In this sixth episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin is joined by family historian, author, radio presenter and Extreme Genes podcaster, Scott Fisher. He hears how Scott got hooked on researching his family history, how he took this into radio and podcasting, and how coincidence led him to finding three photos of his ancestor.

Listen to the episode

Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and others…

The Life Story – Donald Olsen

Scott has chosen to tell the story of his half-uncle Donald Olsen, who along with his brothers, fought in the Second World War.

Donald was present at the Battle of Midway – a fierce strategic theatre of war in the Pacific, with the US Navy in combat against the Japanese forces. Despite being on board a ship that was torpedoed, he and the rest of the surviving crew managed to make a desperate and daring voyage across the ocean to safety.

However, whilst Donald did return home, marry, and raise a son, the affects of war – that he experienced and saw first-hand – appear to have laid heavy on his mind, and sadly it became too much for him.

The Brick Wall – James Stocks

It’s the origins of an ancestor James Stocks that provides a brick wall for Scott.

Whilst Scott has the marriage date of James Stocks to Catherine Margaret Tench at St. Martin’s In The Fields, Westminster, London on 7th June 1802, it’s James’ origins that are uncertain.

Most of the records that Scott has seen name James as having been born in Scotland, fewer point to England, but it’s when James goes AWOL in 1818, that a full description of him – down to his hair colour, eye colour, height, and last seen-in clothing, which appears in a newspaper, that calls him a ‘native of Scotland’.

James was born circa 1779, but aside from clues pointing to Scotland, that’s all the information that Scott can find.

• Was James Stocks really born in Scotland? If so, where?

If you think that you can help Scott to break down his brick wall, then you can send him a message via our contact form and we’ll pass it straight to him.

In the meantime, Scott finds Andrew’s offer of help full of memories, but will it shine a light in the right place?….

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Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin – Host & Producer
• Scott Fisher – Guest
• John Spike – Sándor Petőfi