In my ancestry hunt I have come across some family lines I can claim, that have given us men that have attained the highest office in the land, that of President of the United States, and also some of the First Ladies/President's Wives.
I am not someone digging my roots just to be able to wave about the fact that a famous "so and so" is hanging on my family tree.
But I do confess that when one turns up it is fun and quite exciting. ;-)
Here are a few I can count among the limbs on my tree--All photos are from Wikkipedia--
3rd President Thomas Jefferson-Field Jefferson, his uncle, by marriage to my 7th great grandmother
9th President William Henry Harrison-3rd cousin 6x removed
10th President John Tyler-not exactly sure of the distant yet but some sort of cousin
12th President Zachary Taylor-cousin(not sure which number distance yet), also Taylor's wife, Magaret Mackall Smith, through the same ancestor
10th President Rutherford B. Hayes-cousin(not sure which number distance yet)
21st President Chester Arthur, his wife-Ellen Lewis Herndon-6th cousin 4x removed
23rd President Benjamin Harrison-5th cousin 4x removed
28th President Woodrow Wilson, related by marriage to both his wives-1st Ellen Louise Axson, through her great grandmother Eleanor Randolph(not totally sorted out yet but a distant cousin thing), 2nd Edith White Bolling by marriage
43rd President George W. Bush, his wife Laura Lane Welch-7th cousin 1x removed
For better or worse, I am bonded to these people genetically or through allied families/marriages.
With all this in mind, is it any wonder now why I birthed a son on George Washington's Birthday? *Though technically the date we celebrate as Washington's actual birthday is not the same date as he was born on, due to the switch by the British from using the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar 19 years after his birth. See explanation HERE.
Perhaps I should just stick to promoting William Henry Harrison as my famous ancestor, since he is the only one who died before he could do the nation any harm. ;-)
Now go out there and celebrate President's Day like a true red blooded American and buy a large appliance! 8-)))
Sluggy
I am not someone digging my roots just to be able to wave about the fact that a famous "so and so" is hanging on my family tree.
But I do confess that when one turns up it is fun and quite exciting. ;-)
Here are a few I can count among the limbs on my tree--All photos are from Wikkipedia--
3rd President Thomas Jefferson-Field Jefferson, his uncle, by marriage to my 7th great grandmother
9th President William Henry Harrison-3rd cousin 6x removed
10th President John Tyler-not exactly sure of the distant yet but some sort of cousin
12th President Zachary Taylor-cousin(not sure which number distance yet), also Taylor's wife, Magaret Mackall Smith, through the same ancestor
10th President Rutherford B. Hayes-cousin(not sure which number distance yet)
21st President Chester Arthur, his wife-Ellen Lewis Herndon-6th cousin 4x removed
23rd President Benjamin Harrison-5th cousin 4x removed
28th President Woodrow Wilson, related by marriage to both his wives-1st Ellen Louise Axson, through her great grandmother Eleanor Randolph(not totally sorted out yet but a distant cousin thing), 2nd Edith White Bolling by marriage
43rd President George W. Bush, his wife Laura Lane Welch-7th cousin 1x removed
For better or worse, I am bonded to these people genetically or through allied families/marriages.
With all this in mind, is it any wonder now why I birthed a son on George Washington's Birthday? *Though technically the date we celebrate as Washington's actual birthday is not the same date as he was born on, due to the switch by the British from using the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar 19 years after his birth. See explanation HERE.
Perhaps I should just stick to promoting William Henry Harrison as my famous ancestor, since he is the only one who died before he could do the nation any harm. ;-)
Now go out there and celebrate President's Day like a true red blooded American and buy a large appliance! 8-)))
Sluggy
I really ought to teach myself to work out the relationships with regard to cousins n-times removed. I can never quite work it out. Any tips?
ReplyDelete'Im-in-doors (aka DH) is related to a former Senator for one of the NY Boroughs back in the 1880s.
To figure how related I just click on the Ancestry thing and it tells me. Figuring consanguinity can be mind boggling sometimes!
DeleteDue tell which NYC Senator.......state or federal Senator? 1880's huh? He would have known Boss Tweed...or was he Boss Tweed? lolz
This chart helps sometimes.....
Deletehttp://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~longstrt/consangu.html
Ferdinand Eidman 1842-1910. We have not traced a definite connection but as there are so few folk with the surname and he like ours all seem to originate in the Hesse region of Germany then he is a good candidate.
DeleteThere is a lot more about him now on the internet. He served in the NY state Assembly 1880 and NY State Senete 1881. There are letters to and from Roosevelt on line.
He served in the Civil War for a NY regiment. He also was involved in something I know nothing about, we did not do much US history in school, called the Platt-Conkling trouble and was "one of the 29 stalwarts who stood by the "easy boss". I will need to look that up.
Thanks for reminding me that I can work out relationships on ancestry , silly me, sometimes you don't see what is right in front of you!
I was smiling until I saw Bush. jk You have been busy!
ReplyDeleteYou should have smiled until you hit Rutherford Hayes....a Yankee, Union Army man and a *gasp* lawyer to boot! lol
DeleteAh, my mistake!
DeleteI can really see the resemblance around the eyes or is it the nose? I am not sure.
ReplyDelete