Chris Martin

Coldplay in Concert on NBC's "Today Show" at Rockefeller Center in New York City - October 21, 2011

Martin in 2011, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Christopher Anthony John Martin

Place of Birth: Exeter, Devon, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 2 March, 1977

Ethnicity: English, small amount of Scottish

Chris Martin is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the lead singer of rock band Coldplay. The other members of the band are Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion.

He is the eldest of five children. His father, Anthony Martin, is an accountant. His mother, Alison (Fleming), is a music teacher, who is from Harare, Zimbabwe. Chris spent part of his childhood in Zimbabwe. He has two children with his former wife, American actress Gwyneth Paltrow. His uncle is Conservative Party politician David Martin. Chris’ aunt, Elisabeth Jane Martin, married The Hon. Julian George Winston Sandys, whose grandfather was U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Chris’ paternal grandfather was John Besley Martin, CBE (the son of John Martin and Catherine Mary Besley). Chris’ grandfather John was born in Rewe, Devon, England. He founded a caravan and motorhome sales business, Martins of Exeter, in 1929. He was also a High Sheriff and Mayor of Exeter. Chris’ great-grandfather John was the son of Edward Martyn/Martin and Elizabeth Radford. Catherine was the daughter of William Besley and Mary Elizabeth Hepper.

Chris’ paternal grandmother was Muriel Pattison (the daughter of Frederick William Wallace Pattison and Florence May Harrison). Muriel was born in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England.

Chris’ maternal grandfather was Maj. Richard Wallace Fleming (the son of George Norval Fleming and Ethel Sackville Reed). Richard was born in either Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, or Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England, to a Scottish father, from Edinburgh, and to an English mother. Ethel was the daughter of John Thomas Leigh Reed and Elizabeth Sackville Cresswell, who were from Marlborough, Wiltshire, and Wargrave, Berkshire, respectively.

Chris’ maternal grandmother was Gillian Mary Willett (the daughter of Basil Rupert Willett and Ivy Christabel Adelaide Tuke Hayter). Gillian was born in Honiton, Devon, England. Basil was the son of William Henry Willett and Maria Mills. Ivy was the daughter of George John Barry Hayter and Miriam Frances Lillian Drummond. William Willett was a builder who campaigned for and made daylight saving time a prominent practice. Chris’ great-great-great-great-great-grandfather through his grandmother’s line was landowner and politician Thomas Lister, 1st Baron Ribblesdale (born Abraham Lincoln Stanfield).

Sources: Genealogies of Chris Martin – https://www.wikitree.com
https://www.geni.com

11 Responses

  1. Jason 7 says:

    I wonder what percentage of England is still 100% English, and how many of those that are marry americans and so on with little to no English ancestry?

  2. andrew says:

    Chris’s surname was spelled “Martyn” a few generations back.

  3. andrew says:

    add paltrow link

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