Ashley Judd

Film star Ashley Judd can go back eight generations on her mother's side, but her father's ancestry is more of a mystery. Ashley sets out to find out if there is any truth to two family stories - first, that her great-great grandfather Elijah Hensely spent time in an infamous Confederate prison during the Civil War; and secondly, that the family has deep New England roots.

Ashley uncovers Elijah's service record from the Civil War and discovers not only that he was imprisoned - twice - but that he was badly wounded at Saltville and had to have his leg amputated on the battlefield. She then travels to Massachusetts, where she discovers a connection to the ultimate American story - the Mayflower.

Finally, Ashley travels through England - to York, Cambridge and the original Boston in Lincolnshire - as she tracks the dramatic story of her ancestor William Brewster, who was persecuted for his religious beliefs before seeking religious freedom in the New World.