I don't get why people say so-&-so is a "direct descendant" of someone

[Bucky]

Like I have a friend at work who says he's a "direct descendant of the Mayflower families." Is there any such thing as an "indirect" descendant? Does "direct" mean patrilinear? I don't think so, since I've seen the phrase used by people who make the claim about famous ancestors, yet do not have the same last name (which is the usual sign of patrilinear descent).

I don't think indirect descendant would mean you're related but the famous person is not a great-great-great grand whatever. Technically, that would make them a cousin at ten or twenty or however-many removes (for instance your uncle is a first cousin once removed, a great aunt is a first cousin twice removed, etc). But if your great-great-great-great grandfather was just the brother of Robert E Lee or Sun Yat-sen, you don't really descend from that famous person at all. So you can't say you're an indirect descendant.

So why do people say "direct descendant"? Would indirect mean, like, say, Horatio Hornblower was your step-great-great-great-great grandfather?

[qwertyMike]

1. Aren't we all...

Genetically descended from one of two females in the west African region.
Some say we ALL hold a gene of just one female. I'm hazy on that. Any geneticists on board?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. A direct descendant means

that your parent had a parent who had a parent who had a parent...who was a child of Famous Person X. In other words, Famous Person X was your great-great-great-+ parent.

Genealogists use another word (which escapes me at this point) for the situation in which your parent had a parent who had a parent who had a parent...who was the niece or nephew of Famous Person X.

[northzax]

3. I think that's and "indirect descendant"

coming from a different branch of the same family tree. But there could be a more precise term.

[achtung_circus]

4. I have a friend who honestly believes

based on his mother's maiden name of Shaw, that he is a direct decendant of George Bernard Shaw. I have pointed out that Shaw was a confirmed, life-long bachelor. It doesn't seem to matter, or penetrate his head.

[pagerbear]

5. Oh, a "confirmed bachelor" eh?

[achtung_circus]

6. I sit corrected

Google is our friend.

In 1898, after a serious illness, Shaw resigned as theatre critic, and moved out of his mother's house (where he was still living) to marry Charlotte Payne-Townsend, an Irish woman of independent means. Their marriage (quite possibly sexually unconsummated) lasted until Charlotte's death in 1943.

My point, lack of progeny, remains valid. My confirmed bachelor comment was apparently made without factual basis.

This is not always a problem. I try to ensure mouth is open before inserting foot.

Nice use of "eh" in your post, eh.

[King Of Paperboys]

8. Methinks PB's "eh" had an agenda all its own...

;)

[achtung_circus]

9. "eh" is a plastic word

the meaning can be adapted to any situation. If the universe permitted only one word, eh would be my choice.

[Beaker]

7. i'm a direct descendant of Sam Houston.

something like 4 greats of a grandfather.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. Shaw was married

but I don't think he had any kids. He had a longtime 'affair' (carried on by post) with a Mrs. Terry as well.

But just because one's surname is Shaw doesn't make one a relative of G.B. Shaw. I have Shaws in my family tree, but I know they don't hook up with G.B. If one is related to someone famous, it is more likely that the surnames are different-you've got all your female relatives who add all of them, you know.

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. And I don't understand why people even f-ing care

Anything more than a few generations back, and the number of people who are a direct descendant is HUGE.

Like the Mayflower assholes - at this point, I bet there are millions of people who are descendant of Mayflower people.

Or people who say they come from, say, King Henry. Yeah, you and 400 million other people, moron. Who cares? Do you have any of the famous person's money? Still have their estate? Are you still being invited to state functions? No? Then who cares?

Hell, I bet I'm a direct descendant of Caesar, Abraham, Lao-Tzu (assuming he had children), King Henry V, and Mozart.

So what?

[Liberal Classic]

12. This is opposed to being a cousin

Such as a first, second, or third cousin related through a common aunt or uncle, or once, twice, or three times removed related through a common grandparent.

[jarab]

13. Taking a stab at the original question ...

I believe the original intent of the use of "direct descendant" meant on the paternal line only. One is a direct descendant of his father, his father's father, etc.

One is not a "direct descendant" of his mother's paternal line as I understand it from the original use of the words. Therefore, I think the intent - though corrupted - would have initially required first and foremost that one who made this claim would have to carry that same surname of the one being linked to (paternal).

Through time, many have extended that "direct descendant" claim to the mother's lineage.

mho
...O...

[RoadRunner]

14. ...O..., where in the hell have you been?

Been missing you, dude. Have you been on vacation?

Back to topic, I think you are right on the direct descendant thing, at least that's the way we did it in the south.

[nightperson]

15. As far as I know,

the four descents are
1."collateral" (indirect, meaning pretty much any provable blood relative from the past, this is the biggest category and the most confused/exaggerated),
2."direct" or "lineal" (meaning any male or female who was your great-great-great-etc. grandparent,
3."in the direct male line" or "patrilineal" (meaning the Y chromosome descent only, your father's father's father's father's father etc.).
4."matrilineal", meaning your mother' mother's mother's mother etc. only.