All in the Family: New York City’s 2018, 1897 mayors are cousins!
In honor of New York City’s 120th anniversary, our Research Team has discovered a familial link between current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and 1897 New York City Mayor, Robert Anderson Van Wyck.
New York City’s five boroughs were consolidated into one city during Van Wyck’s administration. We wanted to learn more about Van Wyck’s genealogical roots and we couldn’t believe what we found.
De Blasio and Van Wyck are 11th cousins five times removed!
They are related through a shared ancestor, Sir Thomas Boteler, a knight in England in 1487, and his wife, Margaret. Both were born in the 1460s. Our research shows that Sir Thomas and Margaret are Van Wyck’s 10 times great-grandparents and de Blasio’s 15 times great-grandparents.
See how they are related below:
Our researcher, Nitay Elboym, was amazed at the discovery:
To find a genealogical connection between two of the most impactful and significant New Yorkers in the last 120 years is quite extraordinary and unexpected.
While both mayors share political differences and histories, they have both had a major impact on New York City.
