Meet Mitt Romney's English relatives: the Cumbrians who are fourth cousins of Republican contender

Five siblings have learned that they share a great-great grandfather with Mr Romney, and in the view of Jennie Wilcock, 69, a retired barmaid from Barrow-in-Furness, the likeness is strongest in her brother, Mick Iveson.

"I saw him [Romney] on the telly twice the other day. My brother looks quite like him. He had dark hair like him. It's all grey now," she said. "He looks like our Mike. Same sort of face and everything," she said.

Mr Romney and Mick (Getty/NNP)

"I think I do a little bit, in my eyes and jaw," agreed Mick, a retired groundsman who lives nearby in Lindal-in-Furness and is in remission from prostate cancer.

Neither had even heard of the Republican candidate until their grandson-in-law Simon Nash, an amateur genealogist, told them a few weeks ago that they were fourth cousins, after tracing a mutual link going back five generations to George Romney, who died in 1859 and was born in Dalton-in-Furness.

Simon Nash, his wife Maria and their daughter Sarah (Reuters)

"I was quite surprised and shocked - it's one of those things you don't expect," said Mick. "I didn't know much about him before this, I don't have a computer!"

Pauline, his wife of 39 years, added: "It's a bit of good news - there's not many multi-millionaires around Dalton-in-Furness. We would welcome him if he wanted to visit, I'm sure Mick would like to meet him."

The Nash family outside their home in Preston (Reuters)

The worlds of the politician worth an estimated £160 million and his long-lost cousins could scarcely be further apart.

The two-story, pebble-dashed house where Mrs Wilcock has lived for 25 years is her only residence. Mr Romney on the other hand has four homes, each of substantial proportions and each worth millions, though only one has a vehicle-elevator.

Jennie Wilcock outside her home in Barrow-in-Furness (Reuters)

Mrs Wilcock has said that "most" of her children are out of work. All of Mr Romney's five sons are gainfully employed. She has never voted; on Nov 6 Mr Romney will stand for elected office for fourth time.

Unlike his wife Ann, who has kept up with her Welsh relatives, Mr Romney has not yet made the traditional pilgrimage of American politicians to obscure relatives across the pond.

Mid-morning sun shines on Dalton-in-Furness (Reuters)

Mr Romney's great-great grandparents, Elizabeth and Miles, were baptised and married in Dalton-in-Furness before converting to the Mormon faith in 1837 and moving to the United States, accepting the free ticket offered by early Mormon missionaries.

Simon Nash looks at a photograph of Miles Romney (Reuters)

After decades of struggle and some persecution, the Romneys found the wealth – and larger houses - offered by the Promised Land.

An original baptism record shows details of some of Mitt Romney's clan who were born and bred in Dalton-in-Furnace (Reuters)

Having unearthed the connection, Mr Nash is not however necessarily a political fan of his distant relative.

"If he got in, America would be a completely different place in three years time to what it is now. I don't know if it will be for the better," he said.