We’re Related – Dick Clark, Meghan Trainor, & Marilyn Monroe

We’re Related – Fourth Look

Famous Friday

Brown Line & Roberts Line
by Don Taylor

My fourth look at possible relatives using the “We’re Related” app showed fewer new cousins than ever before. The famous people I had determined could not be related have fallen off the possible list. The three I’m looking at this time are Dick Clark, Meghan Trainor, and Marilyn Monroe.

Dick Clark (1929-2012)

Dick Clark – 1961 – Photo by ABC Television via Wikimedia Commons

Richard Wagstaff Clark was a radio and television personality. He is best known for hosting “American Bandstand” from 1957 until 1987. I remember Dick Clark and his show very well and watched it throughout the 1960s. I also remember him bringing in the new century in a 2000 New Year’s program.

According to “We’re Related,” our relationship follows up the Montran, Barber line through Frank Barber to his mother Orissa A. Champlain. From there it goes back five more generations to Noah Wells being a common ancestor. I have not determined Frank Barbers parents so I was excited to pursue this potential line.

Then I noticed the first discrepancy, “We’re Related” was indicating that Ida Mae Barber’s father was Frank W. Barber and my records indicate Ida’ father was Frank (short for Franklin) A. Barber.

Then I searched Ancestry.Com’s family trees for Orissa A. Champlain and found her. According to a family tree posted on Ancestry, her son, Frank Barber was born in 1841 in New York. My 2^nd great-grandfather, Franklin E. Barber, was born in 1836 in Ohio. I’m confident that I am not related to Dick Clark through that path.

Meghan Trainor (1993-)

Meghan Trainor – 2014 – Photo by Ronald Woan CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Meghan Elizabeth Trainor is a Grammy Awarding winning singer and songwriter.

This relationship is said to follow my Brown/Sanford/Parsons/Mabon/Rowley line back to Weeks Rowley. It then suggests that his mother Hannah Phelps, and his grandfather was Nathaniel Phelps, our common ancestor.

I searched Ancestry and found several trees that indicated that Hannah Phelps married Nathaniel Rowley and although I didn’t have Weeks Rowley’s mother, I did have Nathaniel Rowley as Weeks’ father. Assuming the downward tree from Nathaniel Phelps to Meghan Trainor is correct, I think it is very likely that she and I are related as 8^th cousins, once removed.

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

Norma Jeane Mortenson (aka Marilyn Monroe) was an actress and model famous for being a popular sex symbol of the 1950s and known for her movies which included “Gentlemen Prefer Blonds,” and “Some Like It Hot.”

Marilyn Monroe – 1952 – Photo by New York Sunday News

“We’re Related” suggests Marilyn and I are related through the Roberts line back through John Calvin Roberts and his mother. My records indicate that John Calvin Roberts’ mother was Rebecca Brashears but “We’re Related” is indicating John Calvin Roberts’ mother is “Private.”  Likewise, “We’re Related” shows John Calvin Roberts’ mother’s father is “Private,” also. My research found that John Calvin Roberts’ mother’s father was Robert Cager Brashears. If I am right and they are right then Robert Brashear’s mother is Charity Dowell.

I find that Marilyn Monroe might by my 9^th cousin, but additional research is needed. So, I need to research Robert Brashear’s ancestors and determine if Charity Dowell is his mother.

Chart of Relationships to Famous People

Conclusion

I definitely need to listen to some of Meghan Trainor’s music.  Although the music gene seems to have passed me by, my sister Glennis and my brother Mark appear to have inherited it.

“We’re Related” is fun to look at and see the possibilities. It makes me think about key relationships in my tree and provides clues into further research. Ancestry algorithms may have slipped back as one of the matches is unlikely through the suggested line. However, two of the famous people are possible and require additional research.

Research

Research the mother of Weeks Rowley. She might be Hannah Phelps.

Research Robert Brashear’s ancestors and determine if Charity Dowell is his mother.

*Relationship Table