# Direct decendants of Presidents or famous Americans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101 "2003-12-15T12:33:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/21 "2003-12-16T08:22:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > **Eleanor Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt were first cousins. Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt were fifth cousins;** No, Eleanor and Theodore were not first cousins. Theodore Roosevelt was Eleanor’s **uncle** (her father’s brother). Eleanor’s father and Franklin were fifth cousins. Eleanor and Franklin were fifth cousins, **once removed**. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Sam\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_H)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/22 "2003-12-16T08:42:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E.T. Bass \* > \*\*It’s me the OP, > > I read on IMDB that the actor Robert Duvall was a direct decendant of Robert E. Lee. > > Also, why did FDR marry Elenor anyway? And had sex with her. Damn, that was one ugly broad. > > ET \*\* You should read the Blanche Weissen Cooke biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. According to the biography Eleanor was quite attractive when young. She was very tall, very thin and had beautiful blond hair and bright blue eyes. Eleanor’s looks faded when she grew older and depressed by family circumstances that included numerous affairs by Franklin and the strain of living with a very overbearing mother-in-law. I took a graduate class with Ms. Cooke and that was her explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/23 "2003-12-16T08:44:38Z")
If you don’t mind a little puddle jumping, if Prince William becomes the King, he will be the first British monarch to be related to all of the other British monarchs. Diana’s ancestory filled in the missing connections. I am a descendent of King David II of Scotland. From what I have been able to tell, he didn’t have any children “to speak of.” 🙂 My father said that I am related to James K. Polk. I haven’t been able to verify that. I used to live on the property where his mansion had been. I’m related to three writers and you would know at least one of them – Sir Walter Scott. The name of the family that we share in common would also be recognizable to you, but I had just as soon throw myself into a sticky at the BBQ Pit as mention it. Nothing to see here. Just keep moving please. Move right along. Nothing to see… ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/24 "2003-12-16T08:53:30Z")
I have seen pictures of Mrs. Roosevelt when she was younger and she still didn’t look attractive. I would just assume that Franklin Roosevelt wasn’t a shallow person who could love only outer beauty. Eventually they did lead somewhat separate lives with other loves, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they didn’t love each other. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/25 "2003-12-16T08:53:49Z")
[Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1904.](http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/09-2105a.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Sam\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_H)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/26 "2003-12-16T08:55:04Z")
BTW, here’s a picture of the young Eleanor. I think she looks quite attractive. And if anyone wants to look up her best biographer, it’s Cook, not CookE. Sorry about that. [http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/529/mcms.html](http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/529/mcms.html) ---
**Author:** ![ricin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@ricin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/27 "2003-12-16T11:15:02Z")
all humans are something around 30th cousins(at most) with each other. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/28 "2003-12-16T11:33:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E.T. Bass \* > **I read on IMDB that the actor Robert Duvall was a direct decendant of Robert E. Lee.** Robert Duvall was in _The Sixth Day_ with Arnold Schwarzenegger who was in _Total Recall_ with Sharon Stone who was in _He Said She Said_ with **Kevin Bacon** Oops! Wrong game, Sorry!!! . ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/29 "2003-12-16T12:06:07Z")
If William or Harry become King then I’ll be related to the monarch. My grandmother traced her line to a common ancestor with Lady Diana. I’m gonna hit my cousin up for some loot. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/30 "2003-12-16T14:46:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > **If you don’t mind a little puddle jumping, if Prince William becomes the King, he will be the first British monarch to be related to all of the other British monarchs. Diana’s ancestory filled in the missing connections.** They were already all related – Diana gives the princes direct descents from the Stuarts, but all the English dynasties (Plantagenet, Tudor, Stuart, Hannoverian, etc.) were all inter-related. William is descended, IIRC, from all of the English kings except for William II, Richard I, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Richard III, Henry VIII (though there may be a connection through an illegitimate line), Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, William III, Anne, William IV, and Edward VIII. All of those monarchs either left no issue, or had only surviving illegitimate children of which nothing is known of their descendants. ---
**Author:** ![E.T.Bass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@E.T.Bass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.T.Bass)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/31 "2003-12-17T06:09:43Z")
To Nichol\_Storm, How can Prince William not be related to all these people? Does not the throne follow down from one family member to another? Edward the 8th was William’s great-great uncle, who abdicated the throne in 1936. The line of succession has been unbroken since 1714 with the reign of George I. George I-Father of George II George II-Father of George III George III-Father of George IV George IV-Brother of William IV William IV-Third son of George III and younger brother of George IV. (Prince William will be William V) Victoria-Niece of Willaim IV Edward VII-Son of Victoria George V-Second son of Edward VII Edward VIII-Son of George V (married Wallis Simpson and abdicated) George VI-Brother of Edward VIII Elizebeth II-Daughter of George VI Prince Charles (Will be King Charles III) William The tree gets funny before 1714. George I, great grandfather was King James of the King James bible fame. His cousin was the great virgin queen Elizebeth I who was the daughter of King Henry the VIII. So, Willaim’s bloodline has come from the Tudor’s, the Stuart’s since the 15th Century and before. The crown has been passed down successfully from one family member to the next with only the Protesatnt Reformation of the early 17th Century. ET ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/32 "2003-12-17T06:12:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*I (silly me) was wondering if there were any white Washingtons left. \*\* The white Washingtons joke about that too. Or at least the great-great-great (etc) nephew that I knew did. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/33 "2003-12-17T07:22:06Z")
Seems like I remember my mother muttering something about us being direct descendants of Pocahontas. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/34 "2003-12-17T07:29:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nichol\_storm \* > \*\*They were already all related – Diana gives the princes direct descents from the Stuarts, but all the English dynasties (Plantagenet, Tudor, Stuart, Hannoverian, etc.) were all inter-related. \*\* Related? Yes. English? No. These are all foreign dynasties. The last monarch of England from an English house was Harold Godwinson back in 1066 and none of his heirs ever took the throne so that doesn’t count as a dynasty. The last native dynasty then was the House of Wessex, the former kings of the West Saxons who forged England. Their last king was Edward the Confessor who also died in 1066 ( though there was an intervening Danish dynasty descended from Cnut on the throne from 1016-1042 ). Afterwards England was ruled in turn by Normans ( descended from William the Conqueror ), then the French ( descended from Geoffrey Plantagenet ), then the Welsh ( descended from Owen Tudor ), then the Scots ( descended from James Stuart ), then a Dutch king ( William of Orange who didn’t produce an heir ), then the Germans ( descended from Ernest Augustus and then another house descended from Francis Albert ) who still hold the throne. The Queen’s husband is a prince of Greece so when she passes yet another foreign dynasty shall take the throne of England. That’s not to say that Prince Charles and his children aren’t English, mind. Just that their dynasty isn’t. No English house has ever regained the throne in the extremely long wake of the Conquest. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/35 "2003-12-17T11:24:59Z")
I think one of the Playboy Playmates during the 1960s was a descendant of a president. I forget which one, though. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/36 "2003-12-17T11:40:31Z")
[Walloon pulls his Playboy 50th anniversary book off the shelf for further historical research . . .] ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/37 "2003-12-17T12:20:24Z")
According to IMDB, Tom Hanks is distantly related to Abraham Lincoln: > [@](#): > > Tom Hanks is a fourth cousin, four generations removed from Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. Their common ancestors were William and Sarah Hanks, who were great-great-great grandparents of the former president. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/38 "2003-12-17T14:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robbbbb \* > \*\*I’m almost ashamed to know this, but wasn’t one of John Adams’ decendants on the latest season of American Idol? \*\* They seem to be all over–hell, I’m married to one. Glad that, unlike her mother and sister, she didn’t inherit the Adams nose. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/39 "2003-12-17T14:35:24Z")
ET Bass said, > [@](#): > > Lincoln only had one son out of four that died of old age (Robert), whose grandson died in 1985 without decendants. My girlfriend’s daughter is a direct descendent of Lincoln, so there was someone doing someone somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101/40 "2003-12-17T17:33:05Z")
Thanks for correcting my mistake re: FDR and Eleanor being cousins. I must have read that they were cousins and interpreted it to mean first cousins. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-decendants-of-presidents-or-famous-americans/219101.md?page=3)