Presidential Relation

Uncle Ray Bucklin sent me this.  Ray is the one that got us into genealogical DNA testing.  Through 23andMe, he discovered our long lost 2nd cousin Van.  He wasn’t really that lost, we just didn’t know he was into genealogy and old photos too.  We have also discovered a bunch of other distant relatives and found some valuable information to build our family tree.

We are related to Barack Obama through Sir Thomas John Whittington born 1488 in Pauntley, Solers, Gloucestershire, England.  If you trace your family back far enough there is a good chance you can find a common ancestor somewhere.

Barack Obama is descended from Thomas John Whittington’s daughter Margaret Whittington Thockmorton.  We are descended from Thomas’ son Alexander Whittington on the Koll side.  We are also descended from Thomas’ daughter Jane through the Bucklins.

Louise and Ray are Barack Obama’s 15th cousins once removed through the Bucklins.  Joseph, John and Van are his 16th cousins.

Louise and Ray are Barack Obama’s double 13th cousins three times removed through the Kolls. Joseph and John are double 14th cousins twice removed.  We are descended twice from John Whittington 1698.  The question on the Whittington stuff is listing Edward as Grief’s father.  But the numbers work out whichever Whittington was his father in that generation.

Barack Obama is 18th on the list, so if Thomas John Whittington is 14 generations back for me, Louise and I are somewhere around being 14th cousins 3 times removed and Joseph and John are around 15th cousins 2 times removed.