David Mitchell Visits Family's Abandoned Farm | Who Do You Think You Are
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2024
- In this episode of the series, comedian David Mitchell goes in search of his Scottish roots. David knows that the Mitchells were wealthy sheep farmers in Sutherland. For almost a hundred years, three generations of the family held Ribigill farm, but mysteriously gave up the lease in 1933. David wants to know why they abandoned a sheep farming tradition that went back so many years. He also wants to find out whether his family were involved in the notorious Highland Clearances.
In addition, David is keen to discover more about another branch of his Scottish family - the Forbes. Using a book written by his great-great-grandfather Alexander Forbes as the starting point for his investigation, David travels to the Isle of Skye. The trail leads to Alexander's father, John Forbes, a Church of Scotland minister on the island in the nineteenth century. David is delighted to discover that his ancestor was something of a local hero. Not only did John Forbes work tirelessly on behalf of his parishioners, he also became involved in helping to rescue some girls from his parish who had been trafficked to work in a mill in Manchester.
However, the story takes an unexpected turn when David discovers some old church papers and John Forbes's will. These documents reveal another, more disturbing side to his ancestor's character...
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So, Lee’s team? Truth or lie?
😂😂😂
three able body males spending WW1 in the scottish highlands? ...must be the Mitchells. I say true.
@DAVID FILER It was a joke, David, a youtube-joke.
@@phlexxo I instinctively read your second comment in Rob's voice and cadence.
You’re all amazing
It's saying something about how small the town is, that they have to walk past the same houses twice, to get enough coverage for David's talk about how small it is :)
And almost everywhere sells "I love Tongue" bumper stickers ...
I noticed that as well. Glad I'm not the only one. That's the problem with TV. It's all so contrived. I think that's why people are spending more time watching people making their own content as it feels more genuine.
@@danielmoore9209 Scooby-Doo
Isn't all media a construct, rather than genuine or non genuine? Amateur or professional. Only the aesthetic and production creates difference.
Suggested episode order:
1. David Mitchell (DM) visits abandoned farm
2. DM learns how to be a shepherd
3. DM uncovers why family farm closed down
4. DM traces Gaelic language roots
5. DM finds family will from 1863
I think some parts are cut out and therefore watching the right sequence won't completely help, but this sequence made the most sense to me and seems to be the order that it was posted in.
Sky fall. - Surprisingly starring David Mitchell.
It would be a very different, but also interesting take on Bond.
James Bond, but with Mitchell's WASPish non-confrontational social awkwardness
When he peered into the window I was expecting to see Jeremy in there in a sleeping bag.
Blowing Superhands.
@@leeetchells609 Super Hans
"Y'know sheep, bit wooly.. It's wool! You cannot lose." The first sketch I ever saw from this genius, and still one of my favourites.
that's exactly what I thought of! *taps nose*
Pull it off, sell it, it f'ing grows back again!
Shame it costs more to sheer a sheep these days then the wool itself is worth.
I actually found this video while looking for that very sketch.
A beautiful Scottish summer day. Can tell by the glove thickness.
I was relieved when David's guide joined him outside. At first I thought she was dressed in a coat and gloves because of the temperature in her house!
It seems an absolute shame that such a beautiful old home has been left to slowly decay. Hopefully some cashed up people come in and restore the place before it becomes too far gone to save.
Would an $80 billion fortune be enough for you? One of Scotland's largest land holders, Anders Povlson, owns the estate - tens of thousands of acres including that house and he has a reputation and track record for restoring many houses and businesses and putting them back to work for the sake of the community.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/clothing-billionaire-anders-holch-povlsen-to-buy-village-shop-00h0jvfkc
How about David?
Stuart Williams that would be nice but according to another reply someone else is stepping in.
@@stuartwilliams3104it’s a lot of money for something you only just seen.
You gotta be into renovating to take on the lifestyle
Nanna’s cottage is looking a bit rough nowadays
My goodness; I've walked, cycled and driven past there many times! I had no idea.
Obviously on your way to the Faroe Islands.
@@1258-Eckhart I walked all the way ...
"This is a fine house.. it's missing some door handles and has some unidentified switches, though. Wouldn't be for me."
You need to mention the avocado bathtub
Buy the place David! I found a few stones from my ancestors cottage that does not exist any more.....
What a beautiful place. Maybe Victoria could win it from the Laird in a game of poker :)
I went back to my family farm and home 20 years after my family passed on and I found it terribly depressing and it left a hollow feeling inside. I am not sure one should go back as you don't seem to find what you are looking for, as one is not sure what it is you are looking for.
David, completely sympathize with your view. I've also found myself feeling hollow and somehow 'wrong' to visit places of my past years afterwards. In my case it's coupled with deep regret, anxiety, missed opportunities or something or other. But for me, the past and its trappings can be a mixed blessing.
David James I go back to my grandparents farm occassionally the son of the landowners live in it now and are doing it up and making a good job of it because I remember it as a cold,dark house quite eerie when I was a child it now is bright and warm even the cellar is bright and welcoming when years ago me and my sister wouldn't go down there.
Huh, that house actually still look pretty solid, although looks can be deceiving i guess. I wonder how much it would cost to restore it to its former glory?
I LOVE that house
History aside (which is pretty awesome), I'd buy it purely for the location. Looks fantastic.
Scotland is definitely one of the most beautiful places on the planet
@@george5954 I'll have to go look obviously. Sounds fantastic
@@Jack908r SCOTLAND FOREVER 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
Yeah, it's a beautiful place, but it can be a bit grim weather wise a lot of the year lol.
David should buy the house and fix it up! He's doing well enough now, and he.s got the family to assist.
It’s *really* in the middle of nowhere though. Not even an internet connection.
@Benjamin Davidson The idea is nice but the reality is very different. It's not as easy as just buying it and it's not just about having the money to buy and fix it up. There's all the planning permissions and as it's highly likely to be listed, that makes increasingly worse and time consuming. That's also assuming the current owner wishes to sell it. Given that both David and Victoria both work in TV, it wouldn't be practical to live in as it's so far away from anywhere. I suspect that even if they could afford it, the investment wouldn't be worth it.
Who knows though, maybe we'll see him pop up on Grand Designs soon? ;-)
In the episode he says that he'd love that someone in the family had the farm back in order to be able to come and visit from time to time, but he'd rather not to be the one that actually owns it.
Besides, now the farm (or at least the farmland) belongs to a crazy danish man that is buys swathes of empty highlands so those now belong to him alone. If you look for Ribigill farm on the internet there's a few interesting facts to read about.
@Maffa Cheers for the extra info.
One doesn't just buy something "just because" necessarily...
Kind of a shame to see the state of the farm these days, but it's amazing to see it still standing. Must be weird.
if that was me, David has some net worth. I think I would really want to buy it back and restore my family seat.
Very hard work is probably why no one else in the family wanted it.
Haha that's great, i'm Irish, i have Scottish roots on both sides of my family, good for him.
surely the scottish family have roots in ireland?
I'm originally from the Isle of wight, on my mums side I traced the longest line back to scottish and Irish kings going back to 870ad. Including Norman invaders. It's all exciting stuff. My dads side of the family 1700's all England
@@Jafmanz Well being that a the Scots originally came from Ireland, Ireland being known as Scotia and Scotland lesser Scotia, then yes probably. Although their family names have their origin in Scotland, Murray, Spears, Reddy, Duff, even my actual name Norton is supposed to be Scottish, one of the rulers of the Picts being called Nachtain, but that ones up for grabs, i know i'm no relative of Rabbie Burns anyway, although his name might have come from the Irish Byrne, but anyway... Irish and Scots are almost genetically identical, along with the Welsh, Cornish, Breton and some English and Basque.
What? You were great in "Lawrence of Arabia". Glad you got better after dying!
@@danielfinch362 My ancestors are from the Isle of Grey (aka "Scotland") 😂
What a shame about the house. I hope he buys the property and restores it to its former glory. I'm sure his ancestors would be very pleased to think it was in their family's hands again.
It would be worthy if he would develop the property. To restore the farm just for the sake of it, plus the expenses to be spent on maintenance would be a waste of money if the place is not profitable.
Fiona W ...would make a great hotel for hikers and sightseeing, it’s in a beautiful place not far from the mountains. Ideal.
It belongs to the Laird, the Duke os Sutherland. They never sell land, only buy it !
@@thetessellater9163 True.
Unless it's haunted and they fled.
I would love to buy that house and restore it ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Is the village located in the county of "Cheek", per chance? 👅
One of my favorite episodes.
Where can i watch the whole épisode please... thanks.
I don't know if there are any copyright issues, but it would be much more interesting if they showed the whole episode.
Ah! Ok! Tu réponds à qui tu veux, quand ça te chante! C’est bon à savoir.
@@thelightworker2208 *cough* vi *cough* meo *cough cough*
I knew a Mitchell family living in Harefield Middlesex run a Farm and still run it today
❤ David needs a chat with the
current Duke of Sutherland
4:24 The MacTaggarts from Hawick? I went to high school in Hawick lol. Love that David's ancestors had ties there, I'll be sharing this aroond the toon!
😂💙🏴💙😂
Hawick had the best swimming pool I've ever been to. Giant inflatable Loch Ness monster and the staff trying to hose you off. And a wave machine..
@@lukemclellan2141 I haven't been swimming there for over 15 years, your comment takes me back lol. Hope you have a great weekend, ower cauld fir swimmin though! 😂💙🏴💙😂
I love David Mitchell. Guy makes me laugh
It's a good job then, I reckon that's the idea.
Why do most people on this show get chauffeur driven but David Mitchell has to catch the local bus? ( 0:37 )
How/where can I watch the whole of this episode?
IqbalHamid bbciplayer
Upon your retinas
An amazing property, sadly in disrepair.
A TV show in him buying the property and bringing it back to glory. Dero more entertaining than Clarkson.
He looks so much better without the beard !
gosh, Tongue!!!!!! I was brought up in Thurso. now in New Zealand. Auckland
This is very interesting, that would have been some place in its hay day, he should buy it for old time sake, amazing it hadn't be set on fire.
Take it back I'm glad I took mine back
As in, buy it back? What'd a farmhouse like that cost to refurbish though? I'd feel obligated to do it up properly
@@catland88 75 .000
@@catland88 about tree fiddy
From the days when a farm's wool cheque would pay the rent of the farm for a year. Now it costs more to shear the ewes than the wool is worth - but still has to be done.
Gavin parks if you stop shafting the sheep their wool might be worth something again.
@@evolutionhasevidenceopinio5234 Well bestiality is not my jam , but you seem interested?
@@evolutionhasevidenceopinio5234 #1: Round of applause for your original "witty"(?) username; very clever... 🤦♂️(honest!)
#2 Grow up for your own sake.
@@unlokia #1 thanx.
#2 what did I say that was childish?
What a shame to see a building in that state. Whoever is the owner should be ashamed.
It’s at the end of nowhere. If there are no potential buyers and if they already have a home to live in why would they spend money to fix it up?
Nanna's cottage?
So where's the moat?
my story..."so you were born here...we think, then raised by vermin and they left, so....oh ! that's the pit you used to sleep in"
I like how he got public transport but bought and paid for all the seats so it was just him on the bus.
Dylan Milne to be honest I doubt there was many people going there in the first place
Yes he did that to reduce his carbon footprint on the planet before he flies back to London
No , it's just no one else is travelling to that destination !
We need more buses like that, keep the commoners out. 😂
For a moment, I thought 'is he in the Flinstones universe? ....because the background is repeating....'
yea, reality of TV. they need distance shots, establishing shots, practice runs, retakes because someone coughed and in general lots of footage so the editors who actually make the video have something to work with. someone messed up continuity this one time. unusable clip or careless editor. given how rare it's to see that, they're usually pretty good at what they do.
@@snooks5607 that's true and one mistake in one show is like calling out Christopher Hitchens for a typo. haha it wasnt an issue, just something i happened to see right away. its funny because attention to detail isnt usually something im good at....but pattern matching, on the other hand....
Also, to be fair, i showed my wife this and she didnt notice.....so, i assume they were under a time limit, budget constraints and limited shooting locations (i wonder if people in that small of a town, who are used to lots of privacy, would be approving of having their homes recorded?) and thought 'the average viewer wont notice or care'.
they might be right about that. my wife didnt notice and i dont really 'care' more than its something kind of interesting that stuck out to me.....a guy with literal OCD (not the 'that bothered my ocd when that word was used incorrectly' type but the 'it interferes with my life and im ashamed of it' type)...and mentioning it was somewhat cathartic, regardless of whether other cared.
cheers!
David Mitchell on public transport. Now I’ve seen everything.
He doesn't have a car
00:06 | Their WHAT farm?!
Sheep farm 🐑🐑🐏😁
OK.. This is no where near 2020 when this was filmed!
You know sheep? Bit wooly?... It's wool!
I don’t have BBC iplayer - could someone tell me why they left the farm?
The sheep broke in and drove them out one bitterly cold evening. It's what inspired George Orwell to write Animal Farm.
No car. Carrying a brolly? The woman in purple gloves? Tenant farmers would be scandalised.
If I were him, I'd buy that place in a heartbeat and do it up for a holiday retreat away from the big smoke.
@RandomlyInaccurate That's pretty much why I would prefer this place. Nobody currently lives there, and it's not going to be heaving with tourists when I do go. It's out of the way, as close to off grid as it gets in the UK.
Holiday? 😁 By the time you'd got up there it'd be time to draw your pension.
@@unlokia I'd be okay with that. Although, I'm reasonably sure David could afford a helicopter to get him up there in a few hours.
5 August 2009
1:10 - 1:24 : Continuity disaster! 😨😨
Just check that still a bit of scot in there
so did the land go bad? No one has been living there for 40 years?
Lest you're on your way to the Faroes... and NO ONE is on their way to the Faroes
Sad.
Does David or his relatives own the rights to the house still?
3:09
"...bring KETAMINE in the days of William Mitchell..."
Am I hearing this right?!
"bring coaches". He stuttered while saying it the first time and started the sentence again.
David is (I assume) very well off. I wonder he he has considered buying the house and fixing it up
What beautiful country. What a wonderful building. David, if you read this, I am serious about helping you to restore this building.
Problem is that I am on the west coast of Canada. But I am game to help. Speaking of game, we could hunt a Stag and then have a BBQ.
You could tell the jokes and I could roast the meat. What a great day it could be. I would also need to be introduced to a beautiful red headed lassie. Or not.
10 years to late ;-))
Are you drunk?
@@bnap3221 I was thinking he's stoned
@@bnap3221 sincere
You will not be able to buy it!
ITS NOT FOR SALE. The land belongs to the Duke and nobody could make it profitable to pay for the land rent. That's why its empty.
I knew it has been bought by a mad Danish billionaire
Imagine if he found out he was related to peggy and phil Mitchell
That would guarantee he'd NEVER go back. 😁
David Mitchell for the next bond!
Bond villain rather. 😉
Chance would be a fine thing
They were SHEEP farmers.....look at his Hair .
Why does he look 15 years younger!?!
Well, because this is obviously an old episode...
I'd try to buy the place if I where him.
Wouldn't be surprised if he seriously thought about it!
You're not him.
David, buy the place and restore it, in your family's name again.
Hire me and I will help you restore it. You simply need to get me from Canada and ship to Scotland.
Then we can restore my my grand parents place in Aberdeen.
There is no point unless you are going to work the land again, and in any case, the Duke won't sell land.
So does David own the "farm" now?
You obviously didn't listen to what was being said. His family were tenant farmers who rented the farm not owned it, so he has no claim to it.
@@UKHeritageRailways Considering that I don't even remember this, that's probably true.
Should have gotten into farming.
It’s like if Jotaro went to England to see the Joestar mansion.
Ah yes when i think David i think Jotaro.
If you have the interest... I am very willing and able to refurbish the house and estate.
Can he lay a claim to the house and fix it up or no.
It belongs to the laird. She said so.
@@1258-Eckhart looks like someone wasn't fully paying attention. Lol
What kind of screwed up laws keep that land non-productive?
the laws of nature.
@@1258-Eckhart WRONG
@@patrickeh696 Think what you like, buggerlugs, the land is barren and wasted, Scotland is one huge wet desert of no agricultural use to anyone (oh, a few sheep maybe). Stick to your american/chinese tourists.
30,000 acre farm??
dang, i would of bought the farm!
would of? que?
The land is still the Duke's. You would need to pay a good rent for the land. If you are up for the farming job, make him an offer...
My Grandad was a farmer in Aberdeenshire, near Ballater. Sutherlans is even further north, the winter is nothing like this , ma Grandpa couldnae tak it, braw loon ken, but nae nutter
@@Cheeseatingjunglista are you still from Aberdeenshire yourself?
@@stuartsummers1303 No, the family migrated south to the soft, balmy climate of Perth!!
I keep thinking this is a sketch, but it's not.
Barbour & Brolly smh lol
What did you expect? It's David Mitchell, it's supposed to be like that.
I'm glad "Not to beard" finally won out.
Mrs Doubtfire makes a comeback, I see....
Lol, walked by same alley twice because the town is so small
Hey ... you wanna make a bit of money? You should do what I did ... get into farming.
Amazing how many people are commenting "buy the house back" and obviously haven't watched this clip. Mitchell's ancestors RENTED IT. They had NO CLAIM TO IT - ever - and nor has he. It's not worth renovating. It's in the middle of nowhere on land that's not suitable for farming and of no interests as a holiday let.
None of what you outlined would stop me, as a wealthy man, from buying my ancestors home, of many years, and preserving it.
If Nicola Sturgeon gets Scottish independence we'll be shipping him back there and he can restart the business 😁
This is just so not rainbow rhythms
so youre a farmer, you posh that?!
I. George I mean, he isn’t a farmer
Posh "THAT"?
#1: You're terrible at proof reading your comments (we know what you'd meant to type... 🤦♂️)
#2: Nice attitude there, very broad-minded. Clever. 👏👏
what about the forbes side?
Summergram ... Clips are coming. The channel releases them one at a time.
I thought this was a pisstake of these types of shows. I didn't think it was serious.
If this show had of found out he is a distant relative of sherlock Holmes I would of believed it
Would HAVE
@@nocraic yeah. David would have a fit. 😂
How odd. I always thought he was a Red Sea Pedestrian.
Turns out to be a teuchter, of all things.
speaking in tongues?
@@johnm9845 English is not your first language then?
@@skitter2894 I believe it's a Scottish word, maybe not many English people have heard of it? I'm a Scot so I got it, though tbh I thought it was spelled "chookter" so I learned something 😂 It's certainly pronounced that way anyway lol. Aye, ah wiz surprised tae, didnae ken he wiz yin ae oors! 😜
Hope everyone reading this is having a great week! Best wishes frae a cauld Edinburgh 💙🏴💙
@@johnm9845 close, Scottish 😂💙🏴💙😂
@@arianaajbeaverhausen8175 That's a fine old sweaty name you have there, Arianna. Not.
I like Dave but Flucked if i care about his linage
Ever more peculiar that you actively took the time to come here and post that comment then... 🤔🤨