Tom Sizemore
Sizemore in 2013, photo by PrPhotos
Birth Name: Thomas Edward Sizemore, Jr.
Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 29, 1961
Ethnicity: English, German, Scottish, French, likely some African-American, distant Native American [Cherokee or Creek], remote Welsh
Tom Sizemore is an American actor and producer.
Tom is the son of Judith (Schannault) and Thomas Edward Sizemore, a lawyer and professor. His brother, Aaron Sizemore, is a writer. Among his ancestry is English, German, Scottish, French, and remote Welsh. In his book autobiography, By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There: A Memoir (2013), Tom states that his maternal grandfather was the illegitimate son of a white plantation owner, John Oliver Chennault, and of a Native American woman, Nina. Similarly, Tom appears to have once stated that his mother (more likely specifically his maternal grandfather) had African-American ancestry. It appears that Tom’s great-grandmother, Nina/Effie Tompkins, was indeed African-American. People of African-American heritage sometimes described themselves as being of Native American descent. Tom’s paternal Sizemore family likely has distant Native American (Cherokee or Creek) ancestry.
Tom has two children, with Janelle McIntire.
Tom’s patrilineal line can be traced to Francis Sizemore, who was born, c. 1618, in London, England.
Tom’s paternal grandfather was Blevins Sizemore (the son of Wilburn/Wilber B. Sizemore and Margaret L. “Peggy” Asher). Tom’s grandfather Blevins was born in Kentucky. Wilburn was the son of Blevins Brock Sizemore and Rebecca Sizemore. Margaret was the daughter of David Wilkerson Asher and Nancy Jane/Patsy Sizemore.
Tom’s paternal grandmother was Vina Marie King (the daughter of Garfield King and Nancy Jones).
Tom’s maternal grandfather was Samuel Schannault (the son of John Oliver Shannault/Chennault/Chenault and Nina/Effie Tompkins). John was the son of John Nelson Chennault/Chenault and Sarah Elizabeth “Lizzie” Barksdale McClendon/McLindon.
Tom’s maternal grandmother was Mildred Dean Hayes (the daughter of Robert Leslie Hayes and Lonetta “Nettie” Anderson). Robert was the son of Richard A. Hayes and Elizabeth Ann Terry. Lonetta was the daughter of Henry Davis Anderson and Josephine “Josie” Exum.
Sources: Tom’s paternal grandfather, Blevins Sizemore, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Blevins Sizemore on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Tom’s paternal great-grandparents, Wilburn/Wilber B. Sizemore and Margaret L. “Peggy” Asher – https://www.geni.com
Genealogies of Tom’s paternal great-grandfather, Wilburn/Wilber B. Sizemore – https://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.ancestry.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Tom’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Blevins Sizemore – https://www.wikitree.com
Family history of the Sizemores – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Tom Sizemore (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Tom’s maternal great-grandfather, John Oliver Shannault/Chennault/Chenault, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death records of Tom’s maternal great-grandfather, John Oliver Shannault/Chennault/Chenault – https://familysearch.org
https://www.findagrave.com
Tom’s maternal great-grandmother, Nina/Effie Tompkins, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Tom’s maternal grandmother, Mildred Dean (Hayes) Schannault – http://www.tributes.com
Genealogies of Tom’s maternal great-grandparents, Robert Leslie Hayes and Lonetta “Nettie” Anderson – https://www.ancestry.co.uk
Genealogies of Tom’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Henry Davis Anderson and Josephine “Josie” Exum – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Tom’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Martha Cantrell – https://www.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Tom’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Martha Cantrell (focusing on her father’s side) – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Tom’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, William Henry Cantrell – https://www.wikitree.com
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32328706
genealogy of Tom’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Henry Davis Anderson and Josephine Exum: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=96148112
genealogy of Tom’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Martha Cantrell: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=capenoch&id=I31375
this also focuses on Martha’s mother’s side: https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/martha-cantrell_3281079
Genealogy of Tom’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, William Henry Cantrell: https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Cantrell-Family-Tree-700
Tom has also remote Welsh ancestry: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=85625610
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/robert-leslie-hayes_110341715
Samuel Schannault’s brother Frank has his place of birth listed as Danburg Georgia (his other siblings just have Georgia). There’s even a town next to Danburg called Chennault.
There’s one John Oliver Chennault in Danburg:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDXN-6FB
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML2J-HK3
There’s an Effie Thompkins in White Plains:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ64-YHN
The names and birth dates of some of her children match to those of Samuel’s siblings when they lived in Ohio.
Just realised that Effie and John Oliver are on the same census page (on both 1910 and 1920 census, but she’s Thompson on the 1910 one), so they definitely knew each other, but is he really the father of her children?
Speaking of people of African descent, do you have anything to add to what I’ve found on Shailene Woodley? It’s interesting her mother’s background hasn’t been covered in the mainstream media.
Nothing to add.
I’m not really surprised by that as I’m surprised by Hailee Steinfeld denying her African-American ancestry at first. It’s not even that distant.
I just wanted to make sure my research was correct.
I recently discovered that everything I found and had up for Rob Riggle was totally wrong.
Probably mainstream media did not find it convincing enough. It looks fake.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFFT0xLvOD-/
Who can believe this woman has three grandparents of color?? Crazy.
Considering that we live in an era when they try to promote the mixed-race couple in any way (just right now I am constantly bombarded by Expedia ads on YouTube portraying a Caucasian girl/mulatto boy pair), Shailene Woodley is not useful for that campaign. It’s my sociological analysis.
According to Geni.com, Tom is a descendant of George “(Chief of) All” Sizemore, who was said to have been the half-breed son of a white woman and a Cherokee Indian Chief. George’s wife, Agnes “Aggie” Cornett (born Shepherd), was also said to be of Cherokee or Creek background.
Although it is yet unknown as to what degree of or from what Tribe of Natives the Sizemore family has come from, the Sizemore Indian heritage has finally been proven though DNA. Of the Sizemore’s tested, 27 of the 42 showed the Haplogroup Q-M242, which is Amerindian.
https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Amerind%20Y/default.aspx?section=ycolorized
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SIZEMORE/2005-01/1106664055