Comments on: The Quick 10, Sort Of: 10ish Famous People Related to Ben Franklin

By: Kevin in Vegas

Kevin in Vegas — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:48:00 +0000

The cousin calculation is pretty simple.

The “cousin” part is the number of generation steps you move down from a common ancestor, minus 1.

Example: If you and a cousin have the same Grandfather, you are 1st cousins, because it takes 2 steps to get to each of you. If you have a daughter (Kim) and your 1st cousin has a son (Johnny), then Kim and Johnny are 2nd cousins, since it is 3 steps from the grandfather to them (3-1=2).

What if the number of steps is not the same? That is the “removed” part.

Example: Let’s compare you and your cousin’s boy … Johnny. You both still have that same common ancestor. From the grandfather down, you count down 2 steps to you, so you and Johnny are 1st cousins…but you have to go an additional step to get to Johnny, so you are 1st cousins, once removed.

Again, for “Xth cousin Y removed” between two people, find the common ancestor, and X is the smallest number of steps down from the ancestor to the first person, minus 1…and Y is the additional steps to get the other person.

Last point in our example is that Johnny is your 1st cousin once removed, and you are also HIS 1st cousin, once removed. The relationship is the same from both sides.

By: Diana

Diana — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:29:00 +0000

Tiffany- you are correct – your grandparents’ siblings are your great aunts/uncles. Your grandmother’s aunt is your great-great-aunt. The “removed” system is only for cousins.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:14:00 +0000

If you’re having trouble visualizing it, just Google “Table of Consanguinity” and you’ll be able to find a chart explaining how the whole first cousin, second cousin, removed thing works.

By: BassMan

BassMan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:06:00 +0000

“Mayhew Folger was the captain of the ship that found the Pitcairn Islands after the Bounty mutineers had decided to settle there. Only one of the original mutineers was still alive. He was Ben Franklin’s first cousin, three times removed.”

The remaining mutineer was Franklin’s first cousin? So, how does Mayhew Folger fit in?

By: tiffany

tiffany — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:09:00 +0000

so my grandmother’s sister is my ?? i’ve been going with great aunt..

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:47:00 +0000

Actually Lindsey, you have it right but backwards.
My mother and my aunt each have a child. That makes us (the children) first cousins. I have a child of my own. My cousin is now first cousin once removed – the difference of one generation – to my child. My cousin now has a child. Our children are second cousins to each other. And so on…. If you look up BUCE cousin chart on Google (because I can’t add a link here) you’ll get a good answer.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:02:00 +0000

@Lindsey Actually, the cousins designation is pretty straight forward. A diagram would help, but let me give it a shot. First cousins you understand. The children of first cousins are second cousins, the grandchildren of first cousins are third cousins and so on. Once, twice, thrice removed is used to explain a difference in generations. So say your grandfather is my first cousin. You would be my first cousin twice removed because you are two generations removed from mine and your grandfather’s relationship as first cousins. If your grandfather and I were second cousins (i.e. his father and my father were first cousins) then you would be my second cousin twice removed.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:18:00 +0000

No idea… but you have inspired a question I will ask Mental_Floss: “How does the whole cousins once-twice-thrice-whatever removed work?” This may require a diagram.

ReCaptcha: re- sessions

By: laura

laura — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:17:00 +0000

Jack Coleman from Heroes is a great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Benjamin Franklin

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:08:00 +0000

Ezra Cornell co-founded (with diplomat and educator Andrew Dickson White) Cornell University of Ithaca, New York, not Cornell College of Mt. Vernon, Iowa.