We watched Who Do You Think You Are last night, the programme which traces the family tree of celebrities from a variety of fields, and last night it was the star reporter John Simpson, well-known for his marvellous and brave reporting from trouble-spots across the world.
He already knew quite a bit about his background and that he was descended from the ‘wife’ of Sam Cody, the Wild West entertainer and one of the first aviators in Britain. John Simpson started off, enthralled by the heroic exploits and fascinating life of Cody who had taken on the family of his ‘wife’, taken them on to such an extent that he pretended to be the father of the two youngest children. John’s trail led him back to the husband that Cody’s wife had abandoned, and the programme became more about him and his daughter, Simpson’s grandmother, rather than the famous cowboy. During his mission into the past, John met cousins who he had certainly not met for a long time, but it wasn’t clear, (and none of our business) the ins and outs of their personal relationships or personal family history.
I began to wonder, what happens to John Simpson and the other people who have taken part in this programme and others/ Do they maintain the contacts they have made with ‘new’ relatives? Do they delve deeper into their family history? Do they use it in some way, to write about themselves or their family, or life in general? John was very moved by the stories he discovered which led to a greater understanding of his mother, and a reflection on his attitude to his own family, his children and grandchildren, it seemed to have had a profound affect on him.
The programme ended with him commenting that he did not intend to let his family drift apart, to drift away from each other, and speaking to camera he suggested no-one else should either.
I have been very fortunate with my family because although we are separated by many miles we still remain in contact… although some of the younger cousins are beginning to drift away… except that thanks to social networking they are in contact in a more immediate way than older generations can ever have been. I have recently, in the last couple of years got in touch with a second cousin and her sister, and it is thrilling to be in contact with someone who shares my heritage, and an absolute delight to find someone I like so much. There are two other second cousins who I have lost contact with completely… I have an address for one so I will write to her. The other one I don’t where the family is settled but, again thanks to the internet I do have an address… whether it is the right person, I’m not sure. I will write and post it with fingers crossed!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-2359140
Lois Elsden 