Double Relationship Notice

bekasu

Currently, when you select a person and click on the 'relationship' link, it looks through all the connections apparently through the paternal line first. If the computer finds a valid relationship, a new page is displayed with the lineage for yourself and the linage for the person you requested.

Then the 'relationship' is identified (e.g., 10 cousin once removed)

However, if you have a dual relationship, that is, I'm related the individual via my father (paternal) but I am also related to the individual via my mother (maternal), I would never be notified that I'm related through the maternal line.

Would it be possible to request the relationship to the individual and select whether the paternal or the maternal line is searched and not assume that the paternal line is always what the relationship should be based upon?

Gordon Collett

The relationship viewer's limitation is that it alway stops at the closest relationship. You can use Relative Finder to easily find all relationships between two people: https://www.relativefinder.org/#/main

Also, the closest relationship does not always seem to mean the closest direct line if there is a shortcut through a spouse that makes a less direct relationship "shorter."

I agree that it would be a nice, and probably not too complex, to be able to choose which parental line to look at. Having it check all relationships is probably more than we can ever hope for due how involved that could be. (My wife's parents are related to each other nineteen different ways.)

bekasu

RelativeFinders limitations seem to have me caught in limbo, it cannot find my maternal line even if I choose the individual I know is linked via my cousin (mom's brother).

I'm not looking for all possible relationships; just the option to the the 'shortest path' be on either my paternal OR my maternal line.

And I'm not sure how it defines 'shortest path', I'm related as a 10 cousin, once removed on my paternal line where as my cousin is related to the same person through what would be my maternal line and its a 9th cousin twice removed. I would think that same path would be 'shorter' for me; however, I got the longer 10 generation link. Seems confusing.

dontiknowyou

@bekasu what I do with RelativeFinder in this situation is I print out the relationship path between the two parties of interest and go through every profile on it. I remove any duplicate links to one parent; meaning children attached to a parental couple and also to one parent alone. I remove the one parent link. I also examine the sources for proof that each parent-child relationship is supported by evidence. I make notes of the level of support on the printout. Weak spots need research, and may prove to be incorrect.

Your "in limbo" experience suggests to me that there is a duplicate one-parent link along the path. Look for that and please let us know what you find.

bekasu

Thanks for the tip. Sounds like a good plan. I really appreciate you taking time to not only recommend it but also provide the 'how to'.