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Frances Ford Seymour

Frances Ford Seymour

Female 1908 - 1950  (42 years)  Submit Photo / DocumentSubmit Photo / Document    Has 2 ancestors and 8 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Frances Ford Seymour 
    Birth 14 Apr 1908  Brockville, Leeds, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Death 14 Apr 1950  Beacon, Dutchess, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Initiatory (LDS) 2 Jun 1998  PROVO Find all individuals with events at this location 
    FamilySearch ID KLJY-WS9 
    Burial Ogdensburg Cemetery, St. Lawrence, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I115727  mytree
    Last Modified 25 Feb 2024 

    Father Eugene Ford Seymour,   b. 15 Apr 1870, Morristown, Morris, New Jersey, United States Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 5 Apr 1966, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 95 years) 
    Mother Sophie Mildred Bower,   b. Abt 13 Jul 1886, Kemptville, Grenville, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 Apr 1974, Los Angeles, California, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 87 years) 
    Marriage 17 Sep 1905  Morrisburg, Dundas, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F34529  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 George Tuttle Brokaw,   b. 14 Nov 1879, Elberon, Monmouth, New Jersey, United States Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 May 1935, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 55 years) 
    Marriage 10 Jan 1931  New York City, New York, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Divorce Yes, date unknown 
    Divorced 1935 
    Children 
     1. Frances DeVilliers Brokaw,   b. 10 Oct 1931, New York City, New York, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 10 Mar 2008 (Age 76 years)
    Family ID F34528  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 3 Sep 2024 

    Family 2 Henry Jaynes Fonda,   b. 16 May 1905, Grand Island, Hall, Nebraska, United States Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Aug 1982, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 77 years) 
    Marriage 16 Sep 1936  Christ Church, New York, New York, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Living
    +2. Living
    Family ID F33971  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 3 Sep 2024 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 14 Apr 1908 - Brockville, Leeds, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 10 Jan 1931 - New York City, New York, New York, United States Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 16 Sep 1936 - Christ Church, New York, New York, New York, United States Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 14 Apr 1950 - Beacon, Dutchess, New York, United States Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsInitiatory (LDS) - 2 Jun 1998 - PROVO Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Ogdensburg Cemetery, St. Lawrence, New York, United States Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Frances Ford Seymour (April 4, 1908 – April 14, 1950) was a Canadian-bo r n American socialite, the second wife of actor Henry Fonda, and the mot he r of actors Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda. Born in Brockville, Ontario, C ana da, she was a daughter of Eugene Ford Seymour and Sophie Mildred (né e Bow er; July 13, 1886 – April 15, 1974). According to daughter Jane Fon da, me dical records revealed that Seymour was a victim of recurrent sexu al abus e in her childhood.

      Marriages
      On January 10, 1931, she married George Tuttle Brokaw, a millionaire law y er and sportsman, whose previous marriage, to Clare Boothe Luce, had en de d in divorce. They had one child, Frances de Villers Brokaw (October 1 0 , 1931 – March 10, 2008, known as "Pan").

      A year after George Tuttle Brokaw died, she married actor Henry Fond a o n September 16, 1936, at Christ Church, New York City. She had met Fo nd a at Denham Studios in England on the set of the film Wings of the Mor nin g. The couple had two children, actress Jane (born December 21, 1937 ) an d actor Peter (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019), but their marri age w as troubled. In 1949, when Fonda told Brokaw he wanted a divorce s o he co uld marry his 20-year-old mistress, the devastated Brokaw spirale d into i ncreasing mental instability and entered a psychiatric hospita l for treat ment. Four months later, at age 42, she committed suicide b y slitting he r throat with a stolen razor blade 10 days after her 42nd b irthday, whil e she was a patient at Craig House, a sanatorium in Beacon , New York. E x husband Henry Fonda refused to discuss her suicide with h is children, w ho didn't learn the truth for years.

      She is buried in Ogdensburg Cemetery, Ogdensburg, New York.

      Actress. A New York Socialite and descendant of Massachusetts Governor S a muel Adams, and the second President of the United States John Adams. M ar ried for a time to actor/producer Henry Fonda, with whom she had two k ids , Jane and Peter Fonda, also to become screen stars. (bio by: MC)