A REMARKABLE Bradford family now has six generations alive at the same time - and believes it could be the only family in the UK in that position.

Finley James Mellor was born on Christmas Day, and at just three weeks old is the youngest member of this large family.

At Springfield Care Home in Buttershaw, he came face-to-face with his great-great-great-grandmother, 103-year-old Hilda Hanson, yesterday.

Five generations of the family were all together at Mrs Hanson’s home, with great-great-grandparents Frank and Jean Cottam the only generation not present, as they now live in the seaside town of Morecambe.

Three-week-old Finley was joined by his mother Aimee Mellor, 18, grandmother Melissa Mellor, great-aunt Niki Mellor, 43, great-grandmother Sue Godward, 62, and great-great-great grandmother Mrs Hanson.

His arrival now brings the family to a huge 44 members, and Mrs Godward said the next family party was going to be quite the gathering.

She said: “It was brilliant to get everyone together.

“When Finley arrived it was the perfect Christmas present, and Hilda, my grandmother, turned 103 a couple of weeks later.

“She met him on Christmas Day but as she has Alzheimer’s she cannot remember meeting him.

“She was so pleased to see him and gave him lots of cuddles and kissed his head, she had a big smile on her face and we all loved it, Finley held her finger and which was a lovely moment.

“She might not remember it but in the moment she loved it and loved seeing all of her family.

“Finley slept all the way through it like babies do.”

Mrs Godward said her daughters have been researching six-generation families since Finley was born.

“They cannot find any families in Britain but there is a family in Canada that has six generations and think they might have found another somewhere else in the world.

“It’s a real achievement to have six generations and when we finally all get together it will be really special.”

Just last month, a family in Alberta, Canada were celebrating the arrival of the sixth generation of their family.

The Guinness World Record for most living generations ever is seven, which was achieved in 1989 by a family in the United States of America.

But Mrs Hanson and her family believe they are the only six generation family in the UK.

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