We’re Related – Second Look for my Wife

Famous Friday
by Don Taylor

There are new people every week using “We’re Related” so I thought I’d take another look at the three of my wife’s new matches.  My wife’s two closest matches were Winston Churchill and Bill Gates, both supposed 8^th cousins. At 9^th cousins, there were several matches that I had seen before when was looking at my famous cousins. It was exciting to see my wife had similar relatives to me. If my wife and I share the same cousin then she and I must also be related. I had looked at my relationship with Stephen King before and determined my relationship to him was unlikely, so I decided to look at my wife’s relationship with Walt Disney, whom I had determined was at least possible before.

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill is certainly one of the best-known politicians of the last century. He was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and again Prime Minister from 1951 until 1955. He is also, potentially my wife’s 7^th cousin, once removed.

The relationship follows her Darling line:

• Robert Harry Darling
• Rufus Harry Darling
• Rufus Holton Darling
• Sally Ann Munsell
• Timothy Munsell
• John Munsell
  • Lydia Way – Unknown to me.
  • Elizabeth Smith – Supposed Common Ancestor.

I have confirmed Sally Ann Munsell as an ancestor, and I concur that Timothy and John are likely Sally Ann’s father and grandfather respectively.  I haven’t found any information about John Munsell’s parents yet. However, I suspect that the relationship is likely.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates

William Henry Gates III, is, according to Wikipedia, the richest man in the world, worth about $87 Billion. “We’re Related” suggests that he is my wife’s 7^th cousin, once removed. Again, this relationship follows the Darling line.

• Robert Harry Darling
• Rufus Harry Darling
• Rufus Holton Darling
• Abner Darling
• Abner Darling
• Mary Hakes
• Anna Billings
  • Ebenezer Billings – Supposed Common Ancestor.

I have confirmed Abner Darling (Sr.) as an ancestor, and I concur that his mother was Mary Hakes and his grandmother was Anna Billings. I haven’t found information about Anna Billings’ parents yet. However, I suspect that the relationship is very likely.

Walt Disney

Walter Elias Disney is a great film producer and fun maker. His creations of Disneyland and Disney World are the template for theme parks.

According to “We’re Related,” the relationship of my wife to Walt Disney is an 8th cousin, once removed. The relationship follows her Darling line:

• Robert Harry Darling
• Rufus Harry Darling
• Rufus Holton Darling
• Sally Ann Munsell
• Elisheba Smith
  • Sarah Chadwick – Unknown to me.
  • Nathaniel Chadwick – Unknown to me.
  • Thomas Chadwick – Unknown to me.
  • John Chadwick – – Supposed Common Ancestor.

I have confirmed Sally Ann Munsell as an ancestor, and I concur that her mother was Elisheba Smith. However, I haven’t found information about a Chadwick line for Elisheba. I judge that the relationship to be Possible.

Don Taylor

According to “We’re Related,” my lineage to (8th cousin, twice removed) Walt Disney follows a Roberts/Blackwell/Harris/Brown line to the supposed common ancestor of Benjamin Brown. I’d be a lot more comfortable that my wife and I are related if we ended up at the same supposed common ancestor, or at least see a common surname. With us coming from two entirely different directions I suspect that one (or both) of the supposed lines to Walt Disney is incorrect. As such, I judge the relationship of my connection to my wife through a common ancestor of Walt Disney to be possible but improbable.

“We’re Related” is fun and I enjoy looking at possibilities. It makes me think about key relationships in my tree and provides clues for further research.  Ancestry appears to have improved its algorithms as none of the matches this time were unlikely or impossible. I enjoy the application.