A genealogy surprise

It’s not every day you find out you’re related to British acting royalty, so when Orion Point resident, Alana Cooke, discovered she shares ancestors with Dame Judy Dench, she was “very surprised!”

“I received a phone call from my cousin who told me to turn on the TV to watch ‘Who do you think you are?’ and there was all my family information being relayed; and the person involved was Dame Judy Dench!” exclaimed Alana.

Raised in a family interested in genealogy, Alana researched her family tree more extensively in the 1960s, tracing her roots on her father’s side back to 17th century Danish Aristocracy.

It was through Alana’s recorded research that producers of the popular BBC TV show, which delves into the family histories of famous people, reached out to her for more information.

“They wouldn’t tell me which famous person the programme was about but said they would inform me later. I submitted all my information, but I never heard from them. It was during COVID times, so I didn’t think much more of it.”

Alana and Dame Judy are both directly related to the 1st Viscount Molesworth, Ambassador to the Court of St. James, and his neighbour and secretary, Richard Bolton, whose tenures took them from London to Copenhagen in the late 1600s.

Evidently, both men descend way back to William the Conqueror. However, it was their offspring who married, and from whom Alana and Dame Judy descend. Dame Judy through her mother’s side, and Alana through her father’s.

“Genealogy is very complicated, but roughly Dame Judy and I are sixth cousins,” says Alana.

While their immediate family connection extends back several centuries, you could say that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as the women share something in common – a love of the performing arts.

“As a young, registered nurse working in Westminster Hospital in London, I belonged to the Westminster Hospital Medical School Choir, and we sang at the Royal Festival Hall to a packed house.

“I also learnt ballet for many years and trained as an opera singer for 12 years in the 60s and 70s with Dame Sister Mary Leo, who also taught Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major. I performed in several professional operas when we were living in Christchurch.”

Delving into the family tree uncovered another surprising discovery for Alana. The actresses Olivia de Havilland, from Gone with the Wind, and her sister Joan Fontaine also descend from the Molesworth family. “So, acting must run in the blood!” says Alana.

Alana, who finds genealogy “fascinating,” says finding out where she descends from gives her a sense of stability and belonging.

“For me, it’s important to know where I came from, it gives me a sense of continuity and it’s something I can pass on to my children. But it really depends on the person, I’ve got cousins who aren’t in the least bit interested!”

After the show, Alana reached out to Dame Judy’s agent, offering more family information.

“I asked her if she would like to know more about her Bolton family, and she did. So, I sent her all the family information I had and have since received several notes from her through her family and secretary.”

And what does Alana think of her famous cousin?

“I think she’s an amazing actress – very talented!”