John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Kennedy in 1998, by NASA
Birth Name: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr.
Date of Birth: November 25, 1960
Place of Birth: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Date of Death: July 16, 1999
Place of Death: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, U.S.
Ethnicity: Irish (at least three quarters), smaller amounts of English, Scottish, French, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, remote Dutch
John F. Kennedy, Jr. was an American socialite, journalist, magazine publisher, and lawyer.
His parents were U.S. president John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who served from January 20, 1961 to November 22, 1963, and Jackie Kennedy (born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier). His sister is author, attorney, and diplomat Caroline Kennedy, who has been U.S. Ambassador to Japan, from November 19, 2013 to January 18, 2017, and U.S. Ambassador to Australia, since July 25, 2022. He was a nephew of politicians Robert F. Kennedy (Robert Francis Kennedy) and Ted Kennedy (Edward Moore Kennedy), and activist and humanitarian Jean Kennedy Smith, who was Ambassador to Ireland, from June 24, 1993 to September 17, 1998. His nephew, the son of his sister Caroline, is designer and author Jack Schlossberg; his first cousins are environmental lawyer, author, radio host, and politician Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and journalist Maria Shriver; and his first cousins, once removed, are politician Joe Kennedy III, author Katherine Schwarzenegger, and actor and model Patrick Schwarzenegger. John was married to publicist Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, until their deaths. He was also known as John-John and JFK, Jr.
Overall, John’s ancestry was at least three quarters Irish. His father was of Irish ancestry, along with remote Scottish roots. His mother was of Irish, some English, smaller amounts of French, German, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and remote Dutch, ancestry. One of John, Jr.’s great-great-great-great-grandmothers, Elizabeth Sarah Mohler/Maieler, was born in Hanover, Germany. John, Jr. was of approximately 3/64ths French descent.
John was selected People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1988.
John’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy (the son of P. J. Kennedy, Patrick Joseph Kennedy, and of Mary Augusta Hickey). John’s grandfather Joseph was born in East Boston, now Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and was a businessperson, investor, and politician. John’s great-grandfather P. J. was a businessperson and politician, who was the son of Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, who were from Dunganstown, County Wexford, Ireland. John’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of James Hickey, who was from Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare, Ireland, and of Margaret Martha Field, who was from Rosscarbery, County Cork, Ireland.
John’s paternal grandmother was Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (the daughter of John Francis “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine “Josie” Hannon). Rose was born in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, and was a philanthropist and socialite. John’s great-grandfather John was born in Massachusetts, and was a Democratic politician, who served as Mayor of Boston, from January 1, 1906 to January 6, 1908, and again, from February 7, 1910 to February 2, 1914; and as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, from March 4, 1895 to March 3, 1901, and again, from March 4, 1919 to October 23, 1919; he was the son of Thomas Fitzgerald and Rosanna Cox, who were born in Co. Limerick, Ireland. John’s great-grandmother Mary Josephine was the daughter of Michael Hannon, who was born in Lough Gur, Ireland, and of Mary Ann Fitzgerald, who was from Bruff, Limerick, Ireland.
John’s maternal grandfather was John Vernou Bouvier III (the son of John Vernou Bouvier, Jr. and Maude Frances Sergeant). John’s grandfather John Bouvier III was born in New York, and was a stockbroker and socialite. John’s great-grandfather John Bouvier, Jr. was the son of John Vernou/Vernon Bouvier, who was of about three quarters French descent, and of Caroline Maslin Ewing. Maude was born in Massachussetts, the daughter of English parents, William Roberts Sergeant and Edith W. Maretta/Mathilda/Matilda Leaman, from London.
John’s maternal grandmother was Janet Norton Lee (the daughter of James Thomas Aloysius Lee and Margaret A. Merritt). Janet was born in New York. James was born in New York, the son of James Lee and Mary/Marion Theresa Norton, and was of Irish descent. Margaret was born in New York, the daughter of Thomas Merritt and Maria Curry, who were Irish.
Sources: Genealogies of John F. Kennedy, Jr. – http://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of John’s father – http://famouskin.com
John’s paternal grandmother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Notes on the ancestry of John’s paternal grandmother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald – http://www.americanancestors.org
http://www.familytreecircles.com
John’s maternal great-grandparents, John Vernou Bouvier, Jr. and Maude Frances Sergeant, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of John’s maternal great-great-grandparents, William Roberts Sergeant and Edith W. Maretta/Mathilda/Matilda Leaman – https://www.familysearch.org
John’s maternal grandmother, Janet Norton Lee, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Janet Norton Lee on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of John’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Thomas Merritt and Maria Curry – https://www.familysearch.org
Ethnic, you should put possibly Dutch and African. Your source says this,
“One source claims the legend of ancestral descent of the Bouviers to include a later descendant of the Van Salees family, Dutch/African merchants that settled in New Amsterdam in the 17th century.”
http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=36
They do not know if this is true and do not cite this as fact.
“rish, English, French, Scottish; Jacqueline Kennedy was half-Irish, her mother being the granddaughter of four immigrants from County Cork, who came to New York during the 1840’s potato famine. Jacqueline Kennedy’s paternal grandmother Maude Sergeant was the daughter of an immigrant from Kent, England. Despite her maiden name, Jacqueline Kennedy’s French ancestry was descent from one great-grandfather, making her only one-eight French. The first Bouvier to settle in America was carpenter Michel Bouvier, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1815 from Point Saint-Esprit in the Provence region.”
The only thing they are sure of is that his mother, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, was 3/4th Irish and had French, English, and Scottish ancestry.
Do people even bother to read the sources which it is attained from?
It does not matter if he does or does not have African ancestry. The Kennedy family were not racists. Since this is supposedly Jackie’s great-great-great grandfather, that means she was a 1/32nd and JFK Jr. was 1/64th.
Nothing to fuss about.
I don’t know why people have marked your comment down. I do think that people’s ancestries should be better verified. There are a lot of people on here listed a certain ancestry with no actual verification.
Guess what even if Johnny Depp , John jr looks white they are still part African, is there like it or not and you know what else they have African relatives in Africa who are related to their African ancestors , racist people can’t take that away , pure race means 100% if you are not 100% pure then you are mixed enough said
There is no such thing as a pure race, and I do not believe everyone has to identify as mixed because their bloodline is not as pure as the driven snow.
What you are preaching about is the “one drop rule,” which has been deemed to be racist, nonsensical, and unscientific by both scientists and political figures.
One scientist in a scientific journal even states:
“Nor am I writing this to argue that there are no races. The fact that a poodle may have 1-10% of bulldog blood somewhere does not make him a bulldog.”
And John F. Kennedy Jr. may or may not have a African and Dutch great-great-great-great grandfather. The sources the moderator used specifically state that it is mere speculation and that they have no actual proof Jackie Kennedy was related to Dr. John van Salee De Grasse. They clearly say that all they know is that she was for sure overwhelmingly Irish with a bit of French, Scottish, and English ancestry. One of them also states that they asked Jackie and her sister, Lee Radziwill, about this and that they said it was untrue. However, that source could be lying.
After all, him having African blood is just a rumor.
If it is a rumour it is not verified so it should be removed.
Wow he has black in him. That is soooooooooo sexy. He sure is dreamy :)
VERY well said, Trese
Love and Peace for all.
WOW people are harsh here. Listen, plain and simply-it is part of his bloodline, all of the above makes you who you are. There is no shame in knowing the truth, and thats why so many people want to research thier heritage and ethnicity more thoroughly because so many unanswered questions.
I just think the easy way to think of this if you have a problem with it is to remember that it is part of your blood, and your heritage. Not something to be ignored or deny, and if you are embarassed by it-dont be. Its just part of the past and future-the mixture of races has been around for so long it doesn’t even matter anymore.
Nearly an entire population of people in this world has some mixed blood in them, and stories of people that lived before them, inside thier blood that is both sad, tragic, beautiful and joyous.
Not something to be critisized about. After all, the age old saying was, “we are all connected”, maybe that is true in more ways than one.
Honestly, who cares? Most people are not ashamed of having admixture. It is other people on here who are making a big deal about him having a black ancestor like they do Johnny Depp. Then, they use this knowledge to spout racism against whites. They make comments such as, “Oh, yes, it’s the 1/128th Native or black blood that makes him or her beautiful. They could never be that beautiful if they were only white.” As if such a thing as white, beyond it’s determinism as a social construct, even exists. People would not be annoyed if it weren’t for the blatant racism against whites that this sites promotes. But this site in general is perverse. “Mixed” kids come here to promote supremacy. They even go as far as using the “one drop rule” on every celebrity so they can “claim” them and deny that they are predominantly socially and racially white/Caucasian.
Click on any celebrities’ page and you’ll see these ignorant folks stretching that 1/128th Native or black. It’s not a problem to acknowledge that they have a mixed ethnic background like everyone else, especially Americans. It’s not a problem to look fully into their heritage, even if it does go back hundreds and hundreds of years. But to start denying their white, using “one drop rules,” which is a disgusting racist ideal, and spouting racism towards whites for the sake of promoting some sort of racial supremacy is not okay. It’s disgusting and perverse, and that’s all this site does.
I’m black and I agree with what SparkleTime is saying.
He was a beautiful looking man. All his backgrounds contributed to what he was. Great comment Trese.
“Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has distant African American ancestry named Dr. John van Salee De Grasse who was born in 1825.”
Why are people making a big deal out of this? If it is that distant in his mother, it is even more distant in him. Some of you are full of such shit. “Ooooh. I can see it in him. Ooooh. He’s a beautiful mixed man. Ooooh. It makes him beautiful.” Dude, he is 1/32nd black at BEST and probably didn’t even know he had an ancestor who was African. It is a part of his heritage, yes, and who he is, but I fail to realize why some of you are so fixated on such a SMALL part of his heritage? It is borderline creepy and perverse.
You all do the same with Johnny Depp, who has a black great grandmother from NINE generations ago who was born in 1612. He is HARDLY black. He has NEVER said he was part black and anyone who considers him as such is looney tunes.
Don’t care if I get thumbed down, but every time some white celebrity has a distant African ancestor, people start fixating on it like mad. It’s ridiculous.
He is mostly of Irish descent. Even Jackie had quite a lot of Irish ancestry.
He is actually 3/4 Irish descent. Jacqueline’s mother was of full Irish descent.
He (Dr. John van Salee De Grasse ) was born just a little over a century before her. What would that be, like her G, GG, or GGG grandfather? Hardly what I’d call distant.
Then I see the photo…
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/degrasseob5610068240.png/sr=1