Melanie Lynskey
Lynskey in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Melanie Jayne Lynskey
Place of Birth: New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand
Date of Birth: 16 May, 1977
Ethnicity: Irish, English, Scottish
Melanie Lynskey is a New Zealand-born actress. Her roles include Heavenly Creatures, Hello I Must Be Going, and Mrs. America.
Her surname is Irish. Based on Melanie’s interview with Marc Maron in 2015, it seems fairly clear that Melanie is of largely or entirely Irish and English ancestry. Melanie is married to actor Jason Ritter, with whom she has a daughter.
Melanie’s paternal grandfather was Desmond Patrick Lynskey (the son of Patrick Edward Lynskey and Mary Anne/Ann Tobin). Desmond was of Irish origin. Melanie’s great-grandfather Patrick was the son of Michael Lynskey and Ellen Moran, who were from County Mayo, Ireland. Mary Anne was the daughter of Margaret Connelly.
Melanie’s paternal grandmother was Shelagh Gold (the daughter of Eric Norman Gold and Kathleen Evelyn Frost). Shelagh was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Eric was the son of James Frederick Gold and Florence Mary Humphrey. Kathleen was the daughter of Fred James Frost and Bessie Bryant.
Melanie’s maternal grandfather was John Hilton Mahoney (the son of Richard Halsey Mahoney and Mary/Molly Devereux). Richard was from Cork, Ireland. Mary was born in Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand, the daughter of Richard Devereux, whose parents were Irish, his father from Wexford and his mother from Galway; and of Mary Jane Dunderdale, who was born in Lancashire, England, and who was likely of Scottish ancestry.
Melanie’s maternal grandmother was Ann/Anne Waghorn (the daughter of Frederick William Waghorn and Olive Katie Jerrim). Ann was born in New Zealand. Frederick was the son of Henry Albert Waghorn, who was English, and of Sarah Ann Burns.
Sources: Marriage record of Melanie’s paternal great-grandparents, Eric Norman Gold and Kathleen Evelyn Frost – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Melanie’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Fred James Frost and Bessie Bryant – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Waghorn-433
Shelagh Gold was the daughter of Norman Eric Gold and Kathleen Evelyn Frost. Norman Gold was the son of James Frederick Gold and Florence Mary Humphrey. Kathleen Frost was the daughter of Fred James Frost and Bessie Bryant. They were all English.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZ5-L64Q
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G4NS-MP4
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N6RX-KBG
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G3ZP-SGD
Melanie’s maternal grandmother was Ann Waghorn.
John Hilton Mahoney was the son of Richard Halsey Mahoney from Cork, Ireland and Mary (Molly) Devereux of Richard Devereux (of Mathew Devereux and Bridget Lyons from Galway, Ireland) and Mary Jane King Dunderdale (of William Dunderdale and Jane McFie from Lancashire, England). McFie is a Scottish surname.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/202237864/ann-mahoney
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L2W2-XQ3
So her paternal grandfather was Irish, paternal grandmother: English. Her maternal grandfather: Irish, English and distant Scottish, and her maternal grandmother was most likely English.