People you know who turn out to be distantly related to you.

[coombs]

For example you help a friend/neighbour/boss etc with genealogy, and find they are distant family.

A couple of years ago I found out that a lifelong friend was a distant cousin. I helped her do her family tree and found 2 of our ancestors Henry Stock and Emma Ford lived in the same village in the 1870s. Further research proved that Henry and Emma shared ancestors from the late 1600s.

Shows how often we find it is a small world.

[YatesJones]

I discovered I was distantly related to one of the guys I used to work with - wouldnt mnd if I actually liked him! 

[Sinann]

My sister's best friend was temporally related to us before we were all born
Her grand aunt was married to my grand uncle for 3 years but he died and she later remarried.

[Rosinish]

When I was at school (in another County) for 1 yr aged 9/10 yrs (1970/71), I had 2 good friends/best pals who I lost touch with when I came home.

FF...27 yrs (1998), when on holiday, I got in touch & visited one of those friends (still in touch) who told me my other friend had married, moved & where to but had no more details (they weren't close friends with each other) although knew each other & got on (from different areas).

FF...another 16 yrs (2014), I received a facebook message from the other friend asking if I was the girl she recalled with a few bits of info. about me (not giving too much away), I was over the moon!

Meanwhile, I'd done masses of research on my paternal g/mothers' line & had both their g/parents lines but nothing coming forward i.e. their parents & children.

While conversing with the 2nd friend, the subject of genealogy came up (she owns a B & B) & has many guests tracing their roots.

Anyway, it turns out I'm 5th cousin to both & they're 4th cousins to each other which of course I only found out 4 yrs ago i.e. able to add all the up-to-date info. for us all.

Annie

[BenRalph]

I am my girlfriend's dad's first cousins 8x removed (I think that's how I worked it out). We both have the same 7x great grandparents. His direct ancestor (the child of the 7x ggp) moved from Suffolk to Norfolk in the early 1800s and that line came to Leeds in the 1900s. Mine stayed in Suffolk until 1865 when they went to Germany and then to Leeds in 1898.

My parents have the same 7 or 8x great grandparents too, both from Coxwold. They're witnesses on each others marriages.

[coombs]

Seems it is more common than you think. Obviously you can go to school with siblings, cousins or 2nd cousins, but it may not always be known if you are 3rd or 4th cousins. You could have a nuisance neighbour who is actually your 10th cousin.

Reggie Kray died just 10 miles away from where I live, and I had a few of the Krays autobiographies, but then 9 years later I found out he is my 8th cousin through a East End line. I never knew him but did show some interest in him.

[Top-of-the-hill]

    I found out a few years ago through my research, that I was 4th cousin of two girls I was at primary school with, and 3rd cousin to one of my friends at secondary school. In both cases we are once removed, as I am descended from a line of last children, which puts the generations adrift.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Never ever found anything like that ... probably because I've lived and worked in a different area to where my mob were B,M, and D, but it must be interesting to have it happen .... and what happens if they are the one who tells you... and you can't stand the person???

[Finley 1]

Never mind people   its places for me..

I was born in Leicester and KNEW only that my Dads dad was Scottish and his Mum Leicester and Moms  family came from Leicester ---

Well a few years ago we moved to a Leicestershire village   never heard of it before...

and suddenly every village within a 10mile radius .. I had some kind of rellie born, married or died..

its great for visiting the actual villages of them..  but these rellies are from 3 sides.. paternal /maternal and maternal /both sides...

etc ...

xin