Message us.In this first episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets family historian John Matheus. He hears how John only recently got hooked on researching his family's history, hears about his wonder of the spelling of his last name, and why he thinks Warren Zevon's 1978 song 'Lawyers, Guns and Money' describes his family tree well.THE LIFE STORY - NOAH DAVISJohn has chosen to tell the life story of his 3x Gt Grandfather Noah Davis born in 1818, who went on to become a Judge and a significant figure in American law and politics after making it into the US House of Representatives in 1868. His success did not stop there, as after being nominated as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York by President Ulysses S. Grant, he ended up convicting the notoriously corrupt and powerful politician William 'Boss Tweed' Tweed.THE BRICK WALL - HULDAH TAYLORJohn is looking for help to find records of the early life of his ancestor Huldah Taylor, and her parents. He believes that her father may have been called Gad Taylor, but evidence is somewhat thin - as he can't find a suitable Gad Taylor, and he's seen a few other trees that suggest other names than Gad.Huldah, born in 1758, is present in Suffield, Connecticut, but can you help John confirm her parents, and shed light on Gad Taylor?If you think that you can help John with a clue or research idea, you can send him a message via his Bluesky account, or alternatively, send us a message and we'll pass it right along.Whilst John is curious of Andrew's offer of help, can they Connect with the truth?- - -Episode CreditsAndrew Martin - Host and ProducerJohn Matheus - GuestFamily history isn’t just names and dates. Preserve voices, stories, and memories in a private, secure space. Built so future generations understand who came before them.Begin for free at AncestoriiSupport the showThank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.