Early this year I wrote a post about the Authors Card Game.

In the post I mentioned that I was very distantly related to the creator of the card game.

We both descend from Richard Bayford who was born in the 1500’s in Essex, England. We are seventh cousins, seven generations removed (7c7r).

Tonight I decided to share distant family connections to some of the Authors who are featured in the game.

I will start with Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have about the same degree of relationship with Hawthorne as I have to the creator of the card game. We both descend from Thomas Lawrence and Joan Antrobus who were married in 1609 in St. Albans, England. We are sixth cousins, seven generations removed (6c7r). OK, do you get the format? I will only use the xcxr format from now on in the post.

I have read all four books that are shown on the card. My favorite is The Scarlet Letter.

Next up we have Louisa May Alcott. We both descend from Robert Williams and Elizabeth Stalham who immigrated to the US from England in the 1600’s and lived in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Louisa is a 6c5r.

I have read all the books on the card except An Old-Fashioned Girl. I do have the book on my shelves and plan on reading it sometime soon.

I do not have a blood relationship with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but am related several ways to his wife Frances Appleton.

The closest relationship (7c2r) is through Robert Parke and Martha Chaplin who emigrated to Connecticut in the mid 1600’s. On the other side of my family I am related through Robert Williams and Elizabeth Stalham (6c5r).

I have read all four of these poems by Longfellow, but they do not include my favorite. Click on, Mr. Revere and I, to see why The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere is my favorite of his poems.

With James Fenimore Cooper the relationship is even more tenuous. In this case I am related to George Pomeroy who married his sister Ann Cooper.

However, it is a little bit closer relationship as my 5th great-grandfather Oliver Pomeroy was his third cousin (3c7r to me). We share common ancestry through Medad Pomeroy and Experience Woodward who lived in Northampton, Massachusetts in the late 1600’s.

But wait, we also share ancestry through Robert Parke and Martha Chaplain (5c4r) and Robert Williams and Elizabeth Stalham (4c7r). Even the authors have connections to each other.

I have not read The Spy, but have read the other three novels on the card. I guess I should try and find a copy. A synopsis I read sounds very interesting.

No, I am not related to William Shakespeare. However, Stratford-upon-Avon has shown up in my family history research. One of my ancestors was born there just seven years before Shakespeare.

Now for the interesting part.

My 12th great-grandfather John Smith was married to Alice Walker.

William Shakespeare and Alice’s brother Henry Walker were good friends and Shakespeare was godfather to Henry’s son William.

I have read all the plays listed on the card. Hamlet is probably my favorite of these.

I hope you enjoyed my little trip through books, history and genealogy.

Steven