Coronation Street's DNA Secrets on ITV1 Wed 5th Sep 9pm

[kiterunner]

Certain members of the cast take DNA tests and find out about their ancestry. Probably best not to discuss any particular people on here unless you know for sure they are in it, until we have seen the programme, as our "living people" policy will still apply to any cast members who aren't included in it (and haven't already been on WDYTYA or similar, of course.)

It's 90 minutes long (including adverts) so I'm planning to record it and watch it the next day. The only repeat I can see listed at the moment is ITV+1.

[kiterunner]

I've just watched it. It's one of those programmes that keeps jumping between different narrative threads, which I found quite annoying. Anyway, I made some notes about the main stories:

The Coronation Street cast members had their DNA tested, to show percentages of their DNA originating from different parts of the world, and to find distant cousins.

Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Bradley) did her father's family tree when she was at school, and everyone on that side of the tree was from Oldham, but she didn't know much about her mother's side of the tree. Her DNA came back as 68% British (specifically Midlands and North West England), with smaller percentages of Celtic, Scandinavian, and North Russian. A "cousin match" was found with another Coronation Street cast member, something like 5th cousin. Sally Ann was given a clue that they both had the name Ashworth in their family trees. Sally Ann's mother was Jacqueline Ashworth, grandfather Samuel Ashworth, great-grandfather Samuel Ashworth, and 2xg-grandfather Nathaniel Ashworth, who was born in Ashton under Lyne. Sally went to Ashton under Lyne and was shown an 1841 census entry where Nathaniel was aged 6 months and with a Sarah Ashworth age 20 (i.e. 20 to 24). His birth certificate confirmed that Sarah was his mother, but no father's name was given. An historian said that they had not been able to find out any more about Sarah, but that another Sarah Ashworth, about 10 years younger, appeared on the 1851 census at an address close to the first one, and that the second Sarah was an ancestor of Amanda Barrie, who used to play Alma in Coronation Street. They hadn't been able to work out exactly how the two Sarah Ashworths were related.

Kym Marsh's (Michelle) DNA report showed 57% GB (Midlands and NW England), with some Scandinavian and West Europe, and 8% from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Her father's side of the family came from Cornwall but were quite dark, and when the family went to Spain on holiday, her dad used to be mistaken for a local. Kym went to Cornwall and met an historian who said that the "Iberian Peninsula" DNA is common there and probably comes from the earliest settlers of Cornwall, not from the Spanish Armada as some people think.

Simon Gregson's (Steve McDonald) DNA report showed 56% GB. His mother was Joy Trueman, his grandfather George Trueman, his great-grandfather Richard Organ, his 2xg-grandfather Lot Organ jr and his 3xg-grandfather Lot Organ sr (although they said 4xg at one point.) Simon went to Gloucester Prison and met a criminologist who showed him a record stating that Lot sr was sentenced to 10 months in prison for stealing 5 bushels of wheat, and a newspaper report implying that Lot pretended to be ill in prison so he could stay in the infirmary. Lot came from Cheltenham, so Simon went there, and was shown another newspaper report, from 1862, which said that Lot jr was charged, along with two other people, one of whom was a prostitute, with assaulting a police officer. Simon was shown death certificates of some of Lot jr's children: Emily Organ who died age 2, Rose Organ and Charles Organ who both died aged 8 months, and Alice Organ who died aged 21 days. One of the death certificates (maybe all of them?) gave cause of death as hereditary syphilis. Simon visited the graveyard but there was no marked grave.

Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir) grew up in India. Her parents, Harold King and Eunice Inglis, always said that their heritage was British and Portuguese, but Shelley suspected that they actually had some Indian ethnicity. Harold's parents were Horace King and Grace D'Cruz, and Eunice's were Quentin Inglis and Birdie D'Cruz. Horace's parents were Appleby King and Harriette Templeton; Grace's father was James D'Cruz; Quentin's father was William Francis Inglis, and Birdie's parents were Joakin D'Cruz and Alice Williamson. Shelley's DNA report said 40% Asia South, 39% GB, 11% Asia East, and no DNA from the Iberian Peninsula. She went to Kolkata, where Birdie came from, and met an historian who explained that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to colonise India, and that they converted many Indians to Christianity, giving them Portuguese surnames, so this would explain the D'Cruzes in Shelley's family tree. Shelley went to St James's Catholic Church in Kolkata to look at records pertaining to the family of her grandfather Quentin Inglis. She had heard a family story that when he was born, his mother was disturbed that he had such dark skin, and tried to bury him alive. Quentin's grandfather was Francis Inglis, and the church records showed that he was born or baptised on the 18th May 1827, the son of William Inglis and a native woman.

Paddy Wallace (Jude Appleton) was a 2nd generation immigrant - all his grandparents were Irish. His DNA report showed that he was 99% Irish / Scottish / Welsh, with the specific places in Connemara and Derry where his ancestors lived pinpointed. Paddy visited the island of Inishturk, Connemara, where his maternal grandmother Mary Burke was born. The boatman who took him over was a Burke who used to live on the island (there are no permanent residents nowadays), perhaps a relative. Paddy went to the house where Mary was born and met an historian who showed him a family tree which said that Mary's parents were Martin Burke 1886-1977 and Maggie Ann Conroy, with Martin's parents being Michael Burke and Celia Toole. Mary was one of nine children. The historian's name was Thomas Burke and he was a second cousin of Paddy's mother.

There were also some Coronation Street fans who visited in person or sent videos, and who were found to be distantly related to cast members:

Mike, who was adopted, and had found that some of his biological relatives came from Ireland, turned out to be related to William Roache (Ken Barlow).

Justin Berkmann, one of the founders of Ministry of Sound, had traced his family tree back to Edward I, and turned out to be 4th cousin once removed to Liam Bairstow (Alex Warner).

Page, who brought her mother and brothers with her, was 5th to 8th cousin of Daniel Brocklebank (Billy Mayhew).

Tom Spencer from New Zealand was related to Peter Gunn (Brian Packham).

Elaine from Australia was related to Cherylee Houston (Izzy Armstrong).

[kiterunner]

I thought the bit about the Portuguese colonists giving Portuguese surnames to Indian converts was interesting - it may explain a few things that we've come across on here.

[kiterunner]

This is the 1841 census entry for Sarah and Nathaniel Ashworth:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8978/LANHO107_531_532-0226?pid=5298516&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=dNx3465&_phstart=successSource

Hill Street, Ashton under Lyne
Richard Hewson 25 Y
Betty Do 25 N
Hannah Hewson 50 Ind N
Elizabeth Do 2 N
Mary Do 6 months Y
-
Sarah Ashworth 20 Cotton Weaver Y
Nathaniel Do 6 months Y.

[kiterunner]

This is Nathaniel Ashworth in 1851:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8860/LANHO107_2238_2238-0780/11783951?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

Samuel Winterbottom Head Married 39 Coal Miner Lancashire Ashton under Lyne
Sarah Do Wife Mar 36 Do Liverpool
Elizabeth Do Daur 14 Power Loom Weaver Do Ashton under Lyne
Mary Jane Do Daur 12 Cardroom hand Do Do
Ann Do Daur 10 Cardroom hand Lancashire Ashton under Lyne
Samuel Do Son 4 School Boy Do Do
Nathaniel Ashworth Lodger 10 Collier Do Do

[maggie_4_7]

I have it 'recorded' looking forward to watching it

[Margaret in Burton]

It was ok. With Nicky Campbell presenting it, it felt like a cross between Long Lost Family and Who do you think you are.