Fiona Apple
photo by PrPhotos.com
Birth Name: Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 13, 1977
Ethnicity: English, Irish, Swiss-German, German, Scottish
Fiona Apple is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and poet.
She is the daughter of actor Brandon Maggart (born Roscoe Maggart, Jr.) and singer Diane McAfee. Fiona has stated (here) that she has Melungeon ancestry. The Melungeon are an ethnic group often consisting of European, African-American, and Native American ancestry. It is not clear if any documented/verified Melungeon, African-American, or Native American ancestry has been produced for Fiona Apple.
Fiona’s paternal grandfather was Roscoe Maggard/Maggart (the son of Elbert Jason Allen Maggard/Maggart and Louisiana/Louisianna Anna White). Roscoe was born in Tennessee. Elbert was the son of John Maggard/Maggart and Malinda/Melinda Hewitt. Louisiana was the daughter of Hiram Harris White and Carolina/Caroline Sadler/Saddler.
Fiona’s paternal grandmother was Agnes Louvenia Robinson (the daughter of John David Robinson and Maude May Apple). Agnes was born in Tennessee. John was the son of William M. Robinson and Louisa Francis Smith. Maude was the daughter of James Alexander Apple and Mary Susan/M. Farmer.
Fiona’s maternal grandfather was John Morgan “Johnny” McAfee (the son of John Perry McAfee and Ora Bell/Belle Crosser). Fiona’s grandfather John was born in Texas. Fiona’s great-grandfather John was the son of Marshal Dickerson McAfee and Hattie Elliott. Ora was the daughter of George Wesley Crosser and Laurella/Laura Crook.
Fiona’s maternal grandmother was Millicent Ann Greene/Green (the daughter of John William Green and Mildred A./H. Morganthaler). Mildred’s parents were Swiss, with Swiss-German ancestry.
Sources: Genealogy of Fiona Apple – https://www.geni.com
Fiona’s paternal grandparents, Roscoe Maggard/Maggart and Agnes Louvenia Robinson, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Fiona’s paternal great-grandmother, Louisiana/Louisianna Anna (White) Maggart – https://www.findagrave.com
Fiona’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Hiram Harris White and Carolina/Caroline Sadler/Saddler, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Fiona’s maternal great-grandmother, Ora Bell/Belle Crosser, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Mildred A./H. Morganthaler parents were Swiss: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M54C-XKZ
his direct patrilineal line is also Swiss-German/German: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/9W55-891
Crosser line is also German: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/G3B6-683
McAfee is a Scottish surname to me, as well as McDougal.
“Apple” line is German too (among other ones): https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/MPKW-N1X
In the tree above, there’s also remote Swedish, and evidently Italian and French from this couple: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/G95R-JH8
It looks like she has a lot of German (including Swiss-German) and Scottish ancestry other than English. Her Irish ancestry seems distant. No Melungeon so far
i thought she could be part black
Of course, go to Africa and you will find Fiona’s look-alike galore. Head to Germany otherwise.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69366394/louisianna-maggart
When did she state that she was melungeon?
At 33:00 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrAkzlld_Ts
Does that ethnic group really exist? I have never seen anyone with it, not like Creole, Cajun, Afrikaner, etc.
That’s a good question, actually. How does one determine that someone is of Melungeon descent?
I think Creole, Cajun, Afrikaner, French-Canadian, etc. are easy to determine because the ethnicities are also tied to certain places, cultures, and dialects of certain languages.
Melungeon, on the other hand? I am not sure. Wouldn’t it just be a mixed-race person from 1900 or earlier?
@follers
There are families with specific surnames in certain areas of U.S. who are known to have Melungeon roots.
She looks eastern european specially in this picture
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/87/e4/23/87e423e00f8bcaa2373fc3783420f66e.png
https://www.geni.com/people/Fiona-Apple/6000000047611300102