Nothing quite as awkward as explaining to someone their grandparents were first cousins. Well, parents would be more awkward. #genealogy
@NormalBrantle No it would not. Never good when your family tree has no forks.
@poemblaze never seen a tree fork inwards.
@NormalBrantle A one off cousin marriage poses no real danger, it's only when generations of it happens, like in some royal families.
@poemblaze Some don't know, and mistakes do happen. But if they do it knowingly, it bothers me even though it's none o' my beeswax.
@NormalBrantle I understand. I just mean there's no real genetic danger.
@poemblaze keep outbreeding.
In researching my family history, I discovered that one of my grt-grt-grt-grandfathers was married 3 times; each time to a first cousin.
@WaevetSmaevets Wow! Way before anything was really known about genetics, if people thought their own family had great qualities they'd keep marrying in the family to keep out the riffraff. That's why royalty have so many genetic conditions. Not saying that's what's going on with your ancestor.
There's a lot of judgment and ignorance around it. I don't encourage it, but the occasional one-off cousin marriage isn't that big of a deal genetically if children are even produced. (I had this conversation with a geneticist, in detail, years ago.)
I feel sorry for all the kids who are made to feel shame and embarrassment over this.
As a historian and genealogist, we're literally ALL the product of cousin marriage. It's just a matter of degree.
@Agatha Yes. The odds of genetic problems are very small unless you make a habit of it, like royalty
@Agatha I agree it's not a big deal genetically, it can just be difficult to explain to clients.
@Agatha Yes. We're all cousins. I keep seeing things in your post I want to respond to.
@poemblaze That would not go well in the "Finding Your Roots" PBS tv series.