One of the surprising and at times amusing consequences of genealogical research is the discovery that some of one's (usually quite distant) relatives have achieved note or notoriety. Here follows a list of some of those discovered to date in my own research. With each is a brief statement of who they were. To obtain further information on them, click on the names. (Note: CCA=closest common ancestors)
Josiah Bartlett President (1791), then Governor (1792-94), of New Hampshire, first to vote for Declaration of Independence, second to sign the Declaration of Independence. CCA: John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster.
Josiah Bartlett, Jr. US House of Representatives, 1811-1813. CCA: John and Mary (Shatswell) Websster.
Francis Beaumont. Elizabethan era poet and playwright. CCA: Bartholomew and Margaret (de Clare) de Badlesmere.
Nahum J. Batchelder. Governor of New Hampshire 1903-1905. CCA: William and Hannah (Knowles) Locke
Barack Hussein Obama US Senator, Illinois, Presidential candidate for 2008. CCA: Nicholas and Maud (de Lucy) de Segrave
James Stoddard Boynton President of Georgia Assembly (1880-83), Governor of Georgia (1883), Judge. CCA: Richard and Anna (Spofford) Swan.
Frank Randolph Cady Character actor in many films (e.g. Rear Window, Bad Seed, Father of the Bride) and TV series (e.g. Petticoat Junction, Ozzie & Harriet, Green Acres). CCA: Thomas and Elizabeth (Knopp) Philbrick
Lewis Cass Governor of the Michigan Territory (1813-31), Secretary of War under President Jackson, Minister to France, Secretary of State under President Buchanan. CCA: Thomas and Elizabeth (Knopp) Philbrick.
Richard Bruce Cheney Vice President of the United States, 2000---. CCA: Michael and Hannah (Webster) Emerson
Winston Churchill Prime Minister of England, Historian. CCA: William and Jane Berry.
Anthony Colby Governor of New Hampshire (1847-47). CCA: John and Agnes Davis
Calvin Coolidge Thirtieth United States President; Governor of Massachusetts. CCA: John and Agnes Davis.
George Henry Corliss Inventor of the Corliss steam engine, a major exhibit at the 1876 Centinnial Exhibition. CCA: George and Joanna (Davis) Corliss.
Henry Dearborn Massachusetts Congressman (1793-97), Secretary of War under President Jefferson, Minister to Portugal, General. CCA: William Marston.
Herbert Henry Dow Founder of the Dow Chemical Company, 1897. CCA: John and Lydia (Taylor) Moulton.
Hannah Emerson Dustin Heroine of the 1697 Haverhill massacre. CCA: Michael and Hannah (Webster) Emerson.
Elizabeth Emerson
Convicted of murdering her two infants born out of wedlock, hanged in Boston Commons.
CCA: Michael and Hannah (Webster) Emerson.
Lafayette Sabine Foster US Senator, Mayor, Associate Justice of Connecticut Supreme Court. CCA: Samuel and Martha (Corliss) Ladd
Samuel D. Felkner Governor of New Hampshire 1912-1915. CCA: William and Hannah (Knowles) Locke.
Gerald R. Ford Thirty-eighth United States President. CCA: John and Anne (Green) Moulton.
Robert Lee Frost Pulitzer Prize winning Poet and Poet Laureate. CCA: James and Anna (Roberts) Philbrick; Daniel and Ann Ladd
Ferdinando Gorges Knight, Proprietary founder of Maine. CCA: Edward and Mary (Newton) Gorges.
Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey Commander-in-chief of the Wexford-based Irish rebels in the insurgency of 1798. CCA: Ambrose and Susanna (Cambay) Harvey.
Herbert Hoover Thirty-First United States President. CCA: Richard and Anna (Spofford) Swan.
Benning Wentworth Jenness Member US Senate (1845-46). CCA: William and Jane Berry
Isaac Campbell Kidd Rear Admiral, Medal of Honor Awardee, whose flagship was the USS Arizona, sunk at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. CCA: Joseph and Mary (Wheelock) Kidd.
Spencer W. Kimball President, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. CCA: Ephraim and Dorothy (Hendrick) Roberts.
Christine Ladd-Franklin Philospher, logician, mathematician, developed an influential theory of color vision. CCA: Daniel and Ann Ladd.
Edwin Freemont Ladd Chemist, President of N. Dakota State U., US Senator CCA Daniel and Ann Ladd
George Washington Ladd Member, House of Representatives from Maine, 1879-1883. CCA: Daniel and Ann Ladd.
George Trumbull Ladd Philosopher, psychologist, established the first American laboratory in experimental psychology. CCA: Samuel and Martha (Corliss) Ladd.
Herbert Warren Ladd Governor of Rhode Island, elected May 28, 1889. CCA: Samuel and Martha (Corliss) Ladd.
Luther Crawford Ladd One of the first two Civil War casualties, killed April 16, 1861. CCA: Daniel and Ann Ladd.
William Sargent Ladd Wealthy merchant, designed a segment of Portland, OR, has a park named after him. CCA Daniel and Ann Ladd
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Poet. CCA: John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster.
Benjamin
Marston
Staunch Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, spent seventeen years trying to
recreate the
affluent life he lost when he fled Marblehead, MA. CCA: Henry
Marston
Marvin Reginald Marston Brigadier General, champion of Alaskan native rights, author, co-organizer of WWII's Alaska Territorial Guard. CCA: William Marston.
William Moulton Marston Psychologist, inventor of lie detection, creator of Wonder-Woman. CCA: William Marston.
Robert McClure A Captain in the Royal Navy, he discovered the Northwest Passage. CCA: Robert and Dorothy (Watson) Waddy.
Samuel Merrill Governor of Iowa, 1868-1872. CCA: John and Dorothy (Daye) Pike
Jonathan Moulton Helped found three townships in New Hampshire; wealthy entrepreneur; the subject of Faustian mythology. CCA: John and Lydia (Taylor) Moulton.
Mace Moulton. Member, US House of Representatives (1845-1847). CCA: John and Ann (Green) Moulton.
Herman Webster Mudgett First identified, and horrific, serial killer in America. CCA: William and Jane Berry
Charles Henry Philbrick Private secretary to Abraham Lincoln. CCA: Joseph and Tryphena (Marston) Philbrick
Herbert Arthur Philbrick Part of his life dramatized in the TV Series "I Led Three Lives" of the 1950's. CCA: Joseph and Triphena (Marston) Philbrick.
Nathaniel Philbrick Award-winning author of "In the Heart of the Sea" and "Mayflower". CCA: Joseph and Tryphena (Marston) Philbrick.
W. Rodman Philbrick Contemporary award-winning author of young adult novels, science fiction, and detective stories. CCA: Joseph and Triphena (Marston) Philbrick.
Benjamin Pierce Served two terms (1827-1830) as Governor of the State of New Hampshire. CCA: John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster.
Franklin Pierce Fourteenth United States President. CCA: John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster.
Isaac Pike Founder of the Pike Manufacturing Company. CCA: John and Dorothy (Daye) Pike
Robert Pike A founder of Salisbury, MA, he was virtually alone in opposing Quaker persecution, dogmatic clergy authority, and opposition to the 1692 witchcraft trials. CCA: John and Dorothy (Daye) Pike.
Zebulon Montgomery Pike Explorer and army officer for whom Pike's Peak was named. CCA: John and Dorothy (Daye) Pike.
Orrin Porter Rockwell. The "Avenging Angel", bodyguard of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. CCA: Samuel and Martha (Corliss) Ladd
John Steinbeck Nobel Prize-winning author of such works as Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath. CCA: John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster.
William Wake Archbishop of Canterbury 1716-1737. CCA: John and Elizabeth (Gorges) Wake.
Daniel Webster Secretary of State under Presidents Harrison, Tyler, and Fillmore, Representative, Senator, orator. CCA: George and Joanna (Davis) Corliss.
John Greenleaf Whittier American poet. CCA: Thomas and Rebecca (Hilton) Roberts.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Author of the Little House books that inspired the television series "Little House on the Prarie." CCA: John Locke and Elizabeth Berry ; Samuel and Martha (Corliss) Ladd.
Tennessee
Williams
Playwright, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, best known for
"Streetcar Named Desire."
CCA: John and Anne (Green) Moulton.
Top of Page Home Page Surnames