Here’s who appeared on season 4 of Relatively

7-8 minute read

By Ellie Ayton | February 7, 2023

For many of us, our first and longest-lasting relationships are with our siblings. They come before friendships and romances. They’re the very beginning of our family histories: where family stories start.

Which is why podcast host Catherine Carr had such an interest in the uniquely personal relationships of siblings, and set about interviewing siblings together and separately. The result is the deeply nostalgic, unflinchingly honest, and heart-warming podcast Relatively, which has just finished its fourth season.

Start your free trial

In the podcast, Catherine and her guests discuss their relationships as children and as adults, with a sprinkle of family history revelations uncovered by Findmypast expert, Jen Baldwin.

Catherine has interviewed the likes of Labour MP Jess Phillips and her brother Luke, actor Johnny Flynn (Emma, Lovesick) and sister Lillie, History Hit’s Dan Snow and sister Rebecca, author Nick Hornby and sister Gill, author Kit De Waal and brother Dean, and many more besides.

Each episode of Relatively is unique, and the power of sibling relationships shines through.

We were proud to sponsor Relatively once again, with season four featuring the likes of journalist Caitlin Moran and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

Caitlin & Caroline Moran

Journalist Caitlin Moran was born in Brighton as one of eight children, with four sisters (including writer Caroline) and three brothers.

Image: Andrew Lih, Wikimedia Commons

A comedy/drama about their upbringing in Wolverhampton, Raised By Wolves, began airing on Channel 4 in 2013, and was written by Caitlin and Caroline.

One of the most inspiring stories we unearthed in their family tree was the story of their great-grandmother, Carrie Rosina Coe (née Andrews). She married Nathan Coe at St Giles, London in 1909. In the 1911 Census, Carrie and Phyllis (Caitlin and Caroline’s maternal grandmother, aged 2 months at the time) are living in the household of widowed hardwareman Marshall Andrews (Carrie’s father) in Suffolk.

Caitlin and Caroline Moran’s grandmother, great-grandmother and 2x great-grandfather in the 1911 Census. View the full record here.

Nathan is living with his older children on his farm in 1911. With Nathan born in 1858, and Carrie in 1874, there were 16 years between the pair.

Sadly, only months after the 1911 Census, Nathan Coe died, leaving Carrie a widow. But Carrie wasn’t a traditional early 20th century widow. Instead of remarrying, she opened her own business: a glass and china shop in Sudbury.

Carrie and Phyllis on the 1921 Census. Carrie is listed as an employer and proprietor of a glass and china store. View the full record here.

Carrie’s strong business mind and determination didn’t stop there. We found her in the 1939 Register as a business store manager. It was truly wonderful to see a woman of such grit persevering.

Dave & Steve Flynn

Also known as The Happy Pear, twins Dave and Steve hail from Ireland. Back in 2004, they set out to encourage everyone to eat more veggies.

Image: www.thehappypear.ie

Over a decade later, their dream boasts five cookbooks, a farm, a mobile app, a podcast, products, online courses, and a café/shop.

One of the most intriguing figures in their family tree is their great-grandfather, James Hart, a grocer from County Sligo. He came from a family of farmers, and from our research, seems to have had a successful career.

We can track his career through vital records for himself and his family. At the time of his marriage to Mary Agnes in 1908, he was listed as a farmer. Evelyn (Dave and Steve’s grandmother) was born in 1909, where James was listed as a shopkeeper. By the 1911 Census, James was a grocer, just like his descendants. We particularly love his elegant handwriting and impressive signature.

Reuben & Manni Coe

Reuben David Coe is the youngest of four brothers and was born in Yorkshire. After second eldest Manni (Richard Emmanuel Coe) received a desperate message from Reuben, who has Down’s Syndrome, he left Spain to come to his brother’s aid.

Since then, they’ve been rediscovering their relationship, with the story preserved in their book, brother. do. you. love. me.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Findmypast (@findmypast)

We found their grandmother, Ada Coe (née Beaumont) in the 1921 Census with her younger brother Robert. They were aged five and three respectively, and were in the household of their grandparents, John and Maude Stonebridge. Also present in the household is their widowed mother, Mrs R G Beaumont.

Reuben and Manni’s grandmother Ada in the 1921 Census. View the full record here.

Ada’s parents were Robert George Beaumont and Ellen Stonebridge, who married in 1915.

Marriage record of Reuben and Manni Coe’s great-grandparents in 1915.

Robert George Beaumont served as a private in the 22nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment during the First World War. Sadly, he died on 4 October 1917 in Belgium, during the Battle of Broodseidne. But what’s particularly tragic is that Robert never got to meet his son: he died merely days after the birth of young Robert.

Clearly, the family stuck together in the face of this tragedy, a family trait that endures to this day.

Mick Fleming & Sarah Frankel

Pastor Mick Fleming was born in Burnley. The family suffered a tragedy when Mick and Sarah were young: their 20-year-old sister Ann had died of a heart attack.

From there, Mick fell into a life of crime, and it was in 2004 he began to turn his life around for the better. Now, he can be found helping those in need in his hometown of Burnley. His book, Blown Away: From Drug Dealer to Life Bringer, includes a foreword from His Royal Highness Prince William, Prince of Wales.

In this episode, Catherine reveals the identity of Mick and Sarah’s paternal grandfather. We spotted William Fleming and his family in the 1921 Census. He was a native of County Mayo, and in 1921 was working as a cotton winder for Beny Thomber & Son.

Mick and Sarah’s paternal grandfather on the 1921 Census.

William made the headlines in 1933 when he was involved in motorcycle accident, in one of the earliest cases of drunk driving to be reported in the area. William was hit by a motorcycle driven by John Poyser, who had been drinking.

Mick and Sarah were bemused to learn that it was suggested Poyser had smelled of beer due to eating a steak pie, rather than drinking.

Burnley Express, 20 May 1933.

According to Mick, William was an alcoholic, scarred by the First World War, who took later took his own life.

Mick and Sarah’s incredible relationship is stronger now than it’s ever been. The healing that’s come through their pain, and then through their faith, is truly powerful. You can discover more about Mick’s charity work with Church on the Street here.

Benjamin Zephaniah

This British writer and poet was born in Birmingham, the son of a Barbadian postman and a Jamaican nurse.

He won the BBC Young Playwright’s Award in 1998, was awarded an honourary doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2008, and was listed at 48 in The Times list of 50 greatest post-war writers.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

In addition to poetry, he’s also appeared in the BBC Drama Peaky Blinders, and is an anti-racism activist.

Benjamin's episode is just as honest and touching as those that come before it, as he chats with Catherine about the power of community, toxic masculinity and brotherhood.

JJ Chalmers and Ruth Padmore

John-James Chalmers is a Scottish-born TV presenter and former Royal Marine Commando, who served in Afghanistan. Since then, he’s competed in the Invictus Games, winning several medals.

Image: EJ Hedrsom, Wikimedia Commons

JJ and Ruth's episode touches on the effects of JJ's wounding by an IED in Afghanistan in 2011, JJ's friendship with Prince Harry, and of course, a touch of family history.

With the publication of the 1921 Census of Scotland on Scotland's People, Catherine was able to reveal that an appetite for service, physical work and danger runs in the family with their great-grandfather, John. He was an underground fireman for a coal mining company.

And according to the records, their grandmother Mary was married previously, before she married their grandfather, Isaac.

He’s also taken part in Strictly Come Dancing and television programmes focusing on Remembrance and the Second World War.

Tatty & India Macleod

The last guests of the season were comedian Tatty Macleod and her sister India. Tatty is well known for her viral TikTok videos, thanks to her amusing insights into French and English culture.

They are two out of four sisters. Their mother moved them to rural Brittany when Tatty was four and India was 12.

Catherine shared with Tatty and India the story of their maternal grandfather, who worked on the railroads in Wales. John James was born in 1881 in Cardiganshire. By the 1921 Census, he was working as a plate layer for Great Western Railway. What's also particularly interesting is that John lists his 14-year-old son's relationship to the head of the household first as a son, then crosses that out and replaces it with visitor. Perhaps they had an argument that day?

Tatty and India's grandfather in the 1921 Census.

A plate layer, also referred to as a fettler or trackman, was someone who inspected and maintained the permanent areas of track. They would grease points, watch for wear and tear, and join larger teams of plate layers in replacing sections of track when necessary. He would regularly patrol the section he was responsible for, generally 1-2 miles in length. A vital role in ensuring the safe running of the railways.

Are you ready to discover heart-warming, human stories in your family tree? Start today with a free trial.