Monday, November 7, 2016

Ancestry We're Related Famous Kin

I have created a table containing the celebrities that Ancestry's We're Related app has told me might be kin, including the alleged shared ancestor, alleged relationship, and whether I have confirmed my half of the ancestry, disproven my half, or more research is needed. (I have no desire to spend time researching the ancestry of celebrities just to see if they share my ancestors. However, I do find it worthwhile to research my own ancestors and see if what Ancestry family trees suggest might be accurate.) 

Celebrity Alleged Shared Ancestor Alleged Relationship Y/N/?
Warren Buffett Swazey, Jospeh 1653-1717 8th Cousin 2x Removed
Mark Twain  Betts, Capt. Richard 1613-1713 6th Cousin 3x Removed Y
Johnny Depp Betts, Capt. Richard 1613-1713 9th Cousin 2x Removed Y
Marilyn Monroe Burgess, Thomas 1601-1685 9th Cousin 1x Removed ?
Winston Churchill Clark, James 1608-1674 8th Cousin, 1x Removed ?
Matt Damon Clark, James 1608-1674 9th Cousin 1x Removed ?
Thomas Paine Clarke, Katherine 1515-1553 7th Cousin 6x Removed ?
John Kerry Clarke, Thomas 1570-1627 9th Cousin 1x Removed ?
Henry David Thoreau Clarke, William 1553-1624 8th Cousin 3x Removed ?
Ronald Reagan Constable, Thomasine 1605-1682 10th Cousin ?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Durrant, Mary 1599-1631 6th Cousin 4x Removed ?
Bill Gates Hinckley, Susannah 1625-1675 9th Cousin 2x Removed ?
Helen Keller Jewell, Thomas 1608-1654 8th Cousin 3x Removed ?
Walt Disney Kerrich, Rose 1572-1627 9th Cousin 1x Removed ?
Carrie Underwood Lathrop, John 1584-1653 9th Cousin 2x Removed ?
Meghan Trainor Lathrop, John 1584-1653 9th Cousin 2x Removed ?
Lady Gaga Mapes, Thomas 1628-1687 10th Cousin ?
Benjamin Franklin Nevill, Cecilia 1488-1573 6th Cousin 7x Removed ?
Kate Upton Pierce, Timothy 1673-1748 8th Cousin 3x Removed ?
Kevin Bacon Smith, Samuel 1644-1719 7th Cousin 1x Removed ?
Justin Bieber Smith, John 1614-1710 9th Cousin 2x Removed ?
Britney Spears Smith, John 1614-1710 9th Cousin 2x Removed ?
Abraham Lincoln Taylor, Thomas 1574-1618 8th Cousin 2x Removed ?
Zachary Taylor Taylor, Thomas 1574-1618 4th Cousin 6x Removed ?
Jessica Simpson Wheldon, Gabriel 1600-1655 10th Cousin ?
Christina Aguilera Wines, Barnabas 1600-1679 10th Cousin ?

Notes

1) All of the above alleged shared ancestors are ancestors through my maternal grandmother, Myrtle Vanevery, and all but two are ancestors through my second great grandmother, Abigail Stuart, who was the second wife of Samuel Vanevery. Timothy Pierce (my shared ancestor with Kate Upton) and Thomas Jewell (my shared ancestor with Helen Keller) are alleged ancestors of my 4th great grandmother Sarah Showers, who married David Vanevery.

2) Perhaps more interesting to me than the links that have been provided are the links that haven't yet been provided. I have long known I am related to several celebrities through my Stoughton ancestry. (Also ancestors of Abigail Stuart) The Stoughtons are in my database. But none of these celebrities have appeared. (John Kerry has, but through a different alleged shared ancestor.)

3) I'm sure I have famous kin through the lines of my other three grandparents, but the documents necessary to trace my (and their) ancestry back far enough is currently undiscovered in Eastern Europe, if not completely lost. I know of three paternal cousins with Wikipedia pages, though not quite with the name recognition of the individuals above. Two more are already mentioned several times on Wikipedia, and separate bio pages could probably be written by someone, and not be deleted.

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