Journeys into Genealogy podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Dennis Cronin discovered lots of stories about his great grandfather Michael Sweeney and his 6 children. The tales go from Ireland in the early 20th century to World War I, emigration to the USA and a long forgotten "murder". He discusses his research, visiting the old family farm, life and society in Ireland and the book he has written about it "Michael Sweeney". The transcript is available on the Journeys into Genealogy Substack.

Lucy Reynoldson shares some of the amazing range of resources and records available on Family Search including full text search, affiliate libraries, labs and experiments, Rootstech registration and what's coming up in the future. A transcript of the interview with links is available on Substack. 

Chris Hussey never met his grandfather, Frank Herbert Stacey, and his life wasn't discussed within the family. Through research, a bit of luck and later confirmation with DNA and living relatives he discovered hidden secrets, his military service in Canada and WWI and a second family.

Joanna Zara makes, mends and redesigns hats at her studio in Brighton, Sussex, England. A milliner with 15+ years of experience she won a competition with Lock & Co, hatters of London and designed the "Prospect" fedora to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. Our discussion talks about fashions, inherited hats, the hat industry, Mad Hatters and much more. In the cover image for this episode you can see Joanna in her fedora and some of my family photos from a 1960s wedding. 

Anna White was adopted in England in 1960 and she shares her journey with us, through the ups and downs and what the future holds. It touches on AncestryDNA, American GIs, helpful Facebook groups and other tips for anyone who wants to find out more about their own adoption.

Steph Wood is the co-curator of the Mary Quant exhibition setup at the V&A Museum in London and now travelling around the world. We discuss clothes, fashion, styling, how clothes can help date a photograph and how clothes reflect trends and empower people. Steph shares some of the personal stories from the Mary Quant exhibition.

Plus tips on how to look after inherited garments including freezing garments and using paper sausages.

Anne Bancroft is a Senior Book and Paper Conservator at the V&A Museum in London. We discuss when to wear gloves when handling objects, what to do with books, papers and photographs you have inherited and how to ensure they are cared for appropriately and Anne has lots of tips to help you with your own objects. 

Southwark Park was the first major park for South London. Setup in 1869 to give 'fresh air' and help with the health of the local residents, it has hosted temperance meetings, political rallies and local sports events. Pat Kingwell, secretary of Southwark Park 1869, talks about how and why it was setup and what difference it made to the local population including stories about the people who backed it and how it has evolved over the last 150 years.

Graham Bandy shares lots of tips and insights into how to research your ancestors' military history including how to use military uniforms to identify regiments, medals and more.  Major-General Philip de Fonblanque was one of my own ancestors and Graham found out lots of interesting facts about him including how he was very successful at Dunkirk. 

Will Newton takes us behind the scenes of the Museum of Childhood (part of the Victoria and Albert Museum) and shares plans for the future of the museum and its collection. Family toys connect us with previous generations plus we catch up with Pumpie the elephant and discuss conservation and donations and what to do to ensure your toys survive the decades.