Connection Combat: Hatfield vs McCoy (updated with winners!)

Question

Are you closer to the Hatfields or McCoys? Who here has the closest connection to this famous feud that can be verified?

Welcome to Connection Combat!

Here's how the game is played:

1. Check your connection to "Devil Anse" Hatfield and Randall McCoy (click "Connection to Me" in each profile pull-down menu or the "My Connections" button in the Famous Feuds category).
2. Click "Answer this post" below. Choose Team Hatfield or Team McCoy: say if you're closer to Hatfield or McCoy, and how many degrees are in your connection path.
3. See if every relationship along the connection path is verified with a reliable source. For example, is there a record that says this person is the mother of that person? If there is no source for a connection, research to find one. 
4. Post a Comment below your answer here as soon as you're done.
5. The player with the closest verified connection wins!
   The team with the winning player gets bragging rights.

There are more ways to win. You can win by being the first to verify your connection is free of "WikiTree Weevils" ... the player with the longest Weevil-free path ... or the player who helps the most other players. Winners will be announced on January 17. Every winner gets a badge and will be immortalized in the Connection Combat Hall of Fame. Every player gets a snazzy sticker for their profile.

Do you want to help others? We call this "combat" just for fun. It's really more about collaboration than competition. We help each other in this community.

If you need any help finding a source to verify a family connection, or have any questions or problems, click over to the Team McCoy Aid Station or Team Hatfield Aid Station. You could also chat live on Discord. See the Connection Combat help page for more information.

Are you in?

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WINNERS:

• Shortest Verified: Patrick Stacy (7)(McCoy)
• Longest Verified: Feargal Hennigan (34)(Hatfield)
• Fastest Verified: Eric Weddington (McCoy)

Comments

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Answer 1

Winner: Patrick Stacy (7) for Team McCoy

• Longest Verified Connection: Feargal Hennigan (34) (Team Hatfield)
• Fastest Verified Connection: Eric Weddington (9) (Team McCoy)

Answer 2

15 degrees from Randolph McCoy for me! I will start verifying later today.

Comments

3 connections away

Answer 3

15 [to McCoy] for me too

Answer 4

Which one do you choose if it is a tie?  Both are at 16 degrees for me.

Comments

Ooh, hm, you've got a real showdown! You could pick the one that looks the easiest, or the hardest, or the most fun. Or flip a coin!

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After looking at the connections, I think I will go with Randall McCoy.  I think there is an error in one of my connections to Devil Anse Hatfield.  I don't have proof either way to correct it and the surname is "Johnson", so it won't be easy.

Answer 5

Team McCoy - I am closer to McCoy with 16 degrees in my connection path.

Randolph McCoy is 16 degrees from me. We are 13th cousins five times removed.

William Hatfield is 18 degrees from me. We are 14th cousins six times removed.

Comments

Verified Connections

1. Herbert Clarke Buch
2. Joseph Frederick Buch
3. Mary Jane Shough (discovered 3 siblings needs to be added to WikiTree)
4. Mary Ann Cooper 

Answer 6

I am 10° from both Hatfield & McCoy. I’ll check out the Hatfields first. Fun! 

--------

0. William "Devil Anse" Hatfield →

1. Ephraim Hatfield (his father)→

2. Virginia Hatfield (his sister)→

3. Thomas Justice (her son)→

4. James Justice (his son)→

5. Lettie Justice (his daughter)→

6. William Lambert (her husband)→

7. Martha Lambert (his sister)→

8. Anthony Morrison (her son)→

9. Frances Johnson (his wife)→

10. Patty Luker (her daughter)

Verified. 

Answer 7

Sign me up!

BTW, if anyone needs help in connecting, give me a shout. I work a lot in Hatfield & McCoy profiles. It can be a challenging area to work in.

Comments

My connection to McCoy has verified sources. Just needs 3 bios.

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My connection to Randolph McCoy is complete at 9 degrees:

0. Randolph McCoy
1. James McCoy (his son)
2. Lenna McCoy (his daughter)
3. Jacob Weddington (her husband)
4. Jacob Weddington (his father)
5. James Weddington (his brother)
6. John Weddington (his son)
7. John Weddington (his son)
8. John Weddington (his son)
9. Eric Weddington

(his son)

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My connection to Anderson Hatfield is also complete at 11 degrees:

0. William Hatfield

1. Johnse Hatfield (his son)

2. Roseanna McCoy (his wife)

3. James McCoy (her brother)

4. Lenna McCoy (his daughter)

5. Jacob Weddington (her husband)
6. Jacob Weddington (his father)
7. James Weddington (his brother)
8. John Weddington (his son)
9. John Weddington (his son)
10. John Weddington (his son)
11. Eric Weddington

Answer 8

McCoy at 11degrees is the winner for me connections look good, checking the last few now.

Answer 9

Ran'l McCoy 7C6R and 10 degrees, Devil Anse Hatfield 9C3R, 11 degrees.

Answer 10

Wow, I need the connect-a-thon to hurry up and tie me into Appalachia better! I am 18 degrees from the Hatfields and 17 from the McCoys.

Comments

If you can connect to me in a shorter path, then you can get connected.

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I may be switching to Hatfield, I am stuck on McCoy. Let's see if there are magically more records on that side. I'll keep trying to find something to string together for the McCoy side but won't make it inside the challenge timeframe.

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Welp, tried multiple paths and edited dozens of profiles but just couldn't get a full connection path on either side. I love Appalachia but it doesn't always love me back. My tree is dark and twisty.

Answer 11

I am 13 degrees to both but I'll pick Devil Anse Hatfield since he is on my family line and my husband's.  

Welcome to Appalachia.  

Answer 12

18 degrees from Hatfield.

Answer 13

I am 18° from Hatfield and 17° from McCoy. I will start this soon.

Comments

I have checked my 17° line to Randolph McCoy. Every profile has at least one date, one location, one source, and a biography.

Answer 14

It was by only one degree, but it looks like I'm closer to the Hartfield clan. I'll jump on it as soon as I get Paul Revere tied up!

0. William Hatfield

1.Ephraim Hatfield

2. Valentine Hatfield

3. Ephraim Hatfield

4. Ale Hatfield

5. Mordecai Hatfield

6. Sarah Hatfield

7. Joseph Sharr

8. Daniel Sharr

9. Irene Sharr

10. Joan McWilliams

11. Gail Haller

12. Andrew Glann

 13.Me!

Answer 15

I'm going to give this a try. I'm 20 from Hatfield, and 19 from McCoy.

Answer 16

12 to Hatfield, 13 to McCoy! Will verify later today.

Answer 17

0. Randolph McCoy→√
1. James McCoy(his son)→√
2. Lenna McCoy(his daughter)→√
3. Jacob Weddington(her husband)→√
4. Jacob Weddington(his father)→√
5. James Weddington(his brother)→√
6. John Weddington(his son)→√
7. John Weddington(his son)√
8. John Weddington (his son)√
9. Trudy Behrens(his wife)√
10. Sue Kerns(her mother)√
11. Jessie Longan(her mother)√
12. Benjamin Longan(her father)√
13. John Longan(his father)√
14. Jacob Longan(his father)→√
15. Virginia Longan(his sister)→√
16. Cynthia Ann Vivian(her daughter)→√ added sources & biography
17. William Samuel Whaley(her husband)→√ added sources & biography
18. Eliza Whaley(his sister)→√
19. Julia Grenia(her daughter)→√
20. William Robinson(her son)→√
21. Firman Robinson(his son)→√
22. Carl Robinson(his son)→√
23. Azure Robinson(his daughter)√

Randolph and Azure are 8th cousins twice removed

1. Azure is the daughter of Carl William Robinson Sr (1933-2003) 
2. Carl is the son of Firman Joseph Robinson (1901-1991) 
3. Firman is the son of William Thomas Robinson (1874-1910) 
4. William is the son of Julia Ann (Grenia) Robinson (1847-1926) [confident]
5. Julia is the daughter of Eliza Ann (Whaley) Grenia (1825-1881) [confident]
6. Eliza is the daughter of John Whaley (1795-1844) [confident]
7. John is the son of Nancy (Pulliam) Whaley (abt.1765-) [confident]
8. Nancy is the daughter of Frances (Boswell) Pulliam (1741-1841) [confident]
9. Frances is the daughter of John Boswell II (1690-1740) [unknown confidence]
10. John is the son of Phoebe Colgate (Iverson) Boswell (1670-1703) [unknown confidence]
11. Phoebe is the daughter of Mary (Unknown) Iverson (abt.1632-abt.1695) [unknown confidence]

Comments

Wow you got a cousin in there!

Answer 18

I'm 13 from William Hatfield and 12 from Randolph McCoy, both going through my Dillon line.

Heads up to anyone whose connection goes through the Dillons, especially Samuel Dillon (Dillon-566), his identity has been horribly conflated over the years. A *lot* of work still needs to be done to sort him all out. 

Answer 19

15 Degrees to William Anderson Hatfield and 16 Degrees to Randolph McCoy

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William and Jennifer are 16th cousins four times removed

William Anderson Hatfield, Elizabeth Hatfield, Willis Record, James Records, Alexander Records, Charity Records, Josiah Records, Nancy Records, Nancy Hughey, Andrew Strain, Nancy Strain, Jessie Wells, Isaac Newton Robins, Wesley John Robins, Dad, Me

Answer 20

I am 18 degrees from both through my 3rd great-grandmother longenecker-149.  Probably the Hatfield side is easier, through his mothers family Vance-377