Layton Williams, who reached the finals of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, was left in tears after discovering his ancestors were enslaved children in Jamaica
Layton Williams, known for his appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, was taken aback to learn that his ancestors were enslaved children in Jamaica while delving into his family history on the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are?
The 30-year-old actor and singer admitted that this was a discovery he had always dreaded. He expressed: "When you are a person of colour you always know that that is probably the eventuality.. to actually have it all spelled out to you that your family would have been slaves."
Layton, currently narrating the new series of I Kissed A Boy on BBC Three, has become a recognisable figure after roles in West End productions Billy Elliott and Everyone's Talking About Jamie, a part in the BBC comedy Bad Education, and making it to the Strictly finals in 2023.
He chose to take part in the BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? set to air tonight, as he was keen to uncover more about his roots, something he confessed he had "never given much thought," according to the Mirror.
Born in Bury, Greater Manchester in 1994, Layton and his three siblings were mainly brought up by their mother Michelle, with assistance from his grandparents. His father Prince, who was of Jamaican heritage, left the family home when Layton was young.
Layton revealed: "I saw Dad here and there on the weekends. He is a character but he wasn't very present in my life. We are not close like that but I definitely see a lot of myself in him."
In an investigation into his family background, the openly gay artist took a trip to Jamaica to uncover his father's roots. He commented on the challenges encountered due to the country's laws on LGBTQ+ rights, stating: "I am proud to have Jamaican roots and I have lots of family there but the laws there aren't very accepting to the queer community so I have always felt like it's hard to love somewhere they don't love you back."
His exploration led to the discovery of an unsettling aspect of his family tree: a great-great-great grandfather named Alexander Denton who is believed to have endured childhood slavery.
Historical records from 1825 called Baptism of Slaves, show an entry for an individual with the same name as his ancestor, along with a twin sister named Peggy, noted as Creole - indicating birth in Jamaica and aged merely four months old at the time. The register outlined them as property of Battersea Plantation, and further documentation, A Return of Slaves in 1826, credited them as "in the possession of owner Francis Hall" in the Manchester parish.
Considering slavery wasn't abolished in Jamaica until 1834, these details suggest they suffered nine years of bondage. Reflecting upon this ancestral truth, Layton conveyed his discomfort vividly: "I can feel it. It is him. Oh God. It makes me feel so uncomfortable even reading it. So the whole beginning of their childhood, they were enslaved."
The historical records illuminate the story of the twins' great-great-grandmother, Jessy, a direct ancestor of Layton, whose African heritage is now confirmed. Following emancipation, many former slaves like her managed to acquire their own freeholds.
The archives disclosed that Alexander became a labourer and married Elizabeth Richards in 1862 in the village of Porus.
Reflecting on his family history, Layton expressed: "It is a good thing. It is like - we just want space for us away from the madness to be with our families so we don't have to answer to anyone. My grandad Clarence was always drilling this into me 'Buy your own property and save your money'. I guess it's from a history of this and this is what they had to do to truly be free."
At the end of his emotional journey on the television series, Layton admitted that confronting the "eventuality" that his ancestors were enslaved was a heavy burden.
He shared: "When you are a person of colour you always know that that is probably the eventuality but when you actually have it all spelled out to you that your family would have been slaves, quite frankly, to actually think about it and to really know their names and know that they were children growing up in it, there is so much black power in that."
Layton continued, voicing a burgeoning sense of pride: "I don't think I have been really, really proud of being a person of colour and really leaning into like .. I'm like a beautiful black man and I am proud to have come from people who went through that but came through the other side.
"Now I am gonna cry. It's really beautiful and important that we don't forget because it's real and it happened and it was sad. I am sure it was awful but we made it here and my family are bonkers but they are amazing.
"There are so many of us and I really really hope that whatever they went through ...like we were kind of worth it. I will look back at this experience and I will be really happy and really proud of the family that came before me."
Delving into his mother's roots on the programme, Layton uncovers ties beyond his Bury origins, tracing connections to London, which stands as his current home.
He discovers an ancestor six generations past, Edward Downing Snr, a piano tuner by trade who lived in prestigious Golden Square. Reflecting on this link, Layton shares: "The area is still a hub for music. The fact he used to be part of a music scene feels magical and it makes sense why I am here. I always felt at home in London. It is the place that accepted me."
