Understanding relationships of ancestors to me. HELP.

[jettejjane]

try this

https://blog.genealogybank.com/genealogy-101-understanding-family-tree-relationships.html

 

Thanks, looks promising just had quick look.

[Mike in Cumbria]

So Mr X is your great great, great grandfather
Mr Y is his son - your great great great uncle

[Mike in Cumbria]

Because:
Your uncle is the sibling of one of your parents
Your great uncle is the sibling of your grandparent
Your great great uncle is the sibling of your great grandparent
Your great great great uncle is the sibling of your great great grandparent (ie the son of one of your 3 x great grandparents) - Mr Y.

[jettejjane]

So Mr X is your great great, great grandfather
Mr Y is his son - your great great great uncle

I can see where I have gone wrong, I think.  But am still confused and feeling thick. I will just accept I am related whatever my title is.

[Top-of-the-hill]

   In my family we call someone who may possibly be distantly related, a 52nd cousin.

[Sloe Gin]

Because:
Your uncle is the sibling of one of your parents
Your great uncle is the sibling of your grandparent
Your great great uncle is the sibling of your great grandparent
Your great great great uncle is the sibling of your great great grandparent (ie the son of one of your 3 x great grandparents) - Mr Y.

This is where the American version makes it clearer.
They say "grand uncle" instead of "great uncle".
So the number of "greats" matches, ie

Your grand uncle is the sibling of your grandparent
Your great grand uncle is the sibling of your great grandparent
Your great great grand uncle is the sibling of your great great grandparent

[Tickettyboo]

 as if my life isn't complicated enough . .

My 2x Great Granny - husband of a 2x Great Granda

is also

My 3x Great Aunt - sister of another 2x Great Granda

which explains why I don't venture into all the cousin (removed or otherwise) classifications, my head hurts enough without going into that territory :-)

Boo

[jettejjane]

Thanks everyone for your explanations, it’s a lot to take in.    ;DThink I will just stick with what I know, the great grandparents and great uncles and aunts, will look upon all others as some sort of cousins/distant relatives. I know they are related to me, but as to how? That will remain a mystery. In the grand scheme of things it’s not that important. It was just for an article I was writting for a magazine about the grandson (3 times murderer and  wife beater, an evil man)of my 3 great grandfather, it’s not really crucial to the story.

[Sloe Gin]

The simple way to determine the degree of cousinship is to count the number of generations between you and the common ancestor.

First cousins share grandparents so there is one generation in between (parents)
Second cousins share great-grandparents so there are two generations in between (parents, grandparents)
Third cousins share great-great grandparents so there are three generations in between (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)