S12EP01 - 'The Patriarch' with Susan Ilie

Send us a message 💬  In this first episode of Season Twelve, host Andrew Martin meets Sarnian genealogist Susan Ilie. He hears about how she got hooked on researching family history, what it's like to research in the Channel Island of Guernsey and neighbouring Jersey and France, and hears about the wonderful records and artefacts available in Guernsey's archives and museums that can help research your family tree. THE LIFE STORY - JAMES BREWER MARLEY Susan has decided to tell the life story of her 3x Gt Grandfather James Bewer Marley who was born in Bampton, Devon, England in 1792. James set up as a tailor in London, but after a couple of marriages that ended in him becoming a widower, his business failed. Susan finds him entering Guernsey in the Channel Islands during the 1840s and in a new relationship. The James Brewer Marley name turns up multiple times in its full extent several times in Susan's family tree, but James' hope of a new start led him to become the first known Marley in Guernsey - leaving a fairly straight-forward research legacy for his modern-day descendants. THE BRICK WALL - AZIZ KHAN Susan is trying to find out what became of her Great Aunt's husband Aziz Khan - who is named as the valet of Raja Rajendra Narayan - the Maharajah of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, India. Susan's Great Aunt Winifred Mary Fedora Ryder marries him in 1911 and they head off to India... but what becomes of them then, remains a mystery. If you think that you can help Susan with a clue or research idea, then you can contact her via the email she gives in the episode or via her website or alternatively you can send us a message and we'll pass it along to her. In the meantime, Susan has a few questions about Andrew's offer of help... ---  Episode Credits:  Andrew Martin - Host and Producer  Susan Ilie - Guest  PHAROS TUTORS Check out more than 50 beginners to advanced family history online course with Pharos Tutors today! MATTIE ON THE HOMEFRONT Letters from a mother (Mattie) to her son (Ken) during World War Two give Mattie’s grandson and great grandson a new view of their family as they read one of her letters, and then discuss the family history and world history around it. It’s a wonderfully warm and reminiscent podcast, and I think you’ll enjoy it too. Check out Mattie on the Homefront! Support the show Thank 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.