We’re Related – Johnny Depp – OMG

Famous Friday
Roberts Line & Howell Line
by Don Taylor

My fifth look at possible relatives using the “We’re Related” showed Johnny Depp as a potential cousin. I immediately thought, “Oh – My – Gawd.”  I had looked at my wife’s relationship with Johnny Depp last spring. If she is a 7^th cousin three times removed to Johnny Depp, and I am an 8^th cousin twice removed to Johnny Dep, then it would suggest that my wife and I are 10^th cousins.  Could it be?

“We’re Related” suggests that John Pinkard (1647-1690) is a common ancestor of Johnny Depp and myself. The lineage goes up my paternal (Roberts) line:

• Hugh Eugene Roberts (1926-1997)
• Bert Allen Roberts(1903-1949)
• Hugh Ellis Roberts(1882-1908)
• Asa Ellis Roberts(1835-1887)
• Elizabeth Blackwell (1796-1867)
• David Blackwell (1755-1841) *
• Elizabeth Steptoe (1713-1761) *
• <Private> Apparently Elizabeth Eustace Pinkard. *
• John Pinkard (1647-1690) *

Johnny Depp – Cousin?

My wife and Johnny Depp supposedly share a common ancestor Jean Panetier with a lineage of:

• Clarence Fletcher Howell
• James Dallas Howell(1879-1964)
• Peter Fletcher Howell (1842-1924)
• Caroline M. A Pankey, (1810 … ?)
• Thomas A Pankey(c. 1760 – 1829)
• Samuel Pankey (I agree with name)
• Stephen Pankey *
• Jean Panetier *

I did a brief look at the descendants of John Pinkard (1647-1690) and didn’t find any children named Jean nor did I find any daughters who married a Panetier or Pankey.

Even though I haven’t found anything, so far, to support the “We’re related” suggestion that my wife and I are related I haven’t seen anything that disproves it either.  In both cases, I need to do much more research into the Pinkard, Pankey, and Panetire families. It is possible my wife and I are related through this connection.

Panetier is similar enough to Pankey that Pankey could be a derivative. Likewise, Pinkard could be another derivative name. So, I have seven or eight individuals I need to research further to confirm both of us are related to Johnny Depp, and each other. This research could be fascinating and fun to do.

Once again, “We’re Related” proves to be an interesting application that causes me to ask new questions and suggests new areas for research.

Footnotes:

[* = Italic entries are “We’re Related suggestions that are unknown to my research.]