A Tree Grew in Oakland

James Fenimore Cooper appears in notification # 357 as my 6th cousin, 5 times removed, through our MRCA, William Lane (1580-1654), the great great grandfather of Thomas Morey (1709-1775), my furthest documented ancestor in that line.  Grandfather William appears to have had two daughters, one with the surname of Lane, one with the surname of Lyme.   The Lyme surname appears in James’ lineage.  This does cast some doubt on the coupling of the two.   It is not unusual for a female to have children with different surnames, but it is very strange for a male to have this show up.   Earlier, in notification # 129, I was shown James as my 7th cousin, 4 times removed, through our MRCA, John Baker (1576-1594), the great great grandfather of Dinah Harris (1702-1796), the furthest documented member in that line for me.  For my lines, the two cross at Morris Jenks, my great great great grandfather.  In #357, he is the great grandson of Thomas Morey (through his mother’s line).  In # 129, he is the great grandson of Dinah Harris (through his father’s line).  The two cross for James at his grandparents: #357 has Hannah Hibbs (1730-1777) and # 129 has James Cooper (1729-1795).  All in all, this could be a real pile of genetic spaghetti.

We’re Related #356 was John Wayne as my 6th cousin, twice removed, through our MRCA, Margaret Farrington (1689-1754).  Margaret would be the great grandmother of the furthest documented ancestor in that line, Mary Shimel, my 4th great grandmother.  Now the children reported in each lineage have similar, but different surnames — mine: Barcolo, the Dukes: Berkelow.  This may be a transcription error or a wishful match on We’re Related.  Anyway, #356 is the second time I was notified of cousin Marion being related.  In #57, he appears as my 8th cousin, twice removed, through our MRCA, Catherine Miller Mueller (1650-1736).  Never mind that Miller is the English translation of the German Mueller.  Catherine is the 3 times great grandmother of my 3 times great grandfather, John Backus (1750-1823).  The two lineages for John Wayne cross at his mother’s parents, Clarinda Isabel Snyder (1848-1918) and Robert Emmet Brown (1847-1918).  Both #  57 and # 356 will take a great deal of research to verify just the lineages proposed for me.  I will put the Duke on my TO DO list, but he will be a low priority.

Minnie Pearl as my 8th cousin, 3 times removed, through MRCA, William Isham (1577-1627), the 3 times great grandfather of my 5 times great grandmother, Thankful Isham (1752-1834) is the most lineage I have seen proposed for the Isham family!  This was in notification # 355.  There was only one glitch in lineage proposed for Cousin Minnie (love her real name – Sarah Ophelia) in that the next generation down from the MRCA, Henry Isham (1628-1670) was born the year after his father died.  This is not impossible — it is definitely better than the lineages proposed by We’re Related where the child is born after the mother has died!  But, this is also the second notice on Minnie being a relative. She also was in notification # 233 where we meet at MRCA,  Elizabeth Cooke (1611-1663), the proposed mother of my furthest documented ancestor in that line, my 7th great grandfather, Isaac Lawrence (1652-1731).  In this report, Minnie and I are straight out 9th cousins.  The two reports cross in Minnie’s lineage at her parents:  #355 has her father, Thomas Kelly Colley (1857-1937); #233 has her mother, Frances Tate House (1875-1963).  Another tangled web of cousins being their own cousin thanks to connections they never knew they had – me!

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Report # 354 has FDR as my 6th cousin, 3 times removed, through our MRCA, Samuel Bill (1665-1729).  Samuel is the projected great great grandfather of my 4 times great grandmother, Mercy Simons (1779-1804) who is the last documented entry I have in that lineage.  In report # 99, FDR is also my 6C3R, but through our MRCA, John Holton (1640-1712), the father of the furthest documented entry in my line, my 7th great grandfather, William Holton (1675-1755).  This one should be easier to add one generation of proof.  The two lines for cousin FDR, cross at his parents, James Roosevelt for # 354, and Sara Ann Delano for #99.  So I might also be the link to FDR not only marrying his cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, but being his own cousin!

Notice # 352 shows President Andrew Jackson as my 6th cousin, 6 times removes, through MRCA, William Cunningham, Earl van Glencairn (1555-1630).  This is the proposed grandfather of my 9th great grandfather, James Pringle (1602-1634).  Notice # 100 is through MRCA, Anthony Hungerford, the great grandfather of my 8th great grandmother, Esther Ballard (1632-1717).  For cousin Andrew, the two cross at his parents’ lineages.   More TO DO items.

Eli

Notification # 351 brings word that Zachary Taylor is my 5th cousin, 6 times removed, through our MRCA, Elizabeth Godfrey (1570-1680)!  Each of our lines begins with Elizabeth’s daugher: mine- Mary Carey (1602-1658), Zachary – Mary Carey (1654-1718).  Now what is the likelihood Elizabeth had two daughters both named Mary?   Even bigger question, what is the likelihood Elizabeth bore these two children 52 years apart, one at age 32, one at age 84?  Again, #351 has had no reality check process!  Now, Cousin Zach also was reported in #62 (5th cousin, 8 times removed) with MRCA Jane Phippen (1580-1650).  Although there are 6 generations for me to investigate and document to get to the MRCA, this is a better choice for the TO DO List since the two lineages seem to make more sense.

Thomas Paine as my 3rd cousin, 7 times removed, is quite interesting.  Our MRCA, George Lewis (1600-1664) is reported as the grandfather of my documented 7th great grandmother, Hannah Lewis (1662-1717).  The problem is We’re Related shows Hannah’s father as George Lewis (1625-1710) and my documentation shows him to be Thomas Lewis (1633-1709).  Now, I have no lineage showing Thomas’ parentage, which could well be the MRCA.  But, until I find it, this is just a nice report with not backup evidence that will remain a TO DO item.

In notice # 349, We’re Related tells me that Emily Dickinson is my 7th cousin, 3 time removed, through our MRCA, Luke Hitchcock (1615-1659), the great grandfather of Moses Hitchcock (1717-1768), my furthest documented ancestor is that lineage and my 6th great grandfather.   Many months ago, We’re Related issued notice # 74 to me telling of Cousin Emily as my 5th cousin, 4 times removed, through our MRCA, Elizabeth Savage (1655-1742), the grandmother of Nathaniel White (1710-1787), my furthest documented ancestor in that lineage and my 6th great grandfather as well.  The two lines in my lineage diverge at my great great grandparents.  One line follows the lineage of Charles Norton Lee; the other line follows the lineage of Esther Jenks.  In Emily’s lineage, the two meet with her 3rd great grandparents, Samuel Montague (1695-1779) and Elizabeth White (1695-1753), the parents of Richard Montague (1729-1794), her great great grandfather.  So, it could end up a real tangle once all those lines are proven and not only will we find we are cousins, we will find we are our own cousins……