Emily Atack was moved to tears as she discovered that her great-great-grandfather took his own life aged just 33 in the wake of a tragedy.
The Inbetweeners star is told that in 1886, Joseph Atack was in charge of the safe movement of miners at a colliery when a man aged 36 was crushed and dragged by the cage used to transport the men deep underground.
A verdict of “accidental killing” was recorded and a probe found the victim had “jumped on the cage”, putting his own life at risk.
But three years after the accident, seemingly tormented by what had happened, Joseph jumped into a local river and drowned, leaving his wife, also named Emily, to care for five children.
A newspaper report said he had been convinced he was about to be convicted of manslaughter and “must have gone into the water in a state of temporary insanity”.
Emily tells the BBC ’s Who Do You Think You Are? that the Atacks, her ancestors on her dad Keith’s side, are a “sensitive” bunch.
She says she can’t help but think that Joseph “would have been hugely affected” by the accident at Nostell Colliery, in South Yorkshire. “If you gave a signal and it cost someone their life, you would never get over something like that,” she says.
When she is told he took his own life aged 33, Emily’s current age, she says: “Oh, my God. That is horrifically sad.”
Emily has previously spoken about her own mental health struggles.
She says blaming “temporary insanity” is not fair, adding: “He didn’t just lose his mind quickly – there’s sadness and depression, and anxiety and worry and panic. These feelings build and you’re trapped in them.”
She adds: “There was no help back then. I’ve struggled with mental health but I’ve had the help of therapists and doctors.”
She is relieved to learn her namesake Emily and the children, including her great-grandfather Bill, were not destitute because she remarried.
At Wragby’s parish church, where the second wedding took place and where Joseph is buried, tearful Emily says: “There’s no place I could feel more connected to.”
* Who Do You Think You Are? is on BBC1 on Thursday at 9pm.
