Rowan Atkinson
Atkinson in 2011, image via magicinfoto/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Rowan Sebastian Atkinson
Place of Birth: Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 6 January, 1955
Ethnicity: English, as well as possibly one eighth Irish
Rowan Atkinson is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his Mr. Bean character. He has also been featured in Not the Nine O’Clock News, Blackadder, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Lion King, Johnny English, and Love Actually, among many other works.
He is the son of Ella May (Bainbridge) and Eric Atkinson, who was a farmer and company director. His brother, Rodney Atkinson, is a eurosceptic conservative academic, economist, and political commentator. Rowan has two children with his former wife Sunetra Sastry; and one child with his partner, comedian and actress Louise Ford.
Rowan’s paternal grandfather was Edward Atkinson (the son of William John Atkinson and Mary Ann Brannon). Edward was born in Spennymoor, Durham. William was the son of George Atkinson and Esther Ann Salmond. He was a coal miner. Marry Ann likely had Irish ancestry.
Rowan’s paternal grandmother was named Edith Browell (the daughter of William Browell and Elizabeth). Edith was born in Lanchester, Durham, England.
Rowan’s maternal grandfather was named Frank Bainbridge.
Rowan’s maternal grandmother was Ella Schofield (the daughter of George Schofield and Ada Hopkinson). Ella was born in Yorkshire. George was the son of George Schofield and Emma Harrison/Raw. Ada was the daughter of Joseph Hopkinson and Sarah Gregory.
Sources: Family history of Rowan Atkinson – http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Genealogy of Rowan Atkinson – https://www.geni.com
Rowan’s paternal grandfather, Edward Atkinson, on the 1891 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
The Geni.com is wildly inaccurate and has no sources. This actually has sources and corresponds with the newspaper article. Mary Ann Brennan was born in County Sligo and so were her parents meaning she would be of Irish descent. Everything else is English and sourced.
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LYM3-PV4
Mary Ann Atkinson is listed as born in England on census records, at least ones with her married name.
The surname Brannon is Irish. His name is Irish as well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan_(name).
Also “Salmond” is often Scottish (mind former Scotland PM).
He played “Johnny English” character but he is likely part Irish (and possibly Scottish) too.
Billy Connolly has Indian ancestry, which is funny because Billy looks more pure Celtic than Rowan does, and Rowan rather has a more Indian/Iranian look!
Comedy genius. One of Britain’s best exports
Yip, he’s a living legend.
There is more in there than just English. Also, “Tasker”…?
No there isn’t, English people don’t even come close to looking like the super blue eyed blondes you all try to portray them as lol. They are one of the swarthiest in the North and have the more Neolithic/Meditteranean admixture than either the rest of the North or Northeast slavs
Well, a lot of people associate English people to Anglo-Saxons.
That is not the case.
Not really true…
Girl, most English people are light haired and light eyed. Sure they’re not blonde, but they have pale skin and medium brown hair.
Mostly we are not blonde, it’s rare to find a blonde adult (dye jobs don’t count), at least in most of Britain. The average British colouring is some shade of brown hair with light eyes.
I can believe Rowan is fully British though. My Grandma had black, curly hair, dark eyes and a tendency to tan well. There are people with his colouring in quite a few British families. It’s not the norm but it does happen.