Who Do You Think You Are? series 20: here's what you missed

In the next episode, viewers were offered a glimpse into the family history of Claire Foy, the distinguished actress best known for The Crown.

Claire returned to her great-grandfather Charles Stimpson's birthplace, 'The Castle' in Carlisle. Far from its high-class sounding title, it was in fact a military barracks. We learned the tragic story of Charles' father, Claire's 2x great-grandfather Henry, who was a soldier that drowned during a cross-country race while off-duty.

In a poignant moment, Claire visited the river where Henry died. She learned the heartwarming story of how his wife Maria - a widow with five children - received the support of the local community, who rallied around them to raise money.

Claire also traced her paternal line of her adopted father David back three generations. Newspapers and crime records reveal the story of her 3x great-grandfather John, who was accused of being present at a fatal shooting and was subject to a tense trial that made national news during the Victorian era.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/MTV International

As the discoveries went global, professional dancer and former Strictly Come Dancing star Kevin Clifton found himself in remote Canada on the hunt for his ancestors’ stories. If you've got Canadian connections like Kevin, start your search here.

Kevin discovered the harrowing story of his 2x great-grandmother Emma, who was in a Canadian orphanage for a year, despite both of her parents still being alive. Upon travelling to Canada, he traced his family's story through newspapers - his great-grandparents got divorced, which was rare at the time, meaning the details of their court proceedings made national news.

Kevin also travelled to York Factory in Hudson Bay, where learned about the British Canadian fur trade. He connected with the story of his 5x great-grandmother, who was Matooski and one of the earliest documented First Nation women. Providing knowledge of the local fur trade and skills that had been passed down through generations, Kevin's relative was an important part of the local trade. She even married the head of the trading post, John George McTavish.

Kevin's episode revealed that he's descended from a long line of brave women, who persevered despite facing immense hardship throughout their lives.

Image: Instagram/keviclifton

Comedian and podcaster Chris Ramsey learned that 'you make your own luck' when he unlocked his ancestors’ incredible survival stories, as well as an intriguing family link to an unusual lottery.

In the penultimate episode of Series 20, Chris Ramsay visited the Dorset military base where his great-grandfather, Dryden Gordon Young, trained during World War 1. Chris discovered his relative's involvement in Gallipoli and the struggle he faced after contracting a bad case of scabies and being captured as a prisoner of war in Germany. We managed to find Dryden's Royal Navy service record within our collection. With fascinating details like an address and a personal description, you'll want to view this original record for yourself.

But the good fortune within Chris' family tree doesn't end there. Next, he delved into the story of his grandfather, Alf Ramsey, who worked on the dangerous Arctic convoys during the Second World War.

Chris also learned about the lives of his more distant ancestors. He was particularly moved by learning about his 5x great-grandparents Gabriel and Ann, who beat the odds to secure a place at the British Lying-In Hospital in London. This allowed Ann to give birth in a safe and sanitary environment - sadly a rarity among the country's poor in the late 1700s.

From military bravery to an enduring thread of good luck, Chris uncovered tales that prompted him to reflect on his own life, and indeed, his own very own luckiness.

Image: Instagram/iamchrisramsey

In the last episode of series 20, The Crown’s Lesley Manville realised her ancestry is anything but regal, but it is full of drama. Lesley discovered the price one of her ancestors paid in their fight for workers' rights. Ironically, Lesley's family story sounds strikingly similar to what we found when we traced the family trees of other members of The Crown's cast.

Tracing back her father's line, Lesley was surprised to learn the story of her 3x great-grandfather Aaron Harding. His life was initially a mystery, given that his death record couldn't be located. It was revealed that in 1830, Aaron protested low pay and bad conditions while working as an agricultural worker in Hampshire. He played a key role in a historic demonstration that came to be known as the Swing Riots, where workers destroyed threshing machines and damaged workhouses - seen as symbols of their oppression.

He was arrested for his involvement and sentenced to transportation to Australia. Interestingly, Aaron shows up more than once in our crime records. Our collection features a letter that states how Aaron was transported to Australia in 1931. We also have a letter from Reverend William Cobbold originally sentencing Aaron Harding and John Heath to death for demolishing the Headley Workhouse.

Though Aaron's punishment was instead transportation, Rev. Cobbold expresses grave concern about him inciting further unrest if freed: '...they are the most desperate and daring characters of my whole parish, and the terror of the neighbourhood. Should they be let loose on society again, there is no saying what may happen'.

Lesley Manville's family clearly contains brave figures, who paid a high price for fighting for what they believed in. In the final episode of the season, Lesley also connected with Australian family that she never knew existing, thus rounding off series 20 of Who Do You Think You Are? with a dramatic and heartwarming finale.

Image: Flickr Commons/TaylorHerring