The NBC series Who Do You Think You Are? help trace Kim Cattrall’s ancestry last night. Using the only known photo containing an image of her grandfather, Cattrall was interested in finding more about the man who abandoned her mother and aunts at a young age.
Based on a 1980 newspaper article her aunt had saved, Cattrall was shocked to learn that her grandfather was a bigamist who married another woman and then settled in Tudhoe Village in the County of Durham, (see Ferryhill St. Luke, Durham records) a few hours away from Liverpool. Upon further research, and after meeting with previously unknown relatives, she traced her grandfather’s other family to Australia.
Even though the actress was visibly upset after learning about her grandfather’s behavior, she concluded, “This journey of finding him was more about finding the family that I do have and that’s a great gift.”
See Sharing Family History with Who Do You Think You Are? for suggestions to get started.
