Loading ...I looked into this ancestry thing as a gift to my father. Who knew that it would be such a gift to me as well? I am royalty, people! That’s right, Queen Elizabeth II and I are cousins! It really doesn’t matter that we are 9th Cousins, 3 times removed. I could still be king — if most of England and a lot of the U.S. dies. But if they do, I could reign as King Richard IV! (Kings named Richard are usually good for England aren’t they? Winter of discontent and all that? Anyone?) And my exciting connections don’t stop at Liz. I’m related to all sorts of interesting people!
Before I parade out my famous kin, a quick note on cousins and removal. The number of cousins is the distance between you and a common ancestor. If you are 1st cousins, you have one generation — your parents — between you and your common ancestors. If you are 2nd cousins there are two generations — your parents and grandparents — between you and the common ancestor. Second cousins therefore share great grandparents (or one set at least). How far removed you are tells how many generations separate you and the common cousins. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II and my great grandfather were 9th cousins. Then there are three more generations after their common heritage, my grandfather, my mother, and then me. So I am removed 3 times from their common cousinness. See? As is apparent in the numbers following these famous relations, we are all distantly related at best. And if we go back far enough, we’re all cousins. But what the hell? It’s a bit of fun.
So who are my famous kin? I don’t stop at royalty. Presidents and first ladies are also in my line. Zachary Taylor and I are 3rd cousins, 10 times removed (from now on written as 3, 10 to save space) and Dwight Eisenhower and I are 6 and 10. First ladies Lucy Ware Hayes (7, 7) and Bess Truman (6, 10) are in my family. As is “first lady” Harriet Lane (5, 8), the niece of gay president James Buchanon who acted as the first lady during his “bachelor” presidency. And fabulous old Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (8, 4) is also related to me.
Speaking of Presidents and First Ladies, My father would absolutely hate to know that former first lady and possibly future President Hillary Rodham Clinton (6, 9) is a relative. But all of these connections are through my mother, so Dad would feel happy about not necessarily being related to her himself. I, for one, am happy about the connection. Here’s a connection to make my dad happy, Ty Cobb (5, 9).
Mayflower passengers? Yeah, I got ‘em. John Allerton is my 13th Great Grand Uncle. Yeah, we’re real close. William Brewster and I are 1st cousins (um, 16 times removed). And Mayflower Compact singer Edward Tilly and I could run into each other at family reunions (7, 7) if I owned a TARDIS. (Why don’t I own a TARDIS!!!?)
Captains of Industry? How about William Randolph Hearst (6, 8).
But politics are boring. What about the important people? What about the artists? What about gay old Langston Hughes? Yep, we’re related. He’s my 4th cousin 14 times removed. A the Girl will be happy to know she is not the only person of color in my family! And I’m not the only out gay person. I actually love this connection. He and I already shared a birthday. Now we share genes as well!
Poets seem to run in my family. Mojo finds it is no surprise that I am related to Elizabeth Barret Browning (14, 2), John Milton (1, 19), Percy Bysshe Shelley (5, 11), Richard Lovelace (17th Great Grand Uncle), Gore Vidal (8, 2), George Orwell (11, 6) and Truman Capote (9, 3). Mojo said, “A lot of depressed artistic types. Makes sense.” (As an aside, John F. Kennedy Jr is as closely related to me as Capote, 9, 3. Remember, I’m related to his mom.)
If you got poets, you probably have actors as well. Bette Davis is related to me, (but at 9 and 4, she’s not as closely related as Queen Liz). And Audrey Hepburn and I go way back at 14 and 2.
I got ‘em all! Artistes like Eugène Delacroix (7, 9); physicists like Robert Boyle (9, 5); jack of all trades like Helen Keller (6, 11); physicians like Edward Jenner (12, 2); outlaws like Johnny Ringo (7, 8); and (to the thrill of my parents) Georgia Continental Congress Representative, Declaration of Independence signer, Georgia governor, and Charterer of the University of Georgia, Lyman Hall (2, 14).
Che will be happy to find out that I am related to Aldous Huxley (12, 4). Guess that’s where my flirtation with the paranormal comes from.
But as exciting as all of these relations are, the one that thrills me the most — because I love, love, LOVE her is
Katharine Hepburn.
Katie and I are 7th cousins, 5 times removed.
Ah, the Calla Lilies are in bloom again!
Buy me a beer!
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Comments
This entry was posted on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 at 4:57 pm and is filed under seminal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Thats an impressive list of distant relations!
And of course I’m impressed by cousin Aldous. As well as Cousin Percy (who wrote…. Ozymandias. Coincidence? I think so!)
I thought you might like cousin Percy.
We also did Mojo’s distant relations. He had quite an impressive list too.
We are about to be out a bit, but I’ll list them when I get back.
But as a teaser, let’s just say Booker Taliaferro Washington anyone?
Jane Austen?
And Aldous Huxley.
Damn it! Mojo and I are related!
Hey, maybe I’m related to Aldous too!
i’m pretty impressed by orwell, too.
so, do we have to begin calling you by your latin name (insert link to comment thread which i am too lazy to go and find here), instead of “dr. previous”?
Che, I think you probably are related to Aldous Huxley!
If Allen Ludden weren’t my bio-dad, I might think I’m just that related to Aldous Huxley. Which would also make me related to you and Mojo, but we already know me and Mojo were separated at birth. In some universe or other.
Good fun.
It’s true, Che, somehow we are linked, I just know it. Maybe we’re all linked through Aldous!
And, yes, Stefficus, please use my Latin name from now on, at least during coronations and other formal events. ;-D
well, i was talking to king richard IV, but i’ll play. the first coronation we have around here, it’ll be latin names for everyone!
your post was at 11:11!
Mojus Singulus, Ricardus Praevius, Che Prex Quassarix.
It could be that Aldous is actually related to everyone on earth. Maybe he’s really God.
I’m waiting for Mojus or Praevius to find aliens in their DNA. I suspect Mojus may be a Reptilian.
As indicated by his posting at precisely 11:11
10:11 central time.
Hmmm… 11:11… It’s less fun at Central Time.
But it’s entirely possible that I have reptilian DNA. I do get hot and cold easily with changes in my environment.