Were Franklin Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt related?
Cousins, and Teddy was Eleanor’s Uncle. Go way back in time to Nicholas Roosevelt, he was born in 1658, the son of Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt who’d come to New Amsterdam in 1649. New Amsterdam would become New York in 1674. Now Nicholas is important because he had ten children, two of whom would set up the two branches of the Roosevelt clan, making him the last common direct ancestor to the future presidents. Son Johannes settled in Oyster Bay, NY, establishing the Oyster Bay Branch. He was the great-great-great grandfather of Teddy and the great-great-great-great grandfather of Eleanor (Teddy’s brother Elliot was her father). Son Jacobus settled in Hyde Park, NY, establishing the Hyde Park branch of the family. He was FDR’s great-great-great grandfater. Cousins, Theodore and FDR also became in-laws when FDR married cousin Eleanor bringing the two branches of the family together.
