This is one of my MOST EXCITING ancestral finds to date! The connection, albeit extremely distant, is with one of the most impressive U.S. Presidents of all time… Honest Abe is my 6th cousin, 5x removed. I said it was distant… hehe!

I posted yesterday about my connection to Obadiah Holmes, the incredible Baptist minister who was whipped for his beliefs. This amazing man was the 5th great-grandfather of another revolutionary figure who needs no introduction—the great emancipator, Abraham Lincoln!

When I first realized this connection, I literally had to sit down. Tracing centuries-old lines and seeing them converge in such a historically significant figure is one of those moments every genealogist dreams of.

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My Lineage

President Abraham Lincoln 1809–1865
6th cousin 5x removed
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Thomas Lincoln 1780–1851
Father of President Abraham Lincoln
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Capt. Abraham Lincoln 1744–1786
Father of Thomas Lincoln
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John Lincoln 1716–1788
Father of Capt. Abraham Lincoln
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Hannah Salter
Mother of John Lincoln
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Sarah Bowne 1669–1717
Mother of Hannah Salter
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Lydia Holmes 1637–1693
Mother of Sarah Bowne
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Rev. Obadiah Holmes 1610–1682
Father of Lydia Holmes
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Martha Holmes 1640–1711
Daughter of Rev. Obadiah Holmes
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Hannah Audley 1643–1685
Daughter of Martha Holmes
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Abigail Devol 1695–1719
Daughter of Hannah Audley
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Job Milk II 1725–1804
Son of Abigail Devol
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Sarah Milk 1749–1830
Daughter of Job Milk II
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Roger Moore 1775–1860
Son of Sarah Milk
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Olive Moore 1821–1871
Daughter of Roger Moore
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George Howard Richards 1855–1942
Son of Olive Moore
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Ambrose Richards 1885–1957
Son of George Howard Richards
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Benjamin George Richards 1916–1977
Son of Ambrose Richards
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Patrick James Richards 1954–2014
Son of Benjamin George Richards
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Tina Rose Richards
You are the daughter of Patrick James Richards

About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union and paved the way for the abolition of slavery.

In 1840, Lincoln became engaged to Mary Todd, who came from a wealthy slave-holding family in Lexington, Kentucky. They met in Springfield, Illinois, in December 1839 and were engaged the following December. A wedding set for January 1, 1841, was canceled when the couple broke off their engagement—but they later reunited and married on November 4, 1842, in the Springfield mansion of Mary’s married sister.

The Lincolns had four children:

• Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926) — the only child to live to adulthood and have descendants
• Edward Baker Lincoln (“Eddie”) (1846–1850) — likely died of tuberculosis
• William “Willie” Lincoln (1850–1862) — died of fever
• Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853–1871) — died of heart failure at age 18

On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected President, defeating Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell. He became the first Republican president.

On June 19, 1862, with Lincoln’s endorsement, Congress passed an act banning slavery on all federal territory. Lincoln also drafted the Emancipation Proclamation, which stated that, “as a fit and necessary military measure, on January 1, 1863, all persons held as slaves in the Confederate states will thenceforward, and forever, be free.” The proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862, and put into effect on January 1, 1863.

Lincoln was tragically assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre. His death occurred just five days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union Army, marking the near end of the Civil War. Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865.

In surveys of U.S. scholars ranking presidents conducted since the 1940s, Lincoln is consistently ranked in the top three, often as number one.

Reflections

Finding a direct connection—even a distant one—to Abraham Lincoln is mind-blowing. Coming from Canada, my ancestry is mostly contained within Quebec and Ontario, so this is the only line that stretches into the United States, all the way back to early colonial America.

I love how genealogy allows you to see history in your own bloodline. From Rev. Obadiah Holmes enduring persecution for his beliefs to Lincoln shaping a nation, this line is full of courage, conviction, and resilience.

It’s also exciting to remember that on my Canadian side, I’m related to Filles du Roi and Filles à Marier, the French women who immigrated to New France—the Canadian equivalent of the Mayflower. My family tree truly spans nations, centuries, and incredible stories.

Even if Abraham Lincoln is my distant cousin, the connection feels very real when you trace the lineage and imagine the lives of those who came before. One branch of my family tree leads straight to the man who helped shape the United States, and I can’t wait to see what other surprises my genealogy will reveal.

Tune in for the next blog to see what else I discover…

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