General Chat

How many of you have found families marrying into each other several generations apart? Having just looked at some of my data I have an Alexander Hobday marrying an Elizabeth Sherwood in 1708 and then a John Sherwood marrying a Harriet Hobday in 1906. Probably not a perfect example as Elizabeth was a widow and therefore not blood related, but I don't suppose the 1906 couple had any inkling that their families had been linked before.

yes Brian, I have a few examples of this, I've found two or three families intermarrying - perhaps not thatrsurprising when you consider the size of the villages that they lived in. I've also found a marriage between two SMITH's - and yes they were 1st cousins.

Years ago, people didn't move around quite as much as they do now. In the 19th c my family moved about 10 miles or less in their lifetimes (except one who went from Chelmsford to Richmond, Surrey). One couple spent their entire lives in a village with a population of about 200. The baptism registers of one branch of the family only has about 4 surnames used. The eldest child is always named after their parent, so you have (eg) Fred Bloggs and Mary, late Jones, son Fred Bloggs, daughter Mary Bloggs, who marry Fred's niece and nephew, another Mary and Thomas. Then Mary and Fred have a daughter, Mary Bloggs etc. I am still unsure about one of my gt x lots grandmother. Is she the daughter of couple A or couple B? Are her marriage witnesses her grandma and uncle or her mother and brother? nell

I've got three generations of cousins marrying cousins in my dad's family. The first couple were first cousins once removed and then their son married his first cousin once removed. The second couple's son then married his first cousin. Luckily I'm only descended from the first set:)

My grandparents were first cousins, which some say explains a lot about me... Also, a famous artist and his father married a mother and her daughter on my Dad's side.

In my tree I have a Biddle that married a Turner, their daughter then married and became a Biddle...still working on that to find out what relation they were to each other Bev

How about this for inter-marriage - Charles and Elizabeth Gibson were brother and sister -Charles' son Braithwaite married Elizabeth's daughter Betsy - they had two sons Charles and John - Charles' son Charles married John's daughter Emily!!!!!

Sounds like a case of "Hello Uncle Dad"

I have found quite a bit of interbreeding in my family tree. My hubby says that it explains a lot!! (wonder what he means!) Maggy

Petronel Adams b 1761 had grandparents: William Adams, Mary Adams, William Adams and Joan Adams. All the relevant wills, and I know there were some, were destroyed in WW2. I don't THINK that any of them are as close as first cousins, but every time I attempt to disentangle the relationships my brain goes soft on me. In Tudor times there were about a dozen adult male Adams in the village at any one time. Brenda

Couple of examples from my tree:- They always say talk to your family and older relatives, a lot of use my Dad was!!! I knew my G Grandad Thomas Wyer was born out of wedlock, and his mother later married (not his father) and had more children. I then discover that he had a full brother that shared the same father as him. Thomas married Mary Ann who already had a child (no father named) and they went on to have 8 more, my Grandad included. I asked my Dad for Uncle Ed's wife name, dad named Ethel Brightman. Turns out Ethel Brightman was actually Ethel Wyer Ed's first cousin, (Thomas' full brothers daughter). My Dad argued (a Wyer trait) it turns out Ethel's sister married a Brightman. My dad still says I'm wrong, even though I have the proof!! Example 2 -- Thomas' step daughter Zillah Rebecca Marshall was widowed and married again a widower called Henry Cooley, they both had one daughter each. Zillah's youngest brother, my Grandad (he was about 20 years younger than Zillah) would visit. One day he announced to Henry's daughter that he was taking her away from all this (I don't think her and Zillah got on) and he married her. So my Nannie's dad was also her brother in law!!! She used to tell us this story when we were little and tell us she was our Dad's (her son) cousin. Rebecca

I have 1st cousins marrying and 2nd cousins I have men marrying 2 sisters (not at the same time) Wonder if the kids called them aunty-step-mum? in fact i have everyone marrying everyone in the same village, i will soon be able to put the whole population of one small corner of Somerset on my Tree!!! My theory is that somewhere in the midst of time, there was this chap.........and he had a bike.................!!!! Bev