Robert Mitchum
Mitchum in 1949, Screenland p. 41, J. Fred Henry Publications
Birth Name: Robert Charles Durman Mitchum
Date of Birth: August 6, 1917
Place of Birth: Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Date of Death: July 1, 1997
Place of Death: Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Ethnicity:
*father – English, other
*mother – Norwegian
Robert Mitchum was an American actor, director, author, poet, composer, and singer.
Robert was the son of Ann Harriet Henrietta (Gunderson) and James Thomas Mitchum. His father was born in Lane, Williamsburg, South Carolina, with deeply American roots. His mother was a Norwegian emigrant, born in Kristiania/Christiania, Oslo, Norway. His brother was actor John Mitchum.
Robert had said that he had Native American ancestry on his father’s side, sometimes stated as Blackfoot. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. He was also sometimes described as having had Scots-Irish ancestry.
Robert was married to Dorothy Spence, until his death. The couple had three children, including actor James Mitchum, and actor, screenwriter, and businessperson Christopher Mitchum. Among his grandchildren is actor Bentley Mitchum, and Carrie Mitchum. Carrie was previously married to actor Casper Van Dien, with whom she has two children, including actress Grace Van Dien.
Robert’s paternal grandparents are sometimes listed as John Session Mitchum and Laura S. Browder. John was born in Lane, Williamsburg County, South Carolina, the son of Ambrose Mitchum and Elizabeth. Laura was the daughter of Gadson W. Browder and Martha Amarintha “Emma” Barrineau.
Robert’s paternal grandparents are alternatively reported as Thomas Dupree/Dupre “Duke”/Dukes Mitchum and Ida Elizabeth Barfield. Thomas was born in South Carolina, the son of Samuel/Sam M. Mitchum and Mary Ellen/Eleanor Davis. Ida was born in South Carolina, the daughter of Jesse Barfield and Martha Cynthia Edge.
Robert’s maternal grandfather was Gustavus/Gustav Adophus/Adolph/Adolf/Olav/Olaf Gunderson/Gundersen (the son of Karl Gunderson and Martine Petrine Jensdatter). Gustavus was born in Oslo, Oslo kommune, Oslo fylke.
Robert’s maternal grandmother was Petrine Marie Schulerud (the daughter of Peter Gunerius Schulerud and Marie Johnson). Petrine was born in Eidsvoll, Akershus, Norway.
Sources: Genealogies of Robert Mitchum – https://www.geni.com
http://www.findagrave.com
http://genealogy.kathihill.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogy of Robert Mitchum (focusing on his father’s side) – https://gw.geneanet.org
Robert’s father on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Robert’s father – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Robert’s possible paternal grandfather, Thomas Dupree/Dupre “Duke”/Dukes Mitchum – https://www.findagrave.com
Robert’s possible paternal grandfather, Thomas Dupree/Dupre “Duke”/Dukes Mitchum, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Robert’s possible paternal great-grandfather, Samuel/Sam M. Mitchum, on the 1850 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Mitchum is a Scottish name, and I have read in the past his dad was of Ulster-Scots descent.
Can anybody find more about Mary Ellen Davis? She’s the source of the ”Blackfoot Indian” myth in the Mitchum family, but I can’t find her anywhere before her marriage, and that one census I could find in 1870 has the whole family as mulatto (which Samuel certainly wasn’t).
“She’s the source of the ”Blackfoot Indian” myth in the Mitchum family”
The myth might also be about the incorrect parents that some genealogies lists, John Sessions Mitchum and Laura S. Browder. Or I at least assume they’re confirmed to be incorrect since they aren’t listed here. This post says they were part Native American:
https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/mitchum/362/
These are his own words about it;
“My father was half-Indian. His mother was half-Indian and his father was half-Indian. I vaguely remember the grandmother, or somebody’s grandmother, called Alice Pat, and she was a full-blooded Indian in South Carolina.”
https://books.google.se/books?id=iGBkNitISGAC&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=mitchum+blackfoot+indian&source=bl&ots=0Vb5-dIhZM&sig=ACfU3U2xbRPV_f0F-pK94eTK1vtSArOB1g&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiu8Ieo06fhAhXqwqYKHXCqDlQQ6AEwAXoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=mitchum%20blackfoot%20indian&f=false
His quote actually seems consistent with what you’ve found.
I found someone claiming Beauregard Mitchum as son of ”Scots-Irish father and Blackfoot Indian woman”. Beauregard was the brother of Dupree Mitchum and Mary Davis is also listed as his mother on the death record.
I can’t find Ida anywhere,but Barfield is a common surname around Columbia, SC.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TM-QNV (mulatto)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QL-2T7
Robert’s grandfather’s sister is listed as white of her death record: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9H-87KY-Y?i=1562&cc=1417492
I know. I’ve seen all of those and Samuel’s whole family is listed as white on everything. But Mary Davis is a mystery.
https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=dowfam3&id=I376751
https://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&m=A&p=robert+charles+durman&n=mitchum&siblings=on¬es=on&t=T&v=6&image=on&marriage=on&full=on