A famous musician with familial ties to Lancashire paid a visit to the county this week to explore her family’s past.

Jennifer Thomas is an American pianist, violinist and composer from Seattle, but her family history can be traced back to the Southworth family who once lived at Samlesbury Hall.

The hall was, until the early 17th century, the primary home of the Southworth family and now stands as a Grade II listed building.

After visiting Westminster Cathedral to see where the body of St John Southworth, a distant ancestor of Jennifer, is laid to rest, she came up to the hall on Wednesday (March 29) and stayed overnight in one of the guesthouses.

The next morning, Jennifer was given a tour of the hall and presented with a certificate confirming her membership to the hall in honour of her heritage.

Putting her musical talents to use, Jennifer was then invited to play the 150-year-old grand piano inside the hall and entertained the staff with her playing.

Charlotte Hunt, who works at the hall, said: “She got in touch with the director of the hall to say I’m related to the Southworth family.

“Her name rung a bell as she’s quite a famous pianist around the world and we said do you want to come down and have a play of our piano?

“We play it for weddings sometimes but it’s a very old piano. She was thrilled when she saw it as that’s what she’s into. She played for everybody that works here.”

In a video posted on her Instagram page, Jennifer said: “My maiden name is Southworth and I come from a very, very long line of Southworths dating back to the early 1100s.

“St John was the brother of the 15th great grandfather that I come from (so an uncle).

“St John was killed for being a Catholic priest during the Elizabethan era when Henry VIII outlawed Catholicism and started the Church of England.

“My 15th great-grandfather was part of a treasonous plot to help Mary Queen of Scots (a Catholic queen) gain reign in England.

“I feel so lucky to have finally been able to visit Samlesbury Hall today in person.”