Lyon County, Kansas

HOW TO: RELATIONSHIP

In order to be related, two individuals must have a common ancestor at some point in their ancestry. The kinship or degree of relationship is dependent on the closeness of blood--not time--to that common ancestor. Full brothers and sisters have the same common ancestors and there exists a close degree of relationship between them. A fourth cousin is not nearly as closely related to you as a brother or sister because different ancestors are involved which are not common to each other. In order to determine the degree of relationship between individuals, it is necessary to identify their common ancestor.

DIRECT ANCESTORS. These are any persons from whom one descends: father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather, etc. The pedigree chart illustrates the direct line. As the pedigree chart extends beyond great-grandparents, an additional "great" is added to each generation. These additional "greats" are indicated by a number, such as 2nd great-grandfather, meaning great-great grandfather.

This is how the direct line goes back. You, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, (the 1 before "great" is understood), great-great grandfather, (written as 2nd great grandfather, the 2 meaning that there are to "greats" before grandfather), etc. The number always indicates the number of "greats" that are spoken.

COLLATERAL LINES. The lines of descent of brothers and sisters of direct ancestors are known as collateral or allied lines, and include aunts, uncles, cousins.

COUSINS. The children of brothers and sisters are first cousins to each other. The children of first cousins are second cousins to each other. The children of second cousins are third cousins to each other, etc.

JAMES BAKER

(Common Ancestor)

David Baker...................................Brother...............................................Michael Baker
Alan Baker.................................First Cousin............................................Charles Baker
Mary Baker Moore..................Second Cousin...........................................John Baker

When cousins are not of the same generation, i.e., when cousins are not descended equally in generations from a common ancestor, such as in the case of Alan Baker and John Baker in the above illustration, the degree of cousin relationship is determiend by the number of generations the cousins are removed from each other.

In the case above, Alan Baker and Chalres Baker are first cousins. John Baker, the son of Charles Baker, is not on the same line (not on the same geneation) as Alan Baker. Therefore, they cannot be merely cousins. they are first cousins, one generation removed, because John Baker is one line DOWN from Alan. If John Baker had a son, the son would be a first cousin, TWO generations removed from Alan Baker, because he was TWO lines down. By the same token, Mary Baker Moore and John Baker would be second cousins, because they are on the SAME LINE (same generation).

If the husband and wife are on your direct lines (such as parents, grandparents, etc.), your relationship will be the same to both of them. If this is a family group sheet on a collateral line (on your aunts, uncles, or cousins), you will be related by blood to only the husband or wife. For example, your father's brother is your uncle, and his wife is your aunt-in-law. Your relationship to her would be niece-in-law, written niece-il (the "il" signifying "in-law".) If your first cousin marries, his wife is your 1c-il, meaning first cousin-in-law.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE MORE COMMON ABBREVIATIONS:

CA - Common Ancestor
CP - Common Progenitor (same a Common Ancestor)
c or cou - cousin
2c - second cousin
2c 1r - second cousin, one generation removed
il - in-law
bro - brother
sis - sister
nep - nephew
niece - niece
son - son
dau - daughter
G Son - grandson
GG Dau - great-granddaughter
2 GG Son - second great-grandson, or great-great grandson

RELATIONSHIP CHART

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
	CA	SON	G SON	GG SON	2GG SON	3GG SON	4GG SON	5GG SON	6GG SON	7GG SON
1	SON	BRO	NEP	G NEP	GG NEP	2GG NEP	3GG NEP	4GG NEP	5GG NEP	6GG NEP
2	G SON	NEP	1c	1c1r	1c2r	1c3r	1c4r	1c5r	1c6r	1c7r
3	GG SON	G NEP	1c1r	2c	2c1r	2c2r	2c3r	2c4r	2c5r	2c6r
4	2GG SON	GG NEP	1c2r	2c1r	3c	3c1r	3c2r	3c3r	3c4r	3c5r
5	3GG SON	2GG NEP	1c3r	2c2r	3c1r	4c	4c1r	4c2r	4c3r	4c4r
6	4GG SON	3GG NEP	1c4r	2c3r	3c2r	4c1r	5c	5c1r	5c2r	5c3r
7	5GG SON	4GG NEP	1c5r	2c4r	3c3r	4c2r	5c1r	6c	6c1r	6c2r
8	6GG SON	5GG NEP	1c6r	2c5r	3c4r	4c3r	5c2r	6c1r	7c	7c1r
9	7GG SON	6GG NEP	1c7r	2c6r	3c5r	4c4r	5c3r	6c2r	7c1r	8c

KEY TO CHART:

1. Locate the position of yourself in the column at the left from the Common Ancestor (CA), marked 1-9.

2. Locate the position of the person you are tracing the relationship to in the column across the top, designating his descent from the Common Ancestor (CA), marked 1-9.

3. The CORRECT RELATIONSHIP will be found where the parallel and horizontal lines cross.

EXAMPLES:

1. The relationship of No. 1 on the left and No. 1 on the top is brother or sister.

2. The relationship of No. 2 on the left and No. 4 on the top is 1c2r, or first cousin, two generations removed.

Use the terms, son or daughter, brother or sister, grandson or granddaughter, nephew or niece, etc., as it might apply.

(GENEALOGY TODAY ~ 1 March 1983 ~ By: Diane Dieterle)

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