Relationship Calculator Revisited

Robert asked Olive Tree Genealogy about a relationship

I recently came across My Grandfathers' brothers sons daughter on Facebook. My question is what relation is/was 1) My grandfathers brother to me 2) My grandfathers brothers son to me and 3 My grandfathers brothers sons daughter to me? Thank you for your help in answering this because I do not have a clue!!

Robert - it can be confusing. All you need to do is read my previous blog post Relationship Calculater to quickly and easily figure out the relationship.

FInding Relationship in a Complex Family

Zubeida asked a relationship question. I admit that I thought the query was bogus and a prank but I'm answering it anyway! It does remind me of the song "I'm my own Grandpa..."

My mom had a son with her first husband which made him my step brother. My mother's brother (my auncle) had 2 daughters.... and they are my cousins as well as my step brother's cousin.


My father had 2 daughters with the 2 cousins (one by each of them), which made me also their sister. The one had a son and he wants to get married to my step brother's grandchild.

Are they related? If so, how? And are they allowed to get married?

Well Zubeida I had to enter all your family members into my FTM program to get the answer to this. First though let me correct you.

 You state that your mother had a son by another husband (not your father). That makes the son your HALF-brother, not your step-brother as you stated.
 
A step relationship is one that has no blood ties. But you and this son share your mother as a common parent and thus you are related by blood.
 
Okay moving on - your HALF-brother's grandchild is the third cousin to the grandson of the daughter your father sired with your uncle's daughter. So the two people wishing to marry are third cousins.

Whether or not it is legal for them to marry depends on where they live. You would have to check into the law in that country.

Finding Relationship between 2 Families

Marcia asked

I've tried finding the realtionship of Alfred Feinberg to my husband's family. Alfred was a well known artist and medical illustrator. We aren't sure if he is a great uncle or a cousin. I have contacted the Guggenheim Museum in NY City and they directed me to an article about him in the NY Times. I ddin't find any info that would show the link to our family. My mother-in-law was a Feinberg by birth. Her father was Louis Feinberg.

Olive Tree Answer: Hello Marcia. You didn't give me any dates or locations for your family but I can advise you re steps you should take.

First, you must research each family - that of your mother-in-law, and that of Alfred Feinberg. Search all siblings and keep going backwards. With each new generation you find, be sure you find out complete family groups (siblings etc).

I don't know when Alfred lived so perhaps you will have to come down his line to meet up with your mother-in-law's? Or perhaps you will have to further back to find a common ancestor. But there is no shortcut other than researching each family completely in order to see if there is a connection, and how they connect.