ITV star Kevin Whately was recently honoured with an OBE in the New Year Honours list. The popular actor, who identifies as a "leftie", made a surprising discovery about his lineage during an appearance on the BBC hit show Who Do You Think You Are back in 2009.
He found out that he hails from a long line of "capitalists". His ancestors were among the wealthiest and most influential people in the 17th century.
Kevin confessed to knowing very little about his family history prior to the show, expressing relief that none of his ancestors' wealth had been passed down to him. "It's pathetic how little I know. It's a surreal feeling to know you're connected to these people. I'm a country boy from the North Tyne Valley and I always will be. I considered myself a leftie, then I found capitalists everywhere. Thankfully, none of the money which was made during that time came down to me, which was a huge relief," he said.
During the show, Kevin discovered that his maternal grandmother Doris's father, Frederick, was a successful food entrepreneur. Kevin's great grandfather owned a fish shop and capitalised on the surge in demand for herring.
When he passed away, he left what would now be equivalent to £2 million to his family in his will, reports the Mirror.
Kevin, famed for his role as the forthright Inspector Lewis in the popular series and his portrayal of Neville Hope in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, recently appeared in the last series of a hit show. His ancestry revealed even more of a complex history; his great great great grandfather Thomas Whately was an apprentice at the Levant Company, trading in regions including Turkey, Syria, and Palestine, before becoming a director of the Bank of England in the 18th century.
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Thomas' wife, Mary Thompson, had family connections to the slave trade through her relative Robert Thompson, who, along with his brothers, profited in America. One brother, Maurice, was involved in the Virginia tobacco trade as early as 1632 and participated in the slave trade.
A mansion in Sutton linked to the family's wealth from slavery is something Kevin is relieved not to have inherited. He expressed his discomfort with the idea, saying: "I think if I was sitting in a stately home somewhere because of the money my ancestors made, I'd be feeling very uneasy."
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