Sir Ian McKellen may be known around the world for his work on stage and screen, with six Oliviers, two Oscar nominations and a knighthood to his name.

But his little-known ancestor may deserve even more public acclaim, it appears, after it emerged he helped to invent the weekend.

Sir Ian’s great-great-grandfather Robert Lowes campaigned for Manchester’s business owners to allow their workers to take a half-day on Saturdays, allowing more than one day a week off for the first time.

Documents from 1843 show how Mr Lowes eventually convinced industry titans to let their staff leave their factories at 1pm on Saturdays, with one expert saying: “He can be viewed as the grandfather of the modern weekend.”