Rebecca Hall
Hall in 2011, photo by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Rebecca Maria Hall
Place of Birth: Hammersmith, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 3 May, 1982
Ethnicity:
*father – English
*mother – African-American, Dutch, English, distant German
Rebecca Hall is a British-American actress. She is known for her roles in the films Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Gift, The Night House, and Godzilla Vs. Kong.
Her father, Peter Hall, was English-born, and was a director, of theatre, opera, and film, who founded the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her mother, Maria Ewing, was American-born, and was an opera singer and actress. Rebecca is married to American actor Morgan Spector, with whom she has a daughter.
A picture of Rebecca with her parents can be seen here. Rebecca’s father was of English descent. Rebecca’s maternal grandfather, from Virginia, was African-American, with European (likely English) ancestry, and Rebecca’s great-grandfather had been born into slavery. Rebecca’s maternal grandmother, who was caucasian, was Dutch, from Amsterdam, and also had a small amount of German ancestry.
Rebecca’s half-siblings are producer Christopher Hall, actress, musician, and journalist Jennifer Caron Hall, stage director Edward Hall, set designer Lucy Hall, and actress Emma Hall. Christopher and Jennifer’s mother is actress Leslie Caron.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2022) stated that Rebecca’s genetic ancestry is:
*91% European
*9% African
Rebecca’s paternal grandfather was Reginald Edward Arthur Hall (the son of George Hall and Edith Kate Mitchell). Reginald was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. George was the son of John Hall and Mahala Vincent. Edith was the daughter of John Mitchell and Elizabeth Ann Tindall.
Rebecca’s paternal grandmother was Grace Florence Pamment (the daughter of Frederick William Pamment and Phyllis Louisa Wilson). Grace was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. Frederick was the son of Charles Edwin Pamment, Jr. and Jane Linsey. Phyllis was the daughter of Henry Wilson and Elizabeth.
Rebecca’s maternal grandfather, Norman Isaac Ewing, was born, c. 1892-1894 (most likely in 1894), probably in Falls Church, Fairfax, Virginia. Norman was the son of John William Ewing and Hattie/Harriet Norman, who married on July 16, 1885 in Washington, D.C. Both of Norman’s parents were of at least part African ancestry. John was born into slavery in Lincoln County, Tennessee, the son of Violet Ewing, and of a father who was likely white. John worked for the Treasury Department in D.C., and was prominent in the city’s African-American community. Harriet was born in Marietta, Washington, Ohio, the daughter of Isaac Franklin Norman and Amanda Jane Myers. She was from a long line of free black people. Her great-grandfather, Bazabeel “Basil” Norman, a black/mixed-race man, was born, c. 1760, likely in Maryland, and fought in the American Revolution.
During part of his lifetime, Rebecca’s grandfather Norman I. Ewing was said to have been a Sioux Native American, and was a musician, who gave lectures and performances centered around his would-be Native American ancestry. The DNA test taken by Finding Your Roots found that Rebecca has no Native American genetic ancestry.
On the 1910 U.S. Census, Norman’s “race” is listed as “Mulatto” (mixed race), and so is the “race” of both of his parents. At this time, Norman’s birth place is listed as Virginia, and his residence place is listed as Washington, D.C., with his father’s birthplace listed as Tennessee and his mother’s as Ohio. On the 1915 South Dakota State Census, Norman’s race is listed as “Indian” (Native American), and on the 1920 U.S. Census, his “race” is again listed as “Indian.” On the 1920 U.S. Census, his birthplace is listed as Washington, D.C., while his father’s birthplace is listed as Oregon and his mother’s birthplace is listed as Washington, D.C. It is perhaps notable that the woman he was married to at this time, Margaret “Maggie” Culbertson (who was not Rebecca’s maternal grandmother), is listed as “Indian” on the 1920 Census also. Some African-Americans told census takers that their race was “Indian.”
Rebecca’s maternal grandmother was Hermina Maria Veraar (the daughter of Robertus Veraar and Hermina Maria Vermeulen). Rebecca’s grandmother Hermina was Dutch, and was born in Amsterdam. She was white. Robertus was born in Sloten, North Holland, the son of Robertus Veraar and Jannetje van der Steen. Rebecca’s great-grandmother Hermina was the daughter of Willem Vermeulen and Hermina Maria Schoemaker, and was of part German descent.
Rebecca’s matrilineal ancestry can be traced back to her fifth great-grandmother, Antje Roos.
Sources: Genealogy of Rebecca Hall – https://www.geni.com
Rebecca’s maternal grandfather, Norman Isaac Ewing, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Norman Isaac Ewing on the 1915 South Dakota State Census – https://familysearch.org
Norman Isaac Ewing on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-grandparents, John William Ewing and Hattie/Harriet Norman, in the District of Columbia, Marriages, 1830-1921 – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Rebecca’s mother (focusing on her own mother’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Marriage records of Rebecca’s maternal great-grandparents, Robertus Veraar and Hermina Maria Vermeulen – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-grandfather, Robertus Veraar – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Robertus Veraar and Jannetje van der Steen – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Robertus Veraar – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Jan Veraar and Maria van Leersum – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Jan Veraar – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Maria van Leersum – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Jannetje van der Steen – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Hijmen van der Steen and Maria Elisabeth van ‘t Kruijs – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Hijmen van der Steen – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Maria Elisabeth van ‘t Kruijs – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-grandmother, Hermina Maria Vermeulen – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Willem Vermeulen and Hermina Maria Schoemaker – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Willem Vermeulen – https://archief.amsterdam
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Johannes Jacobus Vermeulen and Petronella Wilhelmina Jubels – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Johannes Jacobus Vermeulen – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Petronella Wilhelmina Jubels – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Hermina Maria Schoemaker – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Hendrik Schoemaker and Adriana Blekkenhorst – https://www.openarch.nl
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Hendrik Schoemaker – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Rebecca’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Adriana Blekkenhorst – https://www.familysearch.org
Blindsided!!! I thought she was 100% White. She must be a rare case.
Look up shailene woodley if you think this is shocking
Definitely not the same. If you look at Shailene Woodley’s mother there’s no clear indication of her having African heritage (Though I’m sure she does but it would only be a small amount), Rebecca’s mother on the other hand is clearly part black. Probably a bit less than half black. My estimation is that Rebecca is 17 to 20% black.
Because she has white skin, society would label her as “white” yet she’s white and black. Yet, if her skin was black or “Carmel” she would be labeled as black.
BECAUSE SHE LOOKS WHITE AND IS MOSTLY WHITE WHEREAS PRESIDENT OBAMA LOOKS MIXED BUT IS STILL CALLED “BLACK” EVEN THOUGH HES 1/2 WHITE
correction; her eyes are hazel (light brown) and her hair is virtually black (noirette) I think it should be listed
Overall, theories versus prejudicisms, she is Caucasian if she influences that way, .0156… She may do such opposite and admit all. percentage does not conclude another race because it is stupid to purify a race wrongly, secondarily, it is not just genetics yet skull and appearance, and third, prejudicisms are not a conclusive way of rectifying.
Sounds like a bunch of gibberish. She is mainly white(white father, half white mother) but she has African and Sioux in her bloodline.
one of the few ones with documented “Indian” ancestry
You never know. Her grandfather may have listed himself as “Indian” to avoid saying he is black.
Norman Ewing’s mother didn’t seem to be of Native American ancestry.
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=:3257862&id=I645017312
I doubt she has Sioux actually. I just think she only white with some African.
no she’s white and black. you have to learn that majority doesn’t necessarily rule. you can be a ethnicity you’re a drop of.
she’s 1/64 black more than enough for her to say she’s part black! I’m 1/32 Irish, and 1/32 Norwegian and 30/32 Black and i say Norwegian, and black
She could say she has African ancestry but she isn’t black.
Where’d you get 1/64 from? She’s more like between 1/8 and 1/5