A riddle for you, confusing family ties?

Question

I have just been look at a few extracts from papers from Licolnshire and the surrounding area and I found this very odd article. 

14th February 1784 - 'There is now living in the parish of Systen (Syston), near Grantham, a family remarkable for the following kindred, viz:- A grandfather 70 years of age, and near 20 stone in weight, and lately married to his fifth wife, now a grandmother of about 20 years of age; also a grand-daughter, 2 husbands, 2 wives, 2 mothers, one son and 4 daughters, 2 brothers, 3 sisters and 1 uncle, 2 aunts, a niece and two cousins; yet notwithstanding their consanguinity and affinity, this family consists of only six persons' - Ipswich Journal

I just don't quite get how this could work without some serious incest!
Any ideas?

Just to add you can access these articles here http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/lfhs/NewspaperExtracts/1780Listing.htm
They cover the Licolnshire area from 1780-1929.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The line "fifth wife, now a grandmother of about 20 years" gives it away. The 20-year old is really a step-grandmother. If they count her as a grandmother, then she is also being counted as mother to the children by previous wives. The other five people are being counted two or tree times too.

moose · Answer

1. Grandpa____ (He is a husband)_(He is someones brother, though the sibling does not live there)

#2. Grandpa's wife____ (she is also someones granddaughter, not necessarily his)_(she is Grandpa's son's step-mother)_(She has two parents. To both of them she is a daughter, so hence two daughters}_{She is aunt-by-marriage to her step-son's niece)_{She is a sister to her siblings)

#3. Grandpa's son ____(He is a husband)_(He is brother and his sibling does not live there) _{He is uncle to his siblings children)_{She is aunt-by-marriage to her husbands niece)

#4. Grandpa's son's wife____(She is a mother)_(She also has two parents, hence tow daughters)_{She is a sister to her siblings

#5. Grandpa's son's niece (She and Grandpa's son's daughter are cousins)

#6. Grandpa's son's daughter (She has a sibling that does not live there)_(She and Grandpa's son's niece are cousins

? · Answer

Quite simply, this grandfather married five times.  These are all of his offspring that were produced from the totality of his five marriages.

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A riddle for you, confusing family ties?

3 Answers