Sean Paul
Paul in 2006, photo by Adam J. Sablich / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica
Date of Birth: 9 January, 1973
Ethnicity: Jamaican [African, as well as one eighth Sephardi Jewish, German, English, Chinese]
Sean Paul is a Jamaican recording artist, dancehall rapper, singer, record producer, and actor. His paternal great-grandfather was a Sephardi Jew (whose family was from Portugal, as well as more distantly from the Netherlands, Germany, Serbia, and France). His other ancestry includes Afro-Jamaican, German, English, and Chinese. Sean was raised Catholic.
Sean is married to Jamaican television host Jodi Stewart, with whom he has two children.
Sean’s paternal grandfather was Ronald Barrington Henriques (the son of Nathaniel Morais Henriques and Isabel/Isabelle Viola/Violet Eisner). Nathaniel was born in Kingston, to Sephardi Jewish parents, Isaac Cohen Henriques and Hannah Vaz. Isabel was the daughter of Carl August/Augustus Eisener/Eisner and Medora Jane Tomlinson, who had German, English, and likely Afro-Jamaican, ancestry.
Sean’s paternal grandmother was Marjorie Teresa Corbett (the daughter of Alfred Clarence Leonard Corbett and Ianthe Isabel Bawn). Marjorie was of African-Jamaican background. Alfred was the son of James Corbett and Mary E. Ianthe was the daughter of James Bawn.
Sources: http://www.ynet.co.il
Genealogy of Sean Paul (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.geni.com
Birth Name: Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (according to Wikipedia)
Some of Sean’s Jewish ancestors were from the Netherlands, Germany, Serbia, and France, accordin to geni.com, though their surnames would still indicates Sephardi Jewish ancestry. Also, is it confirmed that Sean’s great-grandmother, Isabel Viola Eisner, wasn’t also Jewish, since Sean talks about his Jewish grandfather in the article linked?
It should be specifically mentioned that his maternal grandmother was of Chinese descent. Some sources states that Sean’s mother was of English and Chinese descent (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sean-paul-uptown-top-ranking-309597.html), evidently from a quote from Sean himself that I can’t find the original source for:
“My grandmother on my mother’s side was born in Coventry, England, but the rest of my grandparents were Jamaican in origin. My mother’s father, however, is Chinese and my father’s father is from Portuguese descent. My grandmother on my father’s side is mixed with black and white.”
I don’t know if that birth name is accurate.
From what I can find, Isabel Eisner wasn’t Jewish, and of course her mother’s maiden name was “Tomlinson”. Maybe she converted to Judaism. Or maybe Paul just used shorthand. Medora Tomlinson’s father was named Richard Letters Tomlinson or Richard Jethro Tomlinson.
As for the quote, it was added to Wikipedia in June 2006 (here – https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sean_Paul&diff=prev&oldid=58106931). Whether it’s legitimate is hard to say. Perhaps the adder just made it up.
how do you know Sean’s paternal grandmother was of Afro-Jamaican background?
Madman’s quote says so.
@Andrew you’re pathetic. You ignore all of Sean Paul’s other admixture and question only the accuracy of his African side. Very sad and racist. Sean Paul looks African mixed it’s no surprise.
looks like 5% only black
@Malabo girl he is a lot more than 5% black. He looks like my uncle. I would say the black is 40%.
Very hard to say, but his SSA component is clearly anywhere near 40%.
This is his father (unfortunately there aren’t pictures of Sean’s mom on the web):
http://blogs.jamaicans.com/jamericanjournal/files/2008/03/picture-3.png
@Andrew his dad looks about half black , okay well about 25% or 1/4th black
midori29 you are trully a self hating black person. His father does not look half black. Half black is Obama. His father looks not more that 20% black. Sean is probably 20% or 30%, not more.
@Samiriaa, I just saw your comment crazy person. My observation is yes Sean’s dad looks black mixed. I’m from the Carribean I have relatives who look like Sean’s dad. Crazy person. Why would that observation be self hating then has African thicker features, tanned skin and black curly hair?? What else do you need to see?
He’s cute. He did have a Sephardic/Semitic look to him.
Chinese? That must be his great-great-great-great-great-great single grandparent. I don’t see any Chinese in him.
He does look Chinese/Asian influenced:
http://www.prphotos.com/p/AES-052785/sean-paul-at-kiis-fm-s-jingle-ball-2011–arrivals.html?&ps=5&x-start=175
If you look at his Dad you can see where his roots come from. That’s why parents heritage is important you know because not every person will look what you guest they are.
Sean Paul has the same mixture as Miss Jamaica recent Kaci Fenell, who describes herself as a light skinned black woman. Link
http://www.missuniverse.com/members/profile/661344