Relationship puzzle.

[terrysfamily]

A chap I used to work with a few years ago turned out to be what I would have called a relation but according to Family Tree maker isn’t……

His uncle and my uncle are the same person.

(names have been changed to hide identities and because I have such a bad memory for names I can’t remember them )

My mum’s sister married Charlie. Charlie had a brother named Winston. Winston had a son John (the chap I worked with) Therefore, Johns uncle Charlie and my uncle Charlie are the same person. John and I are not related!

Yet Family Tree Maker can say that I am related to the son of the father of the aunty 15 times removed but can not say that I am related to John.

Is this just a querk of the program or is it that we are not related?

[ChristineR]

I think that a relationship is defined by the sharing of common ancestors. Whilst you and 'John' both share 'Uncle Charlie', you do not share any ancestors in common. But you do so with "the son of the father of the aunty 15 times removed" !

[christanel]

John is the "blood" nephew of Charlie (but only a nephew by marriage to his wife, your Mum's sister) and you are the "blood" nephew of your Mum's sister but only a nephew by marriage to Charlie. As ChristineR said you do not share a common blood line.

[terrysfamily]

Thank you very much ChristineR and christanel, those are great answers that I actually understood. Why I couldn't work it out is beyond me . That's that sorted then .

Terry