Kyra Sedgwick

Sedgwick in 2011, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Kyra Minturn Sedgwick

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 19, 1965

Ethnicity:
*father – English, distant Dutch, Scottish, and German
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Kyra Sedgwick is an American actress and producer.

Kyra’s father, Henry Dwight Sedgwick V, is from a prominent family that has lived in New England since the 1600s, and is of English, and distant Dutch, Scottish, and German, descent. Kyra’s mother, Patricia (Rosenwald), was Jewish, of German Jewish and Austrian Jewish descent.

Kyra is married to actor and musician Kevin Bacon, with whom she has two children, including actress Sosie Bacon. Kyra’s paternal half-brother is jazz guitarist Mike Stern, and her half-nephews are R&B singer George Nozuka, actor Philip Nozuka, musician and actor Justin Nozuka, and musician Henry Nozuka. On her father’s side, Kyra’s first cousin, once removed, was Endicott Peabody, a Democratic politician, who was Governor of Massachusetts, from 1963 to 1965.

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012) stated that Kyra’s genetic ancestry is:

*50% Ashkenazi Jewish

Kyra’s patrilineal line can be traced back to Robert Sedgwick, who was born, c. 1613, in England.

Kyra’s paternal grandfather was Robert Minturn Sedgwick (the son of Henry Dwight Sedgwick III and Sarah Mary/May Minturn). Robert was born in New York. Henry was the son of Henry Dwight Sedgwick II and Henrietta Ellery Sedgwick. Sarah was the daughter of Robert Bowne Minturn, Jr. and Susanna Shaw. Kyra’s great-great-grandmother Susanna was the daughter of abolitionist, women’s rights supporter, anti-imperialist, and philanthropist Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw. Kyra’s great-great-great-uncle was Robert Gould Shaw, a white man who commanded the first all-black regiment, 54th Massachusetts, in the Northeast, and who was played by Matthew Broderick in the film Glory (1989). Kyra’s great-great-great-aunt was Progressive Reform leader Josephine Shaw Lowell, and her great-great-great-great-uncle was merchant Russell Sturgis. Robert and Josephine were Susanna’s siblings, and Russell was Sarah’s brother.

Kyra’s paternal grandmother was Helen Peabody (the daughter of The Rev. Endicott Peabody, a minister, and of Fanny/Frances/Fannie Peabody, who were born with the same surname). Helen was born in Massachusetts. The Rev. Endicott founded the Groton School for Boys. He was the son of Samuel Endicott Peabody and Marianne Cabot Lee. Fanny was the daughter of Francis Peabody and Helen Bloodgood. Kyra’s grandmother Helen Peabody’s brother, Kyra’s great-uncle, was Malcolm E. Peabody, who served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, from 1942 to 1960.

Kyra’s maternal grandfather was James Benno Rosenwald (the son of Bernard/Benno Rosenwald and May/Mae Cordelia Cook). James was born in New York. Bernard was born in New York, the son of German Jewish parents, Edward Rosenwald, from Bamberg, Oberfranken, Bavaria, and Anna Jeanette Heymann. May was born in San Francisco, of German Jewish descent, the daughter of John A. Cook, from Baden-Württemberg, and of Henrietta Frank.

Kyra’s maternal grandmother was Dorothy Bleyer (the daughter of Louis Bleyer and Emma Moretta Hirsch). Dorothy was born in New York. Louis was born in New York, the son of Austrian Jewish parents, Samuel Bleyer and Sophia Zeimer. Emma was also Jewish, and was born in New York, the daughter of Leopold Hersch and Bertha Theresa Mackens.

Kyra and her husband Kevin Bacon are ninth cousins, once removed, through their common ancestors Richard Willets (born 1618) and Mary Washbush (born 1629). A genealogical relationship of this degree is extremely common among people of Colonial American ancestry.

Sedgwick with husband Kevin Bacon in 2011, image via DFree/Bigstock.com

Sources: Genealogies of Kyra Sedgwick – http://www.geni.com
http://famouskin.com

Genealogy of Kyra Sedgwick (focusing on her father’s side) – https://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com