John Caird

Birth Name: John Newport Caird

Place of Birth: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Date of Birth: September 22, 1948

Ethnicity:
*62.5% English
*37.5% Scottish

John Caird is a Canadian-English stage director and writer, of plays, musicals and operas.

He is the son of British parents, Viola Mary, a poet and librarian, and G. B. Caird (George Bradford Caird), a Congregational minister, theologian, humanitarian, and biblical scholar. His father was theologian and principal of Mansfield College, Oxford, and Dean Ireland’s Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford. His brother, George (Geordie), is an oboist and principal emeritus of the Birmingham Conservatoire. His family lived in Montréal, Québec, and then moved to Oxford, England, in 1959.

John is married to translator and lyricist Maoko Imai. He has three children with his former wife Ann Dorszynski/Annie Caird; two children, including singer and songwriter Eliza Doolittle, with his former wife, musical theatre actress and singer Frances Ruffelle; and three children with Maoko.

John’s paternal grandparents were from Dundee, Scotland.

John’s paternal grandfather was George Caird (the son of George Caird and Margaret Wood Butchart). John’s great-grandfather George was the son of John Caird and Jane/Jean Simpson. Margaret was the daughter of James Butchard and Agnes Stewart.

John’s paternal grandmother was Esther Love Bradford (the daughter of John Samuel Bradford and Mary Cumming). John Bradford was the son of John Bradford and Elizabeth Smith Jennings. Mary was the daughter of George Cumming and Janet Martin.

John’s maternal grandfather was Ezra Benjamin Newport (the son of Samuel Newport and Frances Brown). Ezra was born in Sherborne, Dorset, England. Samuel was the son of George Newport and Hannah Hewlett. Frances was the daughter of William Brown and Harriet Coombes.

John’s maternal grandmother was Emily Lilian Overington (the daughter of Ernest Overington and Clara Duffield). Emily was born in Tonbridge, Kent, England. Ernest was the son of Henry Overington and Louisa Croucher. Clara was the daughter of Abraham Duffield and Eliza Atkinson.

Sources: Marriage record of John’s parents – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of John’s father – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of John’s mother – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of John’s maternal grandparents, Ezra Benjamin Newport and Emily Lilian Overington – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of John’s maternal grandfather, Ezra Benjamin Newport – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of John’s maternal great-grandparents, Samuel Newport and Frances Brown – https://familysearch.org

Baptismal record of John’s maternal great-grandmother, Frances Brown – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of John’s maternal grandmother, Emily Lilian Overington – https://familysearch.org

Baptismal record of John’s maternal great-grandfather, Ernest Overington – https://familysearch.org

Baptismal record of John’s maternal great-grandmother, Clara Duffield – https://familysearch.org