General Chat

There is a chart you can get which takes all the agravation out of working this out. Produced by Acorns2oaks. see www(.)acorns2oaks(.)info (remove brackets. Ann Glos

Hello Samantha, Christine's got it, but it can be so hard to explain and then absorb and remember, this particular subject keeps returning. Let's put it another way to help the memory process. The children of your parent's brothers and sisters are your first cousins (known generally as cousins). The children of your first cousins are your first cousins once removed. The grandchildren of your first cousins are your first cousins twice removed. And so on.... Ths applies the other way round (ie you are a first cousin once removed to your first cousins' children etc. Next stage. Your children and the children of your first cousins are second cousins. Your children and the grandchildren of your first cousins are second cousins once removed. And so on and vice versa..... Next stage. Your grandchildren and the grandchildren of your first cousins will be third cousins. And so on..... So, as Christine has put it, first, second, third, fourth etc cousins are people who are in the same generation, while links between people in different generations are once, twice, three times etc removed. Which helps to explain why we're all really 34th cousins twice removed to the Queen!!! Philip

HI Christine Thank you I think I have got it now. I tried to explain it to my 5 year old son at school this morning. He saw his second cousin and said shes my third cousin. And I said ahh I found out that she is your second cousin. Thanks Debbie

thanks,Chris,youv,e educated a Newcastle cousin [lol] today ,now i can see how it works,it,s so easy when you know how. One dense geordie.Fred.

Debbie I know it's sooooooo confusing. It is easier if you always think who the common ancestor is You and your cousin share grandparents, so that's easy ..your first cousins. Cousin's children and you share common ancestor (grandparent) but they are one generation removed, so they are your cousins once removed. Cousin's children and your children share common ancestor (great grandparents) So they are second cousins. I hope I got all that right, I'm starting to confuse myself now!!!LOL Christine

Christine By jove I think someone has finaly explained it to me in English that I can understand. Even though its gone 12 and I was going to bed. I think I still get it. I wont be able to sleep now working out who everybody is. I have a contact that her mum was my grandmothers cousin. which makes her my mums cousin once removed and she is my cousin twice removed. I think So right now my mind is a blank what would my cousins children be to my children? would that be cousins twice removed. Oh right thats enough thinking now Goodnight. And thank you so much for explaining it. Debbie

Samantha I don't think I explained it very well so hope this is better FIRST COUSINS-two individuals who have the same grandparents SECOND COUSINS-two individuals who share the same great grandparents THIRD COUSINS-two individuals who share the same great great grandparents and so on down the line REMOVED- this is a term used to describe the relationship between two "cousins" of differing generations. For example your first cousin's child would be one generation removed from your first cousin. Known as your first cousin once removed. The same is true in reverse, e.g. your mother's first cousin would be your first cousin once removed. Hope that clears up what I was trying 'badly' to say earlier. Christine

Robert I dont get it. It just gets more confusing what do you mean a cousin cof a cousin? you mean a cousin of your cousin it still would be your cousin unless from the other sid of the family. Or did you mean the children of your cousin? I have had a look at relatinship charts before and I am still none the wiser. Debbie

What about cousins of cousins? I had thought that they were cousins once removed, and that children of cousins are second cousins. Believe it or not, I am prepared to accept that I could be wrong :)) Rob

I think they wouldnt share the same Grandparent. your first cousins would but not their children. Its quite dificult really my two children go to the same school as my two cousins children. and it is hard explaining to them that the children of my cousins are my second cousins. but it's hard working out what their children and my children would be perhaps third. My little boy didnt know his third cousin went to the same school. and he came home one day and said his girlfriend was a kissy girl (kiss chase) so he pointed her out to me and when I told him she was a third cousin. he went berserk with me. and said I was telling a load of lies. He is only five. Its all so confusing though. Debbie

They would be your first cousins once removed You share the same grandparent but they are one generation removed.....if you know what I mean.

Are the sons and daughters of your cousins also your cousins or is there another name ( second cousins maybe)?