Randy over at Genea-Musings has posted another Saturday Night Genealogy Fun Challenge : determining your ancestral number. The challenge asks you to take a hard look at your ahnentafel and determine how complete your family tree really is. The challenge was based on a post by Christa Cowen entitled Family History All Done : What's Your Number?
The number of ancestors doubles each generation, and by 10 generations you have 1023 ancestors. By going back through the generations and counting how many ancestors have been identified in each generation you can get an idea of the completeness of your family tree.
After 25 years of amateur research, my number is 40.96%. I do really well until the 5th generation, where I have an illegitimacy. I hold my own for another generation at 93.75 percent, but start to fall off in the 7th and 8th generations.
Pedigree collapse becomes apparent by the 9th and 10th generation, particularly on my paternal side.
All in all, a fun exercise to see just how much more there is to research.
Click on the chart below to enlarge.
1667 - Ann MARIS born in Inkborough, Worchestershire, England. Ann was the daughter of George MARIS and Alice ________.
1745 - John DAVIS died in Squam, Monmouth County, New Jersey. John was the son of William DAVIS and Elizabeth BRISLEY. John was my 7x-great grandfather.
1758 - Anna Maria Elisabeh KAHRE born. Anna was the daughter of Johann Jurgen KAHRE and Anna Catherine Elisabeth OBERMEIER.
1765 - Prudence MAXSON born. Prudence was the daughter of Torey MAXSON and Martha LANPHERE.
1766 - Christian ERB born. Christian was the son of Jacob ERB and Magdalene SCHRANTZ.
1768 - Hannah MILLS married Elijah STANLEY in North Carolina. Hannah was the daughter of John MILLS and Sarah BEALS.
1773 - Abel MAXSON died. Abel was the son of Matthew MAXSON and Martha POTTER.
1789 - Barbara ANTONIDES married William ALGEO. Barbara was the daughter of Vincentius ANTONIDES and Anjte BENNUM.
1805 - Phoebe SUMNER died in Surry County, North Carolina. Phoebe was the daughter of John BEALS and Sarah BOWATER.
1806 - Rebecca PAGE born in New Jersey. Rebecca was my 4x-great grandmother.
1816 - Horace BURDICK born. Horace was the son of Samuel BURDICK and Laura BROWN.
1822 - Mary JESSOP died in Jackson County, Indiana. Mary was the daughter of Thomas BEALS and Sarah ANTRIM.
1825 - Susan JACOBS born in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Susan was the daughter of David JACOBS and Barbara BYERS. Susan was my 3x-great grandmother.
1830 - Jesse REYNOLDS married Mary PUTMAN in Monroe County, Indiana. Mary was the daughter of James PUTMAN and Elizabeth KENDRICK. They were my 5x-great grandparents.
1840 - Alfred JACOBS married Rebecca Ann ELLIS in Brown County, Ohio. Alfred was the son of James Thomas JACOBS and Isabella FEILY.
1843 - Lucinda HEATON born in Iowa. Lucinda was the daughter of Alexander S. HEATON and Jemima SHAW.
1845 - Amanda Matilda SHERRICK born in Ashland County, Ohio. Amanda was the daughter of David SHERRICK and Susan JACOBS.
1864 - Joseph BOND died. Joseph was the son of Edward BOND and Elizabeth Ann MILLS.
1872 - John Arthur LeMASTERS born in Jay County, Indiana. John was the son of William Wesley LeMASTERS and Milinda Margaret HALFHILL.
1877 - Dessie May LEE born in Ray County, Missouri. Dessie was the daughter of William Burrell LEE and Margaret Jane SWAFFORD.
1879 - Esther MILLER died in Shelby County, Ohio. Esther was the daughter of Charles YOUNG and Catherine Elizabeth KINT.
1885 - Jane FURNIER died. Jane was the daughter of Jesse STOUT and Sarah MORRISON.
1889 - Eliza Margaret DWIGGINS died in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana. Eliza was the daughter of Daniel KING and Elizabeth SHAW.
1896 - Johannes Heinrich WILD died in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Johannes was the son of Friedrich WILD and Henriette GONDOLF. Johannes was Corinne's 3x-great grandfather.
1896 - Emilie WILD died in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Emilie was the daughter of Johann Joseph DEUTSCH and Doris Elisabeth SCHUTTE. Emilie was Corinne's 3x-great grandmother.
1898 - Landon Marselles SWAFFORD born in Lomax, Illinois. Landon was the son of Landon Marselles SWAFFORD and Bertie Belle MARSH.
1909 - Charles Russell SWOFFORD married Katherine Belle WEBB in Richmond, Missouri. Charles was the son of James Calvin SWAFFORD and Louisa Catherine LEE.
1913 - Christina MATTHEWS died. Christina was the daughter of Martin BOYER and Anna BENNETT.
1914 - Melissa Jane AILES died in Montra, Shelby County, Ohio. Melissa was the daughter of Phillip YOUNG and Keziah CURTIS.
1930 - Levi W. PETRY died in Jay County, Indiana. Levi was the son of Charles PETRY and Susannah WEHRLY.
1639 - Abigail PIERCE born. Abigail was the daughter of Thomas PIERCE and Elizabeth COLE.
1660 - Alice MARIS born in Inkborough, Worchestershire, England. Alice was the daughter of George MARIS and Alice ________.
1700 - Jane PHILBRICK married Joseph CRAM. Jane was the daughter of Thomas PHILBRICK and Hannah FRENCH.
1711 - Johanna ANTONIDES married Cornelius RAPELJE. Johanna was the daughter of Vincentius ANTONIDES and Anatie VAN COUVENHAVEN.
1745 - Sarah MILLS born. Sarah was the daughter of Henry MILLS and Hannah THORNBURG.
1764 - Sarah MADISON born. Sarah was the daughter of James MADISON and Eleanor Rose CONWAY.
1799 - Lorenzo Dow BURDICK born. Lorenzo was the son of Hazard BURDICK and Esther SHIRLEY.
1816 - William CHEW born. William was the son of Joseph CHEW and Elizabeth THOMAS.
1823 - Elizabeth Ann CARTER born. Elizabeth was the daughter of John CARTER and Sarah BEALS.
1833 - John Vorhees LAMBERTSON born in New Jersey. John was the son of John LAMBERTSON and Sarah A. WILLSON.
1836 - Anna Maria MILLS married Jeremiah HADLEY. Anna was the daughter of Henry MILLS and Hannah WOODWARD.
1849 - Samuel PIERCE died. Samuel was the son of Seth PIERCE and Bethiah FIELD.
1865 - Emily J. ALDERMAN married Edward SOLMAN. Emily was the daughter of James W. ALDERMAN and Nancy J. WILSON.
1870 - William SWAFFORD married Mary E. EVANS in McMinn County, Tennessee. William was the son of Portman SWAFFORD and Drucilla KELTNER.
1870 - Carmon W. LAMBERTSON died in German Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. Carmon was the son of John LAMBERTSON and Sarah A. WILLSON.
1889 - Grace HEATH born. Grace was the daughter of U.S. Grant HEATH and Martha Ann SWAFFORD.
1898 - Fleta SWAFFORD born in Richmond, Missouri. Fleta was the daughter of James J. SWAFFORD and Elizabeth Ann Gant HANKINS.
1901 - Josiah STOUT died. Josiah was the son of Jesse STOUT and Sarah MORRISON.
