http://www.geni.com/blog/profile-of-the-day-benjamin-franklin-2-388...
Benjamin died on April 17, 1790 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His funeral was attended by an estimated 20,000 people and was the largest funeral the city had ever seen.
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Thank you Peggy Ann Franklin, Smith for your hard work sourcing & expanding this tree
BUT Ben's brother in law James Davenport
Is my second cousin 8 times removed.
Ben's wife's nephew Dr. John K. Read is your 10th cousin 8 times removed's 2nd husband.
Peggy Ann Rich, Smith is my 23rd cousin twice removed.
James Davenport is my 18th cousin 8 times removed.
had to go down some generation to find any connection to J.K read,
Dr. John K. Read is John Adams Smith's grandfather.
John Adams Smith is my 22nd cousin once removed.
Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the "Declaration of Independence" is my 24th cousin twice removed.
My thanks also to Eugene Thomas, Vince Mathis, and the very many contributors to Geni and this tree. For me it started years ago when devastated to find
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ffru/FamousBen/
"It appears that every Franklin family has a tradition/fable/tall tale that they are somehow related to Ben Franklin. You're not."
BUT ... I am. Just not a direct descendant. :) :)
However it's only 10 "steps" from your Niekirk ancestor to Dr. Ben:
http://www.geni.com/path/Gerrit-van-Niekerk+is+related+to+Benjamin-...
Through his grandfather "indian interpreter" & miller Peter Foulger, who went to jail for standing up for what he believed in.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcronin111/folger...
(some people like his descendant's coffee also ...)