In early 2018 Gillian Hunt was asked by Elephant House Studios to carry out research into the ancestors of actor and TV presenter Larry Lamb, best known for his roles in Eastenders and Gavin and Stacey. Larry had previously been on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? but the programme had focused on other branches of his family so all he knew was that his great grandmother Jane had been born in County Londonderry around 1840. From the information Larry provided Gillian knew that the Kerr family had moved to England in the mid-1800s and so she began by searching English records. Locating Jane’s marriage, which took place in London in 1852, she discovered that her father was Thomas Kerr, a shoe and bootmaker. She then turned to the 1851 English census where she found Jane living with her father and siblings.

Gillian and the Lambs Media Projects

Having obtained the names of Jane’s siblings, Gillian used the website of the Irish Family History Foundation (www.rootsireland.ie) to find records of their baptisms which took place in 1st Derry Presbyterian Church. These records included the name of Jane’s mother – Margaret Crossley and the family address in the city – Wapping Lane. In June Gillian travelled to Derry where she met with Larry and his son George while they were filming the second series of Britain by Bike to share with them what she had discovered about their ancestors. They were thrilled to learn more about their family’s time in the city and went on to visit Wapping Lane.