Home / Arts and Entertainment / Actor Ruth Madeley Uncovers Shocking Family Secret
Actor Ruth Madeley Uncovers Shocking Family Secret
10 Jul
Summary
- Ruth Madeley discovered her paternal grandmother was adopted, a secret unknown to her father.
- Her family history involved workhouses, survival, and adoption across multiple generations.
- Ruth found a personal connection to her great-grandmother Adelaide Osborne.
- The discovery revealed a history marked by poverty, hardship, and resilience.
Actor and activist Ruth Madeley delved into her ancestry on the genealogy series 'Who Do You Think You Are?', uncovering a deeply guarded family secret. She learned that her paternal grandmother, Beatrice, was adopted, a fact unknown to her father, Geoff.
Genealogists revealed a multi-generational story involving workhouses and survival. Ruth's research traced her lineage back to Hackney, London, and then to Manchester. A significant finding was the embezzlement charge against her great-great-grandfather Henry Osborne in 1893, leading to his wife Lucy and their children being sent to a workhouse.
Further investigation identified Beatrice's mother as Adelaide Osborne, who had entered a workhouse while pregnant. Beatrice was subsequently adopted by William and Elizabeth Burrows. Remarkably, Ruth discovered she had known Adelaide Osborne as 'Aunty Addy,' creating an unexpected generational link.
Ruth's journey concluded with visits to Southern Cemetery, where both her adoptive great-grandmother Elizabeth and biological great-grandmother Adelaide are buried. She reflected on her family's history of hardship and survival, stating, "I am from a family of survivors."
