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Originating in East Orange, New Jersey, the 'Bush family' in the 20th century became an accomplished political family in the United States, including across three generations a U.S. Senator, two Governors, one Vice President and two Presidents. Many other members have been successful bankers and businessmen. Peter Schweizer, author of a biography of the family, has described the Bushes as "the most successful political dynasty in American history."^[1] The Bush family is of English, German, Welsh, Irish, and French descent.^[2][3][4]

Contents

Family tree

Ancestors

Patrilineal line

Other notable relatives

Connections to other prominent families

Walker family

Fish family

Pierce family

Other Presidents

Mayflower Pilgrims

Kerry family

Sir Winston Churchill

Further reading

References

See also

External links

Family tree

The following is an approximate family tree of notable members of the modern Bush family:

★ Samuel P. Bush (1863-1948), a close advisor to President Hoover, was president of the Ohio Association of Manufacturers and a major Columbus industrialist.

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★ Prescott Bush (1895-1972), Samuel P. Bush's son, served as a US Senator from Connecticut.

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★ Dorothy Walker Bush (1901-1992), the wife of Prescott, was the daughter of George Herbert Walker of the well-connected Walker family of bankers and businessmen

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★ Prescott Bush, Jr. (b. 1922), Prescott Bush's eldest son, served as chairman of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce.

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★ George H.W. Bush (b. 1924), Prescott Bush Sr.'s second son, was the 41st US President, a Congressman from Houston, and CIA director, and also held other political and diplomatic posts. Before his political career he was in the oil business in Texas.

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★ Barbara Pierce Bush (b. 1925), the daughter of publisher Marvin Pierce, was First Lady of the US and Second Lady of the US during her husband's terms.

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★ George W. Bush (b. 1946), George H.W. Bush's eldest son, is the 43rd President of the United States and was the 46th Governor of Texas.

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★ Laura Welch Bush (b. 1946), the wife of George W., is the First Lady currently and a former teacher.

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★ Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Welch Bush (b. 1981), George W. Bush's twin daughters.

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★ Pauline Robinson Bush (b. 1949, d. 1953), George H.W. Bush's second child and first daughter, died of leukemia.

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★ Jeb Bush (b. 1953), George H.W. Bush's second son, was the 43rd Governor of Florida. Married to Columba Bush.

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★ George P. Bush (b. 1976), son of Jeb Bush, works for Charter Holdings, a real estate investment company. Married to Amanda Williams.

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★ Jeb Bush, Jr. (b. 1983) is attending University of Texas

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★ Noelle Bush (b. 1977)

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★ Neil Bush (b. 1955), third son of George H. W. Bush and brother of President George W. Bush, is a businessman. Currently married to Maria Bush (as of 2004).

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★ Lauren Bush (b. 1984), model for Tommy Hilfiger, daughter of Neil Bush and Sharon Smith.

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★ Pierce Bush (b. 1986), son of Neil Bush and Sharon Smith.

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★ Ashley Bush, daughter of Neil Bush and Sharon Smith.

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★ Marvin Bush (b. 1956), a venture capitalist, fourth son of George H. W. Bush, and brother of President George W. Bush.

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★ Dorothy Bush Koch (b. 1959), second daughter of George H. W. Bush and sister of President George W. Bush. Married to Bobby Koch, wine lobbyist.

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★ Nancy Bush Ellis (b. 1926), Prescott Bush Sr.'s third child, and the only daughter.

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★ John Prescott Ellis (b. 1953), son of Nancy Bush Ellis, media consultant

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★ Jonathan Bush (b. 1931), Prescott Bush Sr.'s fourth child, banker

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★ Jonathan S. Bush (b. 1969), son of Jonathan Bush, insurance executive

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★ Billy Bush (b. 1971), son of Jonathan Bush, ''Access Hollywood'' host

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★ William H.T. Bush (b. 1938), Prescott Bush Sr.'s fifth child, banker and executive

Ancestors

Patrilineal line

★ Richard Bush (ca. 1696/7–September 27, 1732) in Bristol, Plymouth Colony) is believed to be the earliest known patrilineal member of the Bush family in North America.
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★ Timothy Bush (1728–1815 in Springport, New York) may have been the son of Richard Bush.
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★ Timothy Bush, Jr. (1761–1850 in Penfield, New York) was the son of Timothy Bush.
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★ Obadiah Newcomb Bush (January 28 1797–1851) was the son of Timothy Bush, Jr.
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★ James Smith Bush (1825-1889), an Episcopal priest in New Jersey, California, and New York, was the son of Obadiah Bush and the father of Samuel Prescott Bush.

Other notable relatives

★ Måns Andersson (d. 1677 ?), a Swedish or Finnish immigrant believed to be among the earliest ancestors of the Bush family in North America.

★ Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643), a Massachusetts religious dissident, was an 11th–generation ancestor of Samuel P. Bush through his mother Harriet Fay.^[5] The same family line makes the Bushes distant cousins of Presidents George Washington, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge.

★ George Bush (1796-1859), a biblical scholar who wrote a book ''Life of Mohammed'', was a cousin of Obadiah Bush.

★ Jonathan Fairbanks (b. 1595) who first built the Fairbanks House, the oldest house in North America.^[6] He is also an ancestor of William Howard Taft^[7], Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks^[8] and the father and son Governors of Vermont Erastus Fairbanks and Horace Fairbanks^[9].

★ Rev. John Lathrop - ancestor of Samuel P. Bush via his mother Harriet Fay. This same line makes the Bushes cousins to President Ulysses S. Grant as well as Benedict Arnold, among many, many others.

★ Thomas Hinckley - ancestor of Dorothy Walker, wife of Prescott Bush. Governor of the Plymouth Colony.

★ Thomas Mayhew - ancestor of Flora Sheldon and all her descendants. Established the first settlement of Martha's Vineyard.

★ Philip Sherman - ancestor of Flora Sheldon, wife of Samuel P. Bush. One of the founders of Rhode Island.

★ Charlemagne - President Bush is descended from William the Conqueror nine times. Two of his "gateway" ancestors were Anne Hutchinson and Robert Livingston the Elder. The Anglo-Norman family of Le Boteler (ultimately Butler), descended from Arnold le Boteler of Pembrey, appears three times.

Connections to other prominent families

Walker family

George Herbert "Bert" Walker (1875-1953) was a wealthy American banker and businessman. His daughter Dorothy married Prescott Bush, making him the grandfather (and namesake) of the 41st President George H. W. Bush and the great-grandfather of the 43rd President George W. Bush.

Fish family

Samuel Prescott Bush married Flora Sheldon, who had a common ancestor with the Fishes (e.g. Hamilton Fish) and the Keans (e.g. Thomas Kean). Their common ancestor was the famed Robert Livingston the Elder.^[10]
:'See also:' Fish and Kean family

Pierce family

First Lady Barbara Bush (''née'' Pierce), the wife of George H.W. Bush (the 41st President of the United States) and the mother of George W. Bush (the 43rd President), is descended from a second cousin of Franklin Pierce (14th President). Through this family they are also connected to the royal House of Lorraine. ¹⁰

Other Presidents

Current President George W. Bush is related to other presidents as well as Pierce, who he is also related to on his father's side via Daniel Brewer. He is also a cousin of Fillmore (via Millards), Lincoln (via Gilmans), Grant (via Lathrops), Hayes (via Smiths, Footes, Parmelees, and Huckinses), Garfield (via Wheelers, Carpenters, Cookes, Warrens, Holbrooks and le Botelers), Cleveland (via Smiths and Stanleys), Benjamin Harrison (via Hortons), Theodore Roosevelt (via Schuylers), Taft (via Holbrooks, Thayers, Haywards, Cookes, Footes, Ravenses, and Waterses), Coolidge (via Phillipses, Hortons, Garnseys, Pulsiphers, Ravenses, Richardsons, Moores, Bulkeleys, and Morses), Hoover (via Brookses, Reades, Wheelers, and Richardsons), Franklin Roosevelt (via Beekmans, Hutchinsons, Popes, Jenneys, Richardses, Palgraves, Lathrops, and Howlands), Nixon (via Lippincotts, Footes, Traverses, Morses, and Howlands), and Ford (via Vanderburghs, Wheelers, Marvins, Gilmans, and Howlands). ¹⁰

Mayflower Pilgrims

Current President Bush is also descended from Mayflower passengers John Howland, John Tilley, Henry Sam(p)son, and probably Francis Cooke. ¹⁰

Kerry family

George W. Bush and his opponent in the 2004 U.S. Presidential election John Kerry share a common ancestor in Edmund Reade (1563-1623) and his wife Elizabeth Cooke. Bush and Kerry are 9th cousins, twice removed.^[11]

Sir Winston Churchill

Current President George W. Bush is related to Winston Churchill three ways: through the Coes of NY, the Sumners of Mass., and the Shermans of RI (linking them to the Baldwin, Hoar & Sherman family).¹⁰

Further reading

★ ''American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush (2004) Kevin PhillipsISBN 0-670-03264-6

★ ''The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty'', Peter Schweizer

★ '', Kitty Kelley

References

1. Rise of 'dynasty' quick, far-reaching
2. Ancestry of George W. Bush (b. 1946)
3. The "Bush is descended from Strongbow
4. Bush Family Has Impressive Lineage
5. Notable Families Having Multiple Connections Richard W. Field
6. Lineage as follows: Jonathan (b. 1595) to his son Jonathan (b. 1628) to his son Jeremiah (b. 1674) to his daughter Mary who married Richard Bush and together had Timothy Bush (b. 1728). The lineage continues with Timothy's son Timothy Bush, Jr. (b. 1761) to his son Obadiah Newcomb Bush(b. 1791) to his son James Smith Bush (b. 1825) to his son Samuel P. Bush (b. 1863) to his son Senator Prescott Bush to his son President George H. W. Bush who is George W. Bush's father.
7. Lineage as follows: Jonathan (b. 1595) to his son George (b. 1619) to his daughter Mary who married Joseph Daniels and together they had a son Eleazer (b. 1681). It continues through his son David to his daughter Cloe who married Seth Davenport and together had a child Anna. Anna married William Torrey whose son Samuel had a daughter Louisa. Louisa married Alphonso Taft and together they had President William Howard Taft.
8. Lineage as follows: Jonathan to his son Jonas to his son Jabez to his son Joshua to his son Luther to his son Luther to his son Loriston Monroe who was the father of Vice President Charles Warren Fairbanks.
9. Lineage as follows: Jonathan to his son John to his son Joseph to his son Joseph to his son Ebenezer to his son Joseph to his son Governor Erastus Fairbanks to his son Governor Horace Fairbanks.
10. Ancestry of George W. Bush William Addams Reitwiesner
11. Bush, Kerry & Hefner: Odd Cousins David Paul Kuhn

See also

★ List of U.S. political families

★ Political families of the world

External links

★ George W. Bush Family Tree

★ New York Times: A Bush Dynasty Begins To Look Real

★ CNN: Victory restores Bush dynasty to Washington

★ Guardian The Bush dynasty and the Cuban criminals

★ Village Voice: The Kennedy Dynasty vs. the Bush Dynasty

★ Cincinnati Enquirer: Cheney's health beside the point in Bush dynasty

★ St. Petersburg Times(FL): The Bush dynasty parties on

★ Bush41 and Bush43 info on ''possible'' Native American ancestry

★ Bush family genealogy