Did you know that Somerset was the ‘cradle of  England’ or that Somerton was the original county Town?  And did you know that 100 hours of filming go into the one hour programme of Who Do You Think You Are; or the research takes 5-6 months?

These were just some of the facts learnt by the audience at The Friends of Somerset Archives evening with Tom Mayberry and Dr. Nick Barratt on 13^th September at Wellsprings Leisure Centre, Taunton.

Tom Mayberry, County Heritage Officer but also a well known author, singer and raconteur, spoke of the history of Somerset commencing with the Charter that King Ina, 688-728, born in Somerton, made.  This helped King Alfred the Great to form his code of laws for the whole of England, thus making Somerset the ‘cradle of England’

Tom went on, with the aid of slides, to trace the history of Somerset up to the present day.  A boring subject, some of you might think, but on the contrary, Tom made it come alive in his own inimitable style.

After an interval of wine and cheese, Dr. Nick Barratt talked of his experiences researching the subjects of Who Do You Think You Are.  He was keen to emphasise the importance of following up what you research on the Internet by looking at original documents.  You may think you have found a long lost relation on the Census returns but what if there are four with the same name, in the same town and even possibly in the same street.  Which person is your relation?  Only by looking at the original documents can you ascertain the answer to this conundrum.

He talked a little of some of the subjects of Who Do You Think You Are and how their experiences helped the media to discuss taboo subjects such as mental health.  The reaction of Bill Oddy to the news that his mother suffered mental illness led to the BBC being inundated with people saying how much this programme had helped them confront their own family histories. 

The subjects of the programme know nothing of what has been discovered of their ancestors and it is quite a shock to them to find out, as in Ainsley Harriott’s case that not only was he descended from slaves but also slave owners.  When you see the celebrity burst into tears, this is an entirely natural reaction to something of which they had no knowledge.  Friends and family are sworn to secrecy during the research which can take up to six months.