Friday, October 9, 2009

Found some new cousins!

I love it when I find some distant cousins I didn't know about. Now I can add Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to my Christmas family newsletter list!

The Boston Herald newspaper article yesterday, titled Ben Affleck and Matt Damon: Keepin’ it in the family!, by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa, reported that actors, and best friends, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are distant cousins. Rhonda McClure and Chris Child at the New England Historic Genealogical Society did the research.

Ben Affleck:


Matt Damon:



The article has a link to a descendants chart for both men. Their common ancestors are William Knowlton (1615-1655) and Elizabeth ____ who settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Here's the chart:


How am I connected to Ben and Matt? Well, I have a descent from William Knowlton's (1615-1655) parents, William Knowlton (1584-1639) and Ann Elizabeth Smith (????-1675). Here is my line:

1. William Knowlton (1584-1639) and Ann Elizabeth Smith (????-1675)
2. John Knowlton (1610-1654) and Marjery ____ (????-ca 1654)
3. John Knowlton (1633-1684) and Deborah Grant (1637-ca 1666)
4. Nathaniel Knowlton (16587-1726) and Deborah Jewett (1664-1743)
5. Nathaniel Knowlton (1684-1760) and Mary Bennett (1686-1717)
6. Jeremiah Knowlton (1713-1752) and Sarah Allen (1717-1796)
7. Jeremiah Knowlton (1745-????) and Abigail Pierce (1750-1776)
8. Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855) and Nathan Gates (1767-1830)
9. Abigail Gates (1797-1867) and Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)
10. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) and Lucretia Smith (1827-1884)
11. Frank W. Seaver (1852-1922) and Hattie Hildreth (1857-1920)
12. Frederick W. Seaver (1876-1942) and Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)
13. Frederick W. Seaver (1911-1983) and Betty V. Carringer (1919-2002)
14. Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

So, I am a 11th cousin once removed to Ben Affleck and a 12th cousin to Matt Damon. Who knew? See any resemblance between the three of us? I thought not! After 12 generations, we share maybe 1/4,096 of the same genes. Obviously, they got some good hair genes, eh?

Boy, are my cousins going to be excited about this! They didn't believe me at first when I told them they were related to Dick Cheney and George W. Bush, then they scoffed at my claim that we were cousins to Barack Obama, but now they'll be ecstatic about cousins Matt and Ben!

Are there any readers that have these Knowltons in Ipswich MA? We are cousins too, and you are cousins with Matt and Ben. Please let me know!

6 comments:

QuiltinLibraryLady said...

You know Randy, that when you hit the big Powerball jackpot all these new-found cousins are going to hit you up for loans, right?? You wouldn't happen to have a descendant of Henry Samson of the Mayflower on your family tree would you? Then you and my hubby could be cousins too. :)

Cindy said...

This is a very cool find indeed! You think they'll give you a call? Maybe have dinner or something? ;-) -cindy

Sheri Fenley said...

Ooohhh! Movie Stars in the family. Well come on over to my blog Seaver and see who starring in my NEW jibjab production - that's right it's Group D!

Elizabeth O'Neal said...

Can you get some autographs for me? :-)

Schelly Talalay Dardashti said...

Hey, Randy: We always knew you were a star!

Schelly

Barbara Poole said...

Randy, those boys connect you and me. As I am 10th cousin to Ben and 9th once removed to Matt. Boy, are we special, haha.