Samuel Finley Breese Morse

Our family tradition always held that we were cousins with Samuel F. B. Morse. In fact my mother claimed that her father was a seventh cousin to the telegraph inventor. My early investigations failed to prove a relationship and it was only years later that I got confirmation of a common ancestor, eleven generations back. I was skeptical that the relationship even existed. Finally, after connecting with a Morse family genealogist, I got the confirmed lineage. Much to my surprise Samuel was a 6th cousin to Calvin Morse, my grandfather’s grandfather. This would make Jesse Morse a sixth cousin, twice removed. Much closer to the legend than I expected. The lineage, starting with Samuel Morse, our common ancestor follows:

Samuel Morse (b. 1587 – d. 1654) - Most recent common ancestor