Award-winning actor Olivia Colman is known for a wide range of roles in
comedy and drama I grew up in Norfolk as far as I know my family from England and
Ireland when I was a kid my dad's parents lived with us certainly it's a
sort of roots thing I feel and know much more about the Colemans just because I
think they were always in Norfolk forever so I feel like that's my know my
place my mum's family I wouldn't really know where they came from
Olivia lives in London with her husband and children I'm interested in well in
the people that have gone before there's a fragility to to life and also a moment
when you go will you be forgotten and and it would be nice to I don't know
what's happened in my family I know I don't know who's been forgotten and it
might be quite nice to remember them again their loves and losses we always
want to know a bit more and I mean if there's any adventures in my family I
they'd be so disappointed I think I'm currently probably the least adventurous
person I know you know I don't really go out
I like to be at home when my pajamas with my family yes
maybe that'll change to start her investigation into her family's past
Olivia's back in Norfolk where she grew up and where her parents still live
it's lovely coming back for something about the big skies it's dramatic and
beautiful as you get closer to the coast I love the smell of it from the smell of
the marshy mud feels like it's in my bones and blood being here
I'm off to see my mum and dad now and my uncle Richard is coming as well it's
coming over because that he did some research on the family tree so he's
probably a really good one to ask
this is my favorite bridge in Norfolk I'm holding on in the kitchen now come
and say hello as far as I know the Colemans I've never lived anywhere other
than Norfolk farm libres postman publicans the Rosen crown of Great
Library we get free beer but it's your family but Nicky's that we have the less
of a sense of well look what I found the other day this is daddy's graduation I
remember this maybe about five something like that
what have you dressed me in man knee-high socks and a kilt they were
happy days so it got Coleman's on the left and Leakey's on the right I got it
family tree here right Mary oh yeah it's going back so far there isn't it we're
going back a long long way 1766 Richard Campbell Bassett and Sara Bassett these
folks are your great-great great-great grandparents for Wow
I'm Ritchie Campbell's Bassett was born on the island just say talena and we're
centrally my geography is awful it's an island in the middle of the
South Atlantic miles from anywhere
this is Richard and Sarah his wife lovely lovely long straight noses but
you know it's not to graph is it they might have said
could you give me an ice luge and Richard Campbell Bassett was working in
London or the East India Company but that's so exotic isn't it santolina
East India Company it doesn't end up not no we're lucky to have pictures going
back this far so I won't find out more about the Richard Campbell Bassett sure
there's more information down in London I'll let you know
Richard's research takes Olivia back to her great-great great-great grandparents
Richard Campbell Bassett and his wife Sarah
Richard was working in London in the early 1800s
Olivia has returned to London to see what she can find out about her
four-times great-grandfather she's meeting historian Rebecca probit these
aren't my great-great great-great grandparents
richard campbell budget a handsome young john c and his wife's tara and he was
born as santolina and then worked with the east india company yes so we have
here this page from his account book we can see at the top Richard to sea as it
is quiet he's clearly well established and you
can see the kind of sums that he's dealing with Wow 14 and a half thousand
pounds what would that be is that possible today half a million today yes
so he's in London some of the time but we also know that he's also in Calcutta
nearly from the register of marriages at Calcutta Bengal for the year 1798
Campbell buzzed it and Margaret and what that's to Sarah
Margaret Anne Hampton of the same place spinster who's Margaret I thought it's
married Sarah Margaret is Richards first wife not wife
in different ports well let's see dr. Alex gives a bit more hint as to what's
going on so this is a court case buzzards versus facets a divorce
actually this is in the church course Church Court the church courts of this
stage have jurisdiction over all aspects of marital life including whether
couples can separate it's legally right and this is what Richard is seeking in
1808 so Richard came about it wants a separation yes why
so when Margaret and Richards came back to London she met a particular person at
her sister mrs. Palmer's house as Richards deposition goes on to describe
in or about the month of July or August in the year 1806 Frederick dizzy then
principal harp player at the Opera House attended at the house of mrs. Palmer and
Margaret and Bizet thereby became acquainted with the said Frederick dizzy
unknown to Richard Campbell Bizet her husband isn't someone nice he plays the
harp a nice arty type yes but we don't know that they're doing anything awful
doing well the story then done unfolds on or about the 6th day of September
1806 richard campbell Bizet and margaret ann Bizet having visit at the house of
the said mrs. Palmer margarett sister and the said Frederick
dizzy harpist being there and the said richard campbell Bizet having observed a
functions and familiarity in the conduct of the margaret ann Bizet towards
Frederick dizzy and on returning home insisted that she should stop all
acquaintance with him well he could just be a jealous Egypt can he might be but
their partner got a visit expressed herself with great warmth towards her
husband declaring that she would not live with a man who could suspect her of
improper conduct and would look out for a separate residence yeah so she's
basically saying to him up yours if you don't trust me because there's nothing
to suggest it's nothing more than a flirtation at the moment
okay I think whatsoever so Margaret leaves his home to her quite rare yes
absolutely and she she finds somewhere else to live
almost immediately after Margaret and Bizet went to reside at the said house
Frederick dizzi visited her there secretly oh well Richard was right all
along it gets worse oh but he usually came
after the Opera had finished and went upstairs into the bedroom he and
Margaret Ann Bizet lay together there naked and alone remember these were
people who had servants and thereby the said Margaret and Bizet committed the
crime of adultery okay so he was definitely having a fling with the
harpist mmm-hmm the servants were interviewed and said he was there at
breakfast I have some noises so Richard was right he was he was clearly right in
his in his suspicions no children at this point not the we're aware did they
have divorces legal divorces then divorce is very rare at this time the
only way to get a divorce in the modern sense that actually allows you to
remarry is by a private act of parliament Wow yeah
you