# Your Celebrity Relatives **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291 "2004-12-23T05:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/61 "2004-12-27T00:20:58Z")
John Adams was also a descendant of John & Priscilla M. Alden. ---
**Author:** ![Winnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e480ec/32.png) [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/62 "2004-12-27T19:55:23Z")
> [@neofishboy](#): > > Now that’s just freaky. My great-aunt is Beverly Cleary. 🙂 Now that’s AWESOME! I worshipped the Ramona books as a little girl. I’m going to be a starf\*cker now and ask goofball questions… what’s she like, how’s she doing, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/63 "2004-12-27T20:41:49Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > I’m also a 9th or some other absurdly distant great-granddaughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullens. Really? So am I. On my Father’s, mother’s, mother’s side. My great-grandmother was named Priscilla after Priscilla Mullens. I haven’t looked into the exact connections, but it is a direct connection of some sort. If I cared too I could apply to the Mayflower Society. I’d be real tempted to become a Madame, though. I am also related to Mary Todd Lincoln through the Todd line (my mother’s mother’s maiden name is Todd and they are from that area of Illinois). And I am also somehow related to George Washington through one of his (adopted?) kids, but I don’t know which one. An aunt did the genology for the last two, I just don’t know the details. She did get a college grant for being related to presidents, though, couple hundred bucks if I remember correctly. My Grandfather went to grade school with Porter Wagoner. Hated his guts. Used to tell the story of how he punched Porter in the nose and made him cry like a little girl. 😉 My grandfather was pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/64 "2004-12-27T20:58:57Z")
Some second cousin of mine married a third cousin of Celine Dion. That hardly counts, though, because with a huge family like hers, most of Quebec is probably within a degree or two of separation of Celine. Unfortunately. My great grandfather was a Duke or an Earl of something or other, but gave up his title to come to Canada to raise his family here. I’m practically _royalty_! You can start showering my castle door with gifts of grain and chickens and gorgeous farm boys anytime you like… ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/65 "2004-12-27T21:31:41Z")
**Antigen** I found out just a few years ago that I am a scion of a particular family branch that can claim to have also contributed a significant number of chromosomes to Mme. Dion. The number of degrees of separation were indeed disconcertingly small, to say the least. I cling to the hope it’s all a big lie or mistake, but I don’t think people would joke about something so dire. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/66 "2004-12-28T02:23:10Z")
An ancestor was on the Mayflower: Francis Cooke. That’s it for celebrity relatives in my family, to the best of my knowledge, but I like that I can mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/67 "2004-12-28T03:29:39Z")
4 Mayflower ancestors for me: John Tilley Joan Tilley Elizabeth Tilley John Howland (who fell off the boat and almost drowned on the trip over here) John Tilley & his wife Joan died that first winter. Elizabeth married John Howland and they went forth and multiplied. I’m descended (on my mom’s side) from their first kid, Desire. So because of them, I’m related to Dubya & Dad, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and _hangs head_ Alec Baldwin. Family history also says we’re descended from Pocahontas, but I can’t prove it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/68 "2004-12-28T16:03:39Z")
I read somewhere on the 'net that I’m a fifth cousin of Grace Murray Hopper, the Naval officer who invented COBOL, through our common ancestor who immigrated from The Netherlands to new Amsterdam in 1636. However, I haven’t been able to find this information again. I suspect I’m also related to the captain of the General Slocum excursion boat, famous from the 1904 NYC disaster, through that same ancestor, but haven’t had time to go over the genealogy yet. My maternal grandfather wasn’t a celebrity, but designed a beer ad graphic in the 1930s featuring a nymph seated on a crescent moon. I don’t remember which beer it was, but it was a nationally known Milwaukee brand. ---
**Author:** ![TheInterruptingCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9c0ed/32.png) [@TheInterruptingCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInterruptingCow)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/69 "2004-12-28T22:07:13Z")
On my Mom’s side…John D. Rockefeller. On my Dad’s side…Jesse James. You’d think I’d have more ambition. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/70 "2004-12-29T04:09:33Z")
A cousin (?) in some way of my mother’s was on the front page of Sunday’s Tulsa World for quitting his basketball coaching position. That’s about as famous as it gets, I think. Oh, I’m descended in some way from Sir Francis Drake. I must be somehow related to another doper in this thread 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/71 "2004-12-29T04:47:17Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > Family history also says we’re descended from Pocahontas, but I can’t prove it. Pocahontas has lots of descendants. Her only child, Thomas Rolfe, produced an only child, Jane Rolfe, who in turn produced an only child, Colonel John Bolling. Col John, in turn, produced a whole pack of children: Major John Bolling, Jane Bolling Randolph, Elizabeth Bolling Gay, Mary Bolling Fleming, Martha Bolling Eldridge, and Ann Bolling Murray. Pocahontas’ only verified descendants stem from them. I’m not a Pocahontas descendant, nor a Mayflower descendant to my knowledge. However, my Van Zandt ancestors were pretty prosperous citizens of Nieu Amsterdam, that is, until Jacobus Van Zandt was left 1 shilling in his father’s will. Ouch! Btw, **interface2x** , if you’re descended from Francis Scott Key, that’d make you a relative of F. Scott Fizgerald as well. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/72 "2004-12-29T06:55:13Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Pocahontas has lots of descendants. Her only child, Thomas Rolfe, produced an only child, Jane Rolfe, who in turn produced an only child, Colonel John Bolling. Col John, in turn, produced a whole pack of children: Major John Bolling, Jane Bolling Randolph, Elizabeth Bolling Gay, Mary Bolling Fleming, Martha Bolling Eldridge, and Ann Bolling Murray. Pocahontas’ only verified descendants stem from them. Thanks for the info. I’m guessing we’re descended via Jane Randolph, as there’s a lot of Randolphs of Virginia that pop up in my family tree. One of them was the Governor of VA or something? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/73 "2004-12-29T15:25:38Z")
I’m descended from two Mayflower voyagers (Bradford and Brewster), and related distantly to 17 presidents (including Dubya), 22 first ladies (including Ms. Dubya), several Declaration of Independence signers, and Aaron Burr. Genealogy research is a real hoot. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/74 "2004-12-29T17:16:53Z")
> [@Winnie](#): > > Now that’s AWESOME! I worshipped the Ramona books as a little girl. I’m going to be a starf\*cker now and ask goofball questions… what’s she like, how’s she doing, etc. etc. I’m afraid I have nothing juicy or even marginally interesting. The only time I’ve had anything approaching a full conversation with her was in my pre-teen days when she, my mother, my grandmother and I had lunch in Carmel. The most recent time I saw her was about two years ago when she and her husband Clarence came to our house for a sort of post-funeral luncheon for my maternal grandmother (Clarence’s sister). I was too busy helping my dad make food for a houseful of people to socialize much, but I can report that she is still quite active and eloquent. And…okay, you forced it out of me. There _was_ that tequila-fueled summer road-trip back in '82 when we had to outrun the Mexican police and I got to see her take down a Texas Longhorn with her bare hands, but the details are foggy. As she told me recently “Don’t tell people about the things I done…I ain’t like that no more.” If she finds out about this message board I’m a dead man. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/75 "2004-12-29T17:43:12Z")
Supposedly, my great-great-great grandfather (or however many greats) practiced law with Abraham Lincoln. I’ve always meant to look this up in Carl Sandburg’s biography of Lincoln, but haven’t worked up the gumption yet. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/76 "2004-12-29T20:57:40Z")
Now, I have never met him, but I’m a direct decendent of William Penn, of Pennsylvania and Quaker fame. Ever eat oatmeal? Yea, that’s my dad raised to the Nth power. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/77 "2004-12-29T21:06:45Z")
My mother’s ancestors have been around in America since the 1600’s, although I can’t claim any one from the Mayflower. However, William Clark of Lewis & Clark is my 1st cousin 7 times removed and Meriwether Lewis is a 5th cousin 5 times removed. At least that’s what family tree maker says. I haven’t been able to figure out the difference between 1st, second, third cousins. Whatever. Oh, and George Washington is a 4th cousin 6 times removed. ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/78 "2004-12-29T21:16:40Z")
My mother’s cousin married **Butch van Breda Koff** , the basketball coach. I am a great-great-great-great-great-grandson of **Col. Timothy Matlack** , who was probably the engrosser of the Declaration of Independence. His name comes up in **National Treasure**. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/79 "2004-12-29T21:44:36Z")
Mike Nichols is a distant, removed cousin of mine (I have a first cousin who looks a whole lot like him). And back in the 20s, my mother dated Jerry Siegel. Several years later, Siegel and Joe Shuster, a classmate, created _Superman._ ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291/80 "2004-12-30T15:22:42Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Marlon Brando was supposedly my second cousin, three times removed. (I confess I have no idea what that means.) This is what it should mean, though the terminology is not always used correctly: (First) cousins share a common set of grandparents. Second cousins share a common set of greatgrandparents Third cousins share a common set of great-greatgrandparents. And so on. “Removed” cousins are the children, grandchildren, etc. _or_ the parents, grandparents, etc. of cousins. So Marlon Brando and your relative share one set of great-grandparents. Either you are that relative’s great-grandparent (highly unlikely), or you are that relative’s greatgrandchild. The “nth” part of “nth cousin” is not affected by traversal of generations. If you have an ancestor who lived 10 generations before you in 1650, his first cousin is also your first cousin, but 10 times removed. Got it? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-celebrity-relatives/281291.md?page=5)