In our second episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets genealogist, author, historical interpreter, and current President of the Family History Federation – Dr. Janet Few! Janet explains how she got hooked on family history, how her One-Name Study and One-Place Studies compliment her research, and her thoughts on the direction of the genealogy industry.

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The Life Story – Ann Stratford

Janet has chosen to tell us the story of Ann Stratford born circa 1834 in the rural village of Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire, England.

She worked in the highly skilled profession of straw plaiting, often used for hats and bonnets (now a critically endangered craft). This was a skill that she learnt as a child.

Whilst being a straw plaiter was hugely skilled, this training began for many as a child, and the working conditions could lead to health implications. However, it was better paid than the jobs taken by the men working in agriculture, and unsurprisingly it was felt that women who plaited straw were of disreputable character. Was this a sign of the quality of their work, and a fear that the women would earn more than the men?

The Brick Wall – Mary Cardell

It’s a research brick wall in Highgate, London, that has Janet trying to keep up with the Cardells. Can you help?

Janet’s 2x Great Grandmother was Mary Cardell, born in about 4th-5th April in 1816-1818. It is fairly consistently noted that her birth was in Highgate, Middlesex (now in Greater London).

However, while documents containing Mary point to her father being gardener James Cardwell, she has not been able to confidently identify him as Janet hasn’t been able to find her baptism.

Janet has been able to find other Cardells in the area, with suggestions that these may be Mary’s siblings, but again, there’s nothing that connects them.

• Can you find Mary Cardell’s baptism?
• Can you find her parents?
• Can you find Mary and Philip Woolgar in the 1851 census?

If you think that you can help Janet with a research idea or clue, then you can contact her via her Granny’s Tales website, or alternatively you can send us a message and we’ll pass that along.

In the meantime, Andrew thinks he can help Janet but can he convince her to accept?

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Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin – Host and Producer
• Dr. Janet Few – Guest