Lesley Manville has spoken about the “touching” experience of learning about her “epic” family history on the new series of Who Do You Think You Are?.
The actor, who portrayed Princess Margaret in Netflix series The Crown, has delved into her past as part of the BBC programme, on which famous figures can learn about their family heritage.
During Manville’s episode, which will air on Thursday 27 July, the 67-year-old actor learnt that her relatives were transported to Australia in the 19th century.
Manville traced her father’s line back to her three-times great grandfather Aaron Harding, an agricultural worker in rural Hampshire.
Harding was a widower with a large family of nine kids (ranging from an eight-month-old baby to a 17-year-old) to feed. He took part in the Swing Riots in 1830, a protest against pay and poor conditions, according to the show.
In the episode, the stage and screen actor learnt that Harding was arrested and subsequently transported to Australia as one of the key figures in the riots.
Speaking after taking part in the series, Manville described the experience of uncovering Harding’s past as “epic”.
“They were a huge part of history that I’d only learnt about in school,” she said. “Their treatment was shocking given that the Swing Rioters were only fighting for basic human rights.
“My heart went out to Aaron’s nine children who were left to fend for themselves. Their mother had died a short time before. Utterly heartbreaking."
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Manville delved into her past on the BBC show— (Wall to Wall)
Harding was given a conditional pardon, which meant he could not go back to England.
He also shared a child with a woman called Alice, who was married to someone else.
As part of the episode, Manville met two of her female cousins, who showed her a picture of Harding along with a copy of an inquest report by a South Australian newspaper, The Adelaide Times, which said he died in an accident.
Describing the experience, Manville said: “Well, I was meeting two strangers obviously, but the family facial similarities were uncanny and they were so warm and funny. It was colder than I had prepared for so they bought me a hat and scarf. Adorable.”
Also during the show, Manville found out her maternal grandparents had a complex story of war-time separation and adultery, in which they had both been married to and had children with other people.
Her grandparents, James Edwards and Harriet Barton, never married and lived together with their daughter, Manville’s mother.
Edwards referred to Harriet as his “friend” in his will while leaving all of his possessions to her when he died in 1943.
“That for me was the most touching part of the story,” Manville said. “There was so much stigma surrounding that relationship, wrongly so, so when the truth was revealed, I found it deeply moving.
“I wish my mother was still here to hear it and have her parents’ love vindicated.”
Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Thursday 27 July at 9pm on BBC One.
Additional reporting by Press Association
