When Miss Moneypenny asks 007 ‘One lump or two?’ who would have thought she was referring to Daniel Craig’s family’s underground past?
Well, it appears that the James Bond actor’s Victorian ancestor was a coal agent.
findmypast.co.uk’s new Cheshire Collection reveal ‘agents’ also exist in Craig’s family tree, as well as his professional life, but in this case they were agents of coal rather than Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
With the 23rd Bond film, recently named Skyfall, due to hit cinemas this time next year, Daniel Craig will grace the red carpet once again as the world’s most famous spy. However, his ancestors could not have imagined the glamorous lifestyle that their great-great-great-grandson would go on to lead.
Craig’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, William Hargrave, was a Coal Agent from the City of Chester, which was a highly regarded job, requiring business acumen, effective people skills and the gift of the gab as he traded between the coal manufacturers and everyday people. William married Mary Fleet in 1859 and both of their signatures appear in the parish register.
Analysis of William Hargrave’s signature suggests he was sociable, interested in others, practical, adaptable, confident and determined. All traits a spy would need. Daniel Craig’s own signature suggests he has inherited some of these – being practical and optimistic with a positive attitude, liking attention but being unpretentious.
Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk, said: “What’s lovely about so many of these records is that they also include real signatures of our relatives at this time.”
This insight into the family lines of a Cheshire-lad-turned-A-list-movie-star can be found online in The Cheshire Collection. On 9th November 2011 over 10 million records provided by the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies covering over 350 years of history go online for the first time ever.
In Bond-related news the cast and crew have been staying at Park Hyatt Macka Palas in Istanbul.
Here’s the press conference announcing Bond23: Skyfall
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