Profile Text
Birth Name: Amanda MacKinnon Palmer
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 30, 1976
Ethnicity: English, Scottish, some German, Ashkenazi Jewish, Swedish, English, Welsh, Scottish, and Danish
Amanda Palmer is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist. She has been a part of musical duo The Dresden Dolls, with Brian Viglione; musical duo Evelyn Evelyn, with Jason Webley; and supergroup 8in8, with her husband, British writer Neil Gaiman , and Ben Folds . She is also known as Amanda Fucking Palmer and AFP.
Her father is a physicist. Her mother is a comptuer programmer. Amanda was raised in Lexington, Massachusetts. She has a son with Neil.
Amanda’s paternal grandfather was John Fisk Palmer (the son of Ernest Orville Palmer and Charlotte Henrietta Fisk). John was born in Oak Park, Illinois. The Palmer surname was originally spelled Balmer, and originated from Baden, Germany. Ernest was the son of John Beeler Palmer and Harriet C. Smith. His ancestors were ethnic Germans from Germany, France, and Switzerland, who had settled in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Amanda’s great-grandmother Charlotte was the daughter of Charles Henry Fisk, Jr., who was born in Osage, Iowa, and was of mostly English descent, with some Welsh, Scottish, and Danish; and of Albertina Nilson, who was born in Norra Rörum, Sweden.
Amanda’s paternal grandmother was Almeda Winfield (the daughter of Sydney James Winfield and Ethel Anna Brocker). Almeda was born in Brooklyn, New York. Sydney was born in Glebe, New South Wales, Australia, to parents from Staffordshire, England, James Winfield and Mary Hammersley. Amanda’s great-grandmother Ethel was born in New York, the daughter of Leon Brocker and Sophia Fischer, who were the children of emgirants from Germany, and was of Jewish heritage at least on her father’s side.
Amanda’s maternal grandfather was Alfred Ernest Mockett (the son of George William Mockett and Alice Florence Pysden). Alfred was born in Deal, Kent, England, where his family had resided for generations. He was on the board of directors of the Beneficial Corporation. George was the son of Thomas Mockett and Elizabeth Ratcliffe. Amanda’s great-grandmother Alice was the daughter of Thomas Pysden and Alice Sarah Morrison.
Amanda’s maternal grandmother was Christina Beaton MacInnes (the daughter of James MacInnes and Catherine MacKinnon). Christina was born in Renfrew, Scotland, to parents from the Isle of Skye. James was the son of Donald MacInnes and Christina Beaton. Amanda’s great-grandmother Catherine was the daughter of Ewen MacKinnon and Marion MacInnes.
Sources: Obituary of Amanda’s paternal grandmother, Almeda (Winfield) Palmer – https://www.newspapers.com
Family history of Amanda’s maternal grandmother, Christina Beaton MacInnes – http://www.auntmorag.com