This Week's We're Related Relationships - 13 January 2017

I received 8 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)  Colleen Willis -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 2x removed, common ancestor is Elizabeth Mott (1659-1723).

My line is through Elizabeth's son Benjamin Wing by her second husband, Matthew Wing.  Colleen's line is through her son William Ricketson by her first husband, William Ricketson.   I have not traced Colleen's line further.  My judgment is that this relationship is Likely.

2)  Wanda Ross -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Mehitable Fish. (1647-1697).  

My line is through Mehitable's daughter, Mary Tripp who married Thomas Waite, while Wanda's line is through Mehitable's son James Tripp.   I have not traced Wanda's line further. My judgment is that this relationship is Likely.

3)  Beverly Harrison -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Daniel Pierce (1640-1723).

My line is through Martha Pierce (1681-1759), who married William Whitney.  My research indicates that Martha Pierce was the daughter of Joseph Pierce (1647-1713) and Martha --?--.  Beverly's line is through Mary Pierce (1685-1762), who married an Allen.  Since my Joseph Pierce and Beverly's Daniel Pierce are brothers, sons of Anthony Pierce (1611-1678), the relationship is actually 9th cousin 1x removed.  My judgment is that the latter relationship is Likely.

4)  John Adams -- U.S. President, 4th cousin 7x removed, common ancestor is George Alden (1575-1620).  

My line back to George Alden goes through an unknown person who was the mother of Ruth Chandler (1627-1694), who married Daniel Cole (1614-1694).  My research does not show a maiden name or parents for Ruth "Chandler" and then her mother is not known, but is a daughter of George Alden?  Huh?  How do they know?  Does George Alden name his granddaughter Ruth Chandler in a will?  John Adams line goes through John Alden (1599-1687), the Mayflower passenger, son of George Alden.  My judgment is that this particular relationship is Unlikely.  However, I am descended from Henry Adams (1583-1646), as is John Adams.  So John Adams and I are 3rd cousins 8x removed by this relationship.  I have no clue why the app, and all of the AMTs it uses, did not find this relationship, since I have President John Adams in my own tree.

5)  Edward Hopper -- Actor, 7th cousin 3x removed, common ancestor is Helena Roberts (1635-1681).

My line to Helena Roberts is through my second great-grandfather, Devier J. Lamphier Smith, who was adopted by Ranslow and Mary (Bell) Smith.  My AMT probably has the adoptive parents and therefore the app may be correct.  My judgment is that this relationship is Very Unlikely.

6)  Ruth Himan -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin, common ancestor is Ruth Collins (1685-1715).

My line from Ruth (Collins) Graves is through daughter Ruth Graves, while Ruth's line goes through Sarah Graves (1715-1773) who married a Newton.  I don't have Sarah as a daughter of Ruth (Collins) Graves.  Most trees say that Sarah Graves was the daughter of Samuel Graves and Elizabeth Lewis.  This line also goes down to North Carolina in the 1750s, which makes me suspect.  My judgment is that this relationship is Unlikely.

7)  Teri Allred -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 1x removed, common ancestor is Sarah Nutting (1663-????).

My line from Sarah Nutting is through James Stone (1702-1783), son of her second husband, John Stone (1658-1735).  Teri's line is through Matthias Farnsworth (1690-????), son of her first husband, Matthis Farnsworth (1650-1693).  I have not traced Teri's line further.  My judgment is that this relationship is Possible.

8)  Lana Porter -- Facebook friend, 8th cousin 2x removed, common ancestor is Moses Barber (1652-1733).  

My line to Moses Barber is through his last child, Anna Barber (1717-1800), who married Sylvester Kenyon (1714-1800).  Lana's line is through Moses Barber's fifth child, Thomas Barber (1699-1762).  I have not traced Lana's line further.  My judgment is that this relationship is Likely.

My count is up to 121 famous or Facebook cousins provided by the app.  This week, my judgment is that only four of the 8 cousin relationships are Likely or better, and one more is Possible

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.  The second biggest problem is that many of the lines of the famous or Facebook persons have colonial lines that jump from one region to another, as with the Ruth Himan line.

They may be right -- I don't know -- and I 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 "Unlikely" or "Wrong" relationships have been convincing to me yet.

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