General Chat

i have 15 on my mums side and 3 on my dads side hubby has 4 on his dads side and 1 on his mums side susie

i have 8 on mums side & 6 on dads Jan

Hi Elisabeth, I have 15 surviving 1st cousins on my Dad's side and 11 on my Mum's side. Most now with children and grandchildren. The first of my cousins died recently of natural causes which pushed me into thinking I'd better have a family reunion - we all seemed to lose contact with each other - people's immediate family taking priority. I set the date for the reunion for my father's side of the family and sent out the invitations but on the same weekend as we were going to have our reunion we were having a funeral for my husband's mother. Needless to say the reunion was cancelled and I haven't had the energy to organise another - not yet anyway. Christine

Christine, How sad for you, to have to cancel. I don't really know how many living cousins I have, though many of them have died, some young but many at a ripe old age. The eldest was 40 years older than me!! I hope you have the opportunity to rearrange the party before too long. To the rest of you, if you need a few cousins, I have plenty to spare - if you can find them! I'm still looking for a few.

I'm seeing a large proportion of the 16 plus loads of uncles & aunts this weekend at a party. Very much looking forward to it - guess family history might come up in the conversation ! Rick.

I have 17 first cousins and 15 second cousins (and growing). I know them all quite well and we get together at the usual family doos, weddings anniversaries, funerals... I love having a big family but i'm willing to share with those of you who don't have one. Pam

I only have 5 cousins all together. Two of them in Australia, never had any contact with them and don't even know their names. Three of them in Scotland, called Campbell, who my parents lost contact with in the 1970s. Keep hoping that this site will lead me to them eventually, you never know! My own kids only have one auntie and two cousins. Maggy

I only have 4 cousins. Due to a slightly bizarre set of circumstances, I have a pair of non-identical twin cousins on my dad's side who are in their early 60s (I'm 28 for those that don't know). This is due to my aunt being 14 years older than my dad (she's 90 next month) and me not being born until my dad was 47!

I only have one full first cousin as my mum only had one brother. My Dad was an only child but has half brothers and sisters in Canada so I have 3 half first cousins there lol. Several more distant cousins but I don't know them apart from names. Lou

just done a count one my mums side i have 39 1st cousins louise

I have no cousins :-( my mum and dad are both only childs.

2 from mum's side living in UK and 2 from dad's side living in Perth Australia.

I have four cousins all on my dad's side. He was one of 4 brothers - one died childless but the other three [including dad] had two each. Two lived in Germany and one is following the family tradition of changing his name - this time to the one he was actually born with! as they were in Germany we only saw them every few years. The other two lived in a house whose garden backed on to ours so we had a gate between. They often came over to play and I regarded them as a kind of distant big brother and sister. My mum was also one of 4, but the only one who had children and the only one - alas - who is still alive. My husband had no cousins on his mother's side [only child] and 21 on his Welsh side. it was a family joke that tv reception was very bad on the top of the mountain where they live!

My dad was second of three children. My elder aunt had two daughters, and my younger aunt had two sons, while my parents had one of each. How's that for symmetry! On my mum's side, she had one younger sister, so I have two male cousins there. Both born and lived in "Rhodesia" most of their lives, so have only met one on two occasions. My granny on my mum's side was one of six from a Geordie ship-building family, so several cous's there, have met a few! On my dad's side, my grandpa was one of eight children, so loads of cous's umpteenth removed, 2nd cous's etc. In fact, my grandparents were 3rd cousins from an extended Welsh family. Talk about keeping it in the genes! Good hunting, Philip

Just an update to my earlier reply on this thread. I am writing a letter today to someone who I think is my long-lost cousin in Australia, who I have never had any contact with. He was found after Mike in Oz sent me a message after seeing this thread. Thank you Mike, you lovely man, and thanks to Elisabeth who started the thread. Will keep you all updated! Maggy

WELL I ALWAYS KNEW I HAD A LOT, BUT THIS MADE ME SIT DOWN AND ACTUALLY COUNT THEM, AND I HAVE 50, 23 ON MY DADS SIDE AND 27 ON MY MUMS. I CAN NAME THEM ALL, AND HAVE MET ALL BUT 3 WHO ARE IN AUSTRALIA. I KNOW THAT IF I COUNT UP THE NUMBER OF 2ND COUSINS, IT WOUDL BE EVEN GREATER, AS MUM AND DAD HAD LOADS OF COUSINS TOO! ANNE

2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th cousins are those you "meet" by email in the couse of this fascinating hobby - in my case about 20 active researchers. 1st cousins, on the other hand are those you have actually met, usually at funerals years ago. John in Aus

i have 20 cousins on my mums side and 2 on my dads god knows how many second cousins and third cousins i have my nan has 21 grankids(including me )loads of great grankids and a few great great grankids

I have got 43 on my mum's side (but I have only met about 10 of them. On my dad's side there are only five, but they all live in my home town. As for second cousins, there seem to be hundred's. If I happen to be down town with my father, he is always saying hello to people and telling me they are his cousin.

Just another update on my other replies on this thread. I have had a lovely e-mail from my long-lost cousins wife in Australia! Found for me by Mike Reay in Australia, after reading this thread. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Elisabeth M for starting the thread and a big thank you to Mike Maggy