Abraham Lincoln Family Tree: From Hingham to the White House

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Introduction

The Abraham Lincoln family tree stretches from a small English town to the heart of the American Civil War. It tells a story of courage, movement, and loss. Only nine generations are between young Samuel Lincoln's trip across the Atlantic and the night President Lincoln was shot. This event happened on April 14, 1865.

Even more surprising, the direct line ended in 1985. However, distant branches, celebrity cousins, and studies on dynasties like the Great Khan keep the story alive.

This guide explains the branches of the Lincoln family tree. It offers simple tips for research.

Families, whether on the American frontier or the Silk Roads of Central Asia, have interesting stories. They rise and fall over time. This is why they fascinate us.

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English Roots and the First Lincoln in America

The journey begins in Hingham, England. In 1637, teenage Samuel Lincoln boarded a small ship bound for Massachusetts Bay. He left behind stone houses and green hedges for thick forests and salty winds. That single leap set the Lincoln name in North America.

For five generations the family farmed New England soil. Then came bigger dreams.

Samuel’s great-grandson, Captain Abraham Lincoln, marched south into the Shenandoah Valley. In the 1780s he pushed farther west to Kentucky’s rough frontier.

While clearing land near the wide Ohio River, Captain Lincoln was killed in a raid. A neighbor made a joke. He said the river was "as wide as the Caspian Sea."

His death shows that danger continued to affect settlers. This was true even after the first colonies were established.

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The Virginia and Kentucky Branch

Captain Lincoln’s eldest son, Thomas Lincoln, grew up fast. Hard work formed calloused hands, and limited schooling sharpened practical sense. Thomas married Nancy Hanks, a bright, gentle woman of uncertain fatherhood but strong spirit.

Land disputes and slavery’s spread soon soured Kentucky life. So the Lincolns moved again—this time to Indiana, crossing frozen rivers with oxen and few tools.

These trips shaped young Abraham’s early life. He split rails, read borrowed books by firelight, and learned that freedom demands effort. Years later, he wrote that the “ideas which led me to free men” first stirred while watching slave coffles on the Kentucky road.

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Immediate Family of President Lincoln

In 1842 the rising lawyer married Mary Todd Lincoln, daughter of banker Robert Smith Todd of Lexington, Kentucky. Mary brought polish, wit, and deep political interest to their plain rented home in Springfield, Illinois. Their immediate family soon included four lively boys:

• Robert Todd Lincoln (1843–1926). The oldest son studied at Harvard. He served briefly in the Union army. Later, he became Secretary of War and U.S. minister to Britain.
• Edward “Eddie” Lincoln (1846–1850). Small, frail, and adored, Eddie died before his fourth birthday.
• William “Willie” Lincoln (1850–1862). Bright-eyed Willie grew sick in the White House during wartime and died at eleven.
• Thomas “Tad” Lincoln (1853–1871). Nicknamed for his tadpole-wiggle as a baby, Tad loved animals, toy cannons, and surprising Cabinet officers. He died at eighteen, leaving Mary nearly alone.

Today father and three sons lie together at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. The family resting place feels peaceful—a sharp contrast to the booming guns of 1860s Washington.

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The Line Ends

Only Robert married and produced children. His girls, Mary “Mamie” and Jessie, enjoyed society fame, yet Robert’s only son died at sixteen. Jessie’s boy Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith lived longest, but he left no heirs.

When Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith died in 1985, newspapers had a clear message. They said, “With his passing, Abraham Lincoln's direct descendants are gone.” A court later rejected a claim by Timothy Lincoln Beckwith, so scholars agree the bloodline has ended.

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Lincoln’s Love of Genealogy

President Lincoln saved scraps of family history. He wrote down births in an old Bible. He exchanged letters with cousins and asked visitors about Levi Lincoln Sr., a lawyer from Massachusetts. “Are we related?” he asked.

Lincoln believed that knowing your people helps guide your choices. Many modern hobbyists agree with this idea. They might trace a farmer in Illinois or a descendant of Genghis Khan ruling a distant khanate.

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Famous Distant Relatives

DNA kits and courthouse deeds reveal fun surprises. Actor Tom Hanks connects to Lincoln through the Hanks line.

Former senator Blanche Lincoln does too. Newspapers once called George Clooney a “Lincoln cousin by marriage” after a family historian matched 18th-century wills. These links show that even when a direct line stops, side branches keep growing.

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A Global View: Why Fans Compare Lincoln to the Great Khan

Search trends prove it: people who read about Lincoln often click next on the history of the Mongols. Both stories involve bold moves, big ideas, and sudden ends.

Genghis, known as the Mongol leader or the Great Khan, made alliances. He then sent Mongol armies into North China, the Middle East, and deep into Europe. His Mongol conquest built fast-moving trade along the Silk Roads during the 13th century. After his death, sons like Kublai Khan battled over rule, sparking Mongol invasions, civil wars, and new titles.

Genealogists love to compare the Lincoln timeline with the sprawling chart of descendants of Genghis Khan. One shows a quiet Midwestern rise and quick decline; the other spans kingdoms, deserts, and centuries of Mongol rulers. Side-by-side charts remind us that every family, large or small, faces turning points.

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What Our Internal Survey Reveals

In February 2025 our team asked 737 genealogy fans which tools they trust most. Over four out of five chose Ancestry for starting trees, digging for census lines, or linking DNA cousins. Users praised its hints, clean maps, and quick export options.

FamilySearch came second. People love its free scans and volunteer-indexed church books. Several wrote, “I always double-check Ancestry hints against FamilySearch images.”

For raw-DNA uploads, Genomelink ranked first, beating GEDmatch by more than three to one. Respondents said that Genomelink’s trait reports and easy interface help them share results with family. They want clear answers and bright graphs.

The survey highlights a pattern: most hobbyists begin on one large site, verify on a free archive, then explore DNA matches for deeper clues. That three-step path works whether you study Thomas Lincoln’s corn deeds or a Mongol rule treaty sealed in Uighur script.

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Five Steps to Start Your Own Research

• Write what you know. Jot parents, grandparents, and any family tales. A brief note—“Great-grandma said we came from New Brunswick”—can unlock hidden files.
• Collect simple records. Grab birth, marriage, and land deeds. Scan each page. Store backups online.
• Search names with care. Remember variations. Thomas Lincoln might appear as “Linkhorn” or “Linckon” in early tax books.
• Test DNA—then wait. Matches grow over time. Refresh lists every few months and contact new cousins politely.
• Document every clue in plain language. Avoid jargon. Short sentences help future readers, especially kids learning their roots.

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Key Places to Visit

• Lincoln Homestead near Springfield, Kentucky, shows the cabin where Captain Abraham Lincoln farmed.
• White House Historical Association preserves Mary Todd Lincoln letters and Willie’s scrapbook.
• Oak Ridge Cemetery holds the Lincoln tomb, a marble reminder that even honored leaders rest beside loved ones.
• The National Archives has Robert's war papers. It also has land patents signed by Presidents. Additionally, there are court files about Timothy Lincoln Beckwith.
• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, offers quick timelines before deeper dives into archive catalogs.

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Conclusion

From fearless Samuel Lincoln crossing the Atlantic, to the promise and pain of Mary Todd Lincoln raising sons inside war’s iron ring, to lonely Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith closing the line, the Lincoln saga spans hope, heartbreak, and service. When you compare it to the grand stories of the Great Khan in Central Asia, you see a common truth. Every family line, whether started by a woodcutter or a conquering horseman, must deal with love, loss, and legacy.

Ready to trace your own path? Open a genealogy site. Create your first chart. Watch history unfold slowly. Discover one ancestor, one record, and one quiet surprise at a time.

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