Ben Mendelsohn

Mendelsohn in 2015, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn

Place of Birth: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Date of Birth: 3 April, 1969

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish (paternal grandfather), one eighth Greek, as well as Scottish, English, Irish, Northern Irish, and 1/32 German

Ben Mendelsohn is an Australian actor. He is the son of Carole Anne (Ferguson), a nurse, and Frederick Arthur Oscar Mendelsohn, a prominent medical researcher. His paternal grandfather was Jewish, of Polish Jewish descent. His other ancestry is 1/8th Greek, and Scottish, English, Irish, Northern Irish, and 1/32 German. Ben has two children, including one with his former wife, British journalist, novelist, and screenwriter Emma Forrest.

Ben has said:

I’ve had a f-ing normal job, I come from a half-working class, half-intellectual migrant family. There’s Greek there, there’s German, there’s Jewish, there’s Anglo, so I’m a proper regular sweet dumb old Aussie.

Ben’s paternal grandfather was Oscar Adolf O. Mendelsohn (the son of Saul/Sali/Salli Mendelsohn and Abigail Rosensweig). Oscar was born in Nanango, South Burnett Regional, Queensland, Australia. Saul was born in Piła, Poland, the son of Menthein Mendelsohn and Henrietta Mosessohn.

Ben’s paternal grandmother was Edna Millward Smale (the daughter of Frederick Harry Smale and Ettie Maria/Marie Hawksley). Frederick was the son of English parents, Benjamin Smale and Trazar Barter Millwood. Ettie was the daughter of Irish parents, Robert Hawksley, from Offaly, and Mary Wilson.

Ben’s maternal grandfather was Thomas Theodore Polites/Ferguson (the son of Theodore Thomas Polites and Christina Mabel Fesenmeyer). Ben’s grandfather Thomas was born in Prahran, Stonnington City, Victoria, Australia. Ben’s great-grandfather Theodore was born in Leucas/Lefkada, Greece, the son of Nicolaos Polites. Christina was born in Adelaide, Australia, the daughter of Arthur Augustus Fesenmeyer, who was born in England, of half German descent, and of Christina/Christine Mary Luxmoore.

Ben’s maternal grandmother was Elsie Rhoda Jones (the daughter of George William Carlyle Jones and Hannah May Victoria Cole). Elsie was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. George was the son of George William Jones and Ann/Anne Farrar. Hannah was the daughter of James Charles Cole and Amelia Elizabeth Stephens.

Sources: Genealogy of Ben Mendelsohn – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Ben’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Arthur Augustus Fesenmeyer – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com