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!T
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.
Related: Who will Mitt Romney pick as his Running Mate? Birth Order may answer this question.
Abraham Lincoln-Second Born
Much has been written about our 16th 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.
Very interesting read…im considered a "double" birth order (youngest/only) my sisters are 12 and 8 yrs older than me respectively.