After years of genealogy research, and continued quest for ancestors unknown; I have to agree with several fellow researchers — “We are all related”.
That leaves another question — to what degree do we stop counting our “kinship” to others?
10 Generations…20?
Some purist do not research anyone other than DIRECT ancestors — leaving out aunt, uncles, cousins and kin-by-marriage.
For these folks, I admire your dedication!
However, with the tangled inter-related generations of ancestors I have discovered, the DIRECT approach led to many “brick walls” and told me little about the family dynamics or the cultural background of many ancestors.
Yes, I do the majority of my research using the computer and an internet connection — NO I do not guarantee that every bit of data is accurate. Not even traditional research can say that…Let me just say, that I continue to pursue more details about the folks I know are connect to my extended family tree.
Some days I add one fact on a single person; due to work/projects that need to be done. Then, there are times (for instance) when the information begins with leads on a family member in present-day Texas, and then I follow clues backward, through the migration routes — ultimately (hopefully) to the ‘immigrant ancestors’ who first settled in the English colonies of North America.
Recently I have been tracing family lines from a cousin — who is kin to me through the SPRUIELL family. While getting more details about his immediate family, I ventured to look at his pedigree (10-generations), and notice several surnames that seemed very familiar (PATE, Griffith/Griffin, MOSELEY) — and within a short period of more research, I feel certain that he and I have common ancestors on more than one branch of ‘our’ family trees.
This present day cousin surname is CURRINGTON, and he has been a great help with information he has previously posted on forums, and database(s) uploaded to free hosting sites (such as Rootsweb.com). It also appears that others of his ancestors “MAY BE related to my husband through the PATE/PATTY/PAIT/PETTY families who trace their heritage back through the English Colonies in NA, to Scotland, then France — where there were forced to flee due to their ‘radical’ religious beliefs, and a conviction that NO man should have complete power over another.
Such “religious fanatics” were known as Huguenots — and from their struggles came the desire for equality and “LIBERTY for all”.
Some facts that not everyone who does family tree research may have discovered…
“Who do you think you are?”
A few facts to consider –
1) If you can trace back ten generations, you have a possibility of 1024 ancestors.
2) Nearly of all the Presidents of the United States were related to each other (some distant, some closely).
3) Name spelling(s) change from one century to another, and as immigrants come to a new country/culture; but the family connections may still be found if you are creative in your thinking of how the surname was spelled. [IE: Pate, Patty, Pait, Payte, Pety, Petty, Pettit, Patey...etc.]
4) Many families who migrated from the colonies into the Smokey Mountain regions, traveled/relocated with families that had been neighbors in their previous residence; and in time the families would inter-marry; sometimes knowing their kinship, sometimes not. Over generations, the tangle of descendants never ventured far from home — until the advent of the modern travel (trains, wagons, and then cars). This ‘tangled’ heritage is know as “pedigree collapse” — which means two of your ancestors were kin/cousins, and your pedigree will include branches with identical family groups. [Thus for many southern families, the 10 generation pedigree will not have the 1024 DIFFERENT ancestors.]
That’s enough of a review…
If you have the time, patience and inclination to do family tree research; and you know your family/families are long-time United States natives/citizens — then there is a possibility the you are DISTANTLY related to hundreds of celebrities, within about 10 generations.
If you discover a celebrity is closer kin than this; that is quite a point of interest — I have several that have gradually turned up in my quest since 1996.
- US Presidents/Political Figures:
- James Earl “Jimmy” Carter. [5th cousin once removed]
- Eleanor Roosevelt [7th cousin once removed]
- Franklin Roosevelt [19th cousin 3 times removed]
- James Buchanan [still researching kinship connection]
- George H. W. Bush [still researching kinship connection]
- Rick Bragg. [6th cousin]
- Jim Henson. [still researching kinship connection]
- Doug Marlette [still researching kinship connection]
Authors/Artists:
- Brooke Sheilds [still researching kinship connection]
- Lloyd Bridges [still researching kinship connection]
- Todd Bridges [still researching kinship connection]
- Jeff Bridges [still researching kinship connection]
- Robert Duvall [still researching kinship connection]
- Shelly Duvall [still researching kinship connection]
Actors:
Tis time for food. I will continue fill in the gaps after dinner.
– Cathy Ann Abernathy
Musicians:
Veterans/Military Leaders:
