Direct Descendants (definition)

[withdeanwombat]

As a rule of thumb I reckon if I can say XXX is my ggg grandfather or ggg grandmother then I am a direct descendant of that person. If I have to use words like great uncle or great aunt then I am related but not in the direct line. My father's mother is still my grandmother as far as I am concerned!!

This sounds good to me.........and Robert's your father's brother!

[MythicalMarian]

When I started I decided to concentrate on the sixteen family names (eight on my side and eight on my husband's) that make up my son's great great grandparents. I decided I had to stop somewhere, and would only research the male line back from there. But then all these interesting women kept marrying in to the family just begging to be researched.....

I know - isn't it great when you discover a new 'grandma'? And of course, as everyone has said, a direct descendant is a xxx great grandparent. This is why I love discovering the new ladies: you start out knowing you're a Stokes, a Turner and a Hayes; but later on you'll find you're also a Pearson, a Barnes and a Williamson.

There's nothing to beat that little rush when you see a new mum on a birth certificate or in a parish register, and welcome the lady and her antecedents into the Tree.

[Guy Etchells]

A person is the direct descendant of their parents, grand parents etc.
If you look at the chart at the foot of my consanguinity page at
https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....s/affinity.htm

The top row shows direct descendants as does the left column.
If you work diagonally the people are related but not a direct relationship.
Cheers
Guy

[apehangmom]

Off the subject a little....I agree that the study of the great great grandmothers seem to be the forgotten lot. But isnt the link to say a "famous grandfather '' through a daughter... the best find... I think that the women are the forgotten ancestor.. .. (But I am finding some smart and proud women kept the names in circulation.. and this goes back to the THREAD OF MIDDLE NAMING PRACTICES.. The women who tired to keep there history alive with the naming practices...by naming there children middle name with there maiden name... that is also a hidden clue to brick wallers.. not always but a possiblilty.) I think that with modern technology ( being more people are becoming interested in genealogy and entering there records on line) Its going to be easier to find those lost women ancestors that we are direct decendants of. thanks chris

[JaniceForrester]

I'm no expert either, but I work on the basis that any individual, male or female, is a direct descendant of both parents, all 4 grandparents, all eight great grandparents etc etc. There is no differentiation between male and female.
Perhaps your "informant" has the convoluted perception that in the past the male line has been the line of inheritance, being direct, and therefore all other lines are not direct. That doesn't make much sense to me. Sounds a slight chauvanistic!!

Michael

You are correct Michael on your definition of direct descendants.
"A lineal descendant, in legal usage, is a blood relative in the direct line of descent – the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. of a person."