Jill Hennessy
Hennessy in 2012, image via kathclick/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Jillian Noel Hennessy
Place of Birth: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date of Birth: November 25, 1968
Ethnicity:
*father – Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, Swedish
*mother – German, Ukrainian
Jill Hennessy is a Canadian actress and musician. She is known for her roles on the television series Law & Order and Crossing Jordan.
Jill is the daughter of Maxine and John Hennessy. Her sister is Jacqueline Hennessy, a journalist, television host, and actress. She is married to Paolo Mastropietro, with whom she has two children.
Jill has said that her mother is mainly a “Ukrainian Gypsy.” Jill’s mother has German and Ukrainian ancestry. It appears that Jill may not have been referring to Romani people in her statement, rather using “Gypsy” as a term for a lifestyle.
Jill’s paternal grandfather was named John D. Hennessy.
Jill’s paternal grandmother was Eleanor Marie Renaud (the daughter of Raymond Renaud and Rose Carnegie/Carnaghie). Rose was born in Ontario, to Italian parents, Louis Carnaghie and Mary.
Jill’s maternal grandfather was Harry Dearing (the son of Mack Frederick Dearing and Elsie Bertha Zielke). Harry was born in Alberta. Mack’s mother was German. Elsie was born in Alberta, the daughter of ethnic German parents from Poland, Martin Carl Zielke/Zeilke/Zilka and Christina/Christine.
Jill’s maternal grandmother was Anne/Annie/Ann Dankowich (the daughter of Steven Dankowich and Tilly Gach). Anne was born in Saskatchewan, to Ukrainian parents, of the Ukrainian Orthodox religion. Tilly was the daughter of Ivan Gach and Paraska Nykolchyk. Jill has said, “My grandmother was a powerhouse force of nature… She grew up in a Ukrainian camp outside of Edmonton, not speaking any English.”
A picture of Jill with her mother can be seen here.
Sources: https://www.avenueedmonton.com
Obituary of Jill’s paternal grandmother, Eleanor Marie (Renaud) Hennessy – http://erbgood.com
Jill’s paternal great-grandmother, Rose (Carnegie/Carnaghie) Renaud, on the 1911 Canada Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jill’s maternal grandfather, Harry Dearing, on the 1926 Canada, Prairie Provinces Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jill’s maternal great-grandmother, Elsie Bertha Zielke, on the 1916 Canada, Prairie Provinces Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jill’s maternal grandmother, Anne/Annie/Ann Dankowich, on the 1926 Canada Prairie Provinces Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Jill’s maternal grandmother, Anne/Annie/Ann (Dankowich) Dearing – https://www.newspapers.com
Obituaries of Jill’s maternal great-grandparents, Steven Dankowich and Tilly (Gach) Dankowich – https://www.findagrave.com
Jill’s maternal grandfather was Harry Dearing.
Jill’s maternal grandmother was Anne Dankowich.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25837843/dearing-anne-nee-dankowich-obit-1999/
Anne was the daughter of Steven Dankowich and Tilly.
Tilly Dankowich might be the woman mentioned here:
http://diasporiana.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/books/14179/file.pdf
that would mean she’s the daughter of Ivan Gach and Paraska Nykolchyk.
“Her dad’s executive sales job moved them across Canada a lot, but the girls and baby brother made frequent visits to their Ukrainian grandparents in Edmonton.”
https://www.avenueedmonton.com/december-2010/the-return-trip/
So apparently her maternal grandfather is of Ukrainian origin too.
In her song Edmonton (which is about her maternal grandmother), the first two line goes: “She brought a glass teacup / Red as Gypsies’ blood”. So it’s safe to say that her grandmother was of Romani descent, which is backed up by her living in a camp outside of Edmonton. Anyway, I don’t think she has Austrian ancestry now.
https://eu.dailyrecord.com/story/entertainment/2016/02/26/jill-hennessy-performs-whippany-sunday/80977236/
“The fact that she is singing at a Ukrainian center is appropriate. One new song, “Edmonton,” is about her maternal grandmother, who was born to Ukrainian immigrants.
“My grandmother was a powerhouse force of nature,” says Hennessy. “She grew up in a Ukrainian camp outside of Edmonton, not speaking any English.” The family later moved to Edmonton, where they had to deal with intolerance and prejudice.”
https://twitter.com/jillhennessy/status/584053430202818560
Paternal grandmother:
http://erbgood.com/tribute/details/9041/Eleanor-Hennessy/obituary.html
Eleanor Marie Renaud’s parents were Raymond Renaud and Rose Carnegie/Carnaghie. Rose’s parents were from Italy.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9T-Q5B6
Tag as French-Canadian.
Her mother is Ukrainian Gypsy and Austrian. http://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-artslifechat-hennessy-htmlstory.html
how?
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/actress-jill-hennessy-and-mother-maxine-hennessy-attend-fall-2014-picture-id467502791?s=594×594
Does that picture prove she is not Romani?
yes, gypsies don’t look like that. Her name is Sally/Maxine Kieswetter, and it’s German.
You can’t often determine ancestry by looks. Pauly D and Alessia Cara are examples you’d agree with. And Jill said in the interview that her mother is part Austrian, hence the surname. Romanis (and more so half-Romanis) could defenitely look like Jill’s mother, even though most don’t. This Swedish politician is half Jewish, half Romani:
https://www.google.ie/search?q=soraya+post&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0iqrb-o3SAhVlJMAKHeOWBasQ_AUICCgB&biw=1280&bih=615
Don’t get me wrong, she probably has no Romani ancestry (which appears to be the European version of Native American ancestry), but a picture disproves nothing.
A lot of Sinti Roma moved to Eastern Europe. As madman said, a picture (or a name) proves nothing.
@bablah
I know very well that Eastern Europe is the cradle of Romani people. If that woman as any kind of Romani ancestry, it’s minimal.
About Alessia Cara, it’s pretty clear that her family is not just Italian. Look at her brother.
Her mother is Maxine. Her stepmother is Sally Kieswetter.