S2 Ep11: Roots of a Fighter: Unearthing the Past with Thai Boxing Legend Liam Harrison

Join Dr Michala Hulme as she unpicks the extraordinary life of Liam "The Hitman" Harrison, the eminent eight-time Thai boxing world champion. His vibrant narrative captures a transformation from the football fields of his youth to the Muay Thai rings, where he clinched his global icon status. Liam opens up about his rise to the pinnacle of UK fighters, his storied international bouts, and how he's now pioneering the future of combat sports with his innovative coaching strategies and the burgeoning Hitman Fight League. It is a tale of passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to excellence that transcends the bounds of the sport.

The time-travelling saga doesn't stop at the ropes of the ring; we delve into the Harrison family's tree, unearthing tales of war heroism and industrious glassblowers. Discover the bravery and sacrifices made by Liam's ancestors during WWI, and the intricate papermaking legacy that followed. Each chapter of his family history, from survival stories and brushes with the law, to connections that have spanned generations, are woven together to form the tapestry of Liam's lineage. Join us for this gripping recount of personal memories and historical records, where the echoes of Liam's forebears resonate with the triumphs and challenges of his own storied career.

Useful Links:
Dr Michala Hulme
Liam Harrison
Power of One
Witney Antiques

Production Assistants:
Javareia Saleem
Lucy Stott

For research enquiries:
Rostherne Research

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This week's podcast is supported by Whitney Antiques, an antique shop in the heart of Oxfordshire specialising in historic needlework. If you would like to know more about Whitney Antiques, check out their website at wwwwhitneyantiquescom. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Unearth the Past, where we delve deep into the roots of interesting individuals to uncover the hidden gems of their family history. Now, the word legend gets bandied about quite a lot these days, but today on the show we have a man that has lived up to that word in every sense.

Speaker 1: 0:42

Liam Harrison is an eight-time Thai boxing world champion. He boasts an unrivaled record of 118 fights with 91 wins and an astounding 51 knockouts Especially impressive when you consider that he has fought some of the who's who of top contenders from every corner of the world for the past 20 years. But Liam's story doesn't end there. Beyond his accomplishments in the ring, he is also the visionary behind one of the most popular coaching apps on the internet, empowering inspiring athletes worldwide. And as if that wasn't enough, Liam now travels the world imparting wisdom through seminars to eager students, leaving an indelible mark on every student he encounters. He has also ventured into the realm of fight promotion with the Hitman Fight League, further solidifying his legacy in combat sports.

Speaker 1: 1:39

Join us as we embark on a journey with Liam, not only to uncover the tales of his ancestors. Us as we embark on a journey with Liam not only to uncover the tales of his ancestors, but also to explore the intriguing intersections between his story's past and his remarkable present. Liam Harrison. Welcome to the podcast, Liam. Thank you so much, by the way, for coming on my podcast. I really, really appreciate it.

Speaker 2: 2:03

I'm a bit nervous.

Speaker 1: 2:04

I've got a family full of jeffrey damers or something you know what right, there's not many people that I can think of that transcend a sport.

Speaker 2: 2:16

I was thinking, driving here today, of people that are almost bigger than the sport right, and that is what I see with you thank you so I imagine when you started in leisure centers, probably years ago I'm 14 when I started my my first pro fight, a week before my 15th birthday, and it wore in the leisure center uh george carnell in manchester so you started.

Speaker 1: 2:39

Then at 14 was it always tie boxing, because I know you're a football fan. Right, he's a Leeds fan. I'm not going to tell him I'm a United fan.

Speaker 2: 2:51

Oh God, I'm off.

Speaker 1: 2:53

So was it always Thai boxing, or was there ever another sport that was going to come?

Speaker 2: 2:59

in Thai. Boxing was always my only combat sport. I played a lot of football. Like you said, I'm a big football fan and I played as a kid quite regular. I got to quite decent level. What was your position? Uh, I was sent forward. Uh, I had like scouts from leeds and barnsley watching me at one point as well. I played for leed city boys. I played for a semi-professional club, farsey celtic, and even when I started fighting pro, when I was 14, up until I was 17 18 I was still playing for like the semi-professional team. Yeah, but when I got to 17, I ended up becoming UK number one now and I went to Japan to fight and I realized that I thought I can make some here. So I had to have a bit of a bit of a choice and one of them had to go and it was always going to be football, really because and I'm glad, because the experiences that I've had and the life I've got to live from it.

Speaker 1: 3:41

So, yeah, I imagine when you started there weren't many people who were doing Thai boxing as a profession. Was there anybody out there like you?

Speaker 2: 3:51

No, the money was terrible when I first started and stuff as well. Like now, though, some of the UK's guys now are getting massive purses. There's big money at stake and stuff. I'm fighting for fucking 250 quid in like working men's clubs and that like proper elite level fights in working men's club where everyone blowing smoke in your face and stuff like that when I was coming up through the ranks, um, and when I got to like my mid-20s, then like my seminars took off then and stuff like that and I didn't have to like I usually had like had a couple of part-time jobs, just like help me tick off with money and stuff, because like, like I said, like even fighting at the highest level, the purses were shit. You couldn't survive off of it. Then, into my mid twenties, on my seminar, I started coming on weekends and stuff, and then I've been doing a seminar a day actually as well, and then they took off and I ended up going all around Europe and then America and Canada and I've got to travel the world teaching and then I started world teaching, um, and then I started.

Speaker 2: 4:46

I think I was the first one to start the actual online app. I sort of stole the market with that, because everyone's been trying it since and I've just seen them all just fade away like I stole the market. But what I did as well, I didn't just get me on there, I went around and got loads of other fighters to come on there as well, because I'm not that arrogant where I think I know everything. I know there's other fighters that do certain things better than me, so I got them onto the app as well. So I sort of like I've stole the market basically with that, so it'll be anyone else coming along to do it. It's going to be tough when I've got so much on mine already. Everyone, everything everyone needs is just on there.

Speaker 1: 5:14

So you have just set up, haven't you um your own promotion?

Speaker 2: 5:18

yeah, uh, the hitman fight league, it's called and uh yeah, we've only been around for a year, but it's absolutely rocketed and, yeah, we're making waves as like one of the best promotions in Europe, already just after a year. So, yeah, I'm happy with how things are going with that.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Going back to those early days. Like you say, you were 40 when you started. I'm not going to give your age away now, right, but you've been doing it for quite a do. You still get that same buzz. So, and I imagine you know, with a football analogy I remember alex berg's insane once that once you kind of win one title you don't sit back and relax because then you know you're always thinking about the next, what's next, what's coming next? If you look back on your career, have you had time to sort of enjoy it or have you always been thinking about what's next?

Speaker 2: 6:04

I'm always thinking about what's next. Uh, winning is a drug that nothing else can compare to on earth, like when you get your hand raised after a real hard fight and you're the one who's got your hand raised and that that feeling is is unrivaled, nothing come close to it. So I guess I'm always chasing that feeling. But, yeah, I've had to have a bit of time off because I've been injured recently and that's been shit, but I'm fighting again in June, so I can't stop thinking about it. Already. It's 11 weeks away still and I'm still. I can't wait. I just can't wait to get back in there and I'm getting on a bit now as well. But the buzz is that first time when every day when I walk into the gym, it's still the same buzz. When I train, every fight I have, it's still just as good as that. That first time I ever won it's yeah, I'm not getting bored of it now I looked at how many fights you'd had.

Speaker 1: 6:54

You've had 118 fights. Yeah, wow, 91 victories after you've won your first world title. Where'd you, where'd you go from that, like, because you are the best in the world and you've been the best in the world eight times? I can't think of another sports person you know who who has done that. That is, I was just obsessed with it.

Speaker 2: 7:18

yeah, I was obsessed, um, when I was at school, I was like I had my first pro fight when I was just a week before my 15th birthday. So I went just actually obviously at school at the time and stuff, and I was at school. I was like I had my first pro fight when I was just a week before my 15th birthday. So I went to obviously at school at the time and stuff, and I was just sat in lessons. I was paying no attention whatsoever to what were happening. I was just daydreaming about fighting. I just could not stop thinking about it. That's all I was ever doing. I was looking at the teacher and I'm like, slipping a punch, sat there and she's going what are you doing, liam? I went, oh sorry, I don't know, but that's how obsessed I was. I would just sat there and I'm thinking I'm going to do this in my next fight. And he's like, are you paying attention? I'm like, no, not one bit sorry, but yeah, that's how it was.

Speaker 2: 7:56

I won my first world title I think I was 18 or against a real tough Italian fighter and I beat him and I stopped him in round four and they all started throwing bottles at me when I was in the ring all the Italians Because what he did was I stopped him with leg kicks and he turned his back and the referee should have waved it off but he didn't. So I just ran over and booted him up his arse and all the Italians started throwing bottles at me when I was in the ring. But yeah, that was my first win. And then to go over into someone's backyard and do it as well, that was just such a buzz. When he came out to ring and everyone was cheering for him and then everyone like booing me and stuff. I loved it. And again, like that rush that I got from that, I was like, oh, won a world title, I'm not stopping here, let's see what else we can do.

Speaker 1: 8:39

Now, I know, got a fight coming up this year and you're going to keep fighting. Looking back on your career, what do you want your legacy to be? I've already mentioned that I think you're a trailblazer and I think you've paved the way for other fighters now coming up, especially in terms of money, in terms of, I think, the treatment of fighters. But what do you want your legacies to be?

Speaker 2: 8:57

I just want to be remembered as that guy who, like always used to like bring entertainment and value for money. When I used to fight, I would always be involved in the fight of the night and always exciting. Yeah, I want to be able to inspire. I want people to look and see oh, that's just a kid from a council estate in Leeds who's really made something of himself and stuff like that. So, yeah, just that really.

Speaker 1: 9:19

Was there anyone else in your family, by the way? That was like, how did you?

Speaker 2: 9:23

My cousin Andy's five times world champion of anyone else in your family, by the way. That was like, how did you? My cousin Andy is five times world champion, so he was the one who actually brought me to the gym when I was 14. He said, oh, when I was 13 I won when I started. And he said, oh, I'd never even heard of Thai boxing. I didn't even know what it was because all I was interested at the time was football in. I said, what like, like kickboxing. But no, no, it's different. I don't know he's, I'm from a bit of a rough area so far. What I'm doing a lot, I'm like because you can't fight where I'm from you to get eaten alive.

Speaker 2: 9:49

Yeah, um. So I walked in the gym and the first time I walked in and that gym where I've trained now I've trained there for all my career that started in 1992. I went there in 1998 and when I went they had loads of british champions and and European champions and I remember I walked through the gym doors for the first time and I'm like Jesus Christ, I'm like what's this?

Speaker 2: 10:07

and I seen them all kicking the pads and being rash, rash rash and all this noise and the smell of the boxing oil and all that, and the gym we were in is a bit of a shit hole, but it's like a rocky gym, like just that hard work goes on there. And I remember walking in for the first time thinking wow, what is this? And yeah, I'm not worried, I was just hooked.

Speaker 1: 10:27

That was it Right. Well, should we delve into your family tree? Let's go. So we're going to start your tree then with your great grandfather, albert Harrison. He was born in 1908. And just before the war in 1939, we have something called the 1939 Register, and I found him on the register. He's living at 16 Neville Walk and he's employed as a labourer. I can say that you are definitely on your dad's side, leeds.

Speaker 2: 10:56

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 10:56

What does Leeds mean to you?

Speaker 2: 11:00

Yeah, I'm a big football fan as well.

Speaker 1: 11:01

I love the football team.

Speaker 2: 11:02

My dad's a big football fan, so are my granddad. Yeah, I love Leeds. I'm a big football fan as well. I love the football team. My dad's a big football fan, so are my granddad. Yeah, I love Leeds. I love that. And before I say we're from a bit of a rough area and that LS9 is renowned for being a bit like rough and ready and that way we're from, but yeah, I love it around there.

Speaker 1: 11:14

Well, that's good because, as I say, the Harrisons Leeds through and through, found Albert on the 1939 register. Also at the address is his wife, ada Booth, and his mum Teresa. Then the next record that I found him on was something called the 1921 census and he's living with his mum Ada, his dad James and his two brothers, and they're living at 10 Greenfield Terrace. Now I know that the family must have moved to that address sometime before 1918, because I managed to find Albert's dad, which would be your great, great granddad. I managed to find his World War I record, oh wow, which I was going to show you. So he was in the RAF. Did you know any of your ancestors? Liam had been in the war.

Speaker 2: 12:04

No, no, no, I think I actually I met my. Did you know any of your ancestors, liam, had been in the war? No, no, no, I think I actually I met my great-grandad one time, I think.

Speaker 1: 12:09

Did you?

Speaker 2: 12:10

I think when I was really young. Right, okay, that's pretty cool, that isn't it?

Speaker 1: 12:18

James Harrison. Liam's great-great-grandad was born in Leeds in 1871. His World War I service record reveals that he joined the RAF on the 11th of July 1918 as an aircraft hand. He is described as being 45 years old, five foot four and three quarters, with a ruddy complexion and light brown hair. His character is described as very good. His service record reveals that he served in France between 2 August 1918 and 30 January 1919.

Speaker 1: 12:49

During this time, the RAF were taking part in the Battle of Amiens, which began on 8 August to 11 August. This was when over 1,900 aircraft joined over 500 tanks from the Tank Corps and more than 2,000 guns from the Royal Artillery to launch a joint offensive against the Germans at the River Somme, just to the east of Amiens. This joint attack was the first of the 100 days offensive, which was a series of joint allied attacks which would eventually lead to the end of World War I on the 11th of November 1918. Now he is not the only one of your family to be involved in the war effort. In fact, all your great granddads are involved in some fashion in World War I, as you probably would expect.

Speaker 2: 13:35

Yes.

Speaker 1: 13:35

Sticking with James Harrison, liam's great-great-grandad. The next record I have for him prior to the war is the 1911 census. On this census he is living with his wife, teresa Wood, and his seven children in a two up two down terrace on Beckett Street. He is also working as a general labourer at the local soap work, a job which he held for the next decade. Now, unfortunately, I wasn't able to confidently go back past James with the paper records and that's because I am not 100% sure who his father is. On his marriage to Teresa Wood the father is listed as James Harrison, a greengrocer. His birth certificate doesn't list a father's name, but his mum is listed as Anne Harrison and the address they are living at is East Street.

Speaker 1: 14:19

Once I got the address, I decided to search East Street on the census and in 1871, I find a young James, his mum, anne, and his siblings all living on East Street. However, they do not have the surname Harrison. They have the name Oddie and the head of the household is a James Oddie and husband, and he is a greengrocer. All the children also have the surname Oddie. So could James Oddie the greengrocer be James Harrison's dad? Well, we'll never know, not unless the closest person living to James Harrison takes a DNA test Going back to Albert Harrison, which is your grandad. He marries a lady called Barbara Woodhead.

Speaker 2: 15:07

Yeah, my grandmother.

Speaker 1: 15:09

Yeah, do those names familiar for you Yep Now. Barbara's parents were called Tom and her mum was called Edith.

Speaker 2: 15:17

Yeah, edith, yeah, do you remember Edith? Yeah, I remember.

Speaker 1: 15:19

Edith, we're going to stick with Edith's line, if that's all right for the time being. Edith Keady, liam's great-grandmother, was born in 1920 in Leeds. She's the daughter of Nellie and James Keady. James, liam's great-great-grandad was born in 1889 in Leeds and he spent his young years working as a glassblower.

Speaker 1: 15:40

Glassblowing has been on the Keady side of Liam's tree for generations. The first physical record I have that mentions the profession is Liam's five times great grandad, james Keady's apprenticeship indenture contract. James was born in Newcastle in 1795 and his indenture record, from when he was 14, states that his apprenticeship would last seven years. In that time he would be paid three shillings six a week for the first year, rising to eight shillings per week in year seven. It was his son, also called James, that moved the Keedys from Durham via Rotherham and then to Leeds. The last of the Keedys to be involved in the glass industry was Liam's great-great-grandad, james. He worked for Lax and Shaw, a Leeds glass company founded by Thomas Lax and John Shaw in 1891. By the time we get to the start of the 20th century, the profession that had been in the Keady family for well over 100 years was becoming increasingly more unstable Competition from abroad and advances in technology, which led to the mechanisation of glassblowing, meant that glassblowers like James were increasingly out of work in the lead-up to World War I.

Speaker 1: 16:52

In 1914, at the start of World War I, james and his three brothers, arthur, thomas and John, all sign up. James signs up in Leeds on the 19th of December 1914 and joins the Royal Field Artillery as a gunner. At the time of his enlistment he's 25 years old and working as a glassblower. James's older brother, arthur, signs up at the end of November 1915 and he joins the Yorkshires before being transferred to the Royal Engineers. The youngest two brothers, thomas and John, also join the war effort. Thomas signs up in 1914 and he joins the 6th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment known as the Green Howards. John, the youngest of the four, signs up to the West Yorkshire Regiment and he quickly rises up the ranks and by 1916 is a sergeant regiment. And he quickly rises up the ranks and by 1916 is a sergeant. James, liam's great-great grandad, arthur and John, all saw active service in France during the war. However, thomas's military career took a different path. Thomas remained in Britain for training for most of 1914 and for the first half of 1915.

Speaker 1: 18:02

On the 3rd of July 1915, the battalion leaves Liverpool and embarks on a seven-day journey to Mudros, which was an Allied camp in Greece. The battalion were about to play their part in one of the worst fronts of World War I, gallipoli. Attacking Gallipoli was seen as a strategic battle that would relieve pressure off Britain's ally, russia. It would also mean that allied ships would be able to pass through the Dardanelles and take Turkey out of the war. On the 6th of August, thomas and his comrades were on a landing craft heading to Silver Bay. This would be his first experience of combat. The boat reaches the shore sometime after 10 o'clock in the evening. As they disembark, the Turkish troops are raining bullets at them. The order was given not to fire. Instead they were to charge with their bayonets. Private Mick Mordew stated it was like facing certain death, but our regiment, who were the first to land, never faltered.

Speaker 1: 19:08

Thomas and his regiment continued fighting. At three o'clock on the 21st of August, the battalion attacked enemy trenches just south of Hill 50. Several men were killed and injured. The following day at ten o'clock in the evening, the Yorkshires made their way back to the beach. Missing from the group was Thomas. He was officially declared missing on the 22nd of August 1915. Eight months later this was changed to killed in action. He was 24 years old. His body was never recovered, but he does have a memorial plaque in Gallipoli. The battle in Gallipoli was seen as a military disaster with huge losses on both sides. The fighting would last for 10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days before the troops were eventually evacuated.

Speaker 1: 20:00

While news was filtering back home that Thomas had been officially killed in action, james, liam's great-great-grandfather, and his two brothers, arthur and John, were fighting in France. Arthur and James were on the front line with their respective regiments. The youngest of the four brothers, john, had arrived in France in the February of 1916. John was part of the 17th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment. John was part of the 17th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment. While fighting with the battalion on the 13th of April, he was shot twice by a sniper and was fatally wounded. Both James and Arthur survived the war, although Arthur does receive treatment in hospital in 1916 because he is exposed to a gas attack. So at the four lads, two are killed, one's injured.

Speaker 2: 20:49

The poor mum, I guess.

Speaker 1: 20:52

I have got a newspaper article if you want to see it.

Speaker 2: 20:55

Oh, yeah, please.

Speaker 1: 20:55

I'll just let you have a look at that.

Speaker 2: 21:01

That's pretty cool, isn't it? Well, not the fact that he got shot in his head.

Speaker 1: 21:03

I know what you mean.

Speaker 2: 21:04

Yeah, I said that before. I just read that part. He was shot in the head twice your great, great grandad, james Keady.

Speaker 1: 21:12

Do you want to see a picture of him?

Speaker 2: 21:14

yeah, I'm trying to like picture in my head who I think he looks like in family, but I can't really no can't really tell how old will he have been there then?

Speaker 1: 21:21

He looks quite dapper, don't he though? Yeah, he does.

Speaker 2: 21:23

Yeah, looks like a, looks like something off of Kiki Blinders or something, bang this flat cap on his head.

Speaker 1: 21:30

Before we move on from the Woodhead-Keedy side of the tree, I just want to talk a little bit about Liam's great-great-grandad, Tom Woodhead, who was married to Elsie Ronsley. Tom was born in 1893 in Leeds and he was a coal miner, as was his dad. In the August of 1914 he marries Elsie and then he joins the war effort as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery. Although he survives the war while on active service, at the end of the war he catches pneumonia which sadly proved fatal. He died on the 21st of February 1919 in Leeds and he is buried in Hare Hills Cemetery. So he was involved in the war effort. While he was serving he caught pneumonia and then he sadly passed away. Shane it yeah.

Speaker 2: 22:18

Got through the war and then that's it.

Speaker 1: 22:21

got through the war Got taken down by pneumonia.

Speaker 2: 22:23

Pneumonia You'd be gutted, wouldn't you Get all the way through? You haven't met it, and then boom dead.

Speaker 1: 22:29

You wouldn't be filming though, wouldn't you, if you got through all the war and all the fighting and then pneumonia now going to go a step back to his dad, to your great, great great grandfather, and he was called John William Woodhead. I have got a picture of your three times great grandmother, sarah Jane Ross. She is married to John William Woodhead, who we've just spoke about. Would you like to see a picture of her?

Speaker 2: 22:57

Yeah, please, bloody hell. They didn't have the looks on that side of the family, did they? Jesus Christ, that's a belter.

Speaker 1: 23:10

So I'm going to ask tentatively does she look like a little family?

Speaker 1: 23:15

Yeah, let me have a look, I don't know, no, no, Sorry to interrupt the podcast, but this will only take 60 seconds Now, as many of you know, I'm a proud supporter of the Power of One, which is an amazing organisation that supports women across the globe who have dedicated their lives to animal rescue. One organisation that we are supporting is Animal Friends of Turkey. This UK registered charity, founded by the brilliant Carol Holbrook, has a simple aim, and that's to find a way of offering loving and caring family homes in the UK for the abused and abandoned street animals in Turkey. Currently, the charity is desperately trying to expand one of their sanctuaries, run by Brenda Gibson, so they can provide a safe play area, home experience and more secure enclosures for the dogs in their care. In order to do this, they need to raise £9,000 and they are totally reliant on public donation.

Speaker 1: 24:16

Now, I know times are tough. I know times are hard. If you could donate anything a pound, five pound that would be great. But if you can't and I never say this all the time please just spread the word about this remarkable organization. All the details about the organization, the power of one and the charity, animal friends of turkey can be found in the podcast description. Thank you so much for listening. Now back to liam's family tree. I'm just gonna delve then into your mum's side of the tree.

Speaker 2: 24:47

It's hard work because they're all over the place your mum's dad is all scotland.

Speaker 1: 24:52

Yeah right, uh, dundee, yeah, dundee, all scotland.

Speaker 2: 24:56

Your mum's mum is somerset yeah, yes, did you know that? Yeah, and it's living near wookiee hall.

Speaker 1: 25:03

So the whole family is from Wookiee. I didn't even know this was a place right? Are you from Somerset, Do you know Wookiee? It's lovely, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 25:16

Yeah, it's beautiful. Have you been? Yeah, when my grandma, her sister, had a big farm down there.

Speaker 1: 25:23

Right.

Speaker 2: 25:24

Yeah, we went down and stayed for a while, for like a week or so, on a farm. It was beautiful.

Speaker 1: 25:29

So your grandmother was Molly Cox. Yeah yeah, her dad, your great grand, your great granddad, was a gentleman called Harold James Cox, and he was born in 1907 in Wookiee Hall, as we just mentioned, in Somerset. He was a papermaker. I think that's literally all they did in that village. He was a papermaker, his wife was called Agnes Maud Stock, and Henry was one of 12 children born to your great-great-grandparents Adolphus Frederick Cox and Harriet Chambers.

Speaker 2: 26:07

Pretty cool names, aren't they? Adolphus.

Speaker 1: 26:09

Adolphus, isn't that amazing.

Speaker 2: 26:13

Yeah, how do you spell that?

Speaker 1: 26:15

A-D-O-L-P-H-U-S. If you I'm not sure if you have kids, but if you're going to have kids, I feel you should carry this on Adolphus.

Speaker 2: 26:24

Adolphus yeahus, I don't think I'll get away with that one no, if I'm honest, yeah, you'll probably end up single, but I managed to find uh, adolphus cox.

Speaker 1: 26:33

I managed to find his obituary in the newspaper. He died in 1939. I know quite. I know a bit about him. So he was was a papermaker. He loved cricket. He was pretty good at playing cricket. He was a real pillar of the community. He was part of the Methodist church and he had a keen interest quote in all village affairs. Has that surprised you?

Speaker 2: 26:58

Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, To be fair, I don't know much about my grandma's side of that family and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 27:04

Yeah, adolphus's parents were called Henry Cox and Anne Allen. The Allens were the only members of Liam's Wookiee ancestors not to be involved in papermaking. Anne's father was called Samuel and her mum was called Charlotte, and these would be Liam's four times great-grandparents. The Allens owned a beer house called the New Inn. The Beer House Act of 1830 enabled any ratepayer to brew and sell beer if they acquired a licence for two guineas. Beer houses had their hours restricted on a Sunday and I think it's fair to say that Samuel didn't always stick to the rules. He was caught twice by PC Little, once at four o'clock on a Sunday with drinkers on the premises, where he was fined a pound, and coss day, with drinkers on the premises where he was fined a pound and costs. And on another Sunday he was caught again by PC Little, this time with three neighbours drinking in the pub at 11.35 in the morning and he was fined two pounds and costs. The Allen family left the new inn sometime in the late 1870s.

Speaker 1: 28:04

In 1880, some servants of a local man named Frederick Downing were travelling home when they found Samuel's body slumped on the bank of a brook. Samuel was alive and made some groaning noises and as he tried to get up, he fell into the brook, hitting his head in the process. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was taken back to the new inn where his inquest was held, your great grandad, harold James Cox. He was married to a lady called Agnes Maud Stock and she was born in 1908. Her dad was called Henry William Stock and her mum was called Agnes May Foot right, and I'm going to come back to her in a minute. Now I managed to research the stock side of your family tree back seven generations, well to the, to the 1680s, to the time of isaac newton and to the founding of pennsylvania. So your seven times great grandfather is a gentleman called israel stock I've got pretty cool names, aren't they?

Speaker 2: 29:08

they, I know.

Speaker 1: 29:08

Do you know what it beats like John? Doesn't it Like 50 million like John?

Speaker 2: 29:13

I like the name Israel. It's a good name.

Speaker 1: 29:14

Yeah, Israel Adolphus. If we just come back down a bit more into the present and we go to your four times great grandfather, he was also called Israel Stock, which was why I was able to find him, because everybody's called Israel.

Speaker 2: 29:26

Right, he was find him, because everybody's called israel.

Speaker 1: 29:28

Right, he was born in 1808 and, shock horror, he was a paper maker. I did find, though, uh, with him. I found him on a few census records saying that he was a paper maker, and he was. As I mentioned, he was born in 1808, but he died in 1852, and I thought to myself that's quite young isn't it to die. So I did manage to find what happened to him and I discovered that he was actually admitted to the Somerset County Lunatic Asylum. Now I don't want to say, does it run in the family?

Speaker 2: 30:05

I've been waiting for this part. Yeah, it's got to come out somewhere, it's got to come from somewhere. Everyone's insane at this end of the family now it doesn't say it doesn't say why no?

Speaker 1: 30:16

no, it doesn't say why I would be interested in that but I do know that he dies there right. So he dies there. I'm pretty sure I've done a bit of research. I'm pretty sure this is a proper sort of lunatic asylum, some asylums also doubled up as hospitals, yeah, and proper where all the crazies go. Well, you said, didn't you, you wanted a bit of crazy in your family yeah, um, that's.

Speaker 1: 30:38

It's got to come from somewhere, so yeah, but you know, as I say, um, I think it might have come from him, but but I don't know why he's admitted. But I do know that he does die in there the year later. Now I mentioned Agnes May Foote a short while ago, and she was born in 1870. Her parents were Thomas Reid Foote and Sarah Ann Brindley. I've got a picture of Thomas Reid Foote if you'd like to see it.

Speaker 1: 31:06

It's a fantastic image of him. So this is Thomas Reed Foot with his son and his wife, Sarah Ann Brindley, who I'm going to come on to in a minute.

Speaker 2: 31:17

Looks like a mystical wizard he does he looks like something out of Harry Potter. So who's that then?

Speaker 1: 31:26

So, okay, that's his son who's in the the war, and that is his wife, sarah Ann Brindley. She's quite an important character within the village and I found a whole article dedicated to her life, so it turns out that she lived to 91.

Speaker 2: 31:46

Good, innings, good innings. Yeah, back then as well, always worth making a note of when people life expects, don't you see?

Speaker 1: 31:52

And she was a midwife in the Victorian period, which again is somewhat unusual, you know, to have an ancestor that's a midwife, and there's just a tiny picture of her, which you can't really see, outside a house getting some nice flowers.

Speaker 2: 32:05

She looks like me, grandma Proper. Wow, yeah, really, wow, do flowers. She looks like my grandma proper. Wow, yeah, really wow. She's like like twins. Yeah, yeah, looks like a. You can tell me? You give me that. I'd look at that, god did you think?

Speaker 1: 32:21

I know? Obviously nobody knows what to expect in the family tree, but I searched everybody and it just seems, Liam right, your family tree is full of really decent, hard-working people.

Speaker 2: 32:34

I wasn't sure what to expect. I quite, yeah, I thought I expected that from my grandma's side. Yeah, I didn't expect to be all the paper makers, but it can't be a very exciting life for any of them.

Speaker 1: 32:47

But yeah. I thought there might be some crazies running around somewhere did you, but just a decent family who, I think, just worked hard.

Speaker 2: 32:58

I'm just buzzing now. There were no like Ted Bundy running around or anything like that so I'm quite happy.

Speaker 1: 33:03

I was gutted. I was like oh, this is a murderer. I always ask my guests one question right before you go, and that's this if you could have dinner tonight with anybody who's no longer with us right, can be in your family tree or whatever tonight, who would it be and why and what would you cook them?

Speaker 2: 33:22

that lady you pulled up because she looked funny. I'd like to sit down and chat with her. She was a character, your great, great, great grandmother.

Speaker 1: 33:28

Yeah, yeah, I like that.

Speaker 2: 33:29

I don't think it really mattered what I'd cook her, because it looked like she'd eat it anyway, didn't?

Speaker 1: 33:32

it. Yeah, she looked like a nice lady, didn't she?

Speaker 2: 33:34

yeah, to be fair as well. Like some of them, the geezers, the brothers who were in the war, yeah one of them would be a good one to sit down with honestly. Thank you, you are great. Come back anytime, thank you yeah, thanks, thanks, mate.

Speaker 1: 33:51

So that is it for this week's podcast. I'd like to say a huge thank you to my brilliant guest, liam harrison. I would also like to thank whitney antiques for supporting this podcast, and also sam from the power of one. I couldn't make this podcast without you guys, so thank you very much. Details about whitney antiques and the power of one can be found in the podcast description. Research assistants on this episode, as always, are the fabulous javeria selim and lucy stott, and a huge thank you to you, to every single one of you that listens to this podcast, that downloads it, likes it, subscribes it, whatever you do nowadays. Uh, thank you so much. We were in the top five again this week on the apple hobbies podcast chart, so thank you for for that. If you want to contact me about any aspect of the podcast, you can do so via my website, which is wwwmichaelahumecom. If you want want to contact me regarding research, you can do so via my research company, which is wwwrossthernresearchcom. Have a great week researching folks. See you next week.