Robert Morley

Birth Name: Robert Adolph Wilton Morley

Date of Birth: 26 May, 1908

Place of Birth: Tisbury, Wiltshire, England, U.K.

Date of Death: 3 June, 1992

Place of Death: Reading, Berkshire, England, U.K.

Ethnicity:
*father – English, Scottish
*mother – German, possibly other

Robert Morley was a British actor.

Robert was the son of Gertrude Emily (Fass) and Robert Wilton Morley, a major in the British Army. His mother was born in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to a German family, where her parents married at St Peter’s Cathedral.

Robert was married to Joan Buckmaster, until his death. Joan was the sister of actor John R. Buckmaster, and the daughter of actress, theatrical manager, and producer Gladys Cooper, and Capt. Herbert John Buckmaster. Robert and Joan had three children, including author, biographer, critic, and broadcaster Sheridan Morley.

Robert’s paternal grandfather was Robert George Morley (the son of William Morley and Elizabeth Ellis). Robert’s grandfather Robert was born in London, Middlesex. William was the son of John Morley and Mary Walbran.

Robert’s paternal grandmother was Alice Jane/I. Bisset (the daughter of William Bisset and Catherine Smyth). Alice was born in Madras, India. William was born in Udney, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Robert’s maternal grandfather was named Adolph Fass (the son of Adolph Fass and Bertha). Robert’s grandfather Adolph was born in Gollnow, Pomerania, Prussia. He may have been of Jewish origin, though it seems was eventually Lutheran.

Robert’s maternal grandmother was Sophie/Sophia Wilhelmina Hester Gade/Gaede/Goede/Gahde (the daughter of Heinrich Daniel Gahde and Sophia Dorothea Mocke). Robert’s grandmother Sophie was born in Natal, South Africa, to German parents.

Each of Robert’s grandparents was born in a different country, something that is fairly rare. Actors Remy Auberjonois, Hart Bochner, Raymond Cham, Jr., Noah Emmerich, Lily James, Stephen Lang, Jessica Lange, Logan Lerman, Brett Pierce, Ben Rosenfield, Andy Samberg, and Wallace Shawn, musicians Tom Cochrane, Paula Cole, and Alex Pall, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are others whose grandparents were born in four individual countries.

Sources: Robert’s father on the 1871 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Robert’s mother on the 1881 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Robert’s mother on the 1901 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org