I started using a free genealogy site a few years back called Wikitree. The site includes links to a number of online research sources. I've been slowly adding my family's various genealogies to the site. Periodically, I go back far enough to tie into work done by someone else.
I am not an expert, but most of the research presented for people starting a couple hundred years ago seems within the realm of "reasonable". I'm not vouching for all of it. I am suggesting that sufficient information is curated by enough people that it would be hard for one person to make significant and unjustified claims without receiving corrective criticism.
When I tie into that existing work, I end up tying into a larger network of family relationships. The Wikitree site sends me an email almost every week presenting relationships with notable people. Those relationships typically run through at least a couple marriages as well as up and down generations so I usually do not have any direct genetic tie to the notable person in question.
Typically. I take all of the online family trees with a dose of salt.
Sometimes, it turns out that it appears that I do share a common genetic ancestor with a notable person.
Below are some of the more interesting (to me) connections I have with noteworthy individuals. If you click on the link, then you should see the various steps in our connections. When two adjacent individuals share a genetic link, they will both be presented with the same background color. Breaks in genetic commonality (i.e. via marriage) are noted by a change in color.
Updated as time and purpose permit.
Hayley Mills - Our direct ancestor is Henry Burt Jr. There are currently 20 steps between Ms. Mills and myself. She is an actor whose more notable roles were from the 1950s and 1960s. Her career is continuing.
John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Both US Presidents. We share a pair of common ancestors in John Alden and his wife Priscilla (Mullins) Alden both of whom arrived in the US on the Mayflower.
Margaret Thatcher - The old Iron Lady herself. Our direct ancestor is Margaret (Botreaux) Hungerford. There are 36 steps between us, but none by marriage. We apparently share a modest number of genes.
James Stewart - The actor. There are 19 steps between us but we do not share any direct ancestors at this time. There are two jumps via marriage in Ireland from the 1700s. I was hoping to share a link via my maternal grandmother as her mother's maiden name was Stewart. Instead, it comes via her father's (Maybee) line.
Mel Blanc - The actor/voice actor. There are currently 30 steps and several connections via marriage between us. No shared direct ancestors at this point.
Jon Elroy Sanford - You might know him better by his stage name, Redd Foxx. We do not share any sort of direct/genetic ancestor. The connections run through several marriages. But it is still kind of cool. Knowing his given name, you suddenly understand why he named his hit TV series "Sanford and Son". Reading his biographic information, you also understand why Desmond Wilson's character was named "Lamont". There are 30 steps between Redd and me.
Shirley Temple-Black - I apparently share a direct ancestor with her second husband so I'm genetically related to her children. Close, but no cigar with respect to Mrs. Temple-Black. We are separated by 20 steps.
John Brown - Anti-slavery fighter. There are 16 steps between us and no shared/direct ancestors.
Julia Child - The chef, author, and PBS television personality. There are 18 steps and two marriages between us.
Henry Lewis Gates - The professor who also has a TV show focusing on genealogy. We are separated by 28 steps and several marriages.
Cokie Roberts - The TV news reporter/personality. We are separated by 21 steps and several marriages. For the closest connection. However, we do share a common ancestor in Joan (Leche) Bradbury. There are 32 steps between us via that direct connection.
Kenneth Alford was one of the earliest Montford Point Marines. When FDR ordered the military services to accept African Americans, the Marines opted to train those recruits at Montford Point. Full boot camp integration occurred a decade later and Montford Point was closed as a recruit training facility. Sgt. Alford and I a separated by 37 steps and many marriages. But he remains my brother from another drill instructor.
J.R.R. Tolkien - I've read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings many, many times. Tremendous work. There are 24 steps between us including several marriages. No common ancestors at this time.
John Harington - Most probably, you have never heard of him. But you are probably very familiar with one of his works/inventions; the toilet. I share a common ancestor with Sir John who is Ralph (Aubigny) d'Aubeney KB. What makes this extra cool is that I am an online friend of a guy who is a direct descendant of John Harington. I figured out our genealogical connection about 20 years after we first met. If you follow the Sherwords link in my blogroll, then you'll know a bit more about him.
J. Robert Oppenheimer - I am (theoretically) directly related to his sister-in-law and am separated from Mr. Oppenheimer by 22 steps.
K.d. lang - There are 22 steps between us. Our Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandparents are Henry Wakeley and Sarah (Burt) Wakeley. They were born in England in about 1620 and immigrated to Connecticut when it was a colony.
Jimmy Carter - Former President of the United States and US Navy veteran. Not my favorite US President, but his work building homes for people in need was outstanding. We are separated by 19 steps including 2 marriages. No common direct ancestors.
Robin Williams - comedian and actor extraordinaire. We are separated by 19 steps and two marriages. An interesting side note is that if you go back almost 250 years (~1770), there were six people who were likely all at the same place at the same time who were related. The group is comprised of the siblings of spouses that were brother and sister.
Rosalynn Carter - Former First Lady. We are separated by 20 steps and one marriage.
Eva M. Saint (Hayden) - Actress first famous for her role in On The Waterfront with Marlon Brando. There are 16 steps between us. We (theoretically) share great-grandparents about 8/9 generations back.
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