Jessica Tandy

Tandy in 1988, photo by Alan Light

Birth Name: Jessie Alice Tandy

Date of Birth: 7 June, 1909

Place of Birth: Hackney, London, England, U.K.

Date of Death: September 11, 1994

Place of Death: Easton, Connecticut, U.S.

Ethnicity: English

Jessica Tandy was an English and American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Driving Miss Daisy (1989). She also had leading roles in The Birds, Cocoon, and Fried Green Tomatoes, among many other films.

Jessica was the daughter of Jessie Helen (Horspool) and Harry Tandy. Jessica became a U.S. citizen in 1952. She was married to Canadian-born actor Hume Cronyn, until her death. She had a daughter with her former husband, English actor Jack Hawkins; and two children with Hume. Her granddaughter is actress Katherine Cronyn.

Jessica’s paternal grandfather was James Tandy (the son of James Tandy and Elizabeth).

Jessica’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Annis Cotton (the daughter of Henry Cotton and Louisa Martha Thatcher).

Two of Jessica’s maternal great-grandparents were John Thomas Horspool and Martha Elizabeth Colborn. John was born in Walpole St Peter, Norfolk, the son of John Thomas Horspole and Sarah Sutherby King. Martha was born in Walsoken, Norfolk, the daughter of William Colborn and Martha Waddelow.

Sources: Genealogy of Jessica Tandy (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Jessica’s mother on the 1891 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Jessica’s maternal great-grandmother, Martha Elizabeth Colborn, on the 1851 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org