Melanie Chisholm, best known as Sporty Spice from the world-famous Spice Girls, takes a deep dive into her family history on tonight’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are?
Now a successful solo artist, Melanie credits her drive and resilience for much of her success. And she’s curious to find out if these qualities run in her blood.
Melanie starts her journey in Liverpool, where both sides of her family have roots. Armed with just a photograph of her great-grandmother, Mary Bilsborough, she’s eager to uncover more about her family’s past.
Melanie quickly learns that Mary was quite the character. Twice married, she had several children with Melanie’s great-grandfather while still wed to her first husband. In a surprise twist, Melanie discovers that Mary is listed as a moneylender in the 1939 Register. Melanie is puzzled – how could Mary lend money when the family was far from wealthy?
At Liverpool Central Library, local historian Pat Ayers sheds some light on this mystery. Pat explains that working-class women often became moneylenders, using whatever spare cash they had to make loans and earn interest. It was a tough business, especially after 1927, when new laws required moneylenders to be licensed.
Melanie searches through the moneylenders’ register to see if Mary had managed to get a licence. She’s relieved to find Mary’s name on the list, confirming her great-grandmother’s success. Mary even left a small fortune, worth around £46,000 in today’s money.
Intrigued by a rumour of Irish roots, Melanie turns to the 1911 Census, which reveals Mary’s father was named Patrick Flaherty. Could this be where her Irish connection starts?
Melanie meets genealogist Rachel Rick, who helps trace her family back to Ireland. It turns out her great-great-grandfather Patrick Flaherty was born in Liverpool, but his father – another Patrick – was from Croom in County Limerick, Ireland. Determined to learn more, Melanie heads to Croom.
There, she discovers that her ancestors were tenant farmers who began raising children in 1846, right at the start of the Great Famine. As crops failed and starvation spread, they sought work in cities, moving from Croom to Limerick city, and eventually to Liverpool. Melanie reflects on their strength and resilience in the face of such hardship.
She then turns her focus to her mother’s side. After learning how her father’s family ended up in Liverpool, Melanie wants to find out more about her maternal roots.
Genealogist Rachel King shows her a family tree tracing back to Liverpool, but reveals that her fourth great-grandfather, Thomas Keef, originally came from Devon. Orphaned at just eight years old, Thomas grew up in a workhouse, but defied the odds. By 1851, he was married with three children and worked as a baker.
However, life took another turn for Thomas when he became an insurance manager in Bristol. In 1860, he was charged with embezzlement. Though he was cleared three years later, he lost his job and moved to Liverpool.
Melanie returns to Liverpool, where she learns Thomas became a campaigner for workers’ rights. He might have moved to escape the stigma of his court case, but he found a new purpose.
Reflecting on her journey, Melanie feels a deep connection to Liverpool, a city where both sides of her family found the chance to start over. She’s discovered a long line of determined, hardworking, and ambitious people who stood up for themselves and their beliefs.
And she hopes she has inherited some of that spirit too.
Who Do You Think You Are? airs on BBC One and iPlayer.
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