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Mayor uncovers unknown family connection to pier

Ross Pollard & Leigh Boobyer & Sarah Turnnidge
BBC News, West of England
BBC John Crockford-Hawley holding the trowel which his cousin used to lay the pier's foundation stoneBBC
John Crockford-Hawley said the discovery is "quite moving"

A town mayor looking for relatives of a boy who helped open a historic pier 160 years ago has called off his search, after finding out it is him.

John Crockford-Hawley, Weston-super-Mare's mayor, learnt of the discovery ahead of the announcement of a £10m package to save Birnbeck Pier from collapsing.

He said he is the cousin of Cecil Smith-Piggott, the four-year-old son of the lord of the manor who laid the pier's foundation stone using a ceremonial trowel.

Mr Crockford-Hawley said the discovery is "both moving and humbling really".

The National Lottery Heritage Fund announced on Monday it has given North Somerset Council £10m towards reopening the Victorian landmark to the public.

The Grade II listed pier has been in disrepair for 20 years after being privately owned, before being sold to the council, and restoration work is currently under way.

'Quite moving'

Mr Crockford-Hawley said: "I'm a Weston person, I'm very much involved in Weston history.

"To find I've got an even deeper involvement with a person and with this very thing he held all these years ago that I'm holding today, it's quite moving really."

He told how he came to find out he is a relative.

"We thought it would be a nice idea if we could find a relative of the squire's son, and a week ago somebody came to me and said: 'I've found a relative, he lives in Weston," said Mr Crockford-Hawley.

"I said, 'who is it":[]}