Unmasking Your Ancestors Using Birth Order

For those of you interested in Genealogy I think you

will find the study of birth order to be of great benefit.
Knowing the birth order of your ancestors will allow
You to unmask their personalities.

Birth Order Characteristics

Each birth order carries with it a number of personality
characteristics that color the individual that has that
birth order.  It is further influenced by their other siblings
genders  and  interaction.  When there are four or more
years of spacing between individual siblings or groups of
siblings the phenomenon of Double Birth Order occurs.

Only Birth Order

This birth order is at the top of the birth order pyramid
when we think of self confidence.  They are the adult, as
that is their peer group.  Each Only child is unique as they
are a blend of each parent’s birth order.  Like all the other
birth orders they show two expressions of their characteristics,
responsible or self indulged.  If one of your ancestors was
an Only child you may see them with many children or none
at all.  Those with no children have no ancestors but you may
still find them on your family tree.

First Born

These are your leaders and CEO’s.  They love to give direction
and be in-charge.  Very responsible and are usually very hard
on themselves to be perfect. If the first born is a female and the
second a male she may be dethroned and her younger brother
takes the first born position.  This was especially true when
researching descendants back 50 or 100 years, before the role
of women had changed.

Second Born

This ancestor may have been the athlete in the family.  That
is what can make the second born different from his studious
first born brother or sister. He may have been the family rebel
and went in a different direction from the rest of the family. 
Not one to be told what to do but someone who had a strong
idea of right and wrong.

Third Born

This was your creative ancestor. They may have been an
artesian of some sort or a teacher or nurse. The Third born
can have an interest in some humanitarian issue.  They
may have a gentle or guarded personality and are sensitive
to others. They understand the family better than any of
the other siblings.

 Fourth Born

This is the baby of the family.  He may have gone farther
in school than his older siblings because he was educated
by his older brothers and sisters. They like to have fun and
is the one that keeps the playful kid attitude all his life. 
This is your 80 year old relative that wants to skydive!

 Spacing Individual  Siblings-Double Birth Orders

When a sibling is spaced four or more years apart from
their next older or younger brother or sister they receive
an additional birth order, that of an Only child. The reason
for this is that this child spends at least four or more years
at home with his mother and gets the same nurturing as an
Only child and develops more self confidence.  This power
added to his birth order number amplifies, magnifies and
intensifies all the normal birth order characteristics.

 Spacing Groups of Siblings- Double Birth Orders

When groups of siblings are spaced four or more years apart
you get a family within a family. These siblings don’t get the
Only birth order with their own number but instead another
single number.  If there were four children and the first two
were spaced two years apart they would be a One and a Two. 
If the next two children were born five years later and were
also spaced two years apart they become a Three/One and a
Four/Two.  They are the third and fourth children in the family
but the first and second in this second family.  They show
blending of the characteristics of their two birth orders. 

 General George Armstrong Custer-Firstborn

If General Custer was one of your relatives you might wonder
what was he really like?  He was a overachieving firstborn of
five children. His parents treated him special. This happens
with many firstborns especially if they are the first boy. These
kids like to give orders and who better to do that than a General. 
He became a General at age 23 while fighting in the Battle of
Gettysburg. Always wanting to stand out and be first, he captured
the first Confederate Flag of the Civil War. He was flamboyant
in appearance and behavior and all this may have gone to
his head. As a firstborn failure is not an option.  They find it
very difficult to admit they are wrong. When all the signs said
to leave the Cheyenne and Sioux Indian territory Custer could
not admit he had made a mistake and it cost him his life and
those of his 261 men in the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.

 Abraham Lincoln-Second Born

Much has been written about our 16^th President but what
about his birth order?  Lincoln was the second child of Thomas
and Nancy Lincoln. His sister Sara was two years older but we
can assume that it was an easy move to dethrone his older
sister and move up in birth order.  At an early age he was working
the farm with his father. Two Second born characteristics that
stand out was his constant drive to better his position and move
up in the  world and his steadfast belief in right and wrong.
He also showed the athleticism of the Second born in his reported
wrestling match when challenged by the leader of a group of
ruffians. The “don’t tell me what  to do” attitude of the Second
born showed up again when he broke off his first engagement to
Mary Todd.  Unshakable in his belief that slavery was wrong he
did not give in to his critics but held his ground. He saw the bigger
picture of injustice and not a move to protect himself.  He said, “I
will suffer death before I consent….to any concession or
compromise……” He did pay the ultimate price.

 George Washington-One/Three Double Birth Order

How lucky our country was to have this man be our first leader. 
He fulfilled two roles; one as the leader of our American
Revolutionary War and second as our first President of the
United States of America. This man had a unique double birth
order and was able to use the qualities of both to achieve his goals.
George was the firstborn to his father’s second wife.  In his first
marriage two sons survived to adulthood, Lawrence and Augustine
both over 10 years older than George.  When this happens it makes
George the Third born but in his father’s second family giving him
the 1/3 birth order.  He showed characteristics of both birth orders.
The One gave him the need to lead and as the commander-in-chief
of the Continental Army and our first President he fulfilled his need
to lead.  The Three birth order gave him the ability to work with
groups of people and really understand them.   His troops, the
Congress and the American people. The Three birth order has a
vision and George was no exception. He saw a great and powerful
nation using the government to preserve liberty and promote a spirit
of America nationalism.

 Make Your Ancestors Come Alive

Using the Theory of birth order first find the “true” birth order of
your ancestor. Then see if events in their lives or the stories
you have heard show the characteristics of their birth orders.
You will now see them in a completely different light.

For more information read my book Life’s Fingerprint: How Birth Order
Affects Your Path Throughout Life. Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst or visit my webstie
www.mybirthorder.com