Family Numbering System appearing in Smilie Chatter

The Henry System

Much of the beginning material of Smilie Chatter will center on John Smilie (1741-1812).  Soon though, I’ll be randomly telling stories about members of the family in the many branches of the family.  You need to be able to follow where the person fits in the family.

The Henry numbering system has always been my choice for numbering descendants.  It is simple and direct.  First born is number 1, second born is 2.  When you exceed 9 children, number 10 becomes ‘A’, number 11 becomes ‘B’, etc.

Although I don’t have birth dates for John Smilie’s daughters, we do have a birth date for his son Robert, 6 July 1767.  Women generally married at younger ages than the men and Mary's children were older than her sister Jane's, so I have worked under the premise that Robert was the first born, Mary was second born, and Jane was the third child.

The three children of John Smilie get numbered:

          1       Robert Porter Smilie

          2       Mary Smilie

          3       Jane Smilie

The grandchildren of John Smilie get numbered:

          1       Robert Porter Smilie

                   + Mary Ann Beatty

              11    John Smilie

              12    William Smilie

              13     Robert Porter Smilie

              14     Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Smilie

              15     James P. Smilie
              16     baby boy Smilie

              17     Jane Smilie

              18     David Porter Smilie

              19     Isaiah Marshall Smilie

          2       Mary Smilie

                   + Joseph Huston

              21     Jane Huston

              22     Sarah Huston

          3       Jane Smilie

                   + William Craig

              31     John Smilie Craig

The number tells you something about the subject’s number; for example my number is 3151123.

3                 third child  Jane Smilie, daughter

31               first child   John Smilie Craig, grandson

315             fifth child   William Craig, great grandson

3151           first child   Mary Elizabeth Craig, 2^nd great granddaughter

31511         first child   Harry Russell Rankin, 3^rd great grandson

315112       second child  Clara Mae Rankin, 4^th great granddaughter

3151123     third child  Edward Black, 5^th great grandson

Counting the number of units tells you how many generations I am from John Smilie.  If you know your number you can calculate the relationship to another member of the family.  Wayne Feaster, the first president of the John and Jane Porter Smilie Family Association, was 21B3B

2                 second child        Mary Smilie, daughter

21               first child   Jane Huston, granddaughter

21B            eleventh child     Sarah Bryson Marshall, great granddaughter

21B3          third child  William Bryson Feaster, 2^nd great grandson

21B3B        eleventh child     Wayne Feaster, 3^rd great grandson

Comparing our numbers the relationship can be described.

2                 sisters/siblings              3

21               cousins                         31

21B            second cousins             315

21B3          third cousins                 3151

21B3B        fourth cousins              31511

                   (once removed)            315112

                   (twice removed            3151123

Wayne and I were fourth cousins twice removed.