Genealogy Chat

Have patience with me, I'm new to this!!!!
I'm struggling with the concept of the meaning of 'in-laws'. I've looked at several census' and I don't understand how some individuals can be in-laws. For example, I found one of my relatives who lived with his wife in the house where they were both described as in-laws to the head of the household, a male with the same surname. I hope I've explained that correctly!!
Were the census' always accurate in this respect.
Many thanks

Sometimes 'in-laws' on census are what we call step sisters /step brothers / step children

If you'd like to give names of your folk, I'll take a look at that particular entry.

Gwyn

In-law on the census also includes what we know today as STEP.

WEll, friends, you might struggle with in-laws, but I have a half-cousin. What on earth is one of them!

I think I have managed the second cousin bit. It is a cousin of a cousin. A third cousin is a cousin of a cousin of a cousin. Not many of those in your tree.

So now on to "removed". Removed mean a generation up. So a first cousin, one removed, is your parent's cousin. A first cousin twice removed is your grandparent's cousin. And so on up the tree.

I can't cope with any more in confidence, but guessing that a second cousin twice removed would be the cousin's cousin of your grandparent.

Does this help?

Margaret

Margaret

Half-cousin - never heard the term, but I imagine your half cousin is the child of your parents half-sibling.

A half cousin could have suffered a terrible accident... (groan)
On a serious note... I use FTM 2006 and if you click the 'reports' tab on the toolbar and select 'Kinship' it lists the relationship of other family members for the person you have selected....ie 'first cousin twice removed of the husband' etc.
Some other programs will have similar options.

A half cousin has only one grandparent in common.

That would be what would happen if someone married twice and had children by more than one partner.

Sue

I have a half cousin, - child of my mother's half brother so we just share one ancestor in common, my maternal grandmother.

Margaret
Second cousins share a great grandparent
eg.
My daughter has cousins. The cousins' children are 1st cousins once removed to my daughter ( being a generation later)
Those children and my daughter's son are 2nd cousins.
So the parents of two 2nd cousins are themselves cousins.

Gwyn

Alot of people also seem to refer to their cousins children as 'half-cousins'.
My family did this for a long time, and until looking into my family history / genealogy, I didnt know any better.
I found the easiest way to remember 1st, 2nd, 3rd cousins etc, is to think which level of grandparents you have in common - grandparents - first cousin, g grandparents - 2nd cousin, gg - 3rd, etc etc.