Chevy Chase

Chase in 2009, photo by PrPhotos.com

Birth Name: Cornelius Crane Chase

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 8, 1943

Ethnicity: English, as well as Scottish, Irish, small amounts of German, Swedish, and Dutch

Chevy Chase is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for starring on early SNL and in numerous comedy films, including Foul Play, Neil Simon’s Seems Like Old Times, Fletch, Funny Farm, and the National Lampoon’s Vacation films, particularly Christmas Vacation.

He is the son of Cathalene Parker (née Browning), a concert pianist and librettist, and Edward Tinsley Chase, a magazine writer and book editor. His parents were both from prominent families. Much of his ancestry is English, with deep Colonial American roots in New England. He also has smaller though recent amounts of Scottish and Irish, and more distant German, Swedish, and Dutch, roots. He is a Mayflower descendant. He is married to Jayni Luke, with whom he has three children.

Through Chevy’s paternal grandfather, he is a descendant of William Brewster (c. 1566-1644), a Mayflower passenger and noted Pilgrim. Among many of William’s other descendants are actors Jordana Brewster, Paget Brewster, Austin Butler, Taylor Lautner, Seth MacFarlane, and Elisabeth Shue, actors and models Noah Mills and Brandon Routh, director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer Zack Snyder, singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, soccer player Clint Dempsey, Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, and Governor of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller.

Chevy’s paternal grandfather was Edward Leigh Chase, an artist and illustrator (the son of Charles Denison/Dennison Chase and Grace Metcalfe). Edward was born in Elkhart Lake, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Edward’s brother was Frank Swift Chase, a painter and teacher. Chevy’s great-grandfather Charles was born in Vermont, the son of Henry Seymour Chase and Sarah Denison Haskell. Grace was the daughter of Lyne Shackelford/Shackleford Metcalfe, who was Mayor of Alton, Illinois, and of Sarah Tennery/Tenney Baker. Sarah’s father, Chevy’s great-great-great-grandfather, David J. Baker (David Jewett Baker), was a Democratic Party politician, who was a U.S. Senator from Illinois, from November 12, 1830 to December 11, 1830.

Chevy’s paternal grandmother was Mabel Penrose Tinsley (the daughter of Edward Tinsley and Laura Penrose Thornton). Mabel was born in Brooklyn, Kings, New York. Edward was the son of Theophilus Tinsley, who was born in Ireland, and of Henrietta Josephine Wortman. Laura was the daughter of Edward Thornton and Marie Penrose, who were born in England.

Chevy’s maternal grandfather was Miles Rutherford Browning, a prominent U.S. Navy officer and admiral (the son of Oren Fogle Browning, Jr. and Sarah Louise Smith). Miles was born in Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey. Oren was the son of Oren Fogle Browning and Mary Gertrude Clarkson. Sarah was the daughter of James Kearny Smith and Anna Mary Bacon.

Chevy’s maternal grandmother was Cathalene/Catherine Isabella Parker, an opera singer (the daughter of Edward Grahame/Graham Parker and Charlotte Margaret “Lottie” Linné). Cathalene was born in San Francisco, California. Chevy’s maternal step-grandfather, who adopted Chase’s mother, was Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, of the wealthy Crane and Vanderbilt families, and to the industrial products company Crane Co. Chevy’s great-grandfather Edward was born in Auburndale, Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, the son of Charles Edward Parker and Isabelle/Isabella Graham Jennings. Chevy’s great-grandmother Charlotte was the daughter of John/Johan Conrad Linné, who was born in Denmark, to a German father and a Swedish mother; and of Catherine Fitzpatrick “Kate” O’Reilly, who was born in New York, the daughter of Irish parents, Thomas O’Reilly and Margaret Fitzpatrick.

Sources: Genealogies of Chevy Chase – http://famouskin.com
https://www.geni.com
http://freepages.rootsweb.com
https://www.wikitree.com

Chevy’s paternal grandfather, Edward Leigh Chase, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s paternal great-grandparents, Charles Denison/Dennison Chase and Grace Metcalfe, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s paternal great-grandmother, Grace Metcalfe, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s paternal grandmother, Mabel Penrose Tinsley, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Mabel Penrose Tinsley on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s paternal great-grandfather, Edward Tinsley, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s paternal great-grandmother, Laura Penrose Thornton, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s maternal grandmother, Cathalene/Catherine Isabella Parker, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Chevy’s maternal great-grandfather, Edward Graham Parker, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Edward Graham Parker on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Chevy’s maternal great-great-grandfather, John/Johan Conrad Linné, on the 1855 Denmark Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death records of Chevy’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Catherine Fitzpatrick “Kate” (O’Reilly) Linné – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org