Martha Plimpton

Plimpton in 2011, photo by s_bukley/bigstock.com

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

Date of Birth: November 16, 1970

Ethnicity: English, along with smaller amounts of Danish, German, Ashkenazi Jewish, Swiss-German, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and Dutch

Martha Plimpton is an American actress, singer, and model. Her film roles include Shy People, Running on Empty, Parenthood (1989), and Mass, as well as considerable work on Broadway.

She is the daughter of actors Keith Carradine (Keith Ian Carradine) and Shelley Plimpton, who had met while in the original production of Hair. She is a half-sister of actress Sorel Carradine, a granddaughter of actors John Carradine and Sonia Sorel, a niece of actors Christopher Carradine and Robert Carradine, a half-niece of actors David Carradine and Michael Bowen, a cousin of actress Ever Carradine, and a half-cousin of actress Kansas Carradine.

Martha’s paternal grandfather was John Carradine, an actor (born Richmond Reed Carradine, the son of William Reed Carradine and Genevieve Winifred Richmond). John was born in New York, New York, and had English, with distant Irish and Dutch, ancestry. William was the son of The Rev. Beverly Francis Carradine, who was a Methodist religious author, and of Laura Green Reid/Reed. Genevieve was the daughter of Horace Culver Richmond and Winifred/Winifrede “Winnie” Ryan.

Martha’s paternal grandmother was Sonia Sorel, an actress (the daughter of Henry Robert Gustav Henius and Lillian Dorothy Fuess). Sonia was born in Wisconsin. Henry was the son of Max Henius, a prominent biochemist, who was a Danish Jew, and of Johanne/Johanna Louise “Henne” Heiberg, who was of Danish background. Lillian was the daughter of Joseph Fuess, who was German, from Roentgen, Baden, and of Anna Fischer, who was of German and Swiss-German descent.

Martha’s maternal grandfather was William Sherman Plimpton (the son of William Melvin Plimpton and Annabelle/Anabel Campbell). Martha’s grandfather William was born in Oregon. Martha’s great-grandfather William was the son of William Wright Plimpton and Alice Josephine Miller. Annabelle was the daughter of Horace Guy Campbell and Laura Belle Sherman.

Martha’s maternal grandmother was Martha Jane Williams (the daughter of Samuel Carter Williams and Constance Parralee “Parrie” Campbell). Martha was born in Washington. Samuel was the son of Thomas David Williams and Pattie Ann Warren. Constance was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Campbell and Harriet Lenora Gass.

The surname Carradine is sometimes said to have an Italian or Spanish origin. Martha’s last traceable patrilineal ancestor is believed to have been a man named Parker Carradine, who was born in Georgia, in North America, c. 1755. There is no evidence that Parker had Italian or Spanish ancestry.

Sources: A discussion of the Carradine family’s origins – http://www.familytreecircles.com

Genealogy of Martha Plimpton – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Martha Plimpton (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogies of Martha’s father (through his half-brother, David Carradine) (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com
http://famouskin.com

Martha’s paternal great-grandmother, Lillian Dorothy Fuess, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Martha’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Joseph Fuess and Anna Fischer – https://familysearch.org