Bronson Family History & Genealogy

Charles Bronson Born Charles Dennis Buchinsky November 3, 1921 Died August 30, 2003 (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Occupation Actor, Years active 1950–1999 Spouse(s) Harriett Tendler (m. 1949; div. 1965) Jill Ireland (m. 1968; died 1990) Kim Weeks (m. 1998) Children 4 Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; Lithuanian: Karolis Dionyzas Bučinskis; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was often cast in the role of a police officer, gunfighter, or vigilante in revenge-oriented plot lines, had long-term collaborations with film directors Michael Winner and J. Lee Thompson, and appeared in fifteen films with his second wife Jill Ireland. At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, he was the world's No. 1 box office attraction, commanding $1 million per film. Early life and war service Bronson was born Charles Dennis Buchinsky, the eleventh of fifteen children, into a Roman Catholic family of Lithuanian descent in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, in the coal region of the Allegheny Mountains north of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, Valteris P. Bučinskis, who later adjusted his name to Walter Buchinsky to sound more "American", was from Druskininkai in southern Lithuania. Bronson's mother, Mary (née Valinsky), whose parents were from Lithuania, was born in the coal mining town of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. Bronson learned to speak English when he was a teenager; before that, he spoke Lithuanian and Russian. In a 1973 interview, Bronson said that he did not know his father very well and "I'm not even sure if I loved him or hated him." He said that all he could remember was that when his mother said that his father was coming home, the children would hide. Bronson was the first member of his family to graduate from high school. When Bronson was 10 years old, his father died and he went to work in the coal mines, first in the mining office and then in the mine. He later said he earned one dollar for each ton of coal that he mined. In another interview, he said that he had to work double shifts to earn $1 a week. Bronson later recounted that he and his brother engaged in dangerous work removing "stumps" between the mines, and that cave-ins were common. The family suffered extreme poverty during the Great Depression, and Bronson recalled going hungry many times. His mother could not afford milk for his younger sister, so she was fed warm tea instead. His family was so poor that he once had to wear his sister's dress to school for lack of clothing. He worked in the mine until he entered military service during World War II. Acting career Acting training (1946–1951) After the end of World War II, Bronson worked at many odd jobs until joining a theatrical group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He later shared an apartment in New York City with Jack Klugman while both were aspiring to play on the stage. In 1950, he married and moved to Hollywood, where he enrolled in acting classes and began to find small roles.[citation needed] Early film roles (1951–1954) Bronson's first film role — an uncredited one — was as a sailor in You're in the Navy Now in 1951, directed by Henry Hathaway. Other early screen appearances were in The Mob (1951); The People Against O'Hara (1951), directed by John Sturges; Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952); Battle Zone (1952); Pat and Mike (1952), as a boxer and mob enforcer; Diplomatic Courier (1952), another for Hathaway; My Six Convicts (1952); The Marrying Kind (1952); and Red Skies of Montana (1952). In 1952, Bronson boxed in a ring with Roy Rogers in Rogers' show Knockout. He appeared on an episode of The Red Skelton Show as a boxer in a skit with Skelton playing "Cauliflower McPugg". He appeared with fellow guest star Lee Marvin in an episode of Biff Baker, U.S.A., an espionage series on CBS starring Alan Hale, Jr. He had small roles in Miss Sadie Thompson (1953); House of Wax (1953), directed by Andre DeToth; The Clown (1953); Torpedo Alley (1953); and Riding Shotgun, starring Randolph Scott, directed by DeToth again. Bronson had a notable support part as an Indian in Apache (1954) for director Robert Aldrich who then used him again in Vera Cruz (1954). Bronson then made a strong impact as the main villain in the Alan Ladd western Drum Beat as a murderous Modoc warrior, Captain Jack (based on a real person), who relishes wearing the tunics of soldiers he has killed. He had roles in Tennessee Champ (1954) for MGM, and Crime Wave (1954) directed by de Toth. In 1954, during the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) proceedings, he changed his surname from Buchinsky to Bronson at the suggestion of his agent, who feared that an Eastern European surname might damage his career. As "Charles Bronson" (1955–1958) As "Charles Bronson", he could be seen in Target Zero (1955), Big House, U.S.A. (1955), and Jubal (1956). Bronson had the lead role of the episode "The Apache Kid" of the syndicated crime drama Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield; Bronson was subsequently cast twice in 1959 after the series was renamed U.S. Marshal. He guest-starred in the short-lived CBS situation comedy, Hey, Jeannie! and in three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "And So Died Riabouchinska" (1956), "There Was an Old Woman" (1956), and "The Woman Who Wanted to Live" (1962). In 1957, Bronson was cast in the Western series Colt .45 as an outlaw named Danny Arnold in the episode "Young Gun". He had a support role in Sam Fuller's Run of the Arrow (1957). In 1958 Bronson appeared as Butch Cassidy on the TV western Tales of Wells Fargo in the episode titled "Butch Cassidy." Leading man (1958–1960) Bronson scored the lead in his own ABC's detective series Man with a Camera (1958–1960), in which he portrayed Mike Kovac, a former combat photographer freelancing in New York City.[23] He was cast in leading man roles in some low budget films, notably, Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), a biopic of a real life gangster directed by Roger Corman. He also starred in Gang War (1958), When Hell Broke Loose (1958), and Showdown at Boot Hill (1959). On television, he played Steve Ogrodowski, a naval intelligence officer, in two episodes of the CBS military sitcom/drama, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper, and he played Rogue Donovan, an escaped murderer in Yancy Derringer (episode: "Hell and High Water"). Bronson starred alongside Elizabeth Montgomery in a Twilight Zone episode ("Two"; 1961). He appeared in five episodes of Richard Boone's Have Gun – Will Travel (1957–63). Bronson had a support role in an expensive war film, Never So Few (1959), directed by John Sturges. Bronson was cast in the 1960 episode "Zigzag" of Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin. That same year, he was cast as "Dutch Malkin" in the 1960 episode "The Generous Politician" of The Islanders. In 1960 Bronson appeared as Frank Buckley in the TV western Laramie in the episode titled "Street of Hate."

Dorcas Bronson was born on December 19, 1635 in Earls Colne, England United Kingdom. She was in a relationship with Stephen Hopkins, and had a child John Hopkins. Dorcas Bronson died at age 61 years old on May 13, 1697 in Hartford, Connecticut United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Dorcas Bronson.

Valerie Kathleen (Brazee Bronson) Smith was born on January 31, 1960 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania United States to Lillian Marie Aument, and has siblings Robert Lee Brazee, Margaret Sarah Arment, and Melissa Lillian Sizemore. She married Steven Charles Bronson in 1982 in Lancaster, Lancaster County and they later divorced in 1989 in Lancaster. They had children Carrie Elizabeth Bronson and Timothy Chad Bronson. She married Kevin Lee Smith in 1990 in Lancaster, Lancaster County. They had a child Jessica Marie Smith. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Valerie Kathleen Smith.

Steven Charles Bronson was born on May 22, 1956 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania United States. He was married to Valerie Kathleen Smith in 1982 in Lancaster, Lancaster County and they later divorced in 1989 in Lancaster. Steven Bronson has children Carrie Elizabeth Bronson and Timothy Chad Bronson. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Steven Charles Bronson.

Timothy Chad Bronson was born on November 28, 1986 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania United States to Valerie Kathleen Smith and Steven Charles Bronson, and has a sister Carrie Elizabeth Bronson. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Timothy Chad Bronson.

Carrie Elizabeth Bronson was born on November 5, 1985 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania United States to Valerie Kathleen Smith and Steven Charles Bronson, and has a brother Timothy Chad Bronson. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Carrie Elizabeth Bronson.

Tony Bronson was the child of actor Charles Bronson (1921 - 2003) and his first wife, Harriet Tendler, an aspiring actress when they married. She supported Charles' career and put aside her own ambitions while they were married but after they divorced, she became a radio host and an author. They were married from 1949 until 1965. He had full sibling Suzanne from this marriage. Tony also had step-siblings (3) Jason, Val, and Paul, and half-siblings (2) from his father's second marriage, to Jill Ireland. His half siblings were Zuleika and Katrina. Katrina was adopted. Supposedly, the children all remained close into adulthood. When Tony's father, actor Charles Bronson, died he left a will that supposedly left no one happy. Read a contemporaneous account at Charles Bronson's Family Were Brought Into Conflict Over His Will Tony has tried to maintain his privacy for all of his life (including not wanting his parents to talk about him). It seems that he may have succeeded. Charles Bronson died in 2003, of respiratory failure and metastatic lung cancer, according to his death certificate.

James was married to Helen Margaret Gates in 1919, most likely in Minnesota. They had 3 children. He was born to James Aaron Hyland and Laura Briggs Hyland and was one of 4 children

Isaac Bronson Jr. was born on June 16, 1670 at Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticut, and died at age 80 years old on June 13, 1751 at Middlebury, New Haven, Ct. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Isaac Bronson Jr.

Ab M Bronson of Fort Pierce, Saint Lucie County, FL was born on June 3, 1914, and died at age 74 years old on January 27, 1989.

Samuel A Bronson of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA was born on March 9, 1923, and died at age 84 years old on July 17, 2007.

Garnet G Bronson of Lone Jack, Jackson County, MO was born on July 3, 1928, and died at age 69 years old on May 15, 1998.

Frederick S Bronson of Stanwood, Snohomish County, WA was born on January 7, 1927, and died at age 71 years old on November 12, 1998.

Woodrow Bronson of Dothan, Houston County, Alabama was born on April 15, 1917, and died at age 63 years old in May 1980.

Floyd H Bronson of Adams, Berkshire County, MA was born on April 30, 1902, and died at age 65 years old in October 1967.

Leroy Bronson of Florida was born on January 14, 1911, and died at age 55 years old in June 1966.

Sidney D Bronson of Kissimmee, Osceola County, Florida was born on November 28, 1925, and died at age 82 years old on October 26, 2008.

Everett W Bronson of Midpines, Mariposa County, CA was born on August 5, 1921, and died at age 80 years old on June 2, 2002.

Roma J Bronson of Kissimmee, Osceola County, FL was born on February 15, 1920, and died at age 75 years old on November 14, 1995.

Joseph E Bronson of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA was born on October 7, 1914, and died at age 81 years old on May 4, 1996.