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Part One: Genealogy and Genetics
The Mayfair family tree presents a unique problem when it comes to genealogy and genetics. Often, what happens when two people are too closely related to produce offspring that cannot survive to reproduce. It's a pileup of too many of the same genes that results.
However, this does not mean it would be impossible for two people who are a little more distantly related to produce offspring that can survive to reproduce. That threshold is generally considered to be at second cousins or more distant degrees of relatedness. Well into at least the 19th century, it was still legal in the United States for first cousins to marry, which many did.
What does this mean for our ancestry and our genetics? What effect does it have on genetics and does this happen in real life? To help at least try to answer some of those questions, I decided to put together a brief tutorial of family trees that contain a lot of pedigree collapse. And of course, I will explain what I mean by pedigree collapse...
Familial DNA
For those who are familiar with the study of genetic genealogy or the study of their own family DNA, there are some resources that might help shed more light on the genetic reality of such a family tree. Please bear in mind that online resources meant to assist people with the study of their family history and their DNA are meant for real people. The purpose of providing it here is to explore what might be the most likely result if a genealogy such as that of the Mayfair Witches actually existed.
Please remember that when dealing with fictional characters, what you find will not necessarily apply to real people. In this case, a way to approach the use of these tools is to use it as a means of looking for possible outcomes. Always use tools meant to assist with this type of research in a responsible manner.
With that said, I will provide one resource here that might be of interest:
The Shared cM Project 4.0 tool v4 by DNA Painter
Estimating Relatedness: Percentage Charts
The averages in the charts are averages only. They are estimates based upon only one line of descent/one common ancestor. Obviously, family trees like that of the Mayfairs are going to have vastly different averages of shared DNA because of how many lines of descent any given Mayfair will have.
Mona Mayfair is described (by herself and others) as a "twentyfold Mayfair", meaning twenty different lines of descent. But what does that mean, exactly?
In recent years, there has been a huge uptick in the amount of interest in our family trees, our genetics, and what they tell us about genealogy. We have learned a lot of surprising things. We've learned these things through what is usually referred to as "genetic genealogy".
The second chart above gives averages from three different DNA testing products. They each have their own testing thresholds. Each of them can provide valuable information about our DNA.
While this site is not about true crime, I will say this: genetic genealogy has had an incredible impact on cold cases. Crimes committed decades ago have been solved and unidentified persons have finally been identified, many times after decades of being known as Jane or John Does with unique additional names to distinguish one Doe from another. One example: Jane "Arroyo Grande" Doe, whose name, Tammy Corrine Terrell, was finally returned to her after 41 years.
So, how can we apply what we know now to the study of the Mayfair family tree?
The charts above come from this online article on Family Tree Magazine
DNA Q&A: Genealogical vs. Genetic Family Trees
Average Amount of DNA Inherited From Ancestors
Parents 50%
Grandparents 25%
Great Grandparents 12.5%
2nd Great Grandparents 6.25%
3rd Great Grandparents 3.13%
4th Great Grandparents 1.56%
5th Great Grandparents 0.78%
Likelihood of Detectable DNA In Common
23andMe AncestryDNA Family Tree DNA
2nd Cousin or Closer >99% 100% >99%
3rd Cousin ~90% 98% >90%
4th Cousin ~45% 71% >50%
5th Cousin ~15% 32% >10%
6th Cousin or Further <5% <11% <2%
The Taltos and the Theory of Evolution
Terms to Know
Something I think is important to have a basic knowledge of when studying family trees like this one is a couple of terms.
This is the part where I have to advise caution. Family trees that show considerable pedigree collapse due to either or both of the terms I will provide definitions for can be an extremely sensitive subject in a lot of ways.
So I want to make it clear that this study of the Mayfair family tree is one that describes characters in fiction. It is here to help further examine the genealogy of the Mayfair Witches as part of the plot in the novels based on what is known about genealogy and genetics. It is for this and no other reason that this is discussed on The Mayfair Witches Parlor.
Pedigree Collapse
In genealogy, pedigree collapse describes how reproduction between two individuals who share an ancestor causes the number of distinct ancestors in the family tree of their offspring to be smaller than it could otherwise be. (Wikipedia)
Pedigree Collapse on Wikipedia
Endogamy
The cultural practice of mating - usually in the form of marriage - within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close interpersonal relationships.
A long term pattern of endogamy in a region may increase the risk of repeated cousin marriage during a long period of time, referred to as inbreeding. It may cause additional noise in the DNA autosomal data, giving the impressions that DNA matches with roots in that region are more closely related than they are. (Wikipedia)
Incest
noun
noun: incest
sexual relations between people classed as being too closely related to marry each other.
the crime of having sexual intercourse with a parent, child, sibling, or grandchild. -From Oxford Languages
Genealogy of Cousins
Cousins are the type of relative we all have more than any other. They can also be the most complicated to trace both in genealogy and in genetics.
We don't simply have first, second, third cousins, but a mind boggling assortment of cousins often referred to as x many times removed. It's one of the questions people ask the most: what is the difference between, say, a second cousin and a first cousin once removed?
At a casual glance, endogamy is most definitely well practiced in the Mayfair lines. But what does that say about the genetics of these cousins?
I have the average percentage of DNA shared by cousins on this page as well, which is, of course, a starting point. It also assumes that two people are cousins only through one line. So, if two Mayfairs are both first and third cousins...
The general rule of thumb, using the numbers as averages, is that the more times you are related to someone, the DNA tends to calculate accordingly.
Now, what the Sam Hill?
Let me put it this way. You could have a cousin who, on paper, is an eight cousin as well as a fifth cousin, and so on. But comparing DNA, you and this person appear to be a lot more closely related than you actually are.
First Cousins
The child(ren) of each full sibling are 1st cousins
Second Cousins
Each of the 1st cousins has a child
The children of each 1st cousin are 2nd cousins to each other
First Cousin Once Removed
So, what is a 1st cousin 1x removed?
We would need to go back to one of the 1st cousins. The 1x or once removed part is because that is the number of generations removed from the two 1st cousins they are. So, the "1st cousin" is determined by the one closest to the common ancestor, and the "1x or once removed" part is how many generations there are between that cousin and the 1st cousin.
The Mayfair Punchline...
There was a time when 1st cousin marriages were very common though in many places, these marriages are illegal today. 2nd cousin marriages are legal to this day, and considered safe as far as reproduction is concerned.
When you look at family trees where cousin marriages were common, it's important to look at it in the context of the era and society they lived in. This is where the word "endogamy" comes in.
It is important to distinguish this term from "incest". Today, an incestuous union is one where two people are too closely related to reproduce without negative consequences. Everyone has dominant AND recessive genes without exception. When two people are too closely related to reproduce, the likelihood of producing offspring with too many of the same recessive genes.
Not all recessive genes are deleterious by themselves. However, there are plenty of them that if they accumulate too much, will have a disastrous effect on those who come from unions like that. With the Mayfair Witches, it is this pileup that Lasher is "engineering": a witch who will be able to pass the genes he needs to be born in the flesh.
Endogamy can be hard to explain, but there are usually socioeconomic reasons for it. It's often seen in royal families, and nobility. It was how families made sure their wealth, power, authority and all the things that come from those were kept within families.
In rural, heavily isolated and very small societies, you will see endogamy. Island societies are one example. Another well known example is early Colonial Americans. Mayflower passengers, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Jamestown... In fact, I have seen discussion in recent years about how endogamy might have played a role in the Salem Witch Trials. Specifically, what might have truly led to this literal witch hunt.
America at the time was not yet the United States. It was still under the throne of England. This was a very small, isolated population of people on an enormous continent. Choices were limited, so you either married a cousin or you didn't marry at all. After a few generations of this, you begin to see the effect of endogamy on the family tree: pedigree collapse.
At that point, 1692, it's easy to imagine the disputes that might have arisen. Disputes as to who has a rightful claim on property, that sort of thing. Even with the Mayfairs, you can see a lot of endogamy going on whether or not Cortland Mayfair was both the father and great grandfather or Rowan Mayfair.
Part Two: The Lineage of the Legacy Witches
I want to make it clear that this study of the Mayfair family tree is one that describes characters in fiction. It is here to help further examine the genealogy of the Mayfair Witches as part of the plot in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels based on what is known about genealogy and genetics. It is for this and no other reason that this is discussed on Come Into My Parlor.
The pages of the Parlor that discuss the Mayfair Witches family tree do include references to matters that are sensitive and may be disturbing to some. Discretion is strongly advised. Please know that although these things do occur in the novels, the Parlor does not endorse or condone such behavior. Neither did Anne Rice herself.
Building the Mayfair Family Tree
There is just no way anyone could ever attempt to duplicate Mona Mayfair's genealogy charts. Originally, what I did was create three different trees. One of Rowan, which goes all the way back to Suzanne Mayfair, one of Michael which goes back to Julien, and one of Mona, which in fact goes back to Marie-Claudette and Lestan.
Since this page originally went up, I've been able to create a family tree of the Mayfair Witches that is more complete than my original PDF files. Unfortunately, the pedigree charts aren't interactive, which means that in order to see each distinct line--Rowan Mayfair, Michael Curry, Mona Mayfair and now Merrick Mayfair--I have to show a large image chart of them. Due to the enormous file size, I am currently looking for ways to share the chart or ways to present the data in it that will not use too many system resources.
The original PDFs of Rowan, Michael and Mona's pedigree charts I created in 2008 are in my files, but I have not made them available again just yet. When I first made them available, there weren't very many online just yet. Mine were available on my site for many years, and I was looking into ways to redo my charts as they are in the large charts I reference above. Since I added my charts to the original Parlor in 2008, many have created family trees of the Mayfairs.
For now, I have provided a link to each pedigree chart of each individual on this page. They are image files and are very large. I would suggest opening them in a new tab, at least.
Mayfair Relatedness
To see how Mayfairs are related to one another, I used genealogy software that calculates that relatedness and gives a list of the different ways two people are related.
The relationship calculator orders the list from closest to most distant relative. Lines are traced by individual, not by couple. That means that a line of descent is not traced per pair of grandparents, but by each individual one.
The tangled lines of descent are NOT easy to untangle from a list because the calculator does give different names to the same kind of relative. It also runs on the assumption that parents were husband and wife, and prefers to define relatedness in those terms. What I would really like to see if I can do is to perhaps create a tree on the page that is interactive, meaning you can click on arrow buttons or buttons of some type to open up and view all the different lines. Until then, I will try to find ways to better define the relations between all of the Mayfairs.
The Mayfair family tree is actually an excellent example of how lines of descent are traced and why. Each individual grandparent might also be related through another line. It sounds strange, but hopefully, I will find a way to show this in a way that is easier to understand.
Part Three: Pedigree Charts
Dr. Rowan Mayfair M.D.
Pedigree Chart for Rowan Mayfair
Created by Come Into My Parlor
This file is VERY. VERY. LARGE. 6.6MB and 22,680x8,640 fully opened.
A bit more on the deadly results of Rowan's unrestrained rage on this page of the Parlor:
Michael Curry
Pedigree Chart for Michael Curry
Created by Come Into My Parlor
This file is VERY. VERY. LARGE. 3.7MB and 15,120x8640 fully opened.
Mona Mayfair
Pedigree Chart for Mona Mayfair
Created by Come Into My Parlor
This file is VERY. VERY. LARGE. 2.3MB and 10,000x7,619 fully opened.
Mona Mayfair is the "twentyfold" Mayfair who becomes the Designee after Rowan Mayfair. More on Mona:
Amelia Street: The Fontevrault Outpost
The Mayfair Vampire Chronicles
Merrick Mayfair
Pedigree Chart of Merrick Mayfair
Created by Come Into My Parlor
This file is VERY. VERY. LARGE. 4MB and 18,900x8,640 fully opened.
*Merrick Mayfair is not a Legacy Mayfair Witch, but from a line of Mayfairs also descended from Julien. More on Merrick Mayfair:
Merrick and Mayfair Witches Religion
Originally published 25 November 2008