Friday, December 16, 2016

This Week's We're Related Relationships, 16 December 2016

I received 12 new cousin relationships on the We're Related mobile app this week, which is based on Ancestry Member Trees.  The new relationships, and my initial evaluation of them, are:

1)  Eli Manning - Sports, 8th cousin, common ancestor is Josiah Wood (1687-1730).



The Josiah Wood in my line is 1687-1753, married to Ruth Walker (1692-1752).  Peyton's line is through daughter Anne Wood (1715-1769), who I don't see in the Josiah Wood and Ruth Walker family.  My judgment is that this relationship is Wrong.

2)  Sharon Atkins - Facebook friend, 7th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Thomas Allen (1690-1777).

The app appears to have the common ancestor Thomas Allen (1690-1777) the father of Thomas Allen 1683-1741) in Sharon's line.  My guess is that this is a case of the app extending Sharon's line erroneously.  My judgment is that this relationship is Wrong.

3)  June Butka -- Facebook friend, 7th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Hannah Wheeler (1649-1697).

The app has Hannah Wheeler (1649-1697) as the mother to Mary Lawrence Fletcher (1686-1768), and her as the mother of Benjamin Fletcher (1715-1772) in June's line.  I have a Wheeler as the husband of Mary Fletcher rather than a Fletcher.  My judgment is that this relationship is Doubtful.

4)  Bethel Williams -- Nearby (CVGS member), 9th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Sarah Reed (1638-1681).  

Bethel and I compared notes, and we think this relationship is Likely.

5)  Lucille Ball -- Entertainer, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Sarah Kirtland (1646-????).



The app says that Sarah Kirtland was the mother of Sarah Lee (1674-1729) in Lucy's line.  My line shows her as the mother of Sarah Davis (1676-1754).  It may be two different Sarah Kirtlands (mine married Davis, Lucy's married Lee?) that the app has conflated.  My judgment is that this relationship is Wrong.

6)  George Clinton - Politician, 5th cousin 8x removed, common ancestor is Alice Watson (1535-1585).



The app has added three generations to my immigrant ancestor Ralph Smith (1612-1685).  My judgment is that this relationship is Doubtful.

7)  Carrie Smith -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 2x removed, common ancestor is Mary Jones (1672-1760).

My line to Mary Jones is through Jacob Fitz Randolph, and Carrie's is through Prudence Fitz Randolph.  My judgment is that this relationship is Likely.

8)  Kim McCullars -- Facebook friend, 9th cousin, common ancestor is Mary Wight (1638-1693).

Kim's line to Mary Wight is through daughter Anne Ellis (1655-????).  I show Mary Wight married Thomas Ellis in 1657, and don't show Anne as a daughter.  My judgment is that this relationship is Doubtful.

9)  Cecily Kelly -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Deborah Church (1676-1772).

My line to Deborah Church goes through Lydia Gray (1707-????),. while Cecily's goes through Simeon Gray (1709-1742).  My judgment is that this relationship is Likely.

10)  Ernest Hemingway -- Author, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Jonathan Gilbert (1648-1698).



The app shows my line to Jonathan Gilbert through the parents of my brick wall ancestor William Knapp (1775-1856), adding 5 generations to my tree.  My judgment is that this relationship is Wrong without even looking at Hemingway's line.

11)  Robin Williams -- Actor, 8th cousin, common ancestor is Ruth Collins (1685-1715).



My research shows that Ruth Collins had only one child, my Ruth Graves (1711-????) and died before 1715 when Thomas Graves married (2) Ruth Taylor.  I don't show a Sarah Graves (1715-1773) for Thomas and Ruth (Taylor) Graves, which is Robin's line.  My judgment is that this relationship is Doubtful.

12)  Janis Joplin -- Musician, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Michael Meyer (1672-1733).



The app shows my line going through my brick wall ancestor Catherine Ruth (1770-1813) and back three more generations to Michael Meyer (those three generations are not in my tree).  My judgment is that this relationship is Doubtful.

My count is up to 90 famous or Facebook cousins provided by the app.  This week, my judgment is that only  three of the 12 cousin relationships are Probable or Likely.  

I will say it again:  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 five 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 "Doubtful" or "Wrong" relationships have been convincing to me yet.

=======================================


Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


1 comment:

Emily said...

I just wish it woul not connect people via women with unknown maiden names, and that it would also give sources. It now has me connected to George Washington via a woman named "Lucretia."