Which candy maker are you most closely connected to?

Question

Easter celebrations are known for some iconic candies such as Cadbury Creme Eggs, Just Born Marshmallow Peeps, and Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, so we're featuring candy makers in the Connection Finder this week starting with John Cadbury.

Featured alongside him are other candy makers:

• Adolf Ahlgren, Ahlgrens
• Samuel Born, Just Born
• Domingo Ghiradelli, Ghiradelli
• Milton Hershey, Hershey
• Abel Hoadley, A. Hoadley and Co.
• Cornelis Jamin, Jamin
• Henri Nestle, Nestle
• H.B. Reese, Reese's Candies
• Mary See, See's Candies
• Izaak van Melle, van Melle

Which one is most closely connected to you? If you're one of the 25.5 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

You can check for shared ancestors with the Relationship Finder. Are you a cousin to any of them? Your Relationship Finder Quick Links page (see your profile pull-down menu under "Relationships") has quick links for several notable groups.

Special feature: Check out how you're connected to other notables by using the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the category page. Browse related categories like Chocolatiers, Food History, and Confectioners.

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" below the results, e.g. John Cadbury and H.B. Reese. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us with next week's feature: Jazz Musicians. Help us choose and improve profiles for it.

Comments

I am 17 degrees from both Milton Hershey and Mary See.

Answer 1

15 degrees from Milton Hershey

15 degrees from H. B. Reese

Answer 2

15 degrees from Milton Hershey
18 degrees from John Cadbury
18 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese (13th cousins, 3x removed)
19 degrees from Mary See
20 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli
25 degrees from Sam Born
27 degrees from Izaak van Melle
27 degrees from Cornelis Jamin
29 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren
30 degrees from Abel Hoadley
35 degrees from Henri Nestlé

Answer 3

• 18 degrees to Harry Burnett Reese (1879 - 1956) - 17th Cousin 5 times Removed
• 19 degrees to Mary (Wiseman) See (1854 - 1939)
• 19 degrees to John Cadbury (1801 - 1889)
• 19 degrees to Milton Snavely Hershey (1857 - 1945)
• 21 degrees to Domenico Ghirardelli (1817 - 1894)
• 23 degrees to Samuel (Bernstein) Born (1891 - 1959)
• 25 degrees to Izaak van Melle (1877 - 1954)
• 29 degrees to Adolf Ferdinand Ahlgren (1872 - 1954)
• 30 degrees to Cornelis Jamin (1850 - 1907)
• 30 degrees to Abel Hoadley (1844 - 1918)
• 34 degrees to Heinrich (Nestle) Nestlé (1814 - 1890)

Answer 4

30 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren, 27 degrees from Sam Born, 20 degrees from John Cadbury, 18 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli, 19 degrees from Milton Hershey, 31 degrees from Abel Hoadley, 28 degrees from Cornelis Jamin, 35 degrees from Henri Nestlé, 21 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese, 16 degrees from Mary See, 26 degrees from Izaak van Melle

Answer 5

19 degrees from Abel Hoadley

24 degrees from Domingo Ghiradell

25 degrees from Milton Hershey

26 degrees from H B Reese

28 degrees from Mary See

30 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren

30 degrees from Samuel Born

33 degrees from Cornellis Jamin

33 degrees from Izaak van Melle

41 degrees from Henri Nestle

Answer 6

I really thought that my closest connection would be to Milton Hershey, as I have family that can be traced back to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

I was surprised to see that my closest connection is 16 degrees to Henry Burnett Reese, and even more surprised to see that we are fifth cousins five times removed.

Good thing too, because Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite candy!

Comments

Love Reese's also. Not happy to learn they are the most unhealthy candy.  My ex husband threw my peanut butter cups onto the freeway one time... How rude.

---

@Janice I entirely understand why he is ex! Reeses peanut butter cups are disgustingly delicious.

---

You two have provided my morning giggle, but I'm dismayed to learn they're the unhealthiest candy because they're my favourite, too. I'll just ignore that little bit of information.

Answer 7

I am most closely connected to Milton Hershey at 18 degrees of separation.

• 18 degrees from Milton Hershey
  • 3 branches (5-6-8)
• 19 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese
  • 4 branches (1-9-5-5)
• 21 degrees from Mary See
  • 4 branches (1-8-8-5)
• 22 degrees from John Cadbury
  • 7 branches (3-4-3-3-1-5-4)
• 24 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli
  • 6 branches (2-7-3-6-3-4)
• 25 degrees from Sam Born
  • 6 branches (1-3-7-3-4-8)
• 28 degrees from Izaak van Melle
  • 7 branches (9-2-2-5-4-3-4)
• 29 degrees from Cornelis Jamin
  • 7 branches (2-2-6-9-4-2-5)
• 31 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren
  • 10 branches (2-1-3-3-3-8-2-1-5-4)
• 31 degrees from Abel Hoadley
  • 11 branches (2-2-1-2-2-4-5-2-2-5-5)
• 32 degrees from Henri Nestlé
  • 7 branches (9-6-2-1-5-6-4)

Answer 8

My closest is John Cadbury (19 degrees.)  The first other name I recognized was Abel Hoadley.  Everybody would have heard of the Nestle brand.  Its association with birds in a nest works only in Englsh, since the French word for "nest" is nid.

Answer 9

I am most closely connected to John Cadbury at 23 degrees.

Answer 10

Leslie is 29 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren, 30 degrees from Sam Born, 19 degrees from John Cadbury, 27 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli, 24 degrees from Milton Hershey, 13 degrees from Abel Hoadley, 33 degrees from Cornelis Jamin, 37 degrees from Henri Nestlé, 24 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese, 26 degrees from Mary See, 31 degrees from Izaak van Melle and 29 degrees from David Loring

Answer 11

Having spent 40 years working at the company, I'm surprised and amazed ...  (I should have asked for bigger raises)

18 degrees from Mary (Wiseman) See
... and the rest
30 degrees from Adolf Ferdinand Ahlgren
24 degrees from Samuel (Bernstein) Born
22 degrees from John Cadbury
23 degrees from Domenico Ghirardelli
21 degrees from Milton Snavely Hershey
31 degrees from Abel Hoadley
32 degrees from Cornelis Jamin
32 degrees from Heinrich (Nestle) Nestlé
22 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese
25 degrees from Izaak van Melle
30 degrees from David (Meredith) Loring

Answer 12

16 degrees to Mary See is the closest, then a tie for second at 17 degrees for Hershey and Reese.

Just one distant cousin - Mr. Peanut Butter Cups.

Answer 13

I am 29 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren, 24 degrees from Sam Born, 19 degrees from John Cadbury, 20 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli, 17 degrees from Milton Hershey, 31 degrees from Abel Hoadley, 29 degrees from Cornelis Jamin, 31 degrees from Henri Nestlé, 19 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese (18 cousin 2x), 17 degrees from Mary See, 26 degrees from Izaak van Melle and 29 degrees from David Loring.  

Answer 14

16 degrees from John Cadbury.

17 degrees from Harry Burnett Reece. 15th cousin twice removed. MRCA Thomas Bradshaigh (abt 1390 - ?).

18 degrees from Milton Hershey.

19 degrees from Mary See.

21 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli.

22 degrees from Sam Born.

24 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren.

26 degrees from Izaak van Melle.

28 degrees from Cornelis Jamin.

29 degrees from Abel Hoadley.

30 degrees from Henri Nestle.

Answer 15

Chocolate is my downfall. Give me death by chocolate! I am particularly fond of See's candy, but no relation. I am related to one candy maker:

Harry Burnett Reese: 20 degrees and 18th cousins 3xr

Other relatively close by degrees, but no relation are:

19 degrees: Domingo Ghirardelli; 21 degrees: Mary See and Milton Hershey; 22 degrees: John Cadbury; 27 degrees: Adolf Ahlgren, Sam Born and Izaak van Melle;  29 degrees: Abel Hoadley; 31 degrees: Cornelis Jamin and 33 degrees: Henri Nestle

Yummmmm...chocolate, I need chocolate, right now!

Answer 16

I have a weakness for chocolate and Easter candies, so this was a fun one to do.  My closest connection was 17 degrees from Milton Hershey, no blood relation.

Only one relative in this group:

Harry Reese (I love his peanut butter cups!) -- 9th cousins, twice removed

Answer 17

18 degrees from H.B. Reese, who is also a distant cousin--18th cousin, twice removed

Answer 18

Harry Burnett Reese and I are 22nd cousins five times removed

18 Degrees from Mary See

19 Degrees from Milton Hershey

Answer 19

29 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren, 25 degrees from Sam Born, 19 degrees from John Cadbury, 21 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli, 16 degrees from Milton Hershey, 26 degrees from Abel Hoadley, 26 degrees from Cornelis Jamin, 31 degrees from Henri Nestlé, 16 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese, 18 degrees from Mary See, 25 degrees from Izaak van Melle 

While these are my confectionary connections to famous folks, my actual closest confectioner is my Great Grandfather George Roscoe Stewart (1891-1916) who owned his own store in Clovis, New Mexico.  The store also had a lunch counter in it according to my Grandma Charlotte who was his daughter.  He was unable to fill his confectionary dreams to fulfillment because he died of Neuritis at the age of 25.

Answer 20

I guess it should be no surprise... my favorite candy - Reeses - came out on top. 

• 15 degrees from Harry Burnett Reese (16th cousins, 2x removed)
• 18 degrees from John Cadbury
• 18 degrees from Mary See
• 19 degrees from Milton Hershey
• 21 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli
• 25 degrees from Sam Born
• 27 degrees from Izaak van Melle
• 27 degrees from Cornelis Jamin
• 29 degrees from Adolf Ahlgren
• 29 degrees from Abel Hoadley
• 31 degrees from Henri Nestlé