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, as well as distant Dutch, Scottish, and German
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Kyra Sedgwick is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles on the series The Closer, and in the films Something to Talk About, Born on the Fourth of July, Singles, Phenomenon, What’s Cooking, The Possession, The Edge of Seventeen, and Gamer.

Kyra’s father, Henry Dwight Sedgwick V, was born in Massachusetts, and is from a prominent family that has lived in New England since the 1600s; he is of English, and distant Dutch, Scottish, and German, descent. Kyra’s five times paternal great-grandfather, William Ellery (1727-1820), signed the Declaration of Independence. Kyra’s mother, Patricia Ann (Rosenwald), was Jewish, of German Jewish and Austrian Jewish descent. Kyra has identified as a secular Jew. Kyra’s father was first married to Helen Phillips Burroughs, who was also from a WASP background. After the two divorced, both Henry and Helen re-married to Jewish spouses.

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 January 3, 1963 to January 7, 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 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 May Minturn). Robert was born in New York. Henry was an attorney and author. He was born in Stockbridge, Berkshire, Massachusetts, the son of Henry Dwight Sedgwick, Jr. and Henrietta Ellery Sedgwick, who were first cousins. Kyra’s great-grandmother Sarah was born in Staten Island, Richmond, New York, the daughter of Robert Bowne Minturn, Jr., a shipping magnate, who was Vice President of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad; and of 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 Fannie/Fanny/Frances Peabody). Helen was born in Massachusetts. Her parents were first cousins. The Rev. Endicott was born in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, and founded the Groton School for Boys. He was the son of Samuel Endicott Peabody and Marianne Cabot Lee; whose father founded investment bank, Lee, Higginson & Co., and whose mother was born on Antigua, British West Indies. Kyra’s great-grandmother Fannie was the daughter of Francis Peabody, Jr. 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 Manhattan, New York, New York. Bernard was born in New York, the son of German Jewish parents, Edward Rosenwald, from Bamberg, Oberfranken, Bavaria, and Jeanette Heymann. May was born in San Francisco, California, of German Jewish descent, the daughter of John A. Cook, from Baden-Württemberg, and of Henrietta Frank.

Kyra’s maternal grandmother was Dorothy T. Bleyer (the daughter of Louis Bleyer and Emma Moretta Hirsch). Dorothy was born in Manhattan, New York, 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