Haley Bennett

Bennett in 2006, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Haley Loraine Keeling

Place of Birth: Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 7, 1988

Ethnicity: English, German, Scottish, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, one eighth African-American, one eighth Lithuanian, distant Swiss-German, remote Dutch and French

Haley Bennett is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in the films Music and Lyrics, The Hole (2009), The Equalizer, The Girl on the Train, and Hillbilly Elegy.

She was raised partly in Naples, Florida, and then Stow, Ohio. Haley has a daughter with her partner, British film director Joe Wright.

Haley’s ancestry is English, German, Scottish, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Lithuanian, and African-American, as well as distant Swiss-German, and remote Dutch and French. Her maternal great-grandfather, Vernon McFadden Dorsey, was black and was listed as black on U.S. Census Records, as were both his parents. When Haley’s maternal grandparents married, her biracial grandfather was listed as “white.”

Haley’s paternal grandfather is Thomas Marshall Keeling (the son of Thurston Keeling and Alice Lorene Fritz). Thomas was born in Ohio. Thurston was the son of Thomas Sylvester Keeling and Annie Day Wade. Alice was the daughter of John William Fritz and Mary Willie Hurt.

Haley’s paternal grandmother is Mary Lois Carpenter (the daughter of Hubert Herschel Carpenter and Jean W. Young). Mary was born in Ohio. Hubert was the son of Albin Addison Carpenter and Lydia Alice Starr. Jean was born in Ohio, to Scottish parents, George Young and Mary Williamson.

Haley’s maternal grandfather was Darryl Vernon Dorsey (the son of Vernon McFadden Dorsey and Georgia/Georga Belva “Dee” White). Darryl was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Haley’s great-grandfather Vernon was the son of Price Charles Dorsey and Mary Elizabeth Josephine Wright, who were African-American. Georgia was caucasian, and was the daughter of George Steven White and Edith Bell/Marie Gillespie.

Haley’s maternal grandmother is Shirley Jean Brettrager (the daughter of Henry Herbert Brettrager and Helen Ann Zagorski/Zagorskis). Shirley was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Henry was the son of Anton Brettrager, who was born in Romania, and of Cornellie Wallner/Walter, who was born in Hungary; Anton and Cornellie, who were Catholic, appear to have been ethnic Germans. Helen was the daughter of Victor Zagorski/Zagorskis and Katherine, who were Lithuanian.

Sources: Genealogy of Haley Bennett – https://www.geni.com

Marriage record of Haley’s maternal grandparents, Darryl Vernon Dorsey and Shirley Jean Brettrager – https://www.familysearch.org

Haley’s maternal grandfather, Darryl Vernon Dorsey, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Haley’s maternal grandfather, Darryl Vernon Dorsey – https://www.record-courier.com

Haley’s maternal great-grandfather, Vernon McFadden Dorsey, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Haley’s maternal great-grandfather, Vernon McFadden Dorsey – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituaries of Haley’s maternal great-grandfather, Henry Herbert Brettrager, and of his own parents, Anton Brettrager and Cornellie Wallner/Walter – http://www.findagrave.com

Haley’s maternal great-grandmother, Helen Ann Zagorski/Zagorskis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org