Is there anyone out there who is related to the US 16th President (“Honest Abe?” [closed]

Question

I always knew that President Lincoln was related to us, as my late paternal Grandmother proudly kept impeccable handwritten records (family tree) of it, but never knew the exact relation. Now, after building part of my family tree, I found out that he is my 5th cousin, 4 times removed, basically a “distant cousin.” His 4th great grandparents (“Sam the Weaver” Lincoln and Martha Lyford Lincoln) are my 8th great grandparents. Anyone else?

Comments

I am 7th cousin 5x removed from President Lincoln. Our shared ancestor, Richard Whitman, was born in England about 1570! Although Richard Whitman never made it to this continent, he's had a big influence - he's not only a direct ancestor of Walt Whitman (through son Zachariah), President Lincoln (through his son John), but also Presidents Bush and James Garfield (through his daughter Elizabeth & Thomas Stream). Richard Whitman's profile is  wiki/Whitman-94.

---

I'm trying to find information about this my grandmother always told me and my kids that Abraham Lincoln is my dad's 32nd cousin and my 33rd cousin but now she has passed away my grandfather Elwood Leon Fetterolf  also passed away so if anyone can possibly help me I'd greatly appreciate it

---

Maybe she was making a joke.  At that level of connectedness, everyone is related to everyone else.  It's like saying you're descended from Charlamagne.  So what? So's everyone else.

---

Stu, while I might agree with your basic point, you may miss several other points re genealogy.  It's not so much to say that one is related to Charlemagne, its being able to trace the relationship through records and even become a vetted member of the Charlemagne Family.  When you consider life spans within each generation of ancestors, war, plague, migrations, and the multitudes of other calamities that have struck the human race in the last 3000 years, it's a wonder that a single person can trace back a direct line some 45 generations.

---

Yes I am related to President Lincoln.

---

According to Family Search, he is my 8th cousin, five times removed.  This is through my Vaughan line.

---

My Name is Bobby Angell Nancy Hanks Lincoln is my 5th great Aunt My great grandma Cordiella Hanks is the daughter of Albert Ellsworth hanks and he is the son of Ellsworth hanks who was the son of solomon hanks. Now Solomon is the son of Joshua hanks and Joshua hanks is the son of Joseph hanks brother to Nancy Hanks lincoln. My great grandmas Aunt cora mae hanks linenweber did a huge reasearch project on Nancy hanks and I always knew we was related from family notes but could not figure out how untill one day I received a biography my great grandma and her Aunt cora mae did way back when it was then I went to the lincoln memorial library and searched for my great grandmas name and was able to find it. Solomon hanks was best friends with Abraham and his family not just cousins. Anyone else related to us?

---

It is my understanding President Lincoln has no descendants now living, so DNA is not helpful.  However, if you are related to Nancy Hanks you are related to him.  If you think you are related through the Lincolns you probably are not, as it is widely believed that Lincoln’s biological father was a man named Abraham Enloe, who had been Nancy’s employer.  Enloe was a southerner and a man of higher intelligence than Thomas Lincoln, who, was just Lincoln’s stepfather.  Enloe had a large family, the youngest son of whom was interviewed about this long after the president’s death.  This man, Wesley Enloe, had the same long and lanky physique as the president.  He said he had always known the story of Nancy Hanks being a servant in the house and falling pregnant there.   This caused a difficulty in the Enloe marriage so his father sent Nancy away but paid for her to be cared for.  It was also said Lincoln was given money to marry her.  

Abraham Lincoln privately acknowledged this, even giving one of his Enloe nephews a commission even though he was a southerner and a democrat.   Lincoln and his heirs created a different myth about his background to cover up the illegitimacy.   He could not have succeeded in office if this was publicly known.   The people of western North Carolina who descend from Enloe have perpetuated the story.  That is DNA that should be tested.

---

Joseph hanks is my 5th great grandfather he is the father of Nancy Hanks lincoln and Nancy Shipley who is my 5th great grandmother. Cordiella Hanks daughter of Albert Ellsworth Hanks son of Solomon Hanks who is cousins with Nancy Hanks lincoln and was good friends with Abraham lincoln his cousin. Solomon is my 4th great grandfather. Cordiella Hanks married Robert Bailey Angell in Sibley IL he is my great grandfather he is my Grandpa's father. According to my 4th great Grandfathers obituary He was the last known decendant related to Abraham lincoln. According to ancestry Abraham lincoln is my 5th cousin 5 times removed I have all the information I need to email it to prove this. I am related only through the Hanks family.

---

He is my 3rd cousin 7 times removed.

Answer 1

I, Stephen Alan Greene, am the 8th great grandson of Samuel Lincoln & Martha Lyford, the 4th great grandparents of President Abraham Lincoln. So a direct descendant of President Lincoln's 4th Great grandfather. Therefore President Lincoln would be a distant cousin of mine. My connection is thru my Adeline Lincoln French who married my 2nd Great Grandfather Andrew Nash Green. My grandfather was born in Hingham, Ma as were most of Samuel Lincoln's kids. I would love to hear from any of my Lincoln relatives.

Stephen Alan Greene COL, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Comments

Hi closest cousin and thank you for your service.  

I am the 8th great granddaughter of “Sam the Weaver” and Martha Lyford Lincoln. Not only do I have numerous ancestors in Hingham, MA going back to the 1600’s, but I currently live next door in Hull, MA. My family stayed in the south shore and I grew up in Canton, Massachusetts.

After Samuel, I descend down from his son, Daniel, and then his son, Hezekiah, his son, Hezekiah, his son, Obadiah, his daughter, Sarah, her daughter, Mary, her daughter, Mabel, her daughter, Helen (my late “Nana”), my late “Dad,” Leonard, and then me.

I don’t know if you happened to catch the post above this one about “Honest Abe” possibly not having a Lincoln father? I’m still stunned.

---

Hello relatives! I am also related to Abraham Lincoln. He is my 1st cousin six times removed. His uncle, Josiah Lincoln is my 5th great-grandfather. Samuel Lincoln is my 10th great-grandfather.

---

I have read about the rumor about a possible different father. I have doubts because of the following: Abe Lincoln’s mother, Nancy, was a very tall, slender woman. 

Abe’s 1st cousins and uncles have a strong resemblance, shorter but very similar faces (documented). 

Physical and facial similarities have also passed down on my fathers side as well. 

I’m curious to explore this more. 

http://lincolnmythsandrumors.house-of-lynn.com/Lincoln%27sParentage.html

---

My late Dad had the Abe height and facial structure as do myself and one of my sisters.

---

Hey Stephanie, I'm first cousin 5 times removed with licoln.

---

So I only found out today I am the 5 cousin 6x removed of Abraham Lincoln and I am still questioning it. 

https://www.ancestry.com/stories/losp?storyid=8qVerKvwezSVd1qEkEKbH7RXZB0m5kFYbA4q5mxEhRyPJG10GWCdbyEZlQ9q&userid=ewngnljEAWH7Er5OXm5osZQDMPZvnQUXEVmqO3yyCplYwJDlzJSymV8xQmBx

---

I'm trying to find information about this my grandmother always told me and my kids that Abraham Lincoln is my dad's 32nd cousin and my 33rd cousin but now she has passed away my grandfather Elwood Leon Fetterolf  also passed away so if anyone can possibly help me I'd greatly appreciate it

---

Andrew, If Abraham Lincoln is your 33rd cousin, that would mean that you and he share 32nd great grandparents. Back that many generations, you're probably related to just about everyone here on WikiTree (or in the world, for that matter). To find out you would need to add your parents to WikiTree, then their parents (your grandparents), then their parents (your great grandparents), etc. until you're back to your 32nd great grandparents. I think your grandmother was teasing you.

---

Ok thanks it's been on my mind and I've wondering about it since she passed away but thanks anyway

Answer 2

Lol, I think you're going to see a lot of people related to him. I have no less than 165 ancestors in common with him.

Answer 3

15th cousins 6 times removed. But that is probably pretty speculative, considering how far back that is.

Answer 4

We used to be 6th cousins five times removed, according to Relationship Finder. Most recent common ancestors were Watertown, Massachusetts, early settlers William Hammond and Elizabeth Paine.

Now Relationship Finder shows us as 17th cousins, several times removed (I forget the details).

I count this as progress. It means that some bogus genealogical connections have been expunged from WikiTree.

But I'd be pleased if we could find the relationship between his Lincoln ancestors in Hingham, Norfolk, England, and my Lincoln ancestors in that same town. I trace ancestry to Thomas Lincoln the Husbandman who immigrated to Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1638, while Abraham is descended from a brother of Thomas Lincoln the Weaver who immigrated a few years earlier and was in Hingham, Massachusetts by 1635.

Answer 5

Abraham Lincoln and I are 15th cousins, once removed. We both share Richard Charlton-25, as a Great Grandfather, born 1450, Apley, Shropshire, England. Richard Charlton is a descendant of a Magna Carta Surety Baron.

Answer 6

Not related as far as I know, but his uncle Mordecai married my second cousin (7x removed) Mary Mudd (she was the first cousin twice removed of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was tried as a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination), and I have a few other family connections; my 4th great-uncle by marriage Mathew Brady photographed Lincoln several times (the portraits on the penny and the five dollar bill are based on photos taken in his studio), and my third great-grandfather Washington Coleman operated a grain mill in Nelson County, Kentucky on Doe Run Creek that was built in the early 1800's and later turned into an inn; one of the stonemasons was Thomas Lincoln (Abe's father).

Answer 7

17th Cousins twice removed.

Comments

Me, too! 17th cousins twice removed. Our common ancestor is Margery (Venables) de Bulkeley B 1379 in Cheshire, England.

Answer 8

He's my 12th cousin 8x removed.

Answer 9

19th cousin 4xremoved

Answer 10

21st cousins once removed.

Answer 11

Relationship Finder results:

Abraham and John are 7th cousins four times removed

Abraham Lincoln and John Kingman are both descendants of Richard Whitman.

Answer 12

According to the trusty and somewhat dusty relationship finder, I am Honest Abe's 7th cousin 6 times removed via this guy, Edward Gilman. 

However, if I go on Edward's page, it says that there's no proof of the connection and I am kind of lost. I would investigate further, but, I have other projects to work on.

Answer 13

I am a 5th cousin 6 times removed with Abraham Lincoln.  He is my closest connection to 32 of the 45 Presidents that I am related to. Fun and interesting information that is found on WikiTree.

Answer 14

I wanted so much to be related to my favorite President, Abraham Lincoln. It wasn't to be though.  I came close but not quite.  My 8th great aunt married into the Holmes family and  her sister-in-law was the 4th great grandmother of Abraham Lincoln.

Answer 15

Abraham Lincoln and I are 9th cousins 5X removed through common ancestor Robert Lincoln Sr. (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lincoln-368)

Answer 16

9th cousin 4 times removed.

Answer 17

I Am Related to Lincoln also he is my 6c6xr via Robert Lincoln Jr.

Answer 18

17th cousins once removed

Answer 19

And you can use this on your profile to document that relationship.

{{US President Relative|Lincoln-103}}

Comments

If your tree is big enough, you unsurprisingly find you're related to everyone. Wouldn't there be thousands of profile "relationship badges" to post for what purpose? For example, I'm "related to" several US presidents, several British prime ministers, British and French aristocracy, most of the Magna Carta Surety barons, several Mayflower passengers, dozens of Acadians, etc.

---

That's when free space pages come in handy.

---

Thanks for the link! I think it’s interesting to show who you’re related to.

Answer 20

10th cousins 4X removed.