Fellow researchers: I received this from a friend who received it from another list: I have another way of explaining family relationships which I think makes the relationships clear. First Cousins share common grandparents Second Cousins share great-grandparents Third Cousins share great-great-grandparents Fourth Cousins share g-g-g-grandparents Fifth Cousins share 4g-grandparents Etc. The "once-removed", etc. occurs when two individuals differ in the number of generations from the common ancestor. If the great-grandparent of one individual is the great-great grandparent of the second individual, the two are Second Cousins, Once-Removed. 1. To calculate the relationship, find the closest common ancestor. 2. Determine the degree of "cousinship" from the above table or a continuation of it. 3. Determine the number of generations that the more distant is individual further removed from the common ancestor. This is the number of "Times Removed". Example 2. An individual's 4g-grandparent is the second individual's 6g-grandparent. They are Fifth Cousins, (share 4g-gp), Twice- Removed (6g-gp - 4g-gp). Hope this helps. Note: Genealogies which number individuals using the Modified Henry System, permit calculating the relationship directly from the individual's numbers. In the Modified Henry System, each individual's number represents his family line in the family being discussed. The number of digits is the number of generations from the first listed ancestor. The value of a digit represents the birth order, (when known), with a, b, c, etc representing children 10, 11 and 12 (for larger families). Letters at the end of the alphabet may be used when birth-order is unknown. A "." is often used to provide a break every 5 generations to aid in counting. Example: Two individual's # 143a6.84. and 14358.1246. They share the first three generation (to 143.). # 143 is the 2g-gp of the older individual and the 4g-gp of the second individual. This makes them Third Cousins, Twice-Removed. Thanks to Cynthia Brott Biasca who used this system in her book,