Michael Caine
Caine in 2007, photo by prphotos
Birth Name: Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Place of Birth: St. Olave Bermondsey, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 14 March, 1933
Ethnicity: English, Irish
Michael Caine is a British actor and author. He has twice won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and The Cider House Rules (1999).
He is the son of Ellen Frances Marie (Burchell) and Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. His brother was actor Stanley Caine. Michael is married to Indian-Guyanese-British actress and model Shakira Caine. He has a daughter with his former wife, actress Patricia Haines; and a daughter with Shakira.
Michael has English and Irish ancestry. On Inside the Actors Studio (2000), Michael stated that his father had Romani ancestry. It is not clear if this Romani ancestry has been verified/documented. He has said this on other occasions.
Michael’s surname was spelled Mickelwait several generations back.
Michael’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Henry Micklewhite (the son of Joseph Henry Micklewhite and Catherine Martha Turner). Michael’s grandfather Joseph was born in St. Saviour Southwark, London, England. Michael’s great-grandfather Joseph was the son of George Gilham Scott Mickelthwaite and Emma Russell.
Michael’s paternal grandmother was Johanna/Hannah/Hanna Regan (the daughter of Maurice Regan and Ellen Regan). Johanna was born in St. Saviour Southwark, London, England. Michael’s great-grandfather Maurice was the son of Irish parents, Timothy Regan and Hannah Drummony. Ellen was the daughter of Dennis Regan and Mary, who were from Cork, Ireland.
Michael’s maternal grandparents may have been Albert Burchell and Mary Ann Sullivan.
Michael attended the Hackney Downs Grocers’ School, which had many Jewish students. While there, he learned to speak Yiddish.
Sources: Genealogies of Michael’s parents – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogies of Michael Caine (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.timedetectives.co.uk
https://www.geni.com
Michael’s paternal grandmother, Johanna/Hannah/Hanna Regan, on the 1881 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Likely Michael’s mother on the 1901 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Michael Caine’s mother Ellen Frances Marie Burchell (1900-1989) was the daughter of John Burchell (1876) and Euphemia Lydia Stoke (1881). John was the son of John Burchell (1848-1900) and Mary Ann Smith (1851-1923). Euphemia was the daughter of Charles William Stokes and Lydia Jane Stokes (1851-1916). All of Michael Caine’s maternal great-grandparents were English born and of English ethnicity. Michael Caine’s ethnicity should look like 3/4 English 1/4 Irish or 75% English 25% Irish to be the most precise on the ancestry. thanks.
How do you know for sure those are the right grandparents, and not Albert Burchell and Mary Ann Sullivan?
Hi @Follers, I looked at multiple trees of Michael Caines mother. They all reference Maria Burchell on the 1901 England Census (ancestry.com). If this is the case and his maternal grandmother was the lady from Bermuda/West Indies could Michael Caine be very ethnic?
Couldn’t care less about the wording but he is more than “some” Irish. Michael Caine is at least 1/4 Irish. Paternal grandmother Johanna Hanna Regan (1876-1917) was the daughter of Maurice Regan (1852) and Ellen Regan (1851). Maurice was the son of Irish parents Timothy Regan 1806 and Hannah Drummony. Ellen was the daughter of Cork, Irish parents Mary and Dennis Regan. In fact according to Geni Caine’s maternal grandmothers parents were born in Cork, Ireland. if that is the case he is half English half Irish. but I don’t know if that has been verified.
Is it still not 100% certain who Michael Caine’s maternal grandparents were?
I am a big fan of Michael Caine he is a great actor. I thought he was 100% Ashkenazi Jewish when I heard about him being fluent in Yiddish and attending a Jewish school in England. He is truly a great guy!
http://www.timedetectives.co.uk/doc/MichaelCaineFamilyDetails.pdf