Who is my granddaddy?

Dear Family,

Guess we should be careful what we say about former presidents George Herbert Walker Bush and George Walker Bush. They are our distant cousins!

Jim and Elliot at Guernsey reunion

Grandson Elliot Anderson Mitchell made this discovery while tracing our Guernsey/Garnsey genealogy.

To follow his findings you can press here.

Mehitable Garnsey will be in Generation 4, line 6 and G.H. Bush will be in generation 13, line 34.

Mehitable Garnsey was daughter of our John Garnsey b, 1648 Dorchester Mass and Elizabeth (Titus?) b. 1651. Bristol, Ma.. Mehitable Garnsey was the gggg-grandmother of President G. H. Bush.

Thanks again to Elliot’s study, our relation to the Presidents are as follows;

My first cousins and I would be 7th cousins, three times removed, of President G.W. Bush…and 7th cousins, twice removed of the former President G. H. Bush.

Our children would be 8th cousins, twice removed, of President G. W. Bush and 8th cousins, once removed of President G. H. Bush.

Our grandchildren would be 9th cousins, once removed of President G.W. Bush and 9th cousins of President G.H. Bush.

(We are “removed” because we have fewer generations between our common ancestor, John Garnsey, than the Presidents do), If this is difficult to follow you might have to contact Elliot, all I am sure of is we share the same g—–grandfather, John Garnsey.

Kathleen and GWB

The pretty girl to the left is our granddaughter, Kathleen Castleberry. While attending the University of Oklahoma she had the opportunity to do an internship at the Executive Offices in Washington D.C.. The President hosted a picnic for employees and interns and she had the opportunity to have this picture taken.

IF she had known at that time that they were related, the picture might have been of “kissing cousins.”

Hope all is well,

Jim Lee

Guernsey Grandparent Lineage

(Originally written on 01/13/11)

Dear Family,

Time for another story about our Grandparents. I have learned even more from the reply of our cousins. Looking forward to hearing more about some of our ancestors achievements. Corrections are also appreciated. Below is our lineage as far back as I have been able to research.

Granddad Elmer J. Guernsey, born 1863, Quincy, Illinois. married Madalena Honderick, b. 1865, Pulask, Iowa

Madalena Guernsey

: Elmer J. Guernsey

Great Granddad, James Guernsey, b. 1825, Vermont, m. Deborah Hansen, b. 1826 New York

G.G.. Granddad, John Guernsey, b. 1790, New York, m. Laura Curtis, b. 1792 Massachusetts.

GGG. Granddad, James GARNSEY,, b. 1758, Massachusetts. m. Sarah Roe, b. 1758.

GGGG. Granddad, Solomon Garnsey, b. 1727, Rehoboth, Mass., m. Elizabeth Bowen. b. 1732.

GGGGG. Granddad, John Garnsey, b, 1696, Swansea, Mass., m. Elizabeth Titus, b. 1691,

GGGGGG. Granddad, John Garnsey, b. 1648, Rehoboth, Mass. m. Elizabeth (?)

GGGGGGG Granddad, Henry Garnsey, b. 1620, Dorchester, Mass. m. Hannah Munnings, b. 1629, England.*

GGGGGGGG Granddad, Henry GARNZEY, b. 1587, Bath England, m. ?

GGGGGGGGG Granddad, John Garnzey, b. 1561, England, m. Mary (?), b. 1563, England.

*Several of the descendants of Henry Garnsey, b. 1620, made important marks (taken from Dorothy Lee’s research).

Orrin Guernsey in 1846/47, was one of a five man National Peace Commission which negotiated a treaty with the Sioux Indian Tribes.

This lead to the opening of the Northwest Territory.

Alfred Hudson Guernsey was a distinguished author and editor from many years of Harper’s Magazine and was editor with Henry . M Alden of Harper’ Pictorial History of the Civil War.

Granddad Elmer J. Guernsey brother Charlie, was in the 1889 run for Oklahoma and owned a farm which is now the Stockyard City

in Oklahoma City. He also participated in the Cheyenne-Arapaho land run and got the land where Strong City was built.

Fast forward a hundred years or so, one of our cousins has distinguished herself. Cathy McGregor Stocker was recently honored in a Retirement Dinner and Celebrity Roast for her 28 years of service as District Attorney.