I'm working on my family tree and confused, clarification please?

Question

Hi All-

I'm working on my family tree and confused on something and need some clarification. I've noticed that it says for example : 1st cousin 3 times removed or it says related to you 15 steps 16 steps,, what does it mean?

only asking because i'm new to genealogy and want to know before the tree gets to time consuming and involved.

thank you

Answer 1

welcome to researching...

have you stopped over at

www.familysearch.org?  This is the LDS site, where you can download a free (good!) program that is a database, to store your results.  No one ever believes how MUCH info they will get. The other thing they seldom believe is how important it is, to be SURE, and make record of where you got the fact or info from.

Regarding how someone is connected, you can use the technical terms.   Siblings have the same parents- 1st cousins have the same grandparents, 2nd cousins have the same great grandparents.  That is the basic.  All of these have the same generation.  

Removed comes in when her gr grandfather is YOUR gr gr gr grandfather.  You have the same ANCESTOR (PERSON), BUT not the same generation or relationship (level).  If you see a ladder, the ancestor sits on the top.  You are 5 steps down, the other person is 2 stpes down (or 8).

Now, let me help you off the hook.  Use the genealogy program for storing the records.  Put your energy into finding the ancestor, and "proving" him/ her.  If you are first or 2nd cousins, that is close enough.  Beyond that, genealogists normally shortcut to "distantly connected/ related".  The technical name of exact relationships will not do a thing to help your research.  Once in a great while, you MIGHT be curious to answer it (my kids wanted to know their connection to Alanis Morrissette, and it took me 1/2 hour to figure that they are 9th cousins).  

Closely related means you know them enough that you would go to Thanksgiving dinner at their house.

Answer 2

Well I'll try.

If you have the same grandparents as someone (other than your sibling) You are their FIRST cousin.  If you have the same Great Grandparents, you are SECOND cousins.  Etc, etc, ets.

NOW!  If YOU have a Great Grandparent that is someone else's Grandparent, You are First Cousins "once Removed".  That means First Cousins but one generation off.  Your parent's cousins would be your "First Cousins, once removed" for instance.   Your Parent's First Cousins Children would be YOUR Second cousins.

I could show you this much easier on paper, but explaining it with a note is difficult for me.

Answer 3

http://www.tedpack.org/cousins.html

explains it much better than I can paste here, with a picture and a joke.

Here is a snippet:

To summarize, when cousins have children, you add a degree. Children of first cousins are second cousins.

Children of second cousins are third cousins.

Children of third cousins are fourth cousins, ...

When you go up or down a generation level, you add a removed but you don't change the degree.

Your father's "Nth" (1st, 2nd, 3rd . . .) cousin is your "Nth" cousin too, but once removed.

Your grandfather's "Nth" cousin is your "Nth" cousin twice removed.

Your great-grandfather's "Nth" cousin is your "Nth" cousin three times removed, ...