In order to keep track of the various family members and the internal relations, a unique numbering system has been developed.
The numbering system was developed for the book in 1989, but has been adjustet a bit since, which can be seen by a few holes in the sequences. For the first four generations, the family members have been awarded more or less consequitive numbers, although some distinction initially was made bewteen the so-called younger line and older line – decendants of the only two of Pierre’s sons, who had children. The numbers for the first four generations are listed here. After the 4th generation, the family is split into a number of lines – oine for each person of the 4th generation, who had children.
The descendants of each line have then been assigned a number in relation to his or her position in the flock of children. Consequently the first child receives ‘1 ‘, the second child ‘2’ , etc. 10th child is ‘0 ‘, and for additional children letters are used, so that the 11th child gets ‘A’ , 12th child ‘B’ and so forth.
An example to clarify the above: The Chairman of the Association Jacob V. la Cour has the number 72-5112. Jacob is the 2nd child of Leif Ulrik la Cour, who has number 72-511. He is the first child of Jacob Ludvig la Cour, who has number 72-51. He is the first child of Johannes F. la Cour, who has 72-5. He is the 5th child of Jacob Ludwig Vauvert la Cour, who is number 72, and ‘founder’ of the Skærsø Line.
Spouses – so-called ‘in-married’ – have the same number as the relative they are married to.
In the book from 1989, this system was not applied completely consistently. In the 4th generation it was chosen to give those who had more than 10 children, two numbers. Thus, 38 and 39 was the same person. The same applied to 62 and 63, 72 and 73, and 80 and 81. This was a bit confusing, since it is not quite logical, for example that 72-4 and 73-2 are siblings. This was revised in 2001, and some relatives were therefore assigned new numbers in this book. this also means that certain numbers are missing in the sequence. There are consequently now no relatives with the numbers 39, 63, 73 and 81.
In the first 4 generations the persons are (more or less) consecutively numbered. But since the book from 1989 did not include descendants of women as family lines, which they were in 2001, some numbers have had to be skipped, and for example all descendants of Pierre’s first daughter Marie Sophie la Cour (No. 00 ) have numbers over 100.
Family Relationships
How are people then related to each other? This can be determined by comparing the family numbers.
If two people of the same generation are compared and their family numbers are the same except for the last number – for example 72-5111 and 72-5112 – then they are siblings.
If the family numbers are identical apart from the penultimate digit – for example 72-5112 and 72-5122 or 72-5143 – then they are first cousins.
If the family numbers are identical apart from the third last (and possibly subsequent) digit – for example 72-5112 and 72-5312 or 72-5341 – then they are great cousins – or more precise second-cousins.
If the family numbers are identical apart from the fourth last (and possibly subsequent) digit – for example 72-5112 and 72-2112 or 72-2221 – then they are third-cousins.
