It's Saturday Night, time for more Genealogy Fun!!
The genealogy world was reminded (again) of how time flies, relatively speaking, by the news that there are two living grandchildren of President John Tyler (1790-1862). This past week there was the Robert Krulwich blog post about persons knowing people who knew famous people long ago.
For this week's mission (should you decide to accept it), I want you to:
1) Using your ancestral lines, how far back in time can you go with two degrees of separation? That means "you knew an ancestor, who knew another ancestor." When was that second ancestor born?
2) Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook or a stream post on Google Plus.
Here are several of mine:
1) My Seaver/Richmond line: Me (born 1943) - I met my paternal grandmother once in 1959. My paternal grandmother Alma Bessie (Richmond) Seaver (1882-1962, daughter of Thomas Richmond (1848-1917)) knew her grandfather, James Richmond (1821-1912).
2) My Carringer line: Me (born 1943) - my maternal great grandfather, Henry Austin Carringer held me when I was a baby. Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946), son of David Jackson Carringer (1828-1902) and Rebecca Spangler (1832-1901), knew his paternal grandfather Henry Carringer (1800-1881) well. He also knew his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (King) Spangler (1796-1863).
3) My Carringer/Smith/Vaux/Underhill line: Me (born 1943) - my great-grandmother, Della (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) held me (I don't remember it, of course!). Della Smith (born in Wisconsin), daughter of Abigial Vaux (1844-1931), granddaughter of Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux (1815-1880) may have met her great-grandfather, Amos Underhill (1772-1865, died in New York), but I doubt it!
So I can connect, with two degrees of separation, back to a man born in 1772 (but that man likely did not "meet" his great-grandchild). For the requirement that they actually met, I can get back to a person born in 1796.
It strikes me that three degrees of separation might be really interesting!
Only one good line for me on this one. My great grandmother Eula (Baird) Robertson (born AL 1869) held me when I was an infant. Her great grandfather William Battles (born GA c1791) would have held her when she was an infant.
ReplyDeleteRandy, I really enjoyed this week's fun! I've gone back to 1776 and 1779 in my two degrees of separation.
ReplyDeleteHere is my submission. What a fun challenge. Also, it has been a while since I've actually posted to Wordpress as I am usually posting over at BellaOnline. Hmmm, looks like they have made some changes since I have last posted and I am not sure I like it. Tina
ReplyDelete1788 is my earliest. I was born 1952, knew my great grandmother, Alice Pierce Raybourne (1864-1967), whose grandmothers, Rebecca Steel Pierce (1794-1865) and Lavina Davis Eslick (1788-1872), knew her.
ReplyDeleteI knew my grandfather, Leo Ashland (1889-1991), who knew his grandfather, John Fitz Randolph (1813-1902).
This has much to do with your own birth year and the birth order of your immediate ancestors. the John Tyler grandsons are the youngest of the youngest. I'm the eldest of two eldest children whose parents were all near the top of the family structure (second and third children). So, I'm starting off a generation after Randy, and the best I can do in any line is 1818-ish. On the other hand I have great-great-great-grandparents dying well into the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteHi, Randy. I like your new blog, with the list of topics for past posts.
ReplyDeleteI knew my maternal grandfather, Frank V. Maness (1906-1993), and he knew his great-grandmother, Martha Gossett Wall Chappell or "Grandma Chappell" (1826-1924) who lived to be 98. So that takes me to 1826.
I got back to 1799 in two degrees.
ReplyDeleteRandy, great challenge this week. I enjoyed trying to distinguish what I do know vs. who I surmise might have know each other - I can get back to 1851, maybe 1830. http://bit.ly/z4BJEQ
ReplyDeleteLove the new blog! - Sara.
I got back to my 8th great-grandfather, John Chalfont, b. 1660 d. 1725. Thanks for this fun challenge on a snowy Saturday night! My post is here.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the second post, but apparently my link didn't work. My submission is here: http://jmtomko.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-two-degrees-of-separation/
ReplyDeleteI liked this SNGF. See From Maine to Kentucky for how I get back to 1800 in two degrees of separation.
ReplyDeleteI knew, but barely remember, my g-grandmother, born Mary Rodda Ralph in 1862 in Cornwall. She lived right down the road from her grandfather, Anthony Rodda, born 1793 who didn't died until she was almost 6.
ReplyDeleteDidn't DIE, not DIED. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteGreat theme & nice blog layout!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother, Anna M Sullivan (1892-1979) would have known her grandfather John Gleeson (1832-1913 and could have known her great grandmother Ann (Murray)Tierney (1813-1899) if she lived in Canada.
My other grandmother, Pansy Lancaster (1913-) knew her great grandfather George W Lancaster (1839-1919).
Mine is posted but I did not show how far back I could go. Just how far back is scary sometimes.http://susischattyperformances.blogspot.com/2012/02/two-degrees-of-separation.html
ReplyDeleteThis may have found me a new distant relative.
Assuming that submissions from abroad are permitted, here's one from The Netherlands: http://bit.ly/wSLwqd
ReplyDeleteIt was fun doing this mission!
I posted about a few of my two degree connections here:
ReplyDeletehttp://wisteria-dawn.blogspot.com/2012/02/sngf-two-degrees-of-separation.html
I even have a couple that go over to the Netherlands!
Thanks, Randy!
Randy, I'm jealous. The best i can do is connect to my great-great grandfather, born in 1850.
ReplyDeleteI can go back to two great-great-grandfathers born in 1845 and 1847 WITH photographic proof that the ancestors actually knew each other. My post is here.
ReplyDeleteMine's at http://tinyurl.com/8xtgwta. I knew my great grandfather who was born in 1868 He knew his paternal grandmother who was born in 1810. If his maternal grandfather was still alive in 1868 then he would have known someone born in 1794.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this topic with its insights into inter-generational links. My response is at http://cassmob.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/two-degrees-of-ancestral-separation/
ReplyDeleteI really like your new blog image -very cool and modern.