Family Finders

Episode 2 (2x2)

Air date: May 24, 2016

It was a modelling assignment for a genealogy website that prompted Belinda O'Brien to research her own family history. A search through her family's 'Bible box' led to the discovery of an old letter from a mysterious relative in Peru. From here, Belinda embarked on some genealogical detective work which revealed a whole South American side of her family, who she had never known. After many dead ends, Belinda finally made contact with her cousin, Rosemary, who had been raised in Peru and had always regretted losing touch with the English side of her family. Now Rosemary's son, Alex, is coming over to London to meet his English Aunt Belinda for the very first time. And we meet Barbara Cohen, who grew up as an only child in the Jewish community of east London after the Second World War. Barbara was introduced to an older half-sister, Sybil, just once as a young child but never saw her again. Many years later, Barbara set about trying to trace Sybil. With the help of her husband, Michael, genealogical research revealed that Barbara's father had been married before - to a Christian woman. This interfaith marriage was frowned upon, and when their young daughter Sybil came along, she was ostracised by the local Jewish community. Following a long search, Sybil's story takes Barbara and her husband to a remote town in Denmark, where a warm reception awaits them.