Place of Birth: Winter Park, Florida, United States
Date of Birth: August 9, 1958
Ethnicity: English, smaller amounts of German, Irish, Cornish, Welsh, Scottish, possibly French Huguenot, possibly 1/1024 Romani, possibly 1/1024 Wampanoag Native American
Amanda Bearse is an American actress, director, and comedian. She is known for her role as Marcy Rhoades D’Arcy in the sitcom Married… with Children. Amanda is the daughter of Ann (Armistead) and Danforth Parker Bearse. She was born in Winter Park, Florida, and was raised in Atlanta, Georgia.
Amanda’s paternal grandparents were Asa Taylor Bearse, Sr. (the son of Asa Bearse and Minnie Amanda Smith) and Mary Lucille Wingo (the daughter of William Thomas Wingo and Mary Caledonia Gibson).
Amanda’s maternal grandparents were Jesse Warren Armistead, Jr. (the son of Jesse Warren Armistead and Mary Elizabeth King) and Margaret J. Beauchamp (the daughter of Charles Crogan Beauchamp and Lucia Jackson).
Amanda’s patrilineal line can be traced back to her eighth great-grandfather, Augustine Bearse/Austin Bearce. According to a tale written down by Franklin Bearce, he was a Gypsy (Romani) who was deported from England to Massachusetts and married Mary “Little Dove” Hyanno, a Wampanoag Native American woman. Many people have questioned the credibility of Franklin and regard the tale as a legend. There is no proof, beside Frankiln’s writing, that Augustine married a woman named Mary or a Native American woman. However, their son Joseph Bearse, Amanda’s ninth great-grandfather, was buried in a Native American cemetery, which might add credibility to the tale. It is also not clear whether Augustine was really of Romani descent.
The surname “Wingo” is likely to be an anglicized version of the French Huguenot surname “Vigneron/Vigneau”, meaning “winegrower”.
Sources: Record of Amanda Bearse – https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of Amanda Bearse (focusing on her father’s side) – https://familysearch.org
https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Amanda’s father – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Amanda’s father on the 1930 census – https://familysearch.org
Amanda’s father on the 1940 census – https://familysearch.org
Record of Amanda’s father – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Amanda’s father – http://www.legacy.com
Genealogy of Amanda Bearse (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.ancestry.com
Amanda’s mother on the 1940 census – https://familysearch.org
http://www.ancestry.com
Obituary of Amanda’s mother – http://www.legacy.com
Genealogy of Amanda’s maternal grandfather, Jesse Warren Armistead, Jr. (focusing on his own father’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com
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