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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Jamie Grierson

Russell Crowe says he is descendant of last man executed by beheading in England

Russell Crowe Martin Crowe Lovat Simon Fraser England NZ
Russell Crowe
‘Folkloric family tales and misspelling had seen me travel on a number of wrong tracks,’ said Crowe of his ancestry research. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Russell Crowe has claimed to be directly related to the last man executed by beheading in England – a Jacobite who lived a life of “devious intrigue”.

Writing on X, the New Zealand-born actor said research into his ancestry had revealed he was related to Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, who was executed aged 80 in 1747 at the Tower of London for high treason.

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