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Family tree relationship terminology

BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
in The potting shed
Can anybody help me with the relationship of Becky to Betty? 

Betty had a first cousin called John. John married Katie who had two children from a previous marriage, Susan and Jim. Susan’s daughter is Becky.

I think Becky is therefore Betty’s step first cousin twice removed. Is that correct? Is there such terminology?

Recently we had a short stay on a farm in Kent. Much later on when I sent the farmer, Becky, a copy of the book I had written on our village, Becky saw a photo of Betty in the book and realised they were related. Becky had never heard of our village, but her Mum certainly had and had a photo of her feeding lambs on the village farm.

it is not the first time I have helped Betty trace her family tree. Several years ago an Australian was wandering round the village churchyard looking for headstones of his ancestors. Somebody pointed him in my direction and I took him on a tour of the village, introducing him to a few of the old-time village residents. Talking to Betty, they discovered they had close family connections but neither was aware of the other’s existence. They’re still in touch.

Isn’t it a small world?
Rutland, England

Posts

  • CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
    Yes the children of your cousin are first cousins once removed (not second cousins as a lot of people think), so their children would be second removed. The step would go in as they're not actually blood. I can't imagine it's a term that gets used much but it would work!
    Definitely a small world! I went to Dublin once and a man in a bar there recognised me as he had seen me out running at home in Leamington Spa?!!
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Yes it's easy once you get your head around the 'removed' thing isn't it? I did my family tree and it was very interesting, enlightening and incredibly addictive!
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    Crazybeelady said:
    Yes the children of your cousin are first cousins once removed (not second cousins as a lot of people think), so their children would be second removed. The step would go in as they're not actually blood. I can't imagine it's a term that gets used much but it would work!
    Definitely a small world! I went to Dublin once and a man in a bar there recognised me as he had seen me out running at home in Leamington Spa?!!
    Haha!! 😄
    My OH was travelling around SE Asia, he went and stayed on a tiny island he found - next morning another guest turned up, not just another Brit, but from the same area. 🤣
  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    My wife and I did my side, Her godmother gave us some info on hers. After my wife died, to keep myself busy, I wrote a bit of software to help me keep track and in entering the data I came across my wife's godmother's stuff, and it turned out she wasn't just her godmother, but her cousin once removed. My wife only ever referred to her as her godmother for some reason.
    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    @steveTu well it's easier to say. 😄
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    My Mum referred to all distant relatives as '42nd cousins'.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    The terminology confuses the hell out of me, I just let Ancestry tell me what the relationship is! I got my DNA done last year, no skeletons fell out of any cupboards but I did find out my best friend of almost 40 years is my sixth cousin! There are a few removeds in there but we were both thrilled!
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    i have you all beat my my mother's first cousin, married my father's sister so 
    so does that make my aunt's husband my second cousin or my uncle. 
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    By marrying your father’s sister, the man is your uncle.

    By having a common grandparent with your mother he is your second cousin once removed.

    The answer to your question is therefore he is both your cousin and your uncle. It sounds suspiciously like a case of ‘gimme six’ 😉



    Rutland, England
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