Sessilee Lopez

Lopez in 2009, photo by Prphotos.com

Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 4, c. 1989

Ethnicity: African-American, African-Cape Verdean, some Portuguese, Spanish, and Spanish Creole, possibly Dominican Republic and Cuban

Sessilee Lopez is an American model.

Her mother, Janice Celeste, is a businessperson and author. Her sister is designer Kristian Loren. A picture of Sessilee’s father can be seen here. A picture of Sessilee’s mother can be seen here. Her maternal grandparents are pictured here. Sessilee is married to Dave Holmes, with whom she has two children. Dave is the manager of British band Coldplay.

Her father’s ancestry is Cape Verdean on at least one side, including African, and likely Portuguese and Spanish. On her mother’s side, Sessilee is of African-American descent, along with a Spanish Creole great-great-grandfather, a Portuguese Azorean great-great-great-grandfather, and a Spanish great-great-great-grandfather. Sessilee has also been described as having Dominican Republic and Cuban ancestry.

A DNA test stated that Sessilee’s mother’s genetic ancestry includes:

*15% Benin/Togo
*12% Senegal
*11% Europe West
*10% Ivory Coast/Ghana
*10% Cameroon/Congo
*9% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
*6% Nigeria
*5% Great Britain

Sessilee’s paternal grandfather was Antonio/Anthony Lopez (the son of Dennis/James Lopez/Lopes, and, likely, of Florence Lopes/Andrews). Antonio was born in Connecticut. Dennis was the son of Pedro Lopes and Maria. Florence was born in either Rhode Island or Massachusetts, the daughter of James Lopes and Maria Andrews. Sessilee’s grandfather Antonio, his siblings, and his parents, were all black. Records list Sessilee’s great-grandfather Dennis as being from Portugal, or, sometimes, Brazil, and Florence’s parents as having been from Portugal as well. They were likely from Portuguese Cape Verde, now Cape Verde.

Sessilee’s paternal grandmother is possibly named Linda.

Sessilee’s maternal grandfather was Bernard B. Robinson (the son of Arthur Francis Robinson/Roberson and Mercedes Mae “Mercy” Marques/Margues/Marks). Bernard was born in Florida, and had African-American ancestry, along with Portuguese Azorean, Spanish, and Spanish Creole. Sessilee’s great-grandfather Arthur was born in Florida, the son of Manuel/Emanuel Robinson and Angela/Angella/Angelina Borras. Sessilee’s great-great-grandfather Manuel was born in Florida, to a Portuguese father, Thomas Robinson, who was from Terceira, the Azores; and to a Florida-born mother, Rebecca Hardin, who was African-American. Sessilee’s great-great-grandmother Angela was born in Florida, the daughter of Bartolome/Bartollo Borras, who was born in either Mallorca or Barcelona, Spain, and likely of an African-American mother.

Sessilee’s great-grandmother Mercedes was born in Florida, the daughter of Frank Marques/Marks and Cecelia/Cecila/Celia Wyer. Frank was born in Florida, and is sometimes listed as “White,” “Creole,” or “Colored” on records. He was likely from the Spanish Creole community in Florida. Cecelia was also born in Florida, and was African-American.

Sessilee’s maternal grandmother is named Vernell B. Vernell was born in Florida, and is African-American.

Along with her DNA test, Sessilee’s mother stated:

I found that my mother’s side of the family were enslaved and my father’s side of the family owned at least three slaves. I was able to research my genealogy on my father’s side to Portugal and Spain with possible traces of royal blood, in which I need to do more research. On my mother’s side of the family, I was able to get as far as my great-great-grandfather who served in the Colored Troops, which I believed he did to free his family from slavery. I also pieced together that my maternal-side most likely came to the Americas from the West African slave trade, possibly traveling through Goree Island to the eastern United States and Jamaica. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were brought to South Florida to plant and cut sugar cane for plantations and the big sugar companies that settled in the area under H2 visas.

Sources: Sessilee’s paternal grandfather, Antonio “Anthony/Tony” Lopez, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Sessilee’s maternal grandfather, Bernard B. Robinson, on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Sessilee’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Manuel/Emanuel Robinson and Angela/Angella/Angelina Borras – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Sessilee’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Manuel/Emanuel Robinson – https://findagrave.com

Death record of Sessilee’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Angela/Angella/Angelina (Borras) Robinson – https://www.familysearch.org