A House Through Time Series 3 starts on Tuesday at 9

[Cocolapew]

An 18th century house in Bristol this time

Great! I missed the first series but saw the Newcastle one and loved it.

So looking forward to this. I think David Olusoga is an excellent story teller.

Adore this programme. So excited to see it coming back.

Placemarking.

I didn't see the first series, but I loved the Newcastle one.

Such a simple idea but so interesting

Place marking. I really enjoyed both the Liverpool and Newcastle houses. Bristol will be fascinating. I had to name my ideal job recently (idle chit chat) and named being on their research team

Late bump 😃

I haven't seen this before but it's a bit of a local angle for me so watched and enjoyed. Poor Martha!

I also know where the house is which helps - 5 mins from my office and on my running route. I miss it!

Love it, love him. Great series.

I love the way they show the research process. They must put an incredible amount of work into it to dig up the information they do.

I like it but they do make lots of assumptions. We can't know why Mrs Holbrook wasn't in the Methodist chapel list for example.

Agree. Lots of assumptions. Same as the stuff about Thomas - obviously it makes a better story if you say they locked him in the cellar but you don't know that.

I also feel for all the dozens of researchers who are beavering away behind the scenes, spending months trawling through archives and piecing it all together, then in swans David and gives the impression he's done it all!

It is a fantastic show though. Let's hope they do a Scottish one next.

I'd love to know how many houses they research before they settle on one!

And heartily agree that it would be great in the future if they would cover houses across Scotland/wales/northern Ireland.

I could be wrong but I think there were a larger number of presumptions (!) made last night purely because they went further back in time and there is a corresponding paucity of written information.

I love this programme

To be fair to the producers, so far they've done Liverpool, Newcastle and Bristol rather than London. And yes, before the 19th century, records are exceptionally patchy.

I presume that David Olusoga is choosing places that are meaningful to him. He was brought up in Newcastle, went to university in Liverpool and lives in Bristol.

I think they're 'his' documentaries iyswim rather than him just being a presenter.

I love to have known how many houses they looked at before they hit on this one - they certainly hit the jackpot on historical events.
But, as other posters have said, far too many assumptions. As soon as someone starts saying he/she 'must have', I think, 'no, they don't'. That's not history, it's wishful thinking.

I wouldn't like to think my house was built on the profits of slavery
Poor baby Martha, it wasn't a shock to learn she wasn't taken in by the family.

Really interesting episode - I don’t mind a few assumptions. I think it’s inevitable when going back that far and records are patchy.
Yes @Cocolapew, I agree, the Martha part was so sad. I would feel a bit odd knowing my house was so closely connected to the slave trade. But knowing Bristol’s past, I guess the same must apply to quite a few more houses there too.

I laughed at the bit about the pirates letting the ship go but then crossing paths with it again and burning it.

The Radio Times says they first pick the city and then a longlist of 200 houses then whittle it down to 80. They look for houses that have had quite a few residents as there is scope for more stories.

Thank you!

I too love this programme. My dream job too would be a researcher on this or on WDYTYA.

Yes lots of assumptions coming perilously close to judging 18th century people by 21st century standards.

I thought the house looked very sympathetically restored and furnished, sad that it is now v close to a busy road and next to a bock of 60's flats. I reckon that cellar was used for storing goods brought up from the docks. I wonder if the Captain went in for a bit of contraband ! she says, committing the same sin as the programme makers!

mateys my dream job too. I looked to see if there was a degree in it when I was applying in the 80s!

There is a Masters through the University of Strathclyde - covers everything about both your personal history and the history of a house or building.

www.strath.ac.uk/courses/postgraduatetaught/genealogicalpalaeographicheraldicstudies/#coursecontent