Joe Kennedy III

Official U.S. Congress photo of Joe Kennedy III c. 2016, U.S. House Office of Photography

Birth Name: Joseph Patrick Kennedy III

Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 4, 1980

Ethnicity: Irish, English, more distant German, Swiss-German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, Scottish, and Dutch, remote Swedish

Joe Kennedy III is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, from January 3, 2013 to January 3, 2021.

Joe is the son of Sheila Brewster (Rauch) and Joseph P. Kennedy II (Joseph Patrick Kennedy II), a businessperson and Democratic Party politician, who was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, from January 3, 1987 to January 3, 1999. He was raised in Brighton and Marshfield, Massachusetts. Joe comes from a long line of activists and Democratic politicians. Joe’s paternal grandfather was Robert F. Kennedy, a politician, who was U.S. Attorney General, from January 21, 1961 to September 3, 1964, and a U.S. Senator from New York, from January 3, 1965 to June 6, 1968, when he was assassinated. Joe’s grandfather was also a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1968, until his death.

Joe is married to health policy lawyer Lauren Birchfield, with whom he has two children.

His uncle is environmental lawyer, author, radio host, and politician Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Among Joe’s grandfather Robert’s siblings, of whom Joe is a great-nephew, were John F. Kennedy, who was President of the United States, from January 20, 1961 to November 22, 1963, Ted Kennedy, who was also a politician, and activist and humanitarian Jean Kennedy Smith, who was Ambassador to Ireland, from June 24, 1993 to September 17, 1998. Through his Kennedy ancestry, Joe is a first cousin, once removed, of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and journalist Maria Shriver, and a second cousin of author Katherine Schwarzenegger, Jack Schlossberg, and actor and model Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Joe’s paternal grandfather was Robert Francis Kennedy (the son of Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald). Robert was born in Massachusetts. Joseph and Rose were of Irish descent, and Joe’s grandfather also had remote Scottish roots. His Kennedy line traces back to Scotland, and Joe had Scottish-born ancestors in the 1600s. Joe’s great-grandfather Joseph was a businessperson, investor, and politician, who was the son of P. J. Kennedy (Patrick Joseph Kennedy), a businessperson and politician, with roots in Dunganstown, County Wexford, and of Mary Augusta Hickey, whose roots were in Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare and Rosscarbery, County Cork. Joe’s great-grandmother Rose was a philanthropist and socialite. Rose’s father, Joe’s great-great-grandfather, John Francis “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, was a Democratic politician, who served as Mayor of Boston, from January 1, 1906 to January 6, 1908, and again, from February 7, 1910 to February 2, 1914; and as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, from March 4, 1895 to March 3, 1901, and again, from March 4, 1919 to October 23, 1919. John’s roots were in Co. Limerick. Rose’s mother was Mary Josephine “Josie” Hannon, whose roots were in Lough Gur and Bruff, Limerick.

Joe’s paternal grandmother was Ethel Skakel (the daughter of George Jordan Skakel and Ann Brannack). Ethel was born in Illinois, and was a human rights campaigner. George was a prominent businessperson, who founded the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation. He was the son of James Curtis Skakel, who was born in Canada, or Vermont, and of Grace Mary Jordan, who was born in Mississippi. Ann was the daughter of James Brannack, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and of Margaret/Maggie Hughes, who was born in England, with Irish heritage.

Joe’s maternal grandfather was Rudolph Stewart Rauch, Jr. (the son of Rudolph Stewart Rauch and Mary Banks French). Joe’s grandfather Rudolph was born in Pennsylvania. Joe’s great-grandfather Rudolph was born in New York, the son of William Rauch, who was born in London, England, to a father from Heilbeann, Germany and a mother from St Gall, Switzerland, and of Susan Spring Paton, who was Scottish. Mary was the daughter of Samuel Harrison French and Sara Elizabeth Barker.

Joe’s maternal grandmother was Frances Stuart Brewster (the daughter of George Stepenson Brewster and Eleanor Grant Bosher). Frances was born in New York. George was the son of Benjamin Brewster and Elmina Hearsey Dows. Eleanor was the daughter of Robert Semple Bosher and Martha Ellen Cox.

Sources: Genealogy of Joe Kennedy III – https://www.geni.com

Genealogies of Joe’s paternal grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy – https://www.findagrave.com
https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Joe’s paternal grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy (through Robert’s brother, John F. Kennedy) – http://famouskin.com

Joe’s paternal great-grandmother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Notes on Joe’s grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy’s, maternal ancestry – http://www.americanancestors.org
http://www.familytreecircles.com

Genealogies of Joe’s paternal great-grandparents, George Jordan Skakel and Ann (Brannack) Skakel – https://www.findagrave.com

Joe’s paternal great-grandfather, George Jordan Skakel, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Joe’s paternal great-great-grandparents, James Brannack and Margaret/Maggie Hughes, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Joe’s maternal grandfather, Rudolph Stewart Rauch, Jr., on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Joe’s maternal great-grandfather, Rudolph Stewart Rauch – http://www.nytimes.com

Marriage record of Joe’s maternal great-great-grandparents, William Rauch and Susan Spring Paton – https://www.familysearch.org

Joe’s maternal grandmother, Frances Stuart Brewster, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org