19-year-old actress, who plays witch Hermione Granger in Harry Potter films, is related to 16th century woman convicted of witchcraft
19-year-old actress, who plays witch Hermione Granger in Harry Potter films, is related to 16th century woman convicted of witchcraftEmma Watson, famous for portraying a witch in the Harry Potter films, may have magic in her genes as she is related to a 16th century woman convicted of witchcraft.
The 19-year old who has made more than u00a318 million (Rs 143 crore) from playing Hermione Granger in the wizard franchise, is a cousin 14 generations removed from Joan Playle.
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Magic in Her Genes: Emma Watson at the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in London last month. |
Her distant relation, from Great Waltham in Essex, was one of only 270 known people tried of witchcraft during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
But rather than be burned at the stake, it appears Playle was merely excommunicated from the Church of England.
Although details of Playle's conviction remain unclear, it would appear she was unmarried. Those generally accused of being witches in the 16th century were either old, poor, unprotected, or singler or widowed women.
Anastasia Tyler, a genealogist from Ancestry.co.uk, who researched Watson's heritage, said: "It is not every day we are able to trace the branches of a family tree back to the 16th century witch trials.
"It shows researching your family's past can have just as many twists and turns as a film blockbuster.
"As we researched Emma's family, we learned that her great great great grandmother was named Frances Playle a very uncommon surname.
"The Playles have been in a small area of Essex since the early 1500s."
What next, Emma?Watson grew up in Oxfordshire, roughly 100 miles from the area.
The actress, who achieved straight A grades at A level in English literature, geography and art at Headington School in Oxford, is reportedly set to attend Ivy League Brown University, in Rhode Island, USA, in September.
She is rumoured to be taking a three-year break from acting in order to concentrate on her studies, although she is currently finishing off work on the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Early DaysThe 1562 Elizabethan Witchcraft Act was passed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was an act 'agaynst Conjuracions Inchauntmentes and Witchecraftes'.
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There were 270 Elizabethan witch trials of 247 were women and only 23 were men!
