Tangled Roots Genealogy

02/27/2023

To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain perpetually a child. For what is the worth of a human life unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?

10/20/2021

03/27/2021

By most accounts, genealogy can seem like a rather dull hobby. We research old documents, census records, marriage, birth, and death records. But for those of us that claim genealogy as our hobby, it's more than just those old records; it's discovering where we came from and how those ancestors helped shaped who we are today.

So that was the generic statement, and although there is truth in that, we also love finding those hidden nuggets of information, those skeletons in the family closet.

Secretly, genealogists get excited when we find "secrets," but we've struggled with how to document the truth without causing family strife. We have been raised on "family" stories. Still, as most of us can tell you … those stories have been greatly exaggerated and unreliable as they are mostly told from memory and over significant periods change along the way.

Over time families have created this ideal past. Finding out about some of those skeletons can often shatter those family illusions and diminish what they perceive as "respectable" family history.

Our ancestors often kept these secrets to keep their family honor and because scandals like illegitimate children, affairs, or criminals in the family directly affected all family members. Family honor determined your worthiness and respectability and your social standing in the communities they lived. So scandals could make or break a family in centuries past.

As a family historian, I've never believed it was my place to highlight family secrets but to try and accurately document the past, both good and bad. But I will admit I've gotten into many conversations that start with, "I was told by my" why haven't you put that in the family tree? I document what I can prove with facts—those old documents, census records, marriage, birth, death, service records, and bible entries. And on occasion, we do make educated conclusions based on those documents. For example, my third great-grandmother was married on 9 Aug 1856, and the birth of their first child was 31 Mar 1857, just seven months after their marriage. Now I've had two kids, and I know that pregnancy is 40 weeks or the end of nine months. Since there are no documents or even family records discussing that the baby was born premature, or was "sickly and small" at birth, then I can conclude that she was already pregnant when they married.

I think we are all raised to believe that generations past were these virginal, pious individuals that never had impure thoughts or action. And although by today's standards, they had far fewer divorces, illegitimate births, affairs, and so on, they were, in fact, human. Although it may sound strange to say, I like the idea that they were fallible, that they weren't these great pillars of virtue.

I can tell you that I have many skeletons in my family closet, and every one of them adds just a little bit of color to my family tree. I've had mothers execute their sons to keep the throne for themselves, slave owners, abolitionists, su***de, criminals, pre-marital s*x, divorce, and the list goes on.

It's all a part of history, my history, the good, the bad, and it all fertilized my family tree.

03/20/2021

"Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

03/02/2021

Ever found yourself asking “So what exactly is a second cousin?” or debating with your family and friends about what it means to be a “first cousin once removed”? Use our cousin chart to settle the debate once and for all!

What Is a Cousin?
Cousins are people who share a common ancestor that is at least 2 generations away, such as a grandparent or great-grandparent. You and your siblings are not cousins because your parents are only 1 generation away from you.

Simple enough, right? But what does it mean to have a second or third or fourth cousin?

What Is a Second Cousin?
The number associated with your cousin has to do with how many generations away your common ancestor is. For example:

First cousins share a grandparent (2 generations)
Second cousins share a great-grandparent (3 generations)
Third cousins share a great-great-grandparent (4 generations)
Fourth cousins share a 3rd-great grandparent (5 generations)

Quick Tip: Count how many “greats” are in your common ancestor’s title and add 1 to find out what number cousin your relative is. Note that grandparents have no “greats” in their titles, so cousins who share grandparents are first cousins because 0 + 1 = 1. However, keep in mind that this trick only works if you are both the same number of generations removed from the common ancestor.

Sometimes you and your cousin may share a common ancestor, but you each call this ancestor something different. For example, the common ancestor may be your great-grandparent, but your cousin’s great-great-grandparent.

This is where the phrase “once removed” comes in handy.

What Does it Mean to be a Cousin “Once Removed”?

To be “once removed” from a cousin means you are separated by one generation. The number before “removed” will always represent the number of generations you are separated (“removed”) from the cousin.

If you look at the cousin chart above, you’ll see that each row is color-coded by generation. You, your siblings, and your first, second, and third cousins are all of the same generations.

You may have noticed that the boxes labeled “cousin once removed” is either from one generation above or below you. You are “once removed” if you are separated by 1 generation and “twice removed” if you are separated by 2 generations, and so on.

Quick Tip: Your parent’s first, second, and third cousins are also your first, second, and third cousins—but once removed. This is because your parents and their generation are 1 above yours. Likewise, your grandparents’ first, second, and third cousins are also your first, second, and third cousins, this time twice removed. This pattern continues throughout each generation. So, for example, a first cousin once removed is either the child of your first cousin or the parent of your second cousin.

03/02/2021

"Found a Yankee in my family tree; will trade for horse thief or other black sheep." ~Ancestry Quote

03/01/2021

That's the problem with the gene pool: NO Lifeguards!😆