Friday, November 18, 2016

This Week's We're Related Relationships

The We're Related mobile app on my iPhone keeps adding cousin relationships to me, based on my Ancestry Member Tree and someone else's Ancestry Member Tree (I think!).

This week's list is:


1)  Edgar Allen Poe - Author, 5th cousin 5x removed, common ancestor is Susanna (--?--) (1646-1730 (wife of Timothy Worcester ans Henry Ambrose).



I am descended from Susanna twice - once from each husband!  I think this relationship is probably correct.

2)  Tim Burton - Author, 9th cousin, common ancestor is Frans Janszen Bloetgoet (1630-1676).



I think this relationship is probably correct.

3)  Harry S. Truman - President, 8th cousin 2x removed.  common ancestor is Adam Mott (1597-1661).



I don't know if this relationship is correct.  Harry's line goes through a George Mott (1620-1674) who I don't have as a son of Adam Mott.  This is a Maybe.

4)  George Washington - President, 5th cousin 7x removed, common ancestor is John Church (1548-1593).



John Church is the father of Richard Church (1570-1623), who was the father of Richard Church (1608-1668.  The Great Migration series says that Richard Church 1608 origins are unknown.  I judge this relationship as Doubtful.

5)  John McCain - Politician, 7th cousin, common ancestor is Samuel Brown (1686-1739).



I am not sure about the John McCain line back to Samuel Brown.  It is through a son Samuel Brown (1714-1788), and I have that Samuel Brown (1713-1738) and unmarried.  I judge this relationship as Possible.

6)  Zachary Taylor - President, 5th cousin 6x removed, common ancestor is Mary (--?--) Brewster (1569-1627).



Mary is the wife of William Brewster of the Mayflower, and mother of Patience Brewster (my line) and Fear Brewster (Zachary's line).  I judge this relationship as Probable.

7)  Sarah Palin - Politician, 7th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Henry Smith (1680-1743).



My line is through Henry's son Moses Smith (by third wife) while Sarah's line is through Sarah Smith (by second wife).  I judge this relationship as Probable.

8)  Avril Lavigne - Musician, 8th cousin 2x removed, common ancestor is Jacob Warren (1642-1722). 



The app says that my line goes to Jacob Warren through Abigail Warren (1707-1748), mother of Hannah Colby.  However, my Ancestry Member Tree says that Hannah Colby's mother was Abigail Worthen (1714-????), daughter of Ezekiel Worthen and Abigail Carter.  Why doesn't the app follow MY tree?  I don't understand that.  I judge this relationship as Unlikely, but will look into Abigail Worthen's ancestry soon.

9)  Cathy Naboroski - Facebook friend, 9th cousin, common ancestor is Jane (--?--) Smith (1620-692), wife of Michael Smith.  

I have Cathy's ancestor Pelatiah Smith in my database, but have no further information.  I judge this relationship as Probable.

10)  Sarah Johnson - Facebook friend, 9th cousin, common ancestor is Joseph Peirce (1647-1713) of Watertown, Mass.

I have Sarah's ancestor Elizabeth Pierce in my database, but have a different husband for her.  I judge this relationship as Possible.

11)  Del Ritchhart - Facebook friend, 7th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Catharina Langendorf (0160-0150).

This Catharina Langendorf is listed as the great-grandmother of my ancestor Catherine Ruth (1770-1813).  My Ancestry Member Tree does not include parents, grandparents or great-grandparents for Catherine Ruth.  The app has, somehow, added three generations to my tree somehow.  Del's line looks good, although the birth-death years for the "common ancestor" are erroneous!  My judgment is that this relationship is Unlikely.

12)  Amy Urman - Facebook friend, 9th cousin, common ancestor is John Davis (1640-????) of Lynn, Mass.

My line is through daughter Sarah (Davis) Bowden, while Amy's is through John Davis (1674-1752).  I judge this relationship as Probable.

13)  Elizabeth Swaney O'Neal - Facebook friend, 8th cousin 2x removed, common ancestor is Sarah Nutting (1663-????) of Groton, Mass.

My line is through Sarah's second husband, John Stone (1658-1735), while Elizabeth's line is through a husband named Phaneuf, who I don't have in my database.  I judge this relationship as Possible.

My count is up to 57 famous or Facebook cousins.  

My biggest problem with this We're Related app is that it thinks it knows my ancestral lines better than I do, and adds one to three generations to some of my end-of-line ancestors.  They may be right, I don't know, and can't really find out because they provide no source material to back up their assertions.  If there was authoritative information for my end-of-line ancestors, I would add it.  None of the additions have been convincing to me yet.


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

Enough already! This is genealogy reduced to its lowest common denominator. But I suspect even worse is ahead, given the rampant commercialization of a truly serious and important field of study. Please return to ideas and information of actual relevance to serious family history and its students of whatever level of skill.