Temple Grandin

Birth Name: Mary Temple Grandin

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

Date of Birth: August 29, 1947

Ethnicity: English, one eighth Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, distant Jersey Channel Islander and Welsh

Temple Grandin is an American academic and animal behavioralist. She is a well-known advocate for the humane treatment of livestock, as well as an influential spokesperson for autism, a disorder that she has struggled with throughout her life.

Temple was born to a wealthy family in Boston, the daughter of Ann Eustacia, an actress and singer, and Richard McCurdy Grandin, a real estate agent. Her father was heir to Grandin Farms, then the largest corporate wheat farm business in the U.S. Temple’s great-grandfather John Livingston Grandin, along with his siblings William James Grandin and Elijah Bishop Grandin, were entrepreneurs, who created some of the first business ventures in commercial oil prospecting in the U.S. They were also bankers, financiers, and Bonanza wheat farmers, and operated the largest American corporate wheat farm, in Grandin, North Dakota, in the late 1800s. Her mother re-married to saxophonist Ben Cutler.

Most of her ancestry is English, with deep Colonial American roots tracing back to the 1600s, as well as more recent English immigrants. She also has some Scots-Irish/Northern Irish ancestry, as well distant Jersey Channel Islander and Welsh roots. Temple was raised an Episcopalian.

Temple’s patrilineal line can be traced to her great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Daniel Grandin, who was born, c. 1694, on Jersey, Channel Islands, the son of Daniel Grandin and Rachel Lebocq.

Temple’s paternal grandfather was John Livingston Grandin, Jr. (the son of John Livingston Grandin and Grace Helen Crockett). Temple’s grandfather John was born in Tidioute, Warren County, Pennsylvania. Temple’s great-grandfather John was the son of Samuel Grandin and Sarah Henry. Grace was the daughter of Selden Crockett and Lucy Elliot.

Temple’s paternal grandmother was Isabel McCurdy (the daughter of Robert McCurdy and Isabella Porter). Temple’s grandmother Isabel was born in Youngstown, Mahoney County, Ohio. Robert was born in Antrim, Ireland, the son of Robert McCurdy and Eliza Henry.

Temple’s maternal grandfather was John Coleman Purves (the son of Austin Montgomery Purves and Betsy Preston Coleman). Temple’s grandfather John was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and co-invented the aviation autopilot. Austin was the son of Alexander Perot Purves and Emma Benson. Betsy was the daughter of John Addison Coleman and Ellen Clarissa Holmes.

Temple’s maternal grandmother was Mary Temple Bradly (the daughter of Eustace Anstruther Bradley and Anna Chapman Leonard). Mary was born in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Eustace was the son of Gilbert Bradley, who was born in North Baddelsey, Hampshire, England, and of Ann Carden.

Sources: Genealogy of Temple Grandin – https://www.geni.com

History of the McCurdy family – https://quoddybelle.tripod.com