Скачать или смотреть Waiting To Be Found (with Hopwood DePree) | Stories That Live In Us | Episode 68

🏰 What if the bedtime stories your grandfather told you weren't fairy tales but real family history waiting to be discovered?

Hopwood DePree spent his childhood embarrassed by his unusual name, dismissing his grandfather's tales about a "Hopwood castle" in England as make-believe. But when grief led him to Ancestry for answers, he uncovered something extraordinary: a 600-year-old ancestral estate that had been abandoned and was literally waiting for him to find it.

Author of "Downton Shabby," Hopwood recounts his incredible journey from Hollywood producer to full-time manor restorer of Hopwood Hall Estate in Middleton, England. You'll discover how one late-night genealogy search transformed into a life-changing adventure involving secret priest holes, hidden tabernacles, and a community of descendants whose families had served the estate for generations.

Hopwood's story reveals the profound truth that our family history isn't just about the past. It’s also about discovering who we're meant to become.

💭 Have you ever discovered that a family story you thought was fiction turned out to be true? Share your experience in the comments below!

⌚ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Opening: The magic of ancestral places
3:23 Growing up embarrassed by the name Hopwood
4:37 Grandfather's "fairy tale" bedtime stories
5:38 The moment everything changed on Ancestry
10:04 First contact with Hopwood Hall historians
12:25 Stepping inside the ancestral home for the first time
17:37 Discovering the hall's desperate condition
22:47 The decision to leave Hollywood behind
28:03 Moving to England and opening to the public
30:26 Meeting descendants of estate workers
32:50 Finding the hidden priest hole and tabernacle
38:15 Hopwood's hope for the future

🌟 FEATURED GUEST
Hopwood DePree - Author of "Downton Shabby," Hollywood producer turned manor restorer

🎙️ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE
How childhood family stories can hold the key to your identity
The emotional impact of standing in spaces your ancestors once lived
Why sometimes our biggest regrets become our greatest motivations
How genealogy research can literally change the course of your life
The power of community connections that span centuries

📝 VISIT THE COMPANION BLOG POST FOR MORE TIPS TO UNCOVER YOUR OWN FAMILY STORIES
[Link to companion blog post]

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📱 Connect with Crista:
Website: http://cristacowan.com
Instagram:   / cristacowan  
Facebook:   / thebarefootgenealogist  

🎧 Listen to more episodes on your favorite podcast app or visit http://StoriesThatLiveInUs.com

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Stories That Live In Us helps you form deeper connections with your family - past, present, and future. Host Crista Cowan, known online as The Barefoot Genealogist, shares powerful stories that help craft your family narrative and create a legacy of resilience, healing, and connection.

© 2025 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.