A living archive — research maintained continuously since 1899. Current steward: J.F. Long, Tiverton, Rhode Island.

Famous Relatives & Notable Ancestors

Through the Coffin, Folger, and other colonial lines, the family connects to a remarkable number of historical figures — from Founding Fathers and U.S. Presidents to abolitionists and British nobility.

Notable Ancestors

Documented direct ancestors and close cousins with confirmed lineage.

NameBornPIDRelationship
Benjamin Franklin1706LJLQ-WRC1st cousin, 11 times removed through Peter Folger
Lucretia Coffin Mott1793LRBB-TZHCoffin line: abolitionist, Seneca Falls
Charles A. Coffin1844Co-founder, 1st President of General Electric
Sir Isaac Coffin1759Admiral, British Royal Navy
Sir William Coffin1495Master of the Horse to Anne Boleyn
Sir Henry Maynard1547PS5C-88JAdvisor to Queen Elizabeth I
William de La Roche1483KPHP-L4PSpeaker + Lord Mayor of London
Capt. William Hawkins1495LY7K-GW3Trade pioneer to Brazil

How Are You Connected?

MATERNAL LINE1st cousin, 11 times removed
Peter Folger...Carol PerryJohn, Perry & Patrick Long

Benjamin Franklin is your 1st cousin, 11 times removed. The connection runs through Peter Folger of Nantucket — your shared ancestor.

MATERNAL LINEDistant cousin (via Coffin & Folger lines)
Capt. Nathaniel Coffin...Carol PerryJohn, Perry & Patrick Long

Lucretia Coffin Mott is your distant cousin through two independent Nantucket lines: Tristram Coffin and Peter Folger.

MATERNAL LINEDistant cousin (Loyalist branch)
Capt. Nathaniel Coffin...Carol PerryJohn, Perry & Patrick Long

General John Coffin is your distant cousin. His line diverged at Capt. Nathaniel Coffin (1671). He fought at Bunker Hill and became a Major General in the British Army.

FamilySearch Famous Relatives — U.S. Presidents

Relationships identified through the FamilySearch Famous Relatives tool, sorted by degree of kinship.

NameBornPIDRelationship
Franklin D. Roosevelt18825th cousin, 5 times removed
Ulysses S. Grant18225th cousin, 5 times removed
Zachary Taylor17845th cousin, 8 times removed
James Garfield18315th cousin, 5 times removed
Abraham Lincoln18096th cousin, 6 times removed
Franklin Pierce18046th cousin, 7 times removed
Millard Fillmore18006th cousin, 8 times removed
William Howard Taft18577th cousin, 3 times removed
Winston Churchill18747th cousin, 3 times removed (PM, United Kingdom)
Calvin Coolidge18727th cousin, 5 times removed
Theodore Roosevelt18587th cousin, 7 times removed
John F. Kennedy191710th cousin, twice removed
Rutherford B. Hayes18228th cousin, 6 times removed
John Quincy Adams17678th cousin, 6 times removed
Warren G. Harding18659th cousin, 4 times removed
Herbert Hoover18749th cousin, 3 times removed
Richard Nixon19139th cousin, 3 times removed

Other Notable Figures

NameBornPIDRelationship
John Robinson157611th great-grandfather, Bishop of the Mayflower passengers
Diana, Princess of Wales196110th cousin, 4 times removed
Nancy Reagan192110th cousin, once removed

These relationships are very distant (5th–10th cousins, many times removed) and are common among families with deep New England colonial roots. They are documented through FamilySearch.org and reflect shared ancestry many generations back.