A Tree Grew in Oakland

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……

We’re Related notice # 348 has Vincent Price as my 7th cousin, 3 times removed through our MRCA, Ferdinando Thayer (1625-1713), who would be the 3rd great grandfather of Esther Clark, my 4th great grandmother and the furthest I have documented on that lineage.  But, back at report #68, We’re Related informed me that Vincent was again, my 7th cousin, 3 times removed, through our MRCA Huldah Hayward (1636-1690), the 3rd great grandmother of the same Esther Clark.  The lineage up the Thayer line to either of the two MRCA entries follow different ancestor mixes.  It is as if  We’re Related found different personal trees each time and used them in one case and them then other.  The lineage from both down to Vincent is identical implying that Ferdinando and Huldah were probably married, but the  lineage back to Esther is so jumbled, I would not be drawing that same conclusion.   I will just set the whole mess aside as something that is probably to confused to try to clean up.

John Adams, 2nd President of the United States, Report #346, has us as 6th cousins, 7 times removed, through our MRCA, John White (1550-1618), the 5th great grandfather of the furthest member of that line I have documented, Thankful Isham (1752-1834), my 5th great grandmother.   But then, he also sneaks into Report # 292 as Private, the father of John Quincy Adams (my 4th cousin, 7 times removed).  Now this is an investigation that was hard to finish: figure out the identity of Private, the father of John Quincy Adams.   The MRCA in this lineage is Samuel Bass (1600-1694), the 4th great grandfather of the furthest documented member of lineage, my 4th great grandmother, Esther Clark.  But as the commercial says, Wait, There’s More!  Report #3 shows Cousin John as my 3rd cousin 8 times removed, through our MRCA, Henry Adams (1583-1646), the 4th great grandfather of the same Esther Clark, through a different parentage line!  Forget that business of George Washington being  the father of this country, I think the ancestors of John Adams get the title!

Franklin Pierce as my sixth cousin, six times removed, was the #345 report from We’re Related.  This time our MRCA was Ursula Alice Dimery (1596-1665), the 5th great grandmother of my last documented ancestor in that line, my 4th great grandmother, Esther Clark.  That leaves 7 generations to research and verify!  Earlier, in notice #13, Cousin Franklin was reported as my 6th cousin, 5 times removed, through our MRCA, Mary Heath (1594-1629), the mother of my furthest documented ancestor in that line.  Mary Johnson (1614-1679), my 9th great grandmother was supposed to be the daughter of the MRCA.  Definitely, less generations to research in this case!  For Franklin’s lineage, # 13 and # 345 meet at his great grandparents, #13 – Abigail Bowen (1700-1775) and #345 – Caleb Kendrick (1694-1771), the parents of Benjamin Kendrick (1724-1812).

We’re Related reports that Lucy is my 8th cousin, once removed, through our MRCA, Edward Smith (1636-1693)!  This tracks through my documented line!  Lucy’s lineage is through the much documented Sprague family.  This happens to be We’re Related #344!  Cousin Lucy also appeared in report #8, also as an 8th cousin, once removed. In #8, our MRCA was Mehitable Holbrook, my 8th great grandmother.   Lucy’s pedigree still goes through the Sprague family, but instead of splitting off at her 5th great grandmother, Sarah Smith and tracking two more generations to Edward, #8 continues with her 5th great grandfather Hezekiah Sprague for two generations to Mehitable.  So, Cousin Lucy, proof the tree has talent and quite a bit of zany — apparently times two!

Demi Lovato is supposed to be my 8th cousin, twice removed, with the MRCA being Maria Margaretha Schopferin (1662-1750), the great grandmother of Magdelena Dockstader, the furthest back in that particular lineage I have documented.   4th great grandmother Dockstader was born in a province of what is now Germany — I have not been able to pin it down.   So,that would mean at least 4 generations of German research to include this line.  Then there is Demi’s lineage: 4 generations of Smith, 2 of Hopper, and then variations of different spellings of sound alike names.  This could turn out to be a very LARGE PROJECT!