week. I knew my grandad very well, but he and my nan never mentioned the war.

Q: If you could meet your ancestor face to face, what question would you ask them?

A: I would most certainly ask him about Dunkirk, and I would ask him many more questions about his war experience.

Q: How did you find out you were going to be in a TV programme about your family history? What was your reaction?

A: I received a letter in the post asking if I was related to grandad Alfie Guilder. I was excited to find out what he was involved in that was a part of British history.

Q: Has it sunk in that your ancestor was involved in such a momentous point in history?

A: Yes it has, but I must say I have given what he must have gone through a lot of thought. I have watched a few other programmes now on this battle to learn more and understand more what it would have been like.

Find out more about Find My Past the TV show

Honour our heroes

Were any of your ancestors involved in Dunkirk? Upload their photo, tell their story and help findmypast.co.uk to honour our heroes. Share your heroes

AA Milne in our records on Winnie the Pooh's 85th birthday

Today is Winnie the Pooh’s 85th birthday and to commemorate his author AA Milne, we’ve been investigating Milne’s family history.

Educational ancestors

We discovered that Milne came from a family of school teachers. Our first stop was the census records on findmypast.co.uk where we found Milne in the 1891 census. He is recorded at Henley House School, Mortimer Road, Hampstead, aged nine. He is listed as a scholar with his father, John Milne, the schoolmaster. John was born in Jamaica and was married to Sarah Heginbotham. See the record here:

Click to enlarge

Ten years later, the 1901 census tells us that Milne’s father had moved on from Henley House School and was the schoolmaster at Streete Court School, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent. Milne was living with his aunt and uncle as a Cambridge undergraduate at this time.

Milne’s uncle, Alexander Milne, was the principal of the Boys’ Private School, University School, Holmesdale Gardens, Hastings. Alexander is listed in the Teachers’ Registration Council Registers 1914-1948 on findmypast.co.uk. He registered on 1 July 1919 and his career in education spanned 1871 to 1932. View Alexander’s record here:

Click to enlarge

Our research revealed further evidence of teaching in Milne’s family. Milne’s mother and maternal grandmother, both named Sarah Heginbotham, were school mistresses at Brooklyn House, Wellington, Shropshire at the time of the 1871 census.

Milne’s paternal grandfather, William Milne, was recorded as being an inspector of schools in the 1861 census, which made us wonder whether he was the catalyst for the family’s teaching tradition.

At the time of the 1911 census, Milne was living at Broadgates, Steeple Bumpstead in Essex with his parents. Milne was recorded as being a journalist, working on his ‘own account and Punch‘. By this time, his father was a retired schoolmaster.

Milne on the move

We were intrigued to find Milne 20 years later in the passenger lists on findmypast.co.uk travelling as a first class passenger to the USA with his wife, Dorothy.

The couple were aboard the Aquitania, which departed Southampton for New York on 21 October 1931. In the detailed log, Milne is described as an author and his address is recorded as being 13 Mallord Street SW3. View the record here:

Click to enlarge

As Milne’s ancestry demonstrates, you can glean huge amounts of detail when you find your ancestors in the Teachers’ Registration Council Registers 1914-1948 on findmypast.co.uk. We are working in partnership with the Society of Genealogists to bring you these rich records.