I ought to blog about something serious. Something deep. Something profound. And maybe I will...but not today. Today, I'm obsessing over intermarriage in my family tree. Fifteen generations of my ancestors have lived on these shores; the same goes for my wife, by the way. Some of our people got here before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620, at Jamestown and in New Hampshire. They came by boat, because that was the only means of travel. Then there were those other ancestors, the ones who met the boat. Suffice it to say, we've been here a long time.
In the fifteenth generation, approximately 400 years ago, we each had 16,384 ancestors...a combined total of 32,768. All of them Western European or from the British Isles. All except the ones who met the boat. Except in our family tree, it's actually less people. Because along some of those branches, there's no fork...just a straight line.
Take for instance a pair of ancestors from 9 generations ago, my gggggg grandparents: Johann Peter Lechlider, born 1756 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and his bride Mary Magdalena Mueller, born 1766 in Philadelphia. They were first cousins. His mother and her father were sister and brother.
How many times did this happen in my ancestry, and in my wife's? At least seventeen times!
Jabez Mapes married Elizabeth Roe in 1689, Suffolk County, New York. They were first cousins, and my great (to the 8th) grandparents.
Moses Huckins of Stanstead, Quebec, married twice, to sisters Tamar and Mary Heath. They were also first cousins, and my great (to the 3rd) grandparents. Moses' mother Abigail Heath Huckins and Mary's father Isaac Heath, sister & brother, were the grandchildren of Nathaniel Heath & Sarah Stevens, who were themselves second cousins...their grandfathers were brothers.
Abel Aldrich married his first cousin Elizabeth Aldrich in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, in 1732, my great (to the 7th) grandparents Their father's were brothers.
Abel's mother was first cousin, once removed, to Abel & Elizabeth's fathers--making Abel & Elizabeth Aldrich second cousins, once removed.
Moses Willis married Susannah Fields in Grainger County, Tennessee, in 1815. It is said that their mothers were Davidson sisters, making Moses & Susannah first cousins. They were my great (to the 5th) grandparents.
William Hundley was the great-grandson of Ambrose Hundley; William married Elizabeth Hundley, granddaughter of Philip Hundley III. Ambrose & Philip were brothers, making William & Elizabeth second cousins, once removed. They were my great (to the 6th) grandparents.
While still in France, Rene Chastain married his second cousin Helen de Dampierre--his grandfather and her grandmother were siblings. They were my great (to the 10th) grandparents.
In one of my more mixed up branches, Jeremiah Clark married Susannah Clark in 1755, my great (to the 7th) grandparents. They were first cousins, because their fathers were brothers. They were also 1st cousins, once removed, because her mother and his grandmother were sisters. And they were also third cousins, because one of her great-great grandmothers and one of his great-great grandfathers were sister & brother.
In April's family, her great (to the 7th) grandfather Abraham Van Tuyl married Maritjie Van Pelt, his first cousin once removed. His father and her grandmother were siblings.
Joel Thayer married Susanna Cheney were April's great (to the 4th) grandparents; they were also fourth cousins, twice removed, two times over. Her great-grandparents Nathaniel Thayer & Sarah Wales were second cousins to each other, and 3rd cousins to Joel Thayer's grandfather Isaac.
Samuel Hancock married Johann Hancock; they were first cousins and April's great (to the 7th) grandparents.
And finally, William H. Hatter married his second cousin Mary A. Durham. Their grandmothers were sisters. William & Mary were April's great (to the 3rd) grandparents.
If my calculations are correct, these intermarriages (and these are just the ones we know about) eliminate 482 of my 15th Generation ancestors, and 196 of April's. But then consider this...
April and I are 8th cousins, 3 times removed...four times over.
We are 9th cousins 2 times removed...four times over.
And we are 12th cousins, 4 times removed...four times over.
Out of 32,768 ancestors of the 16th generation, my children are missing at least 878 contributors. I hope they don't come up short in the long run.
