"VIEW MY RELATIONSHIP" QUESTION
I have saved/followed several people (typically of historical relevance), the more recent ones I KNOW I have been off of my father's side, but when I view my relationship to the saved person, it comes down through my mothers' side. I know there is a high possibility of being related on both sides, but why doesn't it show me both sides? I want to be able to share some of these finds with my father, but it keeps saying it's through my mothers' side. I'm a bit confused.
Thanks in advance for your advise.
Answers
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In the help article How does the relationship viewer determine how I am related to someone? you will read that "You can be related to someone else in multiple ways. The calculator displays the shortest relationship path between the two of you."
So in your situation, it seems clear that the people you are looking at just happen to have a closer relationship on your mother's side. Since FamilySearch only shows the shortest path, that's all you see.
If you want to see more relationship options, one helpful option is to use RelativeFinder.org. That is a partner site that uses your FamilySearch login so that it can use your Family Tree data in calculating relationships. It has a feature (on the Connect menu) that will show how you are related to a deceased person. When it does that, it will show you several ways that you are related (if available).
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It could be that your Father's tree may not be developed enough to find that connection. If you can build up his tree until it connects with a larger longer tree then that connection might show up. I know my spouses tree goes back through Pilgrams and early American settlers and often my relationships also go through him instead of my tree because the family tree goes back so much further.
Often the common ancestor is in 15 or 16 hundreds.
Good luck with your research
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