My Connection with Dick Cheney

Over the holidays, I was able to meet up with my cousin Jim and his family from Alabama, and the discussion turned to genealogy.  We were discussing this blog and the family tree and the talked turned to who we were related to and what a 1st cousin once removed was, etc.  One of the well-known relatives that we share is former Vice President Richard 'Dick' CHENEY, and I promised Jim that I would let him know just how we were related.

William Addams Reitwiesner's website posts the ancestry of VP Dick Cheney, as well as numerous other politicos.  Our common Cheney ancestor is Thomas CHENEY, of Cambridge, Mass., whose will was dated October 23, 1695.  In the descendancy below, our ancestors are listed first, followed by the VP's.



Thomas CHENEY b. 1633 Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, m. January 11, 1655 Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts to Jane ATKINSON.  Jane died after July 29, 1724.


Generation One:  (Brother/Sister)


Margaret CHENEY b. November 26, 1656, m. January 1, 1674 Cambridge, Massachusetts to Nicholas FESSENDEN.  Nicholas b. 1650 Cantebury, England, d. February 24, 1719 Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Margaret d. December 10, 1717 Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Benjamin CHENEY b. January 29, 1674/5 Roxbury, Massachusetts, m. November 14, 1706 Charlestown, Massachusetts to Mary HARBERT.  Mary d. May 15, 1760 Ashford, Connecticut.  Benjamin d. July 13, 1718 Cambridge, Massachusetts.



Generation Two: (1st cousins)

William FESSENDEN b. 1694 Cambridge, Massachusetts, m(2). January 4, 1728 Cambridge, Massachusetts to Martha BROWN.  Martha b. June 16, 1699, d. February 24, 1773 Cambridge, Massachusetts.  William d. May 26, 1756 Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Joseph CHENEY b. November 2, 1709 Cambridge, Massachusetts, m. Elizabeth TUCKER.  Joseph d. 1776.



Generation Three: (2nd cousins)

Hannah FESSENDEN b. August 15, 1732 Cambridge, Massachusetts, m. February 15, 1753 Cambridge, Massachusetts to John WRIGHT.  John b. February 10, 1727 Freuchie, Fife, Scotland, d. June 1772 Anamaboo, New Guinea.  Hannah d. December 9, 1800.

William CHENEY b. September 8, 1741 Newbury, Massachusetts, m. April 17, 1763 Newbury, Massachusetts to Elizabeth SWEET.  Elizabeth b. November 24, 1745 Newbury, Massachusetts.  William d. April 4, 1803 Grand Menan Island, New Brunswick



Generation Four: (3rd cousins)

John WRIGHT bap. April 13, 1755 Cambridge, Massachusetts, m. bef. 1780 to Sarah FLEMING.  John d. October 15, 1810 Clermont County, Ohio.

Ebenezer CHENEY b. February 24, 1764 Newbury, Massachusetts, m. August 3, 1789 Campton, New Hampshire to Hannah EATON.  Hannah b. December 4, 1761, d. January 14, 1832 Campton, New Hampshire.  Ebenezer d. August 3, 1832 Campton, New Hampshire.



Generation Five: (4th cousins)

George WRIGHT b. July 31, 1780 Pennsylvania, m. January 27, 1812 Adams County, Ohio to Elizabeth ROBINS.  Elizabeth b. June 16, 1781 Pennsylvania, d. November 22, 1857 Brown County, Ohio.  George d. August 5, 1853 Brown County, Ohio.


Elias Eaton CHENEY b. May 30, 1793 Campton, New Hampshire, m. Lucy FLETCHER.  Lucy b. April 21, 1803 Thetford, Vermont.  Elias d. February 2, 1859 Thetford, Vermont.


Generation Six: (5th cousins)

John WRIGHT b. November 4, 1814 Brown County, Ohio, m. September 9, 1834 Brown County, Ohio to Anna WARDLOW.  Anna b. April 23, 1816 Brown County, Ohio, d. October 4, 1893 Brown County, Ohio.  John d. June 10, 1890 Brown County, Ohio.


Samuel Fletcher CHENEY b. December 2, 1829 Boscawen, New Hampshire, m. September 24, 1861 Defiance, Ohio to Ella A. PHILLIPS.  Ella b. February 1840 New York, d. after 1900 census.  Samuel d. after 1900 census.


Generation Seven: (6th cousins)

Joseph W. WRIGHT b. April 1838 Brown County, Ohio, m. November 1, 1857 Schuyler County, Missouri to Rebecca Ann HEATON.  Rebecca b. 1841, d. March 25, 1890 Madison County, Indiana.  Joseph d. September 16, 1919 Madison County, Indiana.

Thomas Herbert CHENEY b. April 10, 1869 Defiance, Ohio, m(2) May 20, 1914 to Margaret Ellen TYLER.  Margaret b. June 16, 1877 Franklin, Indiana, d. April 28, 1961 Casper, Wyoming.  Thomas d. March 29, 1947 Sumner, Nebraska.



Generation Eight (7th cousins)

John William WRIGHT b. February 21, 1860 Brown County, Ohio, m. May 13, 1888 Madison County, Indiana to Ellen KING.  Ellen b. August 24, 1868 Madison County, Indiana, d. December 24, 1913 Madison County, Indiana.  John d. June 5, 1945 Madison County, Indiana.

Richard Herbert CHENEY b. June 16, 1915 Nebraska, m. Marjorie Lorraine DICKEY.  Marjorie b. January 8, 1918 Nebraska, d. December 26, 1993 Casper, Wyoming.  Richard d. May 23, 1999 Casper, Wyoming.



Generation Nine (8th cousins)

Virgil Lee WRIGHT b. July 6, 1894 Orestes, Indiana, m. June 19, 1915 Alexandria, Indiana to Edna Muriel PIERCE.  Edna b. February 7, 1897 Madison County, Indiana, d. March 3, 1968 Anderson, Indiana.  Virgil d. March 25, 1972 Alexandria, Indiana.

Richard Bruce CHENEY b. January 30, 1941 Lincoln, Nebraska, Representative from Wyoming 1979-1989, US Secretary of Defense 1989-1993, US Vice President 2001-2008.


Virgil Lee WRIGHT is our great-grandfather, so cousin Jim and I would be 8th cousins 3 times removed to the former Vice President.