Relationship Calculator in PAF
I have never quite figured out how to determine the relationship between myself and distant relatives. I understand uncles, aunts, grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins...and that's about it. I've never understood who would be 3rd cousins, or who would be 4th cousins 3 times removed (as is Count Olaf to the Baudelaire children in A Series of Unfortunate Events). This is why I need the relationship calculator in PAF.
I was recently putting in a huge line of Ramsays, found at the World GenWeb website, into my Personal Ancestral File. I came upon a Barbara Ramsay married to a George Ramsay, a George who I'd already entered into my file. I realized they must be related and was a little weary to find out how. Then my mother reminded me of the relationship calculator. (She just used it yesterday to find out a married couple in her line were actually first cousins)
The relationship calculator is found under tools. You then select the RIN number or the name of the two individuals you would like to calculate. If they are married it first pops up that they are spouses, but then it will show you how else they are related. In my case, Barbara and George are 2nd cousins. The calculator will show you their line of descent to a common ancestor. 2nd cousins means that they had the same great-grandparents.
After finding this out, I decided to check out the relationship between my husband and myself. After it said that we were spouses, it then had another popup say that there was no documented blood relationship between us. Very good news.