Andrew meets genealogist and Chair of the Register of Qualified Genealogists, Sylvia Valentine. He hears about how she got hooked on researching family history, her love of life-long learning and research, and her opinions on the terrifying workhouses!


THE LIFE STORY - NAOMI HAWARTH
Sylvia has chosen to tell the life story of her Gt Grandmother, Naomi Hawarth, who was born as a twin, but was the only one of the two to survive. She was not the only twin to her parents, or to outlive a twin sister. Fifteen years before Naomi's birth was that of Mary, who looked exactly like the twin of Naomi.

Whilst twins are often observed as having similar lives, and family historians spot common behaviours in families, Sylvia's research has found that Naomi's siblings have carried many similar traits in education and music to their descendants.

THE BRICK WALL - BERNARD BRAND FIEGEHEN
It's one of Sylvia's husband's ancestors - Bernard Brand Fiegehen who appears working as a china man in City Road, London that has Sylvia facing a brick wall. Phonetically, that surname sounds like 'Fee-gun', and whilst that phonetic pronunciation might sound on face value like it has Irish origins, Sylvia has been stuck to find them.

Sylvia has seen many online trees that have few or no sources for this man, but many point to him as being from Berlin in Germany.

If you think that you can help Sylvia with a research clue or idea, then you can message her via the email address she gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it on to her.

In the meantime, Sylvia isn't sure of the safety of Andrew's research idea, but will her leap of faith work out?....

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Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Sylvia Valentine - Guest 

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