Departing Pointless presenter, Richard Osman, is the latest celebrity to track down their family history in BBC genealogy show, Who Do You Think You Are? He follows in the footsteps of Sue Perkins, who appeared earlier in the series, which you can read about here.
Richard, who has recently achieved success with his Thursday Murder Club novels, was brought up by his mother and cites his grandfather as his “perfect male role model”, he wants to know more about the maternal side of the family and is surprised to learn that crime is closer to him than just fiction.
In powerful scenes - Richard found out that in 1841 his ancestor, a fisherman called Gabriel Gilliam, found the body of a dead woman in Lovers’ Walk in Derbyshire. “That’s quite an extraordinary tale,” said author Richard, who is not unfamiliar with the topic of murder, having produced two successful crime novels. He learnt that his five-time great grandfather, Gabriel, would also help to solve the crime.
When Richard investigated the apparent crime scene, he found out that the body was that of Celia Holloway, a servant from Brighton. The time was “pre-police” and therefore, Gabriel had contacted a “peace officer”. Gabriel had appeared as a witness at an official inquest, which found that Celia’s husband, Jon and his lover Anne, had likely committed the offence and the two were sent to trial.
Read more: Damian Lewis pays moving tribute to late wife Helen McCrory on GMB
Heading to the county town of Lewis where the trial was held, Richard is told that Gabriel gave evidence against Jon Holloway in court. In what is described as a “sensational moment”, Jon would attempt to put the blame on Gabriel and accuse him of “carrying the body to Lovers’ Walk.” Celia’s husband was then sentenced to death for the murder of his wife. Anne, meanwhile, would be acquitted on “slim evidence.” The case was said to have attracted huge media attention.
At the end of the episode - Richard described the whole experience as “unbelievable” and said that he is “minded to write a detective knowledge on Gabriel Gillam.” In sad scenes where he searches for Gabriel on the internet, Richard learnt that the fisherman would be admitted to a workhouse in 1855.
It is under the assumption that Gabriel was, in fact, admitted for “infirmity” and was essentially, “punished for his poverty.” Gabriel passed away at the age of 80 after spending 15 years in the workhouse.
Who Do You Think You Are airs on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday, June 9, when you can see the rest of what Richard discovers.
