Family Historian User Group

It doesn't take much for me to get baffled by what complicated relationship terms actually mean. My starting point is the section in Herber's 'Ancestral Trails' where he explains how to calculate them. I'm working on a history project centred on a nineteenth century relative. Our common ancestor is his grandfather and my g.g.g.grandfather. Using Herber's rules that makes him my 2nd cousin 3 times removed. Family Historian tells me that he was my 1st cousin 3 times removed. Are there different ways to calculate these things?

ID:1650

According to my calculations, FH is correct - and I believe that is also what Herber says.

The relative of interest is the first cousin of your g.grandfather, 3 generations from you, hence first cousin, three times removed.  

The diagram on the second page of Chapter 1 in Herber shows a grandparent as common ancester on the right side of the diagram, and a chain of first cousins.  You would fit under the end of this chain if 'Me' is considered your starting relative!

Mike

Thanks for this Mike. Now I put it into diagram form I can see you are quite right. I was miscounting the number of generations separating the common ancestor from the cousin; I was assuming them to be two generations apart (which in one sense they are - grandparent/grandson) instead of counting only the intervening generation. I'll let FH do it for me next time, without losing any sleep about it!
I appreciate your taking the time to explain it. Thanks again.