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While newsreaders might be used to making the headlines each week, one BBC journalist’s investigative quest took her to Jersey in the 1800s where a relative had made the news for a more gruesome reason.
Jersey Archive's Heritage unit was contacted by BBC One’s celebrity ancestry-tracing show ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ to help trace a Jersey link to BBC news anchor, Sophie Raworth.
They wanted to investigate Ms Raworth’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, who Ms Raworth believed to be Henry Robert Mott – an esteemed piano maker, who had once played for King George IV in the late 1700s.
This is on next Wednesday 8th March @BBCOne 8pm. Let's just say it involves pianos...and plants https://t.co/7Z9eKSjuw3
— sophieraworth (@sophieraworth) March 3, 2017
But records showed that the Watchdog presenter had hit the wrong note with this strand of the investigation.
With the help of Archivist Michele Leerson, it was discovered that she was in fact descended from Birmingham-born Samuel Mott, husband of Ann, who ventured to the Island in the early 19th Century and eventually settled in Kensington Place with his family.
Records dug out by Ms Leerson showed that he had died aged 56 on 3 July 1838, and was buried in the Stranger’s Cemetery.
According to an article in ‘La Chronique de Jersey’ – the local newspaper at the time – Mr Mott had taken his own life after exhibiting “symptoms of insanity”.
Pictured: The article on Mr Mott's untimely death in the Chronique de Jersey newspaper. (Photo: Jersey Library, home of Island's oldest newspaper archive)
After having breakfast as usual one Tuesday morning, he had walked upstairs to his room, before slicing his throat with a cut throat razor in a moment of mental instability.
But the tragic tale started on a sad note too. Mr Mott had lived through the Priestly Riots in 1791 and lost his parents to yellow fever when they moved to the United States, seeking a fresh start.
He was then separated from his siblings aged 11, later sent to live with a bankrupt guardian.
While he was indeed related to the piano string of the family, they decided to sack him from the family business.
Pictured: Samuel Mott listed on the Parish of St Helier burials list. (Photo: Jersey Archive)
Commenting on her discoveries during the show, Ms Raworth said: ““I came [on the show] thinking I was related to Isaac Mott – the piano maker who made pianos for the king… I discover I’m directly related to his cousin who was a ‘mule of a chap’. It’s not quite the same is it?”
Although spiked with sorrow, she added that she was, “…enchanted by the Motts.”
“Like hands reaching out from the past, they really came alive.”
“There’s a spirit in the Motts that I can still see filtering through my family now. I’m in awe of what they did, and I’m very proud to be one of their descendants."
Sophie Raworth’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ episode will air tomorrow night at 20:00 on BBC One.
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