Marrying a Cousin – Part 4

My previous posts on this topic have all involved my family – myself and my wife, my parents, and my grandparents. This last one involves my wife’s parents.

At first glance, one wonders how such a thing could happen, as my wife’s mother is descended from primarily English stock, with long roots in New England – including ancestors who came over on the Mayflower. And my wife’s father’s ancestors were primarily from Canada with linkages back to the Dutch settlers in New Netherlands (before it was taken over by the British and renamed New York). But here is the story behind how their family trees are intertwined.

Their common ancestor is Robert Fuller (1548-1614) who lived in Redenhall, England. Robert had two sons, Samuel (1580-1633) and Edward (1575-1621). Samuel and Edward, together with Edward’s wife and son Samuel (just a young lad at the time), both came to Massachusetts in 1620 on the Mayflower. But Edward and his wife were among those who did not survive that first winter. It’s quite possible that Samuel, their son, was then raised by his uncle. Samuel’s wife, whom had been left behind in Holland, joined him in America in 1623.

The descendant chains to my wife’s parents were as follows:

Robert Fuller (1548-1614)

Samuel Fuller (1580-1633)

Samuel Fuller (1624-1695) – born after Samuel’s wife rejoined him in Plymouth, married a granddaughter of William Brewster

Samuel Fuller (1658-1727)

Seth Fuller (1692-1773)

Deborah Fuller (1733-1758), married Joseph Tinkham

Joseph Tinkham (1757-1822), moved to Palmyra, NY

Molly Tinkham (1787-1874), married Lewis Bedford, moved to Geauga, OH

Amelia Bedford (1821-1891), married Andrew Jackson Barrows

Abigail Barrows (1841-1920), married Jonah Wright, moved to Antrim County, MI

Frank Wright (1879-1957)

Mary Ellen Wright (1924-2010)

Robert Fuller (1548-1614)

Edward Fuller (1575-1621)

Samuel Fuller (1612-1683)

John Fuller (1655-1725), moved from MA to CT with his family

Samuel Fuller (1682-1757)

Mary Fuller (1721-aft 1680), married Thomas Millard

The Millards were not in favor of the colonists during the run-up to the Revolutionary War. They requested and were granted asylum in Canada. Their daughter Sarah was born in Pennsylvania during the long trip from Connecticut to Ontario.

Sarah Millard (1771-1837), married Edward Turner

Nancy Turner (1805-1936), married David Sicklesteel

Sarah Sicklesteel (1824-1896), married Charles Kitchen, moved to Antrim County, Michigan

Nancy Kitchen (1849-1936), married Christopher Swaney

Rachel Swaney (1883-1955), married William Duba

Gertrude Duba (1901-1972), married Archie VanDeCar

Charles VanDeCar (1923-2005)

That means that my wife’s parents were 10^th cousins, once removed. Neither of them were aware of this connection when they married. When I began my genealogical research and was able to discover the chain back to the Mayflower for my mother-in-law, she was pleasantly surprised. I was not able to do this level of research for my father-in-law until after he passed away, especially as his roots were all back into Canada until before the Revolutionary War.