Unearth the Past: A family history & genealogy podcast
Step into the fascinating world of genealogy and family history with Unearth the Past, a podcast hosted by the charismatic Dr. Michala Hulme. This show masterfully blends riveting discussions, deep dives into historical contexts, and practical tips for uncovering your ancestral roots. Each week, Dr Hulme welcomes an eclectic mix of guests—musicians, actors, sports stars, and public figures—unravelling the remarkable and often surprising stories hidden within their family trees.
Beyond these compelling narratives, the podcast serves as a treasure trove for genealogy enthusiasts, spotlighting essential tools and resources for research. It also paints a vivid picture of the social and cultural landscapes that shaped family histories, exploring powerful themes like immigration, industrial revolutions, and the resilience of past generations.
If you would like to get in touch with Michala, you can do so via her website, www.michalahulme.com
If you want to help support the making of the podcast, please visit Michala's Patreon account https://www. patreon.com/DrMichalaHulme
Unearth the Past: A family history & genealogy podcast
S2: Ep5: Past, Present and Future... Tell me who I am... with Matty White
This week, Michala is joined by TV presenter Matty White.
In this emotional episode, we delve into the details behind Matty's family history and use DNA to tell him more about his ancestors and how they lived.
It's an intimate voyage into identity, family secrets, and the threads that weave together the past and present. As we unearth the emotional narrative of learning about his family history, we see Matty answer some long-held questions about who he is and where he comes from.
Get the tissues ready!! This is an emotional one!!
To watch this episode on YouTube, Click Here!
Massive thanks to this week's sponsor Witney Antiques.
If you would like to contact Michala, you can do so at www.michalahulme.com
You can contact Matty on social media @mattyfwhite
This week's podcast is sponsored by Whitney Antiques, an antique shop in the heart of Oxfordshire specializing in historic needlework. If you'd like to know more about Whitney Antiques, check out their website at wwwwitneyantiquescom. Hello and welcome back to Unearth the Past. I am Dr McKayla Hume. I hope you have had a good week. I hope you had a productive week researching. We are back. We're in a studio this week. It's all very posh. If you're used to watching this podcast on YouTube, you'll notice normally it's from my front living room, not anymore. I've spent a bit of cash this week and that is because we have got somebody very special on the podcast. I don't quite know how to describe him because he does that many things folks. I was trying to go through the list on the way here and I think I've got somewhere between DJ, food critic, tv presenter, the face of Sainsbury's. I could go on.
Speaker 2:I've forgotten about the Sainsbury's thing.
Speaker 1:I've not forgotten about the Sainsbury's thing. Matty White, welcome to the podcast, thank you so much for being on.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me. It's very exciting.
Speaker 1:So, Matty, you do so many different things, and I've known you for such a while. How did you get into this crazy world of presenting content creation? Have you always done it? Was it something new that you picked up on?
Speaker 2:I think, if I'm perfectly honest, a lot of it is because it's a years ago. I've done what I do now radio, tv, dj and I don't consider any of it to be real work.
Speaker 2:I'm not, you know, I'm not I'm stealing a living, really, aren't I? But it's because, years ago and growing up like I've dug holes for a living. I've worked on building sites, I've been an ice cream man, I've had so many different jobs, and hard working jobs as well, that I think I made a decision that, no, I want to do something that I like and that I enjoy, because, with all the will in the world, no one likes digging holes. There's only so many holes you can dig, and so I just tried desperately to do stuff that I thought was cool.
Speaker 2:When I was, I think, maybe 10, my Nanan and Grandpa, as we call them, leo and Sheila they lived in Birmingham and Coventry, but they retired and went to live in Cornwall In St Ives.
Speaker 2:He went and opened a glass blowing shop where he made ornaments out of glass and people watched it and when they left it was like before maybe our phones and messaging but we used to record messages to each other on a would get a little microphone and one of those little mini old school cassette tape recorders you know the ones and I'd send them a monologue about how things were going back home and at school, and then my grandpa would send me one back and then he'd start recording music. He was into classical music. He'd played classical music songs and then on his microphone he'd then explain to me what's happening in them. And that was the first time I kind of started recording my own voice and making content, if you like. And then that just got me into wanting to be a presenter, and in radio and in telly. And then, yeah, I dedicated the rest of my life into forcing other people to listen to my voice.
Speaker 1:Recently I know you've been doing Steph's pack lunch. I see quite regularly on there. But I'm intrigued because part of your content creation, part of what you do, especially on social media, is going around telling restaurants that they reading their bad reviews.
Speaker 2:Reading bad reviews to restaurant owners. Yeah, so this was. There's a guy in America. I always get a mixed thought. See if a Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy Fallon. I think it's Jimmy Fallon. And he did this feature on TV, where he got celebrities to come in and read out mean tweets that had been said about them. So, samuel L Jackson, we're reading a tweet that had been directed at him. Just having a pop at him.
Speaker 1:Okay, and things like that.
Speaker 2:I thought that was a great idea. And then I thought, well, why don't I go on to TripAdvisor and Google reviews and just find the worst scathing reviews I can find and go into restaurants and sit down like this, and then I just read them out to them and let them react accordingly, and I love it?
Speaker 1:And how do they react? So do they like take it on the chain? Do they try and justify why?
Speaker 2:I think it all depends that there was. There's been a few where the people I've been reading them to have just gone. Well, he's a fucker, he's banned and they've gone berserk. There's a couple that have laughed a recorded one. There's a new series that's going out soon, or recorded one last month, and they bless them. I won't say who they are, but they spent the whole time very close to tears, like they were genuinely very sad about it and I thought they were going to cry. And there's others that use it strictly as a PR exercise and are quite well.
Speaker 2:the reason that happened is because when we were, and so it's not as fun I like the ones where they go a bit mental and they nearly have a breakdown. That's what I want from it.
Speaker 1:And then the other thing you get to do, which I'm very, very jealous about, is you get to. You are like a food critic, right? So you go around and you get to eat some amazing food. Yes, that's correct, and I want to know right, and this is a question that I've always wanted to ask somebody like you.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:What if you don't like it? Do you say you don't like it, or do you just protect?
Speaker 2:do you fake like no, no, because I've done that before.
Speaker 1:By the way, at the mother-in-laws I fake like I've all had to do that.
Speaker 2:Do you know?
Speaker 1:what I mean. Oh, it's lovely I don't think that's gorgeous. I hate macaroni cheese but I'm like it's lovely.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you hate macaroni cheese? Hate it. I don't know why. It's the one thing I can't stand.
Speaker 2:So I do a lot of food reviews, for I do some stuff on Channel 4 for Steph Pak's lunch, yeah. And then we are honest and if something's good because we grade them and we say it so we might do the best mince pies for this Christmas, ok, and you grade them. So we are saying that this is the best, this is the worst. But I work a lot with a Manchester publication called Manchester's Finest where we just we're all about celebrating predominantly independent businesses in Manchester, not just food and drink, but just what's going on and helping people to find the places they should be going to and helping businesses thrive. So one of the things we do is a series called Suggested by you, which I think is what you are talking about. People suggest that we go to restaurants because they're good and I go in, I sit down with the owners, I eat all the food and we just talk about how they set up and the ethos behind it. But with that, because it's about celebrating and helping and promoting, we do some research first.
Speaker 2:If you said right, go to the podcast cafe down the road we would go first, and if it was a bit shit, we just wouldn't go there and film. We only go when we know it's going to be good. To save any of that awkwardness and embarrassment.
Speaker 1:Okay, oh, that's nice yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean sometimes I have to. The majority of food I eat is cold because they have to make the food.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Then we have to photograph the food.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Then we have to set it all up on the table Then we sit down and by the time the chatting starts it's stone cold.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's fine. And sometimes then you have to pretend Like I remember we were talking to some people that was specializing in bone marrow.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And they served this massive bone, I think from a maybe a cow's leg or something. But all the bone marrow had been prepared and there were breadcrumbs and there was seasoning in it and it was absolutely delicious. But by the time I'd done my link to camera and then I'd go and they also do this exceptional bone marrow and then dig in and it had gone stone cold and it was all congealed and lumpy and it was did you eat it?
Speaker 1:I had to.
Speaker 2:I'm a professional.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:The worst thing I've ever put in my mouth categorically yeah, let's not go there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now I reached out to you. I've known you for quite a while. I was trying to think of how we met.
Speaker 2:So I used to be a producer 20 odd years ago, maybe 15 years ago, yeah, vbc Radio Manchester, and I think you used to come in and do some genealogy.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:History stuff with Becky Wanda. Presenter.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:And I'd just come and meet you and take you up in the lift.
Speaker 1:Yeah, make your coffee and kind of say what a welcome. Yeah, you did a great job. Yeah, I remember. Actually I remember writing in going I'm a genealogist but I'm really cool and I wear Converse and you know, because I don't know what people thought about genealogists. But I remember trying to promote myself but anyway, work. And then you were producing Clint Boone's podcast. Remember the Inspiral Carpet?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I was. So I, when I left the BBC, I went to work at an independent Manchester radio station, commercial radio station called XS Manchester.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:But I ended up taking that over and running it and turning it from a classic rock station to an indie station which pleased all the indie kids in Manchester. But the Saxon Dale, Were they fuming? Yeah, there was death threats and all sorts. No way. Like properly they couldn't hear Black Sabbath on the radio anymore. They wanted me dead.
Speaker 1:Wow, they were literally watching you dead. They were livid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we brought Clint Boone in because he's one of the indie Kings and Mantis isn't he. Yeah, love him. And he had a show and then did a podcast where he would speak to interesting people. You were one of those interesting people, and then that rekindled our friendship again, didn't?
Speaker 1:it. It did, yeah, it did so when I was thinking about people to come on the podcast, and this is slightly different. So if you've been listening to the podcast previously, you'll know that a lot of them have been sort of guiding you through how to do genealogy and family history and how to go about finding people. Well, the next few episodes are slightly different. The next few episodes I've got people in that I think are interesting. I don't care if anybody else does, I think you're interesting, that's nice to know.
Speaker 1:Thank you, and I've got you in and we're going to sort of delve into your family tree. But your family tree was a bit special, wasn't it? So when I reached out to you I said, matthew, will you come on my podcast? I'm going to look into your family tree. And straight away you were interested. Why were you interested in that?
Speaker 2:Well, I've always been interested in sort of where I come from, who I am. But so when I was 18, I come from a very loving family mom, dad, two brothers but then when I was 18, I was told that my dad wasn't my real dad, he wasn't my biological father, which obviously an 18 year old boy. That sends you world into a bit of turmoil, but got past it and then didn't really do anything about it. Because back then, when I was 18, I mean what I'm 48, now, 30 years ago that the internet wasn't there to search, there was nothing you could do and I knew very little about who he was. And so I think for 30 years it's been on my mind every day, every day who am I?
Speaker 2:Where do I come from? Why do I look like this when my brothers don't? Why am I such an idiot when my brothers aren't? All that sort of thing? So as soon as you slid into my DMs, I thought actually, maybe this could tell me a little bit more about not necessarily because I don't know what you found yet, but not necessarily finding my biological father, but just where he came from, what his story is, what his family is. I just want to know some stuff, no matter how small.
Speaker 1:So I have found him, but unfortunately he passed away. I'll never be dead, so he passed away in 2018.
Speaker 2:Oh fuck, All right.
Speaker 1:So not that long ago. But can I just say I have never sat in front of anybody that looks so much like their biological parent in my life.
Speaker 2:Have you seen a picture of him?
Speaker 1:Do you want to see a picture of him?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Let's have a look.
Speaker 2:I'm nearly crying already, just from this.
Speaker 1:But just let's have a look. Oh, that's your dad, oh shit.
Speaker 2:Wow, all right, he's got. That's where I've got my shit curly hair from, isn't it? Oh, he does look like me, doesn't he?
Speaker 1:Absolutely ringer.
Speaker 2:And he only died in 2018. Do you know what he died of?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:I nearly went for a guess, then Do you want to see another picture? Yeah, I'd love to see another picture. How did you do this? Well, don't tell me because I knew you'd be out of a job when you're doing it myself. Oh wow, that's my dad Sitting a pub with loads of beer.
Speaker 1:Is that how you imagined he would look, Matthew?
Speaker 2:No, I don't know it's hard, isn't it? But when you don't know anything and my mum didn't remember much and it was a fleeting romance it's hard to picture something when you just simply don't know. God he really looks like me, doesn't he?
Speaker 1:Absolutely, it's a bit.
Speaker 2:I think I knew he'd have big hair.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure he's got some facial hair. I've been thinking about going for a moustache I might do now. It's quite an impressive moustache as well, isn't it.
Speaker 1:It's a very impressive moustache, so I can tell you a bit about him. Yes, please. Yeah, so he was born in Middlesbrough. Yeah, he moved to the South Coast, to the Isle of Wight.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's where he met my mum.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I don't think he had the easiest of lives. So he unfortunately got into drugs and into petty crime. But then he did turn his life around. He met somebody, he fell in love with them, but unfortunately she passed away and I think that then spiralled him back into the drugs. Now, the reason that I found him was because you took an ancestry DNA test.
Speaker 2:I did.
Speaker 1:You did and you had a cousin match on that ancestry DNA test.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:In fact you've got quite a few cousin matches on that DNA test have I. But one of them was a fairly close cousin match, so it actually turns out that this person is the grandchild of your dad's sister.
Speaker 2:Grandchild of my dad's sister, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and she's still alive.
Speaker 2:All right, my dad's sister. She is, yeah.
Speaker 1:Shit, and it's her grandchild that you were quite a close cousin match with and it was interesting he is. I was chasing to him and he's lovely.
Speaker 2:Spoken to me.
Speaker 1:I have yeah, and we think that your biological father had at least seven children, possibly more.
Speaker 2:Possibly more.
Speaker 1:So there was somebody else that was in a very similar situation to you that was actually looking for him.
Speaker 2:Player, or yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we don't know a lot about his time in the Isle of Wight, but we know that the family are from Middlesbrough. I have traced the family tree that side of the family tree right back up to the 18th century oh wow, and I can tell you that there's a lot of food production in there. So if you know Matty Is there really? Yeah, if you know Matty, you know that he loves his food and there's definitely a lot of food production going on. So you are descended from a long line of farmers from Bradford, actually not from Middlesbrough. Am I From Bradford?
Speaker 2:Farmers, farmers, I'm the least. I'm more likely to get into drinking petty crime, yeah Like your dad and I are farmers.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to show you the family tree.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's all right. Yeah, of course it's all right. I've just seen a photo of my dad. It's Matty.
Speaker 1:Did you think you would get that today?
Speaker 2:No, no, because I knew I wouldn't know anything until we actually did it. Yeah. But I knew he'd be dead. Oh, that's just my luck that he'll be dead.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to say as well, for the sake of the podcast, I did ask you, didn't I, if you wanted to me to tell you anything beforehand.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, but I.
Speaker 1:And you were clear that you wanted me to do it on the podcast Tell me on the podcast Listen.
Speaker 2:I love listening to podcasts and if I'd have already known that information, it wouldn't have been quite as exciting, would it?
Speaker 1:No so yeah. And also for the sake of sensitivity, because we know that your biological father has other children, we won't be naming him and we're not going to look at the immediate generation. We're going to go a couple of generations back on that. Obviously, up to now, if we did your family tree, it was only half a tree, so it was just your mum's side. So this is now your full family tree.
Speaker 2:For the first time ever.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Ah, so there okay.
Speaker 1:Do any of them names, maybe on your mum's side, meaning anything to you On mum's?
Speaker 2:side. So Leo Joseph Pilly, that's my grandpa. That's my mum's dad. That's who I've named my oldest son after, Leo.
Speaker 1:Oh, right, okay.
Speaker 2:So Leo and Sheila, my grandparents. They lived in St Ives in Cornwall. They died. My grandpa died two years ago. My nan a few years ago. And then I vaguely know some of the names, like Doris, who would have, and Philip. Of course I met Philip. He would have been my great-great-grandpa or gramps, as.
Speaker 1:I used to call him.
Speaker 2:But then the silver side. There's lots of names there isn't there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we've actually gone further back than what that family tree will show. I'm just going to pick up on your home side of the tree. I know you said you're more likely to be the drinker and the petty criminal, but there was petty criminals going back on the home side If we go back to 1885, to Benjamin Holmes, who was a farmer who lived near Bradford. I thought I don't know if you could have a quick read of that, so that's a what's he up to now?
Speaker 2:So this he would be my-.
Speaker 1:So if we have a look on the family tree, that would be your great-great-granddad.
Speaker 2:My great-great-granddad.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Is it just a solid line of petty crime going right through time?
Speaker 1:You know what? No, actually, I know you're going to be, I know you're going to be quite shocked. So this is your great-great-granddad, benjamin Holmes. Okay, and this is what he was up to in 1885.
Speaker 2:Benjamin Holmes, farmer of Thornton, aged about 50 years, and following Thornton young men Joseph Austin, Samson and Western. They were charged with gambling on Sunday last the police found the defendants playing nap behind a card game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, card game yeah.
Speaker 2:Playing nap behind a barn on a land occupied by Benjamin Holmes. Oh right, and about 50 yards from the highway and by the end of a powerful telescope they saw a distance of 250 yards, money changing hands. Benjamin Holmes said to be the ring leader of the gamblers in the district. He was fined 40 shillings and costs. The other defendants were fined five shillings and costs were the exception. Right, so he's running illegal gambling schools behind his house.
Speaker 1:In his farm yeah. So, he's a farmer, but he's got this little gambling ring going on on the side.
Speaker 2:It's a soft gig. You need to diversify.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and you know a little card game here and there.
Speaker 2:I've not got a problem with that.
Speaker 1:No, you're right with that.
Speaker 2:Great granddad.
Speaker 1:Now there's also somebody else that, um, that I, that I want to pick up on, and that is still on the on your biological father's side of the tree. We're gonna have a look at your great grandmother side of the tree, okay, and they're really interesting, because what they do, matt, they're from a family of gas fitters. Right now I know you're probably thinking Well, that's very interesting, you know.
Speaker 2:You know what, though, go on. For probably about a year, I worked for a gas company no way digging holes. All I did was dig holes okay.
Speaker 1:And they laid the gas pipes, they they fitted all the gas Insulations while I dug the holes from okay, so can I just say then, if we go down that side of the family tree, they were gas fitters, but they were gas fitters at a time where gas was just being introduced into this country.
Speaker 1:So this was right yeah, but this is like right at the forefront of Gas lighting. You know, the old gas lamps that you would see that were being replaced. Before that we had oil and then, before that, candles and the invention, you know, of gas lighting totally revolutionized the way people worked and lived, and they were remained gas fitters Right throughout the 19th century.
Speaker 2:It's just, it just. It seems strange to know this stuff. Yeah, years of not knowing and wondering sort of it's funny, you teach. After a while you teach yourself this little trick to not allow yourself to speculate anymore, you do just think fuck it, I'm not gonna, I'm never gonna know this, so stop thinking about it. And now I Know I feel a bit overwhelmed by it. Yeah just the little bits of information you're giving me all feels a bit. I love it.
Speaker 1:So you have a connection to food. Yes right, I didn't know anything about the gas fitting. That's completely new to me. But I do know that you like music.
Speaker 2:I do. I love music. Yeah, I've made a living out of DJing and working in radio for, yeah, 20, 25 years.
Speaker 1:Would you be shocked if I told you that on your mum's side, if we go down your mum's dad side, which is the pilot side, that. Leo.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we go down the Doris gurney side. Yeah, your great-great-grandfather was a music professor, or let me say he called himself a music professor.
Speaker 2:There's a big difference between being one and calling yourself one. Well, what's the title, though?
Speaker 1:The problem is I couldn't find any records to suggest that you'd been to music college any legally binding letters or contracts but. I'd like to just show you this now. This is the census from 1891, and if you just sort of Zoom in, you should find your great-great-granddad, george gurney.
Speaker 2:George gurney. Oh yeah, George, head Professor of music. He's just said that as any dragon is calling himself a professor of music.
Speaker 1:I know, because I've searched all the newspapers, that he is offering music lessons. I know he plays the piano forte, does it. He's got a few choirs, a few church choirs, going on um and I think in the early days, I think he's making a Reasonable living for himself, right, so I think he's obviously earning enough. That is Supporting the family and and they're doing all right and we can tell that by where they're living. But then I found another newspaper article that I'd like to show you. So that's the census from 1891.
Speaker 2:He's been gambling around the back of a shed. I see.
Speaker 1:So this is from. This is from 1907. This is your great-great-granddad.
Speaker 2:Application for commitment. The rate collector of camborn. Camborn, cornwall.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Which is where my grandparents later retired. The rate collector of camborn applied on behalf of the overseers for the commitment of George gurney Uh piano piano forte piano forte tuner for the non-payment of rates.
Speaker 2:Oh, hang on, is he being done for some of it? Here there's a running theme no, what's he done? Not paid. Did the Cornelia State that he had visited the house of Mr Gurnian, found nothing upon to destrain? The furniture in the house was on a higher purchase system. Defendant stated that he had no definite work, relying upon casual tuning jobs. He had paid rates for 20 years but lately had to depend upon friends for help in keeping his family. They were eight in all, a family of eight. So he's got into financial difficulty.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And is this like the debt collectors coming?
Speaker 1:around Basically. Yeah, the bailiffs are coming around.
Speaker 2:But they can't take anything. They can't take the furniture. He's got a fin on tick. Exactly yeah, and replied to the deputy clerk. Defendant stated that his case had been considered by the overseers but they could not see their way to excuse him of payment. The bench committed defendant for 14 days but suspended the order for 14 days, which means that unless the money is paid within 14 days, he will be sent to prison, case adjourned. It says in big letters Wow, okay, and this is the good guy in the family.
Speaker 1:So this is in 1907. The next record we have for the family is the 1911 census.
Speaker 2:Now your great grandmother, Doris which I know the name Doris.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is on that census, but her and her three sisters are not living with her dad, george, and the rest of the family. They're somewhere else. They're in a convent, a convent. A convent being taught by nuns.
Speaker 2:And do you think this is because of the difficulty?
Speaker 1:because if he had a family of eight there that they were saying he's obviously a religious man, right, and it's funny if you look at the censuses. He starts off as a music professor, right. Then, as we're getting sort of into the present, closer to the present, it then changes to an organ player or a piano forte tuner, and I can't find any evidence that he's actually still doing music lessons. So he was advertising relentlessly in the local press.
Speaker 2:Professor of music.
Speaker 1:Professor of music. Come to the house, I'll give you music lessons, or I can come to you and I'll give you music lessons. I don't know whether, because the convent school was also an orphanage, I don't know whether he's put the girls in the orphanage it's not clear or whether he's put the girls in a convent school, hoping that they'll come out and be nuns. I'm not quite sure, but they're not. They are separated.
Speaker 2:Well, this whole theme. So my grandpa Leo Pilly, who would have been his grandchild.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:He by the end of his life. He was a deacon of the Roman Catholic Church down in St Ives and Cornwall. He built himself up to deacon. He married me and my wife. He did the ceremony.
Speaker 2:But, before he got to graduate in the church, I don't know, but before he was ordained as a deacon he was the organ player in the choir and he had an organ in his house and whenever we visited I just associate church organ music with my grandpa and he's clearly got his love of baby Jesus and his love of the organ from his fellow.
Speaker 1:Well, believe it or not, religion plays quite a big part in your tree. So I don't know why I'm shocked because I know you. So the home side, they're Quakers. Going back Quakers, they're Quakers, yeah. And then if we flick to Quakers, if we flick to the other side of your family tree, which is the Merrick side of your tree, yes, and we go to your great-great-grandfather, which is Alfred Merrick. Alfred Merrick he was a miner at the Warsaw Wood, coloury in Justinia, staffordshire. I've actually got his obituary Now. He was a real pillar of the community Matthew Soak he was. He was he worked at the Coloury for 50 years. He was a foreman at the Coloury. During that time he'd witnessed change in the way working conditions were for miners and also some quite serious accidents. He was one where a 15-year-old lad was tragically killed and you could tell he was absolutely gutted by it. You know he said the lad was a fantastic worker and you know he was a brilliant boy, so he'd seen some really tough times. He was also part of the Odd Fellows.
Speaker 2:The Odd Fellows.
Speaker 1:The Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows. He was the vice chairman, which are a bit, I suppose, like-.
Speaker 2:The Freemasons.
Speaker 1:A bit like the Freemasons.
Speaker 2:Oh, the old secret handshake, you know. Yeah, was he?
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was. He was vice chairman of their branch of the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows and Friendly Society. So he was really Friendly Society, friendly Society. So he was really involved in the community. And when he died there's quite a long bit during the newspaper for him. Oh really. And considering you know he's a working-class bloke, he lives in a very normal two-down house. He's a miner for 50 years. It really is quite a bit. I thought I'd let you just have a quick read. I don't even just want to pick bits out.
Speaker 2:Alfred Merrick undertook mission work at Clayhanger when my predecessor comes to his parish, under great difficulties at times. These words were uttered by Reverend Jack Stackhouse at the funeral of the late Mr Alfred Merrick of 9 King Street. The vicar said it was unusual for him to give an address. Oh, so they gave out his address. The vicar said it was unusual for him to give out an address at a funeral service but under the special circumstances of the passing Mr Merrick felt that he must do so.
Speaker 2:If the history of Holy Trinity mission was ever to be compiled, mr Merrick would be shown as having contributed largely to its foundation and success. Of the Holy Trinity mission he had been a real builder. Oh, this is what a sentence. He'd been a real builder of God's kingdom and a worker for the great cause of fellowship. His work lived today and they thanked God unceasingly for the love and devotion that he had given. Mr Merrick was a native of Leicestershire but went to reside as a boy with his parents in Sheffield. When he left school he went for a short time as a farm worker Again farm work, but then I suppose a lot of people do in farm work. But then when they were a farm worker but left that to enter the colliery and had worked at the copis copis colliery for 50 years until he retired three years ago owing to failing health. Oh, he only got three years as a retiree. He was 69 years of age during that time and had crowned much useful activity into his life. He only got three years after he retired.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine, though, working down the pits for 50 years?
Speaker 2:I couldn't imagine working down the pits for 50 minutes, all four conditions. But what a guy To stick it. I see I get bored so easily. That's why.
Speaker 1:I do lots of different things. Yeah, yeah, of course, because I've just got no commitment.
Speaker 2:This guy went underground for 50 years.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Digging out rocks. They loved him, didn't they?
Speaker 1:When you took your DNA test?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:What it also did. It notes your traits and it actually tells me where you get some of your traits from, and I thought we could go through some of those traits. Yes, please.
Speaker 2:I like that. Are you ready? Yes, I am Right, this is fun Okay. It's better in this bit.
Speaker 1:Okay. So before I actually do that, I'm going to give your ethnicity breakdown. Oh. Ancestry, do it in a way where I can actually tell you what side of the tree you get this from. Wow. So you inherit 50% of your DNA from your mum and 50% of your DNA from your dad, and then obviously, as it goes back, grandparents, 25%. It gets less and less From your mum's side. You are 28% England and Northwestern Europe. Okay.
Speaker 1:From your dad's side, you are 16%, okay 16% English Western Europe. Yeah, that's correct. Ireland 17% from your mum, 16% from your dad, oh shit, yeah. Scotland non-Norntor from your mum, 12% from your dad's side. Norway 0% from your mum, but 6% from your dad.
Speaker 2:Bit of Norway, yeah.
Speaker 1:Bit of Norway. I like that. Sweden and Denmark 5% from your mum, 0% from your dad. So if we put those figures together, you are 44% England and Northwestern Europe, 33% from Ireland, 12% Scottish, 6% from Norway and 5% Sweden and Denmark.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. I went to live in Sweden for a year.
Speaker 1:I did you.
Speaker 2:There's lots of little bits in this.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But somehow serendipity, I don't know. But yeah, I lived in Sweden for a year. Love the Swedes and the Norwegians, the Scandinavians, good.
Speaker 1:Right, so now we're going to have a look at your traits. Oh Okay, are you ready? So let's have a look at some of these.
Speaker 2:Nice traits, though.
Speaker 1:Hangriness.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:So did you know that hangriness is a biological thing? Is it it? Is, and your DNA suggests that you don't get hungry.
Speaker 2:I don't think I do.
Speaker 1:See, I do. I'm a nightmare. If I've not had food, I'm fuming.
Speaker 2:I don't think I do, but I mean I've usually got like a little something in my pocket to eat. There's always food.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't get a chance to get hungry.
Speaker 1:It suggests from your DNA that you are more of a night person than a morning person.
Speaker 2:Would, you say that's pretty true, a hundred percent true, okay.
Speaker 1:Picky eater Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, not a picky eater. Okay, I like nice food, like I mean, my family would say I'm a picky eater.
Speaker 1:Okay, so it actually says here your DNA suggests that you are a bit of a picky eater, matty.
Speaker 2:I mean, my family would say that too. But I choose what I eat carefully.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:See, I'm defending that. I'll not have taken offense to that picky eater.
Speaker 1:This is interesting Risk taking.
Speaker 2:Oh go on.
Speaker 1:So your DNA suggests that you have a strong tendency to take risks. Yeah. And that is very high, by the way, that's like right at the top. Is it yeah, 80%, yeah, more than 80% of the population. You are taking risks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I guess I am. I just yeah. Oh yeah, take risks, I'm a risk taker.
Speaker 1:You're a risk taker.
Speaker 2:I like that.
Speaker 1:Okay, two more Taking naps Now. Your DNA suggests that actually you don't take many naps.
Speaker 2:No, I don't. I think a bit of it is that fear of missing out. Yeah, of course, I think I want to sleep when everyone else is asleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I don't miss anything.
Speaker 1:Dancing. Now, weirdly, your DNA suggests that you like to dance, yeah.
Speaker 2:But there's a. Interestingly the way you said that was not. My DNA says that I can dance. My DNA says that I like to Like to dance yeah. I do like to, but I can't.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we're not going to see you on strictly then anytime soon.
Speaker 2:No, but the money they pay, I'll take it. I'd be the amwidicum. I'd be happy to be the comedy one, no problem.
Speaker 1:That'd be me in the jungle, like I'm absolutely petrified of heights. But I'll take that cap. Yeah, but I'll have it. Yeah, matty, can I just say thank you so much for jumping on the podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Has that hopefully answered some questions for you and your, you know, oh mate.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't think you you probably do realise, but this last half hour or so it's it's changed my life because for 30 years, since I was told that my dad wasn't my biological dad, for 30 years I've had this thing in my head. And when you try and imagine him because I've never allowed myself to picture what he looks like it's just this kind of blurry face. But now I've got an image of a man. I know a bit about him. I know one side of my family tree now that I didn't know. I know a little bit more about my mum's side of the family, some stuff. You know some names. I recognised it. Just it feels and I don't know sort of over-egg this, but it just feels like a few pieces inside me have clicked into place a little bit more. I know who I am a little bit more.
Speaker 1:You said in the past when you were growing up, you know you didn't look like maybe you're a sibling.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we, yeah. I don't particularly look like my brother, I'm not looking for him on. I'm sure, I'm sure they'll.
Speaker 1:yeah, let's hope they're not listening 100%. When I saw that picture I thought, wow, you can tell you are related.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that I like that. I've never in all the years that I've kind of yearned to know who he was. It's never been about me rebuilding a relationship with him or getting to know him. It was always I just want to know what this guy looks like. I just want to know what he looks like. And now not only do I know what he looks like, but I know a little bit more about him as a person and what his temperament and personality may have been like, and that's, that's enough for me.
Speaker 1:Matthew, thank you so much for coming on. It's been an absolute pleasure and hopefully, when I dig a bit further, you might, you might come on again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I might.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if there's anyone else we need to find, let me know.
Speaker 2:I just want to know a bit more about these illegal card schools that were going on in the back of in the back of his shed.
Speaker 1:Trust you. Good bit that right. Trust you. So that is it for this week. A huge thank you to my guest, matthew White. Also, I must thank my sponsor, whitney Antiques, who couldn't do these special episodes without you. I must also give a shout out to four of my students from the University of Birmingham who have done some fantastic extra research for this episode. That's Ella Matthews, olivia Chapman, amy Boyd and Matilda Dimane. A big shout out as well to Ancestry for providing me with the DNA kit. Thank you very much. As you can see by the podcast, we had a great time learning about traits, and a huge thank you to you. Every single one of my listeners that has downloaded liked listened to this podcast in 2023. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:I started this podcast as a way for me to talk about genealogy and family history and I never would have thought it would have taken off the way it has. So, thank you. That's all down to you. So, thank you so much. Please get in contact with me. I love hearing from you. If you have an interesting family history story that you've picked up over the Christmas break, please drop me a message. You can do so via my website, which is wwwmakaylahumecom. So have a great week researching folks. I'm back in the studio this week to record another episode of this podcast and, yeah, until next week. Have a good one, bye.