Which side of these Famous Feuds are you closest to?

Question

This week we're looking at our connections to some of the biggest feuds in history, starting with the infamous Hatfields and McCoys.

Which side are you closer to, the McCoy clan, led by family patriarch  Randolph McCoy, or the Hatfield clan, led by Devil Anse Hatfield?

Here are some other feuds; whose side are you closer to?:

• Caroline Astor or Alva Vanderbilt, in a battle of old money and new money in Gilded Age New York?
• George Brown or Sir John MacDonald, in the conflict between Grits and Tories in Canadian politics?
• Aaron Burr or Alexander Hamilton, in the famous duel that ended their feud in early American history?
• Wyatt Earp or Ike Clanton, in the shootout at the OK Corral?
• Joseph Eversole or Ballard French, in the French-Eversole Feud in the mountains of Kentucky?
• James Johnstone or John Maxwell, Fifth Earl of Morton, in the Battle of Dryfe Sands between Scottish clans?
• "Joe the Boss" Masseria or "Little Caesar" Maranzano in the Castellammarese War mafia family power struggle?
• Mary, Queen of Scots or her cousin and royal rival, Queen Elizabeth I?
• "Bonnie Prince Charlie" or Prince William Hanover, Duke of Cumberland, in their feud for the throne?
• Vincent van Gogh or Paul Gauguin, in the art world feud?
• King Richard III or Henry VII, in the War of the Roses?

Which of these is closest to you on our single family tree? If you're one of the 31.7 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree, you can check with the Connection Finder. On any WikiTree profile, you can select "Connection to Me" from the pull-down menu.

The see all your closest relationships and connections in the list above, click the "My Connections" button in the Famous Feuds category.

MyConnections can also find your relationships in any of our Featured Connections and in any category on WikiTree such as Hatfield and McCoy Family Feud, England Monarchs, and Wild Wild West. Click the green button you'll see in the upper right hand corner of the category page if you are logged in.

Let us know how you're related below. If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" button below your connection path. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles. It can clutter important conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

P.S. Play this week's Connection Combat game! See if your connection to the Hatfields or McCoys can be verified with reliable sources. The one with the closest verified connection wins ... and there are other fun categories of winners too.

P.P.S. Help us find and improve the profiles for next week's feature: Sounds of the Sixties.

Comments

What a fascinating subject for this week's "connection" post! Thanks so much!

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Answer 1

15 degrees from Randolph McCoy
    15 degrees from William Hatfield

    18 degrees from Caroline Astor
    17 degrees from Alva Belmont

    15 degrees from Wyatt Earp
    16 degrees from Joseph Clanton

    14 degrees from Aaron Burr
    17 degrees from Alexander Hamilton

    17 degrees from Mary Queen of Scots
    18 degrees from Elizabeth Tudor

    24 degrees from Vincent Willem van Gogh
    20 degrees from Paul Gauguin

Answer 2

Well, 16th cousin 6 times removed from Randolph McCoy and 19th cousin 4 times removed from William Hatfield.

In case you are unaware of it, these 2 families are known in other circles as being genetic carriers of faulty genes that cause pheochromocytoma.  Some even attribute the cause of the feud to this faulty gene.  Pheochromocytoma (pheos for short) are tumours of the adrenal gland that mess around with hormone output, particularly adrenaline and its sibling noradrenaline, but not restricted to those.  Known to cause extreme rages among other things.

Comments

Interesting background info, Danielle.

Answer 3

Randolph McCoy -  13th cousin, 3x removed

William Hatfield - 15th cousin, 4x removed

Caroline Astor -  6th cousin, 3x removed

Alva Belmont -  7th cousin, 3x removed

Joseph Clanton - 14th cousin, 3x removed

Aaron Burr -  9th cousin, 9x removed

Alexander Hamilton - 13th cousin, 6x removed

Mary Queen of Scots - 4th cousin, 14x removed

Elizabeth Tudor - 3rd cousin, 14 times removed

Answer 4

I'm tenth cousins with BOTH the Hatfields and the McCoys! 

Answer 5

I'm FIRST cousins (17 times removed in generations) with Elizabeth the First - this is the closest cousin I've found - and 14th great grand niece of Mary Queen of Scots (I'm a 15th great granddaughter of her father, James King of Scots)!

This is so fun! Until I came to Wikitree I didn't even know I had Scottish blood.

Answer 6

17 Degrees Olivia Mary (De Havilland) Galante

17 degrees Joan De Beauvior ( De Havilland) Fontaine

Answer 7

Steven is:

• 19 degrees from Randolph McCoy and 20 degrees from William Hatfield
• 19 degrees from Aaron Burr and 20 degrees from Alexander Hamilton
• 20 degrees from Caroline Astor and 20 degrees from Alva Belmont
• 20 degrees from Wyatt Earp and 20 degrees from Joseph Clanton
• 20 degrees from Mary Queen of Scots and 22 degrees from Elizabeth Tudor
• 27 degrees from Vincent Willem van Gogh and 23 degrees from Paul Gauguin

Answer 8

12 degrees from Joseph Eversole - 2 branches (4-9) 18th cousin 4x removed

12 degrees from Ballard French -  2 branches (5-8)

13 degrees from Devil Anse Hatfield - 2 branches (5-9) 16th cousin 4x removed

13 degrees from Randolph McCoy - 4 branches (2-3-2-7) 16th cousin 7x removed

14 degrees from Ike Clanton - 2 branches (4-11) 18th cousin 4x removed

16 degrees from Aaron Burr - 2 branches (14-3) 13th cousin 11x removed

16 degrees from Alva Vanderbilt - 3 branches (4-4-9) 19th cousin 4x removed

16 degrees from Sir John Mcdonald - 4 branches (4-2-3-8)

16 degrees from Wyatt Earp - 3 branches (3-5-9)

17 degrees from John Maxwell - 3 branches (3-6-9) 8th cousin 15x removed

17 degrees from Caroline Astor -2 branches (11-7)

18 degrees from Mary Queen of Scots - 4 branches (2-8-6-3) 7th cousin 15x removed

18 degrees from Alexander Hamilton - 2 branches (5-14) 15th cousin 8x removed

19 degrees from James Johnstone - 3 branches (5-6-9) 9th cousin 14x removed

19 degrees from "Bonnie Prince Charlie" - 4 branches (1-3-7-9) 11th cousin 10x removed

19 degrees from Prince William Hannover - 4 branches (3-3-7-7) 12th cousin 9x removed

20 degrees from Henry VI - 4 branches (4-8-6-3) 5th cousin 18x removed

20 degrees from Queen Elizabeth I - 4 branches (7--3-2-9) 6th cousin 15x removed

21 degrees from King Richard III - 3 branches (1-17-4) 5th cousin 18x removed

21 degrees from Paul Gauguin - 4 branches (2-5-9-6)

25 degrees from George Brown - 6 branches (2-3-4-2-8-7)

26 degrees from Vincent van Gogh - 7 branches (2-3-3-4-6-4-5)

26 degrees from "Joe the Boss" Masseria - 3 branches (3-7-17)

27 degrees from "Little Caesar" Maranzano - 6 branches (3-4-8-1-6-7)

Answer 9

Suprisingly I am fourth cousin to Mary Queen of Scots, of course it says 14 times removed.  But I still think that is pretty neat.  

It was a sad story based on what  I’ve been reading in her biography.

Answer 10

15 degrees William Hatfield, 17c mrca Gascoigne-24, Stainton-1
16 degrees Randolph McCoy, 13c, 3r, mrca Bunbury-167, Arderne-1

16 degrees Caroline Webster (Schermerhorn) Astor, her husband, William Blackhouse Astor Jr., 17c, 5r mrca Comyn-2, Quincy-34   
17 degrees Alva (Erskine Smith) Vanderbilt, 12c, 5r mrca Olney-88, Throckmorton-13, her husband, William Kissam Vanderbilt, 20c, 1r mrca Ferch_Llywelyn-5, Welles-316

13 degrees Aaron Burr, 14c, 5r mrca Tey-5, Toeni-8
17 degrees Alexander Hamilton, 15c, 5r mrca Zouche-64, Holand-65
 
17 degrees Elizabeth Tudor, 5c, 13r mrca Percy-15, Neville-58
19 degrees Mary Queen of Scots, 6c, 12r mrca Percy-15, Neville-58
 
18 degrees James Johnstone, 9c, 11r, mrca Holand-65, Zouche-64
19 degrees John Maxwell, 8c, 12r mrca Holand-65, Zouche-64

19 degrees "Bonnie Prince Charlie", 11c, 7r mrca Neville-58, Percy-15
21 degrees William Hannover, 12c, 6r mrca Neville-58, Percy-15
 
18 degrees King Richard III, 2c, 16r mrca Percy-15, Neville-58
18 degrees Henry VII, 5c, 15r mrca Holand-65, Zouche-64

16 degrees Joseph Eversole, 15c, 3r mrca Spine-7, Throckmorton-6

18 degrees from Ike Clanton, 12c, 5r mrca Weever-1, Venables-38
 

17 degrees Wyatt Earp, (8-10), 17 degrees Ballard French, (11-3-4), 21 degrees Paul Gauguin, (2-5-3-11), 23 degrees Vincent van Gogh, (3-4-2-6-9), 18 degrees Sir John McDonald, (2-5-12), 24 degrees George Brown,  (4-2-6-2-11), 24 degrees Joe the Boss Masseria, (3-7-15), 26 degrees Little Caesar Maranzano, (2-4-8-3-10)

Answer 11

1) Randolph McCoy I am 16 degrees from Randolph McCoy; 7th cousins 2x removed vs 17 degrees from William Hatfield (8th cousin 3x removed).

2) Alva Belmont I am 16 degrees from Alva Belmont;13th cousins 4x removed vs 17 degrees from Caroline Astor with no relationship found.

3) Wyatt Earp I am 17 degrees from Wyatt Earp; 7th cousins 4x removed vs 17 degrees from Joseph Clanton 14th cousins 4x removed (going back to William Bonville). Side note: I had a budgie I named Wyatt Chirp.

4) Aaron Burr I am 15 degrees from Aaron Burr; 4th cousins 6x removed vs 16 degrees from Alexander Hamilton 13th cousins 6x removed (going back to John Plantagenet).

5) Mary Queen of Scots by degree, but Elizabeth Tudor by relationship. I am 17 degrees from Mary; 3rd cousins 13x removed vs 18 degrees from Elizabeth Tudor 2nd cousins 14x removed.

6) Paul Gauguin I am 17 degrees from Paul Gauguin vs 23 degrees from Vincent Van Gogh with no relationship found for either.

Answer 12

Randolph McCoy 10 degrees

Anderson Hatfield 9 degrees

Caroline Astor 18 degrees

Alva Vanderbilt 14 degrees

George Brown 24 degrees

Sir John MacDonald 19 degrees

Aaron Burr 15 degrees

Alexander Hamilton 16 degrees

Wyatt Earp 14 degrees

Ike Clanton 16 degrees

Joseph Eversole 13 degrees

Ballard French 11 degrees

James Johnstone 18 degrees

John Maxwell 16 degrees

Joe Masseria 29 degrees

Salvatore Maranzano 23 degrees

Mary, Queen of Scots 17 degrees

Queen Elizabeth I 18 degrees

Charles Stuart 18 degrees

William Hanover 19 degrees

Vincent Van Gogh 24 degrees

Paul Gauguin 19 degrees

Richard III 19 degrees

Henry VII 17 degrees

Answer 13

This is fantastic. I just joined here and am learning so much already. This is a great exercise.

Randolph McCoy - 15 deg.

Devil Anse Hatfield - 14 deg.

Caroline Astor - 16 deg.

Alva Vanderbilt - 17 deg.

George Brown - 24 deg.

Sir John MacDonald - 19 deg.

*Aaron Burr - 12 deg.

Alexander Hamilton - 17 deg.

Wyatt Earp - 16 deg.

Ike Clanton - 19 deg.

Joseph Eversole - 18 deg.

Ballard French - 16 deg.

James Johnstone - 18 deg.

John Maxwell - 19 deg.

"Joe the Boss" Masseria - 27 deg.

"Little Caesar" Maranzano - 27 d.

Mary, Queen of Scots - 20 deg.

Queen Elizabeth I - 19 deg

"Bonnie Prince Charlie" - 19 deg.

Prince William Hanover, Duke of Cumberland - 20 deg.

Vincent van Gogh - 23 deg.

Paul Gauguin - 19 deg.

King Richard III - 19 deg.

Henry VII - 18 deg.

Comments

Welcome Terri!

Answer 14

Joseph Clanton is my 3rd cousin thrice removed.

Answer 15

It is unnerving to see how closely I am connected to all of these feudsters.   All of them are identified as blood relatives except for Van Gogh and Gauguin.

My closest connection is a mere 13 degrees from Caroline (Schermerhorn) Astor, my fourth cousin, 4X removed. (I knew about that connection.) I'm 17 degrees from her rival Alva (Belmont) Vanderbilt , a very distant cousin at 13C, 4R.

Beyond them, I have:

• 15 degrees from Aaron Burr   (6C 7R), 14 degrees from Alexander Hamilton (8C 8R)
• 15 degrees from Wyatt Earp, 16 degrees from Joseph Clanton
• 17 degrees from Randolph McCoy, 18 degrees from William Hatfield, ,
• 18 degrees from Mary Queen of Scots, 19 degrees from Elizabeth Tudor, 
• 23 degrees from Vincent Willem van Gogh and 18 degrees from Paul Gauguin.

I thought of my family as getting along pretty well, but are we really "Feuds 'R' Us"???

Answer 16

Hatfield/McCoy
William Anderson Hatfield - 16° - 15th C 3xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
Randolph McCoy Sr - 14° - 7th C 4xR
Brunson/Parsons/Tarpley/Glassock
--------------
Astor/Vanderbilt
Caroline Webster (Schermerhorn) Astor - 17°
Alva Erskine Sterling (Erskine-Smith) Belmont - 15° - 13th C 4xR
Brunson/Parsons/Sewell/Thompkins
--------------
Brown/MacDonald
George Brown - 24°
John Alexander Macdonald - 20°
--------------
Burr/Hamilton
Aaron Burr Jr. - 15° - 8th C 8xR
Brunson/Parsons/Sewell/Thompkins
Alexander Hamilton - 16° - 13th C 5xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
--------------
Earp/Clanton
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp - 14° - 7th C 3xR
Brunson/Parsons/Sewell/Fairchild
Joseph Isaac Clanton - 13° - 13th C 3xR
Brunson/Parsons/Tarpley/Griffin
--------------
Eversole/French
Joseph Castle Eversole - 16° - 12th C 2xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
Ballard Fulton French - 12°
--------------
Johnstone/Maxwell
James (Johnstone) Johnstone of Johnston - 17° - 7th C 11xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
John (Maxwell) Fifth Earl of Morton - 17° - 6th C 12xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
--------------
Masseria/Maranzano
Giuseppe Masseria - 29°
Salvatore Maranzano - 26°
--------------
Mary/Elizabeth
Mary (Stewart) Queen of Scots - 18° - 4th C 12xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
Elizabeth Tudor - 18° - 3rd C 13xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
--------------
Bonnie Prince Charlie/Prince William
Charles Edward Louis John Philip Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart - 18° - 9th C 7xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
William Augustus Hannover - 19° - 10th  6xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
--------------
van Gogh/Gauguin
Vincent Willem van Gogh - 25°
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin - 22°
--------------
Richard III/Henry II
Richard (York) of England KG - 18° - 1st C 16xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland
Henry (Tudor) of England - 18° - 1st C 15xR
Wilson/Lawson/Higgenbotham/Noland

I'm related to almost everyone on this list. Most of those relationships go through 1 line.

Answer 17

So far I am:

Aaron Burr, 4c 6r and 13 degrees 

Alexander Hamilton, 12c 9r and 16 degrees 

Answer 18

McCoy (25 degrees) vs. Hatfield (25 degrees) - TIE

Astor (23 degrees) vs. Vanderbilt (27 degrees)

Brown (31 degrees) vs. MacDonald (27 degrees)

Burr (23 degrees) vs. Hamilton (23 degrees) - TIE

Earp (26 degrees) vs. Clanton (26 degrees) - TIE

Eversole (25 degrees) vs. French (26 degrees)

Johnstone (26 degrees) vs. Maxwell (26 degrees) - TIE

Masseria (35 degrees) vs. Maranzano (35 degrees) - TIE

Mary (27 degrees) vs. Elizabeth (27 degrees) - TIE

Bonnie Prince Charlie (28 degrees) vs. Prince William (29 degrees)

Van Gogh (32 degrees) vs. Gauguin (27 degrees)

Richard III (27 degrees) vs. Henry VII (26 degrees)

Closest overall - Astor, Burr, and Hamilton (23 degrees)

Answer 19

Caroline Astor  17 degrees or Alva Vanderbilt, 18 degrees, I am closer to Caroline Astor. Old money always gets in the way. LOL

Answer 20

Oh, my, it seems some of these are too close to call...

Randolph McCoy edges Devil Anse Hatfield 14c6x to 15c4x

WT shows Alva Vanderbilt as 16c6x but I'm not subscribing to some of the Medieval connections marked confident.

Aaron Burr by a nose over Hamilton 4c7x to 9c6x

Wyatt Earp an easy win over Clanton 7c4x to 14c4x

John Maxwell over James Johnstone 4c12x to 8c11x

Queen Elizabeth I at 5c15x v Mary Queen of Scots 8c13x

It's a toss-up with Bonnie Prince Charlie 10c11x to the Duke of Cumberland at 11c10x

Richard III at 4c17x (doesn't 23AndMe say he's related to everyone) and Henry VII at 5c17x