S11EP09 - 'The Place' with Lori Samuelson, Debbie Bradley and Patrice Connelly

Send us a message. (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1712992/fa...) In this special extra episode in Season Eleven (https://familyhistoriespodcast.com/se...) , host Andrew Martin sets out on a visit to the Society of Genealogists, but ends up making unintentional visits to three places. Along the way he meets genealogists Lori Samuelson, Debbie Bradley, and Dr. Patrice Connelly and learns that when researching your family history, it really is All About The Place! - - This episode is recorded as part of the All About The Place event in 2026 (https://sog.org.uk/welcome-to-all-abo...) which runs with more than 150 speakers delivery almost 200 free talks from 7th October to 16th October 2026. - - THE INTERVIEW - LORI SAMUELSON Andrew's first unintentional stop is in Indiana, USA where he surprises professional genealogist Lori Samuelson (https://www.genealogyatheart.com/) . She then explains how she got hooked on researching, her love of technology, how her old boss talked her into setting up as a professional genealogist, and her thoughts on the direction of the family history industry, and concerns about cuts to the US archives. With a few adjustments, Andrew heads off on his way to the Society of Genealogists in London... THE LIFE STORY - GEORGE HENRY CLARKE with DEBBIE BRADLEY ... however, he manages to get a bit closer - arriving in Norfolk, England instead, where as if by chance, he bumps into professional genealogist, speaker, AGRA member and Administrator of the Family History Federation - Debbie Bradley (https://www.treetrace.co.uk/) . Debbie share the life story of her elusive ancestor George Henry Clarke, whose life has been a true genealogy puzzle to trace. Despite living during the time of the modern census, his constant name changes and geographic moves has led Debbie round in circles a few times, until a witness at a wedding helps to unlock the mystery. THE BRICK WALL - JOHN CARSON and MARGARET SMITH with DR. PATRICE CONNELLY Despite tweaking settings, Andrew arrives in Brisbane, Australia where he soon finds Dr. Patrice Connelly (https://genes.saraband.com.au/) - musicologist, genealogist and lecturer at University of Queensland. Patrice is trying to solve a brick wall around her ancestors John Carson and his wife Margaret Smith. She finds them marrying in Stepney, London in 1808, but would like to know more about their origins. John's career as a Mariner makes Patrice believe that he moved around a lot, and that this was perhaps the reason why his children with Margaret are baptised later than expected. • Can you help her find evidence of John Carson and Margaret Smith's early life and parents?  If you think you can help Patrice with a research clue or idea, then you can message her via the email address she gives in the episode or alternatively, you can send us a message (https://familyhistoriespodcast.com/co...) and we'll pass that right along. In the meantime, Andrew thinks he's finally got the right coordinates... but will he find the correct Place? - - Episode Credits: • Andrew Martin - Host and Producer • Lori Samuelson - Guest • Debbie Bradley - Guest • Dr. Patrice Connelly - Guest • Ruth Willmore - Guest • John Spike - Sándor Petőfi • Stephane Flux - Foley Artist Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/thefamilyhistoriesp...) Thank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter (https://subscribepage.io/familyhistpod) for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/familyhistor...) , Facebook (  / thefamilyhistoriespodcast  ) , Instagram (  / familyhistpod  ) , and Twitter (https://x.com/FamilyHistPod) . If you liked this episode please subscribe for free (https://followthepodcast.com/familyhi...) , or leave a rating or review (https://lovethepodcast.com/familyhistpod) , or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded (https://ko-fi.com/thefamilyhistoriesp...) .