Last updated at 16:21, Tuesday, 31 July 2012

A HUMBLE flat in Barrow is a world away from the imposing white house that stands at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.

CANDIDATE: Jennie Wilcock of Robert Street, Barrow, with a picture of her distant relative Mitt Romney MILTON HAWORTH REF: 50036798B002

But Jennie Wilcock could have the ear of the leader of the free world if her fourth cousin, Mitt Romney, wins November’s presidential election.

The 69-year-old great-grandmother – who has never voted in her life – was shocked to learn only recently that her bloodlines extend across the Atlantic.

Mrs Wilcock, of Robert Street, said she had never heard of Mr Romney – who has an estimated wealth of more than £100m – or that he has a genuine chance of beating Barack Obama in the race to the White House.

“I didn’t know who he was until several weeks ago,” she said. “I don’t really follow politics here or overseas. But it’s interesting. Now I’ve seen a picture of him, he actually looks quite a lot like my brother (Mike Iveson).”

While Mr Romney’s links to Dalton have been well documented, it took the detective work of Preston-based genealogist Simon Nash to uncover the Barrow connection.

Mr Nash is married to Maria Nash, who is Mrs Wilcock’s granddaughter. It was while tracing his wife’s family tree that he discovered Mrs Wilcock shares the same great-great-great grandparents as the former Massachusetts governor.

Mrs Wilcock’s family tree can be traced back five generations to George Romney who, according to Mr Nash’s research, was born in Dalton in 1781 and died in 1859.

The American link came the following generation when her fourth great uncle and Mr Romney’s great, great-grandfather Miles Romney – born in 1806 in Dalton – moved to America.

Mr Nash said he first discovered Mr Romney’s links to his wife’s family around five years ago but because he lost in that year’s primary “no one was interested”.

But with Mr Romney securing the Republican Party’s nomination earlier this year, there has been an explosion in interest in the candidate’s lineage.

“I’m an amateur genealogist and I do people’s family trees for fun,” he said. “This is my wife’s family tree that links into Mitt Romney. This time there’s been a lot more interest and because Mitt is a Mormon he is quite easy to trace because Mormons are experts in family trees.”

Mr Romney, who served as president and chief executive officer of the Salt lake Organising Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, was in London last week for the opening of the games.

First published at 16:11, Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk