Have you ever wondered how two seemingly separate family lines might be related?
While reading a genealogy article about the family of Patrick Crawford from Augusta County, Virginia, I began to wonder whether his line might be related to the James Crawford line of Garrard County, Kentucky. To explore this possibility, I turned to ChatGPT for help.
I asked whether the FamilySearch tree could show how two individuals are related. The response explained how to view my relationship to someone else on the tree—but when it comes to comparing two deceased individuals, the suggestion was to use Relative Finder.
On the Relative Finder site, I clicked CONNECT, then chose “See Relationship between Two Deceased People.” I entered the following FamilySearch IDs:
- LZ58-W9R — John Crawford, father of James Crawford (who married Martha Knight) and brother of the James who married Rebecca Anderson
- L41K-QNP — Patrick Crawford, brother of Alexander Crawford (who married Mary McPheeters)
The results? John and Patrick Crawford are 1st cousins once removed, sharing Robert Crawford as a common ancestor.
A comparison of their family trees confirms this connection—bringing together two lines of Crawfords that once seemed distant.
This discovery not only highlights how closely connected these Crawford lines are, but it also opens the door to more research into how other early Virginia families might be linked. Who knows what other surprises are hidden in the branches of the family tree?
You are a genius! I am often in awe of your methods.
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