3rd and 4th cousins - did they usually know each other?

[lyn1982]

In Sicily, particularly Cerda, in the late 1800s/early 1900s did 3rd and 4th cousins typically know they were related and how?

[darkerhorse]

What I've heard is that, for Sicilians, "family" extends to 3rd cousins.

[darkerhorse]

Obviously, gender and surname are important.

If two cousins had surnames in common, or if one carried the surname of the other's mother then the odds of familiarity increase.

Correlated to this is gender. If descent is through generations of females where children were given the fathers' surnames then familiarity is more likely to decrease over time.

Imagine if your mother's mother's mother and your cousin's mother's mother's mother were sisters. You'd likely never know by surname recognition.

[lyn1982]

Thanks, as always! That's interesting info. Things sure have changed. I had no clue for most of my life who most of my 2nd cousins were, and no idea on the 3rd and further. Only more distant cousin I knew of is on my hungarian line, my grandmother claimed her great grandmother was a cousin to Harry Houdini but I have been unable to confirm this. That is next for me to work on once I sort out this mystery.