So, I was playing around on Ancestry.com the other night (you know, in my copious free time what with the holidays and all . . . ). And, I input as many family members as I could find and that’s a lot as there is a book about Southampton, L.I. that has a lot of ancestors in it.Anyway, I then used Ancestry.com’s feature . . . Find Your Famous Relatives. And, this is what it found for me {click}.So, here’s the thing. I don’t know what to respond to first . . . the great excitement at seeing that I am a direct descendant of Geoffrey Chaucer or the nightmarish horror that I am related to our esteemed (cough, cough) President. And, then there is the odd twist of being related to Freddie Prinze.The funniest thing to me is that family legend has it that we are related to Frances Hodgson Burnett. Evidently, that ain‘t necessarily so.Fascinating stuff. My husband is also related to some interesting types. {click} Most notably to Marlon Brando and James Dean. Well, no wonder he’s so good lookin’!So, have you played with Ancestry.com? Who are you related to?
mother. wife. friend. teacher. writer. reader. photographer. birder. quilter. blogger.
Liza Lee Miller 
That’s very interesting. I love that we’re related to three famous women authors including Louisa May Alcott?! Really?
I’m also kind of disturbed that we’re apparently related to both Barbara Bush and George H.W. Bush. Doesn’t that make them related to each other? Hmmm… And yes, it’s pretty icky to think that we have a connection to that family. Ugh.
Also: Amelia Earhart? Cool! Bette Davis? Cool!
And Chaucer is our 17th great grandfather? The mind reels.
I’ve never visited Ancestor.com but now, with my copious idle time during the holidays, I might try it. I’m impressed!
It is pretty interesting. The data is only as good as the people inputting it though and some of those relationships are pretty distant. The direct line ones are pretty cool though . . . Chaucer! Wow! And, a Mayflower guy. It’s fascinating to see though.
Ooooh yeah! Loads o’ fun 🙂
I’m related to James A. Garfield and his wife (who were 2nd or 3rd cousins, so it’s not always *that* icky). This is extra funny because I went to college with his direct descendant and a good friend married him 😉
Oh and 12th cousin to George Orwell!
And I’m descended from Chaucer, too! But it goes through Abigail Pratt, based on other peoples’ records and when I looked closely at her, she was having kids by three different husbands AT THE SAME TIME, so anyway. Do you have some Shepardsons back there or are you another branch?
I love ancestry.com and genealogy in general! It’s been a while since I’ve seen who I’m related to so I don’t remember, but this is sure fun!
Hmm, very interesting and will have to figure out who I am related to!
whatever happened to is it me, Freddie Prinze Jr., anyway?