Robert Morley

Birth Name: Robert Adolph Wilton Morley

Date of Birth: 26 May, 1908

Place of Birth: Tisbury, Wiltshire, England, U.K.

Date of Death: 3 June, 1992

Place of Death: Reading, Berkshire, England, U.K.

Ethnicity:
*father – English, Scottish
*mother – one half Ashkenazi Jewish, one half German

Robert Morley was a British actor.

Robert was the son of Gertrude Emily (Fass) and Robert Wilton Morley, a major in the British Army. His mother was born in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to a German family, of Jewish origin on her father’s side; her parents married at St Peter’s Cathedral, and she was raised Christian.

Robert was married to Joan Buckmaster, until his death. Joan was the sister of actor John R. Buckmaster, and the daughter of actress, theatrical manager, and producer Gladys Cooper, and Capt. Herbert John Buckmaster. Robert and Joan had three children, including author, biographer, critic, and broadcaster Sheridan Morley.

Robert’s paternal grandfather was Robert George Morley (the son of William Morley and Elizabeth Ellis). Robert’s grandfather Robert was born in London, Middlesex. William was the son of John Morley and Mary Walbran.

Robert’s paternal grandmother was Alice Jane/I. Bisset (the daughter of William Bisset and Catherine Smyth). Alice was born in Madras, India. William was born in Udney, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Robert’s maternal grandfather was Adolph/Adolphus Fass (the son of Adolph Fass and Bertha/Berta Lewinsohn/Lowinsohn). Robert’s grandfather Adolph was born in Goleniów/Gollnow, Pomerania, Prussia. He was of Jewish origin, though it seems was eventually Lutheran. Robert’s great-grandfather Adolph was the son of Abraham Hirsch Fass. Bertha was the daughter of Lewin/Lewis Pincus Lewinsohn/Lowinsohn and Vogel Aron.

Robert’s maternal grandmother was Sophie/Sophia Wilhelmina Hester Gade/Gaede/Goede/Gahde (the daughter of Heinrich Daniel Gahde/Gade and Sophia Dorothea/Elizabeth Mocke). Robert’s grandmother Sophie was born in Natal, South Africa, to German parents.

Each of Robert’s grandparents was born in a different country, something that is fairly rare. Actors Remy Auberjonois, Hart Bochner, Raymond Cham, Jr., Noah Emmerich, Lily James, Stephen Lang, Jessica Lange, Logan Lerman, Brett Pierce, Ben Rosenfield, Andy Samberg, and Wallace Shawn, filmmaker John G. Avildsen, musicians Tom Cochrane, Paula Cole, Alex Pall, and Jeff Stinco, politicians Nick Clegg and Ricardo Maduro, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are others whose grandparents were born in four individual countries.

Sources: Robert’s father on the 1871 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Robert’s mother (through her sister) (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Robert’s mother on the 1881 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Robert’s mother on the 1901 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org