Long Lost Relations


I can get a big sense of accomplishment when I find an ancestor from the 18th century or earlier.  Like putting a puzzle piece in place, I think that now I can understand my lineage.

The victory is short-lived when you think of the whole picture.  Looking at all of my identified ancestors by generation shows the marked drop-off once you go out six generations.  I may know all 16 of my great-great-grandparents and 75% of my 32 great-great-great-grandparents, but after that the percentages of each generation are low.

The seven ancestors born near the beginning of the 18th century are out of a total of 512 ancestors from that generation (intermarriage notwithstanding).  One well-research branch of the family yielded a whopping eleven ancestors born in the late 1500s.  I only have 8,181 ancestors yet to find of that generation (my great^11 grandparents).




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