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Folks with which we share common ancestors, not direct nodes in the family tree. Each of these people are nth cousins, m times removed. This means at some point in our family trees we share a common ancestor. The way to interpret it is that m generations ago, one of our ancestors was an nth cousin of the person shown here. In others words, M + N + 1 generations ago we shared a common ancestor. So that for John Brown, (the other one), 5 + 5 + 1, or 11 generations ago, our 9-great grandparents are the same people as John Browns 4-great grandparents. |
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 the other John Brown There is no connection on my Brown side of the family with this John Brown, but of course, ever since I was a little boy I knew of, and was asked about, this John Brown. Turns out we share a common ancestor in Thomas Holcomb of Windsor Connecticut, making this one my 5th cousin, 5 times removed. |
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 Prince William of England It turns out, since Princess Diana had American ancestry, that we are more closely related to her than to her husband, by about 200 years. Her son, Prince William is my 12th cousin, 1 time removed. Our common American ancestor is Robert Parke. Actually, we are also 11th cousins through Stephen Hart, an immigrant from England in 1633. We are descended from 2 sons and a daughter of Stephen's while Will is descended from another daughter. |
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 Nathan Hale Nathan Hale is my 4th cousin, 7 times removed. Our common ancestor, his 3-great grandfather was Thomas Hale of England, whose sons came to America. |
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 Norman Rockwell Norman and I share common ancestry in the Rockwells of Windsor, Connecticut. |
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 the Rushmore guys Washington = 3rd cousin 8 times removed. His mother Mary Ball was the great grandaughter of William Ball (b. 1569), our 9th great grandfather. Jefferson = 11th cousin, 11 times removed. Common ancestor is Ralph de Neville (b. 1363) on his mother's side. Roosevelt = 15th cousin 5 times removed. BUT, I don't know of any commonality with Abe. Other Presidents: John Adams, 5th cousin 10 times removed through Henry Adams (1531-1596) James Madison, 13th cousin, 9 times removed, common ancestors at Richard FitzAlan (b. 1346) and Elizabeth de Bohun. James Monroe, 16th cousin 4 times removed through 1)Thomas de Holland (b. 1354) and Alice FitzAlan and 2) John of Gaunt (b. 1340)and Catherine de Roet. Two of their children married, and we descend from siblings in each family. John Quincy Adams = 9th cousin, 7 times removed on his mother's side through William Griffith and Jane Stradling (b. 1477) The Harrisons, both through Hugh de Courtenay (b. 1303) and Margaret de Bohun. William Henry is our 13th cousin, 5 times removed and Benjamin, therefore is our 15th cousin, 3 times removed. Zachary Taylor, 13th cousin 3 times removed through John Greystoke (b. 1388) and Elizabeth Ferrers. Franklin Pierce, 5th cousin, 5 times removed through Robert Fletcher (b. 1592) and Sarah Hartwell? James Buchanan, one of the most distantly related, 16th cousin, 8 times removed. Had to go all the way back to Alexander Stewart, 4th High Stewart of Scotland (b. 1214). Millard Fillmore, 7th cousin 6 times removed through Oliver Purchase (b. 1552) and Thomasine Harris. Ulysses S. Grant, 6th 1/2cousin, 5 times removed, through Sussana Capen (b. 1602) (grandaughter of Oliver Purchase, above) who married both Matthew Grant and William Rockwell. Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th cousin, 6 times removed (twice). Our common ancestors are Reynold de Mohun (b. 1206) and Hawise FitzPiers. Their 4th great grandson, Thomas Harcourt had a son Richard from whom Cornelia Hubbell descended and a son Robert from whom Daniel Packard descended. They were married in 1849, over 430 years after their sibling ancestors were born. William McKinley, 4th cousin 5 times removed, IF our ancestor Thomas McKinley is descended from James "the Trooper" MacKinlay as is William. This has not yet been proven, but is family tradition. Grover Cleveland, 6th cousin 6 times removed through Deacon Samuel Chapin (1598 - 1675) and his wife Cicely Penney. William Howard Taft, 6th cousin 5 times removed through Welsh immigrants Robert Wheaton (b. abt 1605)and Alice Bowen. James Garfield, 9th cousin, 4 times removed, through William Carpenter (b. abt 1530). Calvin Coolidge, 18th cousin, twice removed through Roger de Clifford (b. 1333) Herbert Hoover, 9th cousin 3 times removed through Gov. Simon Bradstreet (b. 1604) and Anne Dudley. Franklin Delano Roosevelt = 12th cousin, 4 times removed through William Griffith and Jane Stradling (b. 1477) These are the same common ancestors as John Quincy Adams (they were 4th cousins 3 times removed). A closer connection is through William Carpenter, 10th cousin 3 times removed, and if the Clough ancestry is correct, 8th cousin 4 times removed through Dr. Richard Palgrave. Richard Nixon is a descendent of Edward I. However, we share quite a few common ancestors from the 14th century, including Richard Fitzalan (b. 1346) and Elizabeth de Bohun, and John de Mowbray (b. 1340)and Elizabeth de Segrave. They all became in-laws when two of their children married (Nixon's ancestors). We're descended from siblings of each. Nixon is our 17th cousin, 3 times removed on Rebekah Rose's side and 4 times removed on John Packard's. There is another connection on the Clough side, going back to Isaac Perkins (b. 1571), making Dick our 10th cousin, twice removed. Gerald Ford, 17th cousin, 2 times removed through John Sutton, Lord Dudley and Elizabeth Berkeley. First Ladies Both Bess Truman and Nancy Reagan are 14th cousins, twice removed, both through Nicholas Chichester (b. 1447) and Christina Paulet. Their son John married twice with Bess and Nancy coming from one marriage and our line throught the other. Bess and Nancy's line separates after 6 generations, making them 8th cousins. Helpful site: Paul MacBride |
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 Brooke Shields Brooke is very popular at Genealogical Sites. Her picture is in the Windsor, Connecticut Historical Society, since one branch of her family is from there. With her royal pedigrees, I'm sure our lineages touch, I'm just not yet sure where. |
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 George W. Every family has a black sheep. George is our 9th cousin, 3 times removed. Our closest common ancestor is William French (b. 1602). Since this descent is through his father, Papa George is also a distant cousin. The degrees are left as an exercise for the reader. Barbara is a distant cousin through another immigrant, Ralph Hill (d. 1663). Interestingly, Dick Cheney is also descended from William French, as well as another immigrant ancestor of ours at that time, Robert Fletcher (b. 1592). If the Clough ancestry I've claimed is correct, we also share John Page (b. 1613), which would make Dick our 9th cousin, once removed, closer than George W. Hold the phone! If the Clough ancestry is correct, then George W. is our 9th cousin, 0 times removed through John Fay (b. 1669) and Elizabeth Wellington. Since George W. is a closer relation everytime I look, maybe I'd better stop. Eli Whitney is a 2nd cousin, 7 times removed through the same common ancestors, John Fay and Elizabeth Wellington. |
