Edward Norton discovers that Pocahontas is his 12th great-grandmother
American actor Edward Norton has discovered that the real-life Pocahontas, the romanticized and mythologized daughter of a 17th-century Indian chief, is his 12th great-grandmother. The Oscar-nominated star revealed her family connection to the woman who married Virginia settler John Rolfe on Tuesday’s episode of the PBS genealogical history show “Tracing Your Roots.” Historian and broadcaster Henry Louis Gates Jr. confirmed the truth of the long-standing family rumor, telling Norton, “You have a direct paper trail, without a doubt, to your 12th great-grandparents, John Rolfe and Pocahontas. According to Gates, the couple married on April 5, 1614, in Jamestown, Virginia — while William Shakespeare was still alive. He added that records show Pocahontas died three years later in Gravesend, England, and Rolf died about March 1622. .Pocahontas welcomed English settlers to what is now the United States in the early 17th century. Legend has it that she saved Captain John Smith’s life by stopping his execution by placing her head on top of him. The show traces the history of celebrity ancestors, also found that Norton’s third great-grandfather, John Winstead, owned a family of slaves including a 55-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman, and five young girls ages 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Norton, 53, who said he researched his own ancestry prior to his appearance on “Find Your Roots,” said he didn’t like that part of the story. When asked what it was like to see the census that confirmed his relative was a slave owner, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and “Fight Club” actor said: “The short answer is: these things are uncomfortable. And you should be uncomfortable with them.” “This is not a condemnation of you in your life, but a condemnation of the history of this country, and it should be recognized first, and then it should be dealt with.” Norton went on to say that he personally read the details of the census and “when you read ‘eight years a slave,’ you just want to die.” The first episode of the show’s ninth season also delved into the pedigree of “Crusher” actor Julia Roberts.
American actor Edward Norton discovered that the real-life Pocahontas, the romanticized and mythologized daughter of a 17th-century Indian chief, is his 12th great-grandmother.
The Oscar-nominated star revealed her family connection to the woman who married Virginia settler John Rolfe on Tuesday’s episode of the PBS genealogical history show “Tracing Your Roots.”
Historian and broadcaster Henry Louis Gates Jr. confirmed the long-standing family rumor as fact, telling Norton, “You have, without a doubt, a direct paper trail to your 12th great-grandparents, John Rolfe and Pocahontas. “
According to Gates, the couple married on April 5, 1614, in Jamestown, Virginia—while William Shakespeare was still alive. He added that documents showed Pocahontas died three years later in Gravesend, England, and Rolfe died around March 1622.
“It just makes you realize what a small … part of the whole human story you are,” Norton remarked after the revelation.
Pocahontas welcomed English settlers to what is now the United States in the early 17th century. Legend has it that she saved Captain John Smith’s life by stopping his execution by placing her head on top of him.
The show, which traces the history of celebrity ancestors, also revealed that Norton’s third great-grandfather, John Winstead, owned a family of slaves, including a 55-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman and five young girls aged 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10.
Norton, 53, who said he researched his ancestry before appearing on “Finding Your Roots,” said he didn’t like that part of the story.
When asked what it was like to see a census record that confirmed his relative was a slave owner, the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Fight Club actor said: “The short answer is, these things are uncomfortable. And you have to feel uncomfortable with them.’
“It’s not a condemnation of you in your life, it’s a condemnation of the history of this country, and that needs to be acknowledged first, and then it needs to be dealt with.”
Norton went on to say that he had personalized the details of the census and “when you read ‘slave at the age of eight,’ you just want to die.”
The first episode of the show’s ninth season also delved into the pedigree of “Beauty” actor Julia Roberts.
Edward Norton discovers that Pocahontas is his 12th great-grandmother
Source link Edward Norton discovers that Pocahontas is his 12th great-grandmother