# 34 Family Relations

# 34 Family Relations
By
Vernon M. Herron

( Let’s Do Genealogy)

Genealogical research is serious business and its compensations are rewarding. To search for and identify one’s own family among the myriad of human families can be a herculean task yet a startling and a healing revelation. It is equally rewarding to learn something about the times and places in which our ancestors and succeeding generations lived.

When I look at my family’s pedigree chart consisting of ten generations and 748 names, I am amazed that we all are related having descended from a common ancestor. The basic purpose of genealogical research is the identification of people and their relationships.

A story of a young lady ready for marriage said to her father, “Tom and I are in love and we are seriously thinking about marriage.” Where upon the father said, “you can’t marry Tom. He is your half brother but your mother doesn’t know it. To keep confusion down, select someone else.” A year later, Miss “eager” said to her father again, “Richard and I are in love and are seriously thinking about marriage.” Again her father said, “don’t marry Richard. He too, is your half brother but don’t tell your mother.” Later, Miss ‘hopeful’ said to her father once more, “Harry and I are in love and we are seriously thinking about marriage.” Dad said to the daughter for the third time, “Jean, you can’t marry Harry either. He is your half brother but your mother doesn’t know it. Select someone else.” The distraught daughter confidently shared this information with her mother. Jean inquired as to which course she should follow. Where upon the mother advised Jean to “pay no attention to those declarations because he thinks that he’s your father but he’s not. So marry whomever you wish. Neither Tom, Dick nor Harry is related to you.”

Perhaps the first and most important principle of genealogical research is that one always works backward from oneself, in other words, from the known to the unknown. As you look at your pedigree chart, you should know the terms for describing various family relationships. Consanguinity is the blood relationship that exists among individuals who descend from a common ancestor. Lineal relationships are those that exist between individuals who are in the same direct line of descent. Those relationships include parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, children, grandchildren, etc.

Collateral relationships are those that exist between individuals who descend from a common ancestor but who are not related to each other in a direct line. Collateral relationships include sisters, brother, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Now it is clear what the late Mom’s Mabley meant when she said, “I hang out only with young folks. If you ever see me hanging out with any old folks, they will be my collateral relatives.”

Full cousins are individuals who descend from a common ancestor by the same number of generations. First cousins have grandparents in common. Second cousins have great-grandparents in common. Third cousins have great-great-grandparents in common. Individuals who descend from a common ancestor but are of different generations are cousins REMOVED. “ONCE REMOVED” indicated a difference of one generation, “TWICE REMOVED” a difference of two generations, etc. Your first cousin’s child is your first cousin once removed; your first cousin’s grandchild is your first cousin twice removed. Half relationships exist between individuals who share a common ancestor but descend from different spouses of the ancestor. Step relationships and in—law relations occur as a result of marriage and therefore are not consanguineous or blood relationships.

Remember the “Jean” story quoted earlier? Here is a marriage prohibitive table published in 1562 by Archbishop Parker for any other “Jeannies.” It prohibits marriages due to consanguinity and affinity:

A MAN MAY NOT MARRY HIS:
1. Grandmother
2. Grandfather’s wife
3. Wife’s grandmother
4. Father’s sister
5. Mother’s sister
6. Father’s brother’s wife
7. Mother’s brother’s wife
8. Wife’s father’s sister
9. Wife’s mother’s sister
10. Mother
11. Step-mother
12. Wife’s mother
13. Daughter
14. Wife’s daughter
15. Son’s wife
16. Sister
17. Wife’s sister
18. Brother’s wife
19. Son’s daughter
20. Daughter’s daughter
21. Son’s son’s wife
22. Daughter’s son’s wife
23. Wife’s son’s daughter
24. Wife’s daughter’s daughter
25. Brother’s daughter
26. Sister’s daughter
27. Sister’s son’s wife
28. Brother’s son’s wife
29. Wife’s brother’s daughter
30. Wife’s sister’s daughter

A WOMAN MAY NOT MARRY HER:
1. Grandfather
2. Grandmother’s husband
3. Husband’s grandfather
4. Mother’s brother
5. Father’s brother
6. Father’s sister’s husband
7. Mother’s sister’s husband
8. Husband’s father’s brother
9. Husband’s mother’s brother
10. Father
11. Step-father
12. Husband’s father
13. Son
14. Husband’s son
15. Daughter’s husband
16. Brother
17. Husband’s brother
18. Sister’s husband
19. Son’s son
20. Daughter’s son
21. Son’s daughter’s husband
22. Daughter’s daughter’s husband
23. Husband’s son’s son
24. Husband’s daughter’s son
25. Brother’s son
26. Sister’s son
27. Brother’s daughter’s husband
28. Sister’s daughter’s husband
29. Husband brother’s son
30. Husband’s sister’s son


SELECT SOMEONE ELSE!