Taylor Swift’s Surprising Ancestral Connection to Emily Dickinson
Family Ties Revealed
Renowned pop star Taylor Swift’s upcoming album release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” holds a more personal significance than anticipated, as recent discoveries made by genealogy company Ancestry unveiled an unexpected familial connection between Swift and celebrated American poet Emily Dickinson. TODAY first reported that the two individuals are sixth cousins, three times removed.
Swift and Dickinson both share a common ancestor in Jonathan Gillette, an eminent 17th-century immigrant who played a crucial role in the early settlement of Windsor, Connecticut. Gillette serves as Swift’s ninth great-grandfather and Dickinson’s sixth great-grandfather. Ancestry asserts that Swift’s familial lineage thrived in Connecticut for six generations until they eventually intertwined with the Swift family in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Embracing the Dickinson Connection
Prior to this recent discovery, Taylor Swift has made notable connections to Emily Dickinson in her music-related ventures. On December 10, 2020, Swift, in a nod to Dickinson, released her ninth studio album “Evermore” which coincided with the poet’s birthday. Fans also drew parallels between Swift’s album title and Dickinson’s poem “One Sister Have I in Our House,” which incorporates the term “forevermore.”
During discussions about the cover art for her eighth studio album “Folklore,” Swift revealed to Entertainment Weekly her vision of “a girl sleepwalking through the forest in a nightgown in 1830,” the year of Dickinson’s birth.
A Nod to Dickinson
Further emphasizing the significance of Dickinson’s influence on her songwriting, Swift, in 2022, referenced the 19th-century poet while accepting the Songwriter-Artist of the Decade Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International. She remarked, “If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill genre.” Swift’s connection to Dickinson’s artistry continues to shape her musical expression.
