Master Surname Index



John Pitcairn

Ancestry of Major
John Pitcairn

British Commander at Battle of Lexington


Who was John Pitcairn?

Major John Pitcairn was a British Marine officer who took part in some of the American Revolution's most famous battles. He was in command of the advance party when the first shot (i.e. “shot heard 'round the world”) rang out at the Battle of Lexington. This is considered by many as the first shot of the American Revolution.

Just two months later, Major John Pitcairn was mortally wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The moment was immortalized in American artist John Trumbull's painting titled The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Major Pitcairn is seen at right center falling into the arms of his son, also a Royal Marine, after receiving the fatal blow. He was carried back to Boston where he died within a few hours.

Famous Kin

Although Major Pitcairn was a Redcoat, he has a number of connections to American patriots who fought against the British during the war. He has kinships to signers of the American Declaration of Independence including Philip Livingston, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Harrison V, and Button Gwinnett. He also has a number of U.S. presidential connections including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Quincy Adams. Other patriots include Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Prescott (the rider who completed Paul Revere's midnight ride), and the author of the The Star Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key.

However Major Pitcairn is a Redcoat so it's only fitting to point out his kinship to the current royal family including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Catherine Middleton. He's even a cousin to Sir Winston Churchill.


Some of the most recently added connections of famous kin for Major John Pitcairn

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Michael Lookinland

TV Actor

11th cousin 10 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Bob Moore

Co-Founder, Bob's Red Mill

13th cousin 8 times removed
via Isabella de Beauchamp

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Parker Stevenson

TV and Movie Actor

10th cousin 9 times removed
via John of Gaunt

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Parker Stevenson

TV and Movie Actor

11th cousin 9 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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John Davis Long

32nd Governor of Massachusetts

17th cousin 4 times removed
via Maud de St. Hilary

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William Henry Moore

Co-Founder, U.S. Steel and Nabisco

15th cousin 6 times removed
via John, King of England

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William Henry Moore

Co-Founder, U.S. Steel and Nabisco

16th cousin 5 times removed
via Sir Gilbert de Clare

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William Henry Moore

Co-Founder, U.S. Steel and Nabisco

16th cousin 5 times removed
via Sir William Longespee

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Ali Wentworth

TV Actress and Comedienne

10th cousin 9 times removed
via John of Gaunt

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Ali Wentworth

TV Actress and Comedienne

11th cousin 9 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Thomas Jefferson

3rd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

11th cousin 3 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Warren Buffett

Chairman & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

11th cousin 9 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Francis Scott Key

Author of “The Star Spangled Banner”

11th cousin 5 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Samuel Prescott

Completed Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

11th cousin 3 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Robert Frost

Poet and Playwright

11th cousin 7 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Glenn Close

Movie, Television, and Stage Actress

11th cousin 9 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Catherine Howard

5th Wife of King Henry VIII

6th cousin 5 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Jack London

Author of “The Call of the Wild”

11th cousin 6 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Ellen DeGeneres

Comedienne and TV Personality

11th cousin 10 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Upton Sinclair

Pulitzer Prize Winning Novelist

11th cousin 8 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Carly Fiorina

CEO of Hewlett-Packard

11th cousin 10 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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John Marshall

4th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

11th cousin 4 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Edward Norton

Movie Actor

11th cousin 10 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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William Fishback

17th Governor of Arkansas

11th cousin 6 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

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Douglas Trumbull

Film Special Effects Pioneer

11th cousin 9 times removed
via Richard Fitzalan

View entire list of famous kin for John Pitcairn

Please note: The ancestor reports on this website have been compiled from thousands of different sources, many over 100 years old. These sources are attached to each ancestor so that you can personally judge their reliability. As with any good genealogical research, if you discover a link to your own family tree, consider it a starting point for further research. It is always preferable to locate primary records where possible. FamousKin.com cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of these sources.