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View Full Version : Is the man who married my g-gm my g-gf after all?


Oakum Picker
09-08-19, 11:37
My gf Albert born 1897 was illegitimate. My father told me that when my g-gm Alice married 9 months later, the new 'step' father William didn't want anything to do with Albert and he was raised by my gg-gps Joseph & Martha.

My father didn't know that Alice died in 1907 aged 28 but he did know William remarried but not when (1912) as Albert wouldn't set foot 'in that woman's house'.

In 1901 Albert was living with Joseph & Martha erroneously recorded as son whilst Alice, William & 2 other children were living elsewhere.

In 1911 Albert was still with Joseph & Martha & in fact lived with them until they died even after he married. William the widower & 2 surviving children were living with his parents.

As with his birth cert. no father's name is shown when he marries and he's just Albert on both. When he dies he is Albert William & his first 2 sons both have the middle name William.

Apart from one 1st cousin, I have just 4 3rd-4th cousins. With one of these I share 103cm across 5 segments. His tree has 8 people in it but I was able to work out that his g-gf was the brother of William which would indeed make us 3rd cousins if William is my g-gf.

My big worry is that my father's family lived in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and surrounding villages for over 300 years & whilst not a village I have probably 60/70 families intermarrying during that time, even my gps were 6th cousins.

As an example Ancestry has identified one of my matches as a 6th cousin but she's also a 4th cousin & a 2nd cousin once removed on 2 other lines. Does this blur the results?

So do you think William is my g-gf?

Thanks for any opinions.

Merry
09-08-19, 12:08
I don't have any answers, but am posting here so I don't forget to read any other replies.

My OH has similar issues - ancestors he has no proper proof of, and family from close-knit villages where everyone seems to be related several times over (and that's just the ones we know about!)

kiterunner
09-08-19, 12:11
Did William have any other brothers who might be possibles?

kiterunner
09-08-19, 12:12
I think for 105 cM the more distant relationships are not going to be very significant.

Oakum Picker
09-08-19, 12:21
William had 5 other brothers but I have no DNA connections to them. I have DNA matches to both William's mother & father but they work out more distant than 3rd cousins.

Oakum Picker
09-08-19, 12:34
Thru Lines gives me 3rd cousin relationship as I've added his ancestors to my tree, it didn't get picked before because he didn't have our 'common' ancestor. None of his other ancestors has any possible relationship to me or not obviously.

Oakum Picker
09-08-19, 13:29
I also have 2 matches through William's great aunt which makes us 5th cousins although Ancestry shows 4th on Thru Lines as the other people have her as his aunt. She marries in to one of my other lines but our common ancestor makes us 6th cousins there.

kiterunner
09-08-19, 13:39
It looks pretty likely to me that William is your great-grandfather.

Oakum Picker
09-08-19, 14:02
That's what I now feel but it's difficult to believe/accept when you've spent your whole life thinking the opposite.

Finding my 2 missing g-gfs was my main reason for doing the DNA test so I'm really pleased with this result but there's still a bit of me hanging back as I don't feel I understand it well enough to be 100% certain.

Thanks for taking a look Kate.