In this second episode of Series Nine of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets family historian Helen Brooks and finds out how she got hooked on researching, the value in writing everything down when Great Aunties tell you stories, and how she uncovered a tragic story in 1940’s Britain.

Listen to the episode

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1712992.rss

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

The Life Story – Gertrude Lester / Sister Helene du St Sacrament

Helen has chosen to tell the life story of her paternal Great Aunt born Gertrude Lester in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England in 1894. She later became Sister Helene du St Sacrament after becoming a nun within the order Les Filles de la Sagesse.

Helen uncovered a story of a woman’s rise through her order and her work in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi), right through to a tragic accident at Croydon Aerodrome on 25th January 1947 which would see Sister Helene make the ultimate sacrifice in a moment of bravery that saved a man’s life.

With the aerodrome demolished and the site covered in housing, residents in the 1970s reported as having seen the nuns returning in a ghostly form…

The Brick Wall – George Wright

Helen’s choice of Brick Wall is someone who is not a relative at all, but instead, they’re someone who is connected to her family – he’s George Wright and he was the man that Sister Helene saved from the plane crash detailed in her Life Story choice!

• Where did George Wright go after 25th January 1947?

If you think that you can help Helen with a clue or research idea, then you can contact her via her Bluesky account. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we’ll pass it along.

Andrew and Sándor’s offer of help results in a dangerous and tricky manoeuvre…

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Credits

• Andrew Martin – Host and Producer
• Helen Brooks – Guest
• John Spike – Sándor Petőfi