In Honor of President's Day

In honor of President's Day, I thought I'd have a little fun and figure out all the connections (non-genetic, I'm not directly related to any Presidents past or present) between my direct ancestors and all the Presidents.  Obviously, I'm not including the ancestors who were born outside the US or were loyalists and would soon be moving to Canada.

Ancestors born under each President are:
1. George Washington (1789-1797)
1. Samuel Mason, b. circa 1789 in either Kentucky, Pennsylvania or Virginia
2. Nancy Moore (wife of Samuel Mason), b. circa 1796 in either North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee or Pennsylvania
3. Martin Webb, b. circa 1797 in Ohio
2. John Adams (1797-1801)
1. Isaac Thomas Mott, b. 1800 in New York City, New York
3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
1. John Chappel Wellons, b. 1805 in Pulaski Co., Kentucky
4. James Madison (1809-1817)
1. Heman Doyle, b. 1809 in Vermont
2. Alzina Jackman (wife of Heman Doyle), b. 1810 in New York
3. Mary Johanna Rose (wife of Isaac Thomas Mott), b. 1811 in New York City, New York
4. Sarah Elizabeth Hudson (wife of John Chappel Wellons), b. 1816 in Pulaski Co., KY
5. James Monroe (1817-1825)
1. Andrew Webb, b. 1820 in Orange Co., IN
2. Priscilla Mason (wife of Andrew Webb), b. 1822 in IN
3. John R. Shinn, b. 1823 in Burlington Co., NJ
6. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
None
7. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
1. Mariah Adelaide Doyle (wife of John R. Shinn), b. 1832 in Rochester, Monroe, New York
8. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
None
9. William Henry Harrison (1841-1841)
None
10. John Tyler (1841-1845)
1. John William Berger, b. 1841 in German Twp., Marshall, IN
11. James K. Polk (1845-1849)
1. George Washington Wellons, b. 1849 in Pulaski Co., KY
2. Susanna vonAllmen (wife of John Berger), b. 1849 in Olney, Richland, IN
12. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
None
13. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
1. Mary Gertrude Smith Mott, b. 1852 in Benicia, Solano, CA
14. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
1. Heman Doyle Shinn, b. 1853 in NJ
15. James Buchanan (1857-61)
None
16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
1. Mary Anna Webb (wife of George Washington Wellons), b. 1862 in Lawrence Co., IN
17. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
None
18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
1. John Grant Allen, b. 1869 in Niles, Trumbull, OH
2. Marion Wood, b. 1871 in Summit, Jackson, MI
3. Lauren Everett Healey, b. 1873 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
4. Katherine Nielsen (wife of Lauren Everett Healey), b. 1875, Mt. Eden, Alameda, CA
19. Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
1. Elmer John Shinn, b. 1877 in San Joaquin Co., CA
20. James A. Garfield 1881-1881)
None
21. Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)
None
22. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)
1. Gideon Gottlieb Berger, b. 1885 in Wabash Co., IN
23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
1. Joseph James Allen, b. 1891 in Wyman, Montcalm, MI
2. Georgiana Wellons (wife of Gideon Gottlieb Berger), b. 1891 in Siskiyou Co., CA
24. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
None
25. William McKinley (1897-1901)
1. Daisy May Croad (wife of Joseph James Allen), b. 1897 in Mecosta or Montcalm Co., MI
2. Gladys Viola Healey (wife of Elmer John Shinn), b. 1898 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
None
27. William Howard Taft (1809-1913)
None
28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
None
29. Warren Harding (1921-1923)
None
30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
Three of my grandparents
31. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
My grandmother
32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)
None
33. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
My parents
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
None
35. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
None
36. Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969)
None
37. Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
None
38. Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
None
39. Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
None
40. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
Moi!

Namesakes:
5: The number of blood relatives in my tree named after George Washington and there is possibly a sixth.
2. The number of my blood relatives named after Franklin Pierce, U. S. Grant
1: The number of blood relatives named after John Quincy Adams, Samuel K. Polk, Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield (only one was named for him but he also named a son Garfield), Grover Cleveland, Warren Harding
Bet. 1 and 3: The number of blood relatives named after Andrew Jackson (one for sure and two others named Andrew with the initial J. who were born during or soon after Jackson's presidency)

One thing I find interesting is that my mother's family, the majority of whom came over in colonial times, was quite fond of naming children after the presidents.  But on my father's side, where all of his family were either loyalist or late comers to the US, there is hardly any instances of children named after presidents (I could only find one for sure and maybe a second). 

I don't know who each of my ancestors viewed as their favorite president, but judging by the fact that George Washington was the namesake for at least five people in my family tree, I'd assume he ranked pretty high up with a lot of them.  Since my family is Yankee through and through and has many Union veterans in it, I'd imagine Abraham Lincoln was pretty popular also.  I know my great-grandmother's favorite president was Theodore Roosevelt.  She was a young girl when he became president and I think he was the first to really leave an impression on her.  I remember her talking about "Teddy" from time to time but I wish I could remember the details such as way he was her favorite throughout her life.  As for me, I don't have a favorite but if pressed I'd like to do my great-grandmother proud and say Teddy too.

Comments

  1. Interesting I have some Mason's in my family tree as well. I haven't done much research on that line yet though!

    ReplyDelete

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