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Graveyard chance encounter leads to family meeting

Alex Pope,Northamptonshireand
Kate Bradbrook,Raunds and Danbury
News imageJaneel and Rand Smith Malcolm Atkins, Rand Smith and Ian Brandon, all standing in a graveyard. There are gravestones behind them. Malcolm is wearing a blue top, Rand, a gilet and checked shirt and Ian is holding a stick, and wearing a dark top. Janeel and Rand Smith
Malcolm Atkins, Rand Smith and Ian Brandon all met by chance in Raunds on Monday

A "divine intervention" has led to two families from either side of the Atlantic meeting by chance at the gravestone of their great, great, great, grandfather.

Rand and his wife Janeel Smith had travelled from Kansas City, USA, to Raunds, Northamptonshire, on Monday, to see where his ancestors hailed from.

While in St Peter's churchyard they stumbled across two other people, also visiting the same spot — cousins Ian Brandon and Malcolm Atkins from Essex.

After chatting they discovered they were actually fourth cousins and all related to Anthony Smith.

News imageJaneel and Rand Smith The gravestone of Anthony Smith with very faint words etched on it. There are leaves around it. Janeel and Rand Smith
The three families were visiting the grave of Anthony Smith

Mr Brandon, 74, from Danbury, said that, after seven years of promising, he finally went to Raunds with his 73-year-old cousin and Mr Atkins' wife Linda.

They had travelled because they discovered their great, great, great, grandfather used to own a shoe factory in Raunds.

"Once we were in the graveyard there were people looking at exactly the same gravestone and it all came about that we were related," said Mr Brandon.

"It seems very strange we were there at the same time; it was quite spiritual."

News imageJaneel and Rand Smith Five people, sitting round a table, in a pub. They have menus and glasses in front of them. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. There is a stone wall behind them. Janeel and Rand Smith
The group, including Rand and Janeel Smith, Malcolm and Linda Atkins and Ian Brandon all went for lunch at The Duke of Wellington pub in Stanwick

Mr Atkins, 73, from Harold Wood, east London, said he was at the grave, about to take a photo, when he saw Mr and Mrs Smith also looking at it.

Between them they worked out they "must be cousins".

"From that moment on we were talking [as if] we'd been talking for years."

It led to them all having lunch at the Duke of Wellington in Stanwick.

"You couldn't have written it; I'm still shocked by it; it's a day we'll never forget", Mr Atkins added.

News imageJaneel Smith Rand Smith, standing by a gravestone, with his hand on it, wearing glasses, a checked shirt, a blue gilet, and blue trousers. There is greenery around the graves and a church in the distance. Janeel Smith
Rand Smith said he has always been interested in genealogy

Mr Smith, 69, said it was an "emotional" day.

"What was the chance that we would arrive at the same headstone at the same time?" he asked.

"To get together like that was just priceless.

"We had the most marvellous time; we're still walking on air; we're on a high.

"It's made our trip; it was not a coincidence — it was a divine intervention."

News imageKate Bradbrook/BBC Rand and Janeel Smith, at St Pancras railway station, next to a train, smiling at the camera. Rand is wearing a red and blue checked shirt, and glasses and Janeel, a blue top with flowers on, with shirt fair hair and glasses. Kate Bradbrook/BBC
Rand and Janeel Smith had a whistle-stop visit to Northamptonshire and have now gone to Paris, France for a trade fair

Mr Brandon said: "It ended up a wonderful day, I love history, always have."

All the distant cousins have promised to keep in touch.

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