Category Archives: Big Y

The Mystery of the Blue Fugates and Smiths: A Study in Blue Genes and Pedigree Collapse

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The story of the Blue Fugates, an Appalachian family, is quite interesting, from a genetic perspective, a genealogical perspective, and a genetic genealogy perspective.

Who Are the Blue Fugates?

Martin Fugate, supposedly an orphan from France, and his bride, Elizabeth Smith, who had married by 1840, have long been attributed as the progenitors of the Blue Fugate Family of Troublesome Creek, in and around Perry County, Kentucky.

Their descendants were known as “The Blue Fugates” and also “The Blue People of Kentucky” because some of their children and descendants carried a recessive autosomal genetic trait, Methemoglobinemia.

Methemoglobinemia causes the skin to appear blue due to an oxygen deficiency in the red blood cells. Some people only exhibit this characteristic, or even just blue tinges in their fingernails and lips, when they are cold or agitated, such as when infants cry. Yet others are very, very blue.

Inheritance

In order for someone to exhibit the autosomal recessive trait of blueness due to Methemoglobinemia, they must inherit a copy of the gene from BOTH PARENTS. That’s why this trait is so rare.

  • If the parents have only one copy each, they are carriers and will not have the condition themselves.
  • If one parent carries either one or two copies, and the other parent does NOT carry a copy, their offspring CANNOT carry two copies of the mutation and will not be blue.
  • If both parents carry a copy, and both parents pass their copy on to their offspring, the offspring will probably exhibit some level of blueness – from just a tinge when they are cold, ill or or upset, to very, very blue.

I’m not a physician, so I’m not delving into the medical specifics of Methemoglobinemia, but suffice it to say that levels of 10-20% of methemoglobin in the blood produce blue skin, higher levels can produce more severe medical conditions, and levels beneath that may not be visually detectible.

What’s important for the genealogy aspect of this story is that both parents must carry a copy AND pass their copy on for the condition to express in their offspring.

We’ve learned a lot since the 1800s when this was first observed in various members of the Fugate family in Perry County, KY, and since the 1960s when this phenomenon was first studied in the Fugate family and their descendants. To be clear, there are also references to the blue Combs and blue Ritchies in and around Perry County – but the common factor is that they have ancestors that descend from the Fugate family AND the Smith family ancestors, both.

During my research, I’ve proven some of what was initially accepted as fact was incorrect – and I’d like to correct the record. Bonus points too, because it’s just such a great genealogy story!

My Interest

I’ve been inordinately interested in the Fugate family for a long time – but not because of their famous blueness.

The Fugate family has been found for more than 225 years alongside my Cook, Claxton, Campbell, and Dobkins families. First, in Russell County, VA, where Josiah Fugate was granted land along Sword’s Creek in 1801 that adjoined Harry Smith, Richard Smith, and others, including my brick-wall ancestor, Joel Cook. Keep in mind that we have never discovered the birth surname of Joel’s wife or Joel’s parents.

Joel’s daughter, Sarah, married James Claxton about 1799 or 1800 in Russell County, and in February of 1802, James Claxton and Zachariah Fugate, among others, were ordered to view and lay out a new road. They were clearly neighbors, living on the same road, and knew each other well. We don’t know who James’ parents were either.

The Fugates first lived adjacent to the Cook, Riley, Stephens, and Claxton families on Mockason Creek in Russell County, then later migrated with the same group of families to Claiborne County where they lived along the Powell River near the Lee County, VA line, and are very closely associated with the Dobkins and Campbell lines.

Sometime between 1802 and 1805, several Russell County families moved 110 miles down the mountain range and settled together on the Powell River in Claiborne County, TN.  About the same time, others from the same cluster moved to what would eventually become Perry County, KY.

In 1805, the Fugates were ordered as road hands on the north side of Wallen’s Ridge in Claiborne County, the part that would become Hancock County in the 1840s, along with James Claxton and several Smiths.

In 1808, James Claxton witnessed a deed to Henley Fugate and John Riley.

The unsubstantiated family rumor, repeated as fact but with no source, has always been that William Fugate married the sister of my John Campbell. If that were true, tracking the Fugates would help me track my Campbells – yet another brick wall. Hence, my early interest in the Fugate family. Until now, I’ve never solved any part of that puzzle.

In 1827, in Claiborne County, Henry Cook, road overseer, is assigned John Riley, Henly Fugate, William Fugate, Fairwick Claxton (son of James who had died in 1815), and others. These families continued to be allied, living close to each other.

In 1842, William Fugate (1799-1855), born to William Fugate and Sarah Jane Stephens in Russell County, is involved in the estate of John Campbell, born about 1772, who had died in 1838. John Campbell was the husband of Jane “Jenny” Dobkins, daughter of Jacob Dobkins (1751-1835).

William Fugate of Claiborne County signed a deposition in 1851 saying he came to Claiborne County, TN, in 1826. Claiborne County is rugged terrain, located on the south side of the Cumberland Gap, where Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky intersect.

In 1853, both William Fugate and Jehiel Fugate are neck-deep in lawsuits surrounding the estate of Jacob Dobkins, who died in 1835, lived on Powell River, and whose daughters married John Campbell and his brother George Campbell

I recently discovered that this William Fugate was born about 1799 in Russell County, VA, and according to his son’s death certificate, William’s wife was Nancy Riley, which makes a lot of sense, given the proximity of these families. I must admit, I’m glad to solve this, but I’m also disappointed that he wasn’t married to John Campbell’s sister.

So, why does any of this matter in the Blue Fugate story?

In part, because I knew decades ago that Martin Fugate, of the Kentucky Blue Fugates, was not an orphan from France who had somehow made his way to the eastern shores of Maryland, then to Perry County, KY by 1820 when he supposedly received a land grant. That land grant date doesn’t square with Martin’s birth year of 1820 either, nor his marriage about 1840, both of which are substantiated by the census.

You can see from the information gleaned from Russell County that the Fugate family was there well before 1800. In fact, a Martin Fugate is shown on the 1789 tax list and other Fugates were there earlier, as early as 1771, according to extracted Russell County records in the book “The Fugate Family of Russell County, Virginia” by David Faris. The Fugate descendants continued to press on westward from there. Fugate, unlike Smith, Cook, and even Campbell, is not a common surname.

“Orphan” stories are often early ways that people said “I don’t know”, without saying, “I don’t know where he came from”, so they speculated and said “maybe he was an orphan.” Then that speculation was eventually passed on as fact.

That might have been happening in Perry County in the 1960s, but in Claiborne County in the 1980s, family members were telling me, “Martin waren’t no orphan,” and would roll their eyes and sigh with great exasperation. You could tell this was far from the first time they had had to combat that story. To be clear, the Fugate family lived down along Little Sycamore Creek with my Estes, Campbell and other ancestral families. In the 1980s, I was finding the oldest people possible and talking to them.

Some records in Russell County, where the Fugates of Perry County, KY, and the Fugates of Claiborne County, TN, originated, did and do exist, so could have been researched in the 1960s, but you would have had to know where to look. No one back then knew that the Perry County Fugates originated in Russell County, so they wouldn’t have known to look there. Research wasn’t easy. If they had known to look in Russell County, they would have had to travel there in person to review records. Early records exist in Perry County, too, but in the 1960s, not even the census was available, and people simply didn’t remember back to the early to mid-1800s.

Truthfully, no one would ever have doubted those early stories that had been handed down. They were revered, in all families, and treated as gospel. Those stories were the only connection they had to their ancestors – and the generations inbetween who passed them on. Nope, no one was going to question what Grandpa or Uncle Joe said.

So, in the 1960s, when the Blue Fugates in Perry and adjacent Breathitt County, KY were first studied by Dr. Cawein and his nurse, Ruth Pendergrass, they gathered oral family history and constructed a family pedigree from that information. They documented who was blue from first-hand eye-witness accounts – which would only have stretched back into the late 1800s, best case.

It probably never occurred to anyone to validate or verify earlier information that was provided. Plus, it would have been considered rude. After all, they weren’t genealogists, and they were trying to solve a medical mystery. The information they collected did not conflict with what was known about the disease and how it was transmitted, so they had no reason to doubt its historical accuracy.

The Mystery of the Blue Fugates?

The Blue Fugates were a family renowned for their blue skin – at least some of them had blue skin. That’s part of what makes this story so interesting.

Originally, it was believed that only one progenitor couple was involved, Martin Fugate and his wife, Elizabeth Smith, but now we know there were two. Maybe I should say “at least two.”

Martin Fugate and his bride, Elizabeth Smith, whose first known child was born in 1841, according to the 1850 census, are progenitors of the Blue Fugate Family of Troublesome Creek, but they aren’t the only progenitors.

Martin was not shown in the Perry County, KY 1840 census, but two Zachariah Fugates are present, 8 Fugate families are found in neighboring Breathitt County, more than a dozen in Russell County and surrounding counties in Virginia, and four, including two William Fugates, in Claiborne County, TN. The younger of the two lived next door to John Dobkins, son of deceased Jacob Dobkins.

Martin Fugate (c1820-1899) of Perry County and his second cousin, Zachariah Fugate (1816-1864), who each married a Smith sister, are both progenitors of the Blue Fugates through their common ancestor, their great-grandfather, Martin Fugate, who was born in 1725 and died in 1803 in Russell County, VA.

Obviously, if Martin (c1820-1899) had a Fugate second cousin who also lived in Perry County, Martin wasn’t an orphan. That knowledge is due to more recently available information, like census and other data – and that’s part of what I want to correct.

In 1948, Luke Combs, from Perry County, KY, took his sick wife to the hospital, but Luke’s blueness caused the medical staff to focus on him instead, thinking he was experiencing a medical emergency. He wasn’t. His skin was just blue. In 1974, Dr Charles H. Behlen II said, ‘Luke was just as blue as Lake Louise on a cool summer day.’ The Blue Fugates were “discovered” by the rest of the world, thanks to Luke, but they were nothing new to local people, many of whom did not welcome the notoriety.

In the 1960s, hematologist Madison Cawein III, with the assistance of Ruth Pendergrass, studied 189 members of the extended Fugate family, treated their symptoms, and published his findings. He included a pedigree chart, but not everyone was keen on cooperating with Dr. Cawein’s research project.

The Fugate family history collected for the study was based on two things:

  • Personal knowledge of who respondents knew was blue
  • Remembered oral history beyond the reach of personal knowledge.

That remembered oral history reported that Martin Fugate and Elizabeth Smith’s youngest son, Zachariah Fugate (born in 1871), married his mother’s (older) sister, Mary Smith, (born about 1820), and had a family. I’ve added the dates and information in parentheses, or they would have immediately known that marriage was impossible. Or, more directly, even if they married when Zachariah was 14, Mary would have been 70 years old, and they were certainly not going to produce offspring. This is the second piece of information I want to correct. That marriage never happened, although people were accurate that:

  • Martin Fugate and his wife, Elizabeth Smith, did have a son named Zachariah Fugate
  • One Zachariah Fugate did marry Mary Smith, sister of Elizabeth Smith

It’s just that they were two different Zachariah Fugates, born 75 years apart. Same name confusion strikes again.

I constructed this census table of Martin Fugate with Elizabeth Smith, and Zachariah Fugate with Mary Smith. They lived next door to each other in Perry County – and it seemed that every family reused the same “honoring” names for their children – and had been doing such for generations.

In the 1960s, when the information was being compiled for Dr. Cawein, the census and other documents that genealogists rely on today were not readily available.

Furthermore, genetically, for the mystery Dr. Cawein was attempting to solve, it didn’t really matter, because it was still a Smith female marrying a Fugate male. I know that it made no difference today, but he wouldn’t have known that then. To track down the source of the blueness, he needed to identify who was blue and as much about their ancestors as possible.

The Zachariah Fugate (1816-1864) who married Elizabeth Smith’s sister, Mary Smith, was Martin Fugate’s second cousin by the same name, Zachariah. Both Martin (c1820-1899) and his second cousin, Zachariah (c1816-1864), married to Smith sisters, had blue children, which helps cement the fact that the responsible genes were passed down through BOTH the Fugate and Smith lines, and weren’t just random mutations or caused by environmental or other factors.

Proof

In case you’re wondering exactly how I confirmed that Martin and Zachariah did indeed marry Elizabeth and Mary Smith – their children’s birth and death records confirmed it. These records correlate with the census.

Unlike most states, Kentucky has some pre-1900 birth and death records.

Wilson Fugate’s birth in February, 1855 was recorded, naming both of his parents, Martin Fugate and Elizabeth Smith.

Martin Fugate and Elizabeth Smith’s son, Henley or Hendley, died in 1920, and his death certificate gave the names of both parents. Betty is a nickname for Elizabeth.

On the same page with Wilson Fugate’s birth, we find a birth for Zachariah Fugate and Mary Smith, too.

Hannah Fugate was born in December 1855.

Zachariah Fugate and Mary Smith’s son, Zachariah died in 1921, and his death certificate gives his parents as Zach Fugate and Polly Smith, a nickname for Mary.

There are more death records for children of both sets of parents.

Both couples, Martin Fugate and Elizabeth Smith, and Zachariah Fugate and Mary Smith, are progenitors of the Blue Fugate family.

Of Martin’s 10 known children, 4 were noticeably “blue” and lived long, healthy lives. At least two of Zachariah’s children were blue as well.

Some people reported that Martin, himself, had deep blue skin. If so, then both of his parents would have carried that genetic mutation and passed it to him.

Unfortunately, color photography didn’t exist when Martin (c1820-1899), lived, so we don’t know for sure. For Martin’s children to exhibit blue skin, they would have had to inherit a copy of the gene from both parents, so we know that Martin’s wife, Elizabeth, also inherited the mutation from one of her parents. Ditto for Zachariah Fugate and Mary Smith. The chances of two families who both carry such a rare mutation meeting AND having two of their family members marry are infinitesimally small.

Dr. Cawein’s Paper

In 1964, Dr. Cawein published his findings, but only with a pedigree chart with no names. What was included was an explanation about how remote and deep the hills and hollows were, and that out-migration was almost impossible, explaining the propensity to marry cousins.

Legend:

  • Measured – Found to have elevated methemoglobin
  • Measured – Found to have decreased methemoglobin
  • Not measured – Reported to be “blue”
  • Measured – Found to be normal

Cawein further stated that data was collected by interviewing family members who personally knew the individual in question and could say if they were actually blue.

Cawein erroneously reported that “Martin Fugate was an orphan born about 1800, landed in Maryland, obtained a land grant in Perry County, KY in 1820, and married a local gal. From 1820 to about 1930, the population consisted of small, isolated groups living in creek valleys and intermarriage was quite common.” Bless his heart.

Later, geneticist Ricky Lewis wrote about the Blue Fugates, sharing, among other things, the provenance of that “blue” family photo that circulates on the internet, revealing that it is a composite that was assembled and colorized back in 1982. She also erroneously stated that, “after extensive inbreeding in the isolated community—their son married his aunt, for example—a large pedigree of “blue people” of both sexes arose.” Bless her heart too.

Dr. Lewis is incorrect that their son married his aunt – but she’s right that intermarriage between the families is responsible for the blue descendants. In colonial America, and elsewhere, cousin marriages were fairly common – everyplace. You married who you saw and knew. You saw your family and neighbors, who were generally your extended family. No left-handed apology needed.

Pedigree collapse, sharing the same ancestors in multiple places in your tree, is quite common in genealogy, as is endogamy among isolated populations.

Today, things have changed somewhat. People move into and out of an area. The younger generation moves away a lot more and has for the past 100+ years. Most people know their first cousins, but you could easily meet a second or third cousin and never know you were related.

While early stories reported that Martin Fugate (c1820-1899) was an orphan from France, mysteriously appearing in Kentucky around 1820, later genealogical evidence as well as genetic research proves that Martin Fugate was actually born about 1820, in Russell County, VA and his ancestors, over several generations, had followed the typical migration path across Virginia into Kentucky.

We’ve also proven that Martin’s son, Zachariah (born 1871) was not the Zachariah who married Elizabeth Smith’s sister, Mary, who was 50 years old when Zachariah was born.

What else do we know about these families?

The Back Story

Compared to the Smith story, the Fugate story was “easy.”

Don’t laugh, but I spent several days compiling information and charting this in a way I could see and understand in one view.

I hesitate to share this, but I’m going to because it’s how I think. I also put together a very basic Fugate tree at Ancestry, here. Many children and siblings are missing. I was just trying to get this straight in my mind.

Click to enlarge any image

This spreadsheet is color-coded:

  • The text of each lineage has a specific color. For example, Fugates are blue.
  • Some people (or couples) are found in multiple descendants’ lines and are duplicated in the tree. Duplicated people also have a cell background color. For example, Mahala Richey (Ritchey, Ritchie) is highlighted yellow. James and Alexander Richey have green text and apricot background because they are duplicated.
  • The generation of parents who had blue children is marked with black boxes and the label “Blue Kids.”
  • Only the blue kids for this discussion are listed below those couples.
  • The bluest person was Luna Fugate (1886-1964).
  • While Luna’s husband, John Stacey, also descended from the Smith/Combs line, only one of their children expressed the blue trait. That child’s lips turned blue when they cried. John and Luna were actually related in three ways. Yes, my head hurts.
  • The last known “blue” person was Luna Fugate’s great-grandchild, whose name I’ve obfuscated.

Ok, let’s start with the blue Fugates on our spreadsheet. You’ll probably want to follow along on the chart.

Martin Fugate (1725-1803) and wife Sarah, had several children, but only two, the ones whose grandchildren married Smith sisters are known to have had blue children.

On our chart, you can see that Martin (1725-1803) is blue, and so is Son 1, William Fugate and Sarah Stephens, along with Son 2, Benjamin Fugate and Hannah Devers. Both William and Benjamin are mentioned in Martin’s estate in 1803 in Russell County, VA.

Two generations later, Martin Fugate (c1820-1899) and Elizabeth Smith had four blue children, and Zachariah Fugate (c1816-1864) and Mary Smith had at least two blue children. Furthermore, Zachariah Fugate’s sister, Hannah (1811-1877), married James Monroe Richie.

The Richey’s are green, and you can see them on both the left and right of the chart. Hannah’s husband descended from the same Richey line that Elizabeth Smith did. It was no surprise when their child, Mahala Ritchie (1854-1922), married Levi Fugate, to whom she was related three ways, they became the parents of a blue child. Their daughter, Luna Fugate, was known as “the Bluest of the Blue Fugates.”

Mahala Ritchie (1854-1922) could have inherited her blue gene (or genes) from either her mother Hannah Fugate, or her father, James Monroe Ritchie, or both. We don’t know if Hannah was blue or not.

We do know that Mahala married Levi Fugate, her third cousin through the Fugate line, and her third and fourth cousin also through the Richie and Grigsby lines, respectively. This is the perfect example of pedigree collapse.

You can see the purple Grigsby lines in the center and to the right of the pedigree chart too, with Benjamin Grigsby, highlighted in blue, being common to both lineages.

Zachariah Fugate (1816-1864) and Mary Smith had at least two blue sons, but I am not tracking them further. Suffice it to say that Blue John married Letha Smith, his first cousin, the granddaughter of Richard Smith and Nancy Elitia Combs. Lorenzo, “Blue Anze”, married a Fugate cousin, so it’s no surprise that Zachariah and Mary were also progenitor couples of the Blue Fugates.

Martin’s son, Levi Fugate, married Mahala Ritchie, mentioned above, and had Luna Fugate who would have been personally known to Dr. Cawein. Luna, pictured above, at left, was known as the bluest of the Blue Fugates.

Luna married John Stacey who some thought wasn’t related to Luna, so it was confusing why they had one child that was slightly blue. However, John turns out to be Luna’s second cousin, third cousin once removed and first cousin once removed through three different lines. His great-grandparents were Richard Smith and Nancy Combes. Since one of their children had a slight blue tinge, John, while not visibly blue himself, clearly carried the blue gene.

Where Did the Blue Gene Come From?

The parents of Elizabeth Smith and Mary Smith were Richard Smith and Nancy (Eletia) Combs. His Smith ancestors include both the Richeys and Caldwells.

James Richey (1724-1888) married Margaret Caldwell (1729-1802) and his father, Alexander Richey (1690-1749) married Jeanne Caldwell (1689-1785). While the Caldwell females weren’t closely related, Jeanne was the daughter of Joseph Alexander Caldwell (1657-1730) and Jane McGhie, and Margaret Caldwell (1729-1802) was the great-granddaughter of that couple. The Caldwells are shown in magenta, with both Richey/Caldwell couples shown as duplicates. The Richey are highlighted in apricot, and the Caldwell’s with a light grey background. It was difficult to show how these lines connect, so that’s at the very top of the pedigree chart.

When just viewing the Smith-Combs line, it’s easier to view in the Ancestry pedigree.

The Smith, Richey, Combs, Grigsby, and Caldwell lines are all repeated in different locations in the trees, such as with Hannah Fugate’s husband. These repeated ancestors make it almost impossible for us to determine where in the Smith ancestral tree that blue gene originated.

We don’t know which of these ancestral lines actually contributed the blue gene.

Can We Figure Out Where the Blue Gene Came From?

How could we potentially unravel this mystery?

We know for sure that the blue gene in the Fugate side actually descends from Martin Fugate who was born in 1725, or his wife, Sarah, whose surname is unknown, because their two great-grandchildren, Martin (c1820-1899) and Zachariah (1816-1864) who both married Smith sisters had blue children. For those two intervening generations between Martin Fugate (1725-1803) and those two great-grandsons, that blue gene was quietly being passed along, just waiting for a blue Fugate gene carrier to meet another blue gene carrier. They found them in the Smith sisters.

None of Martin (1725-1803) and Sarah’s other children were known to have had any blue children or descendants. So either they didn’t carry the blue gene, or they didn’t marry someone else who did – that we know of.

We can’t tell on the Smith side if the blue gene descends from the Smith, Richey, Grigsby or Caldwell ancestors, or maybe even an unknown ancestor.

How can we narrow this down?

If a Fugate in another geographic location married someone from one of these lineages, say Grigsby, for example, and they had blue offspring, and neither of them shared any of the other lineages, then we could narrow the blue gene in the Smith line to the Grigsby ancestor.

Unfortunately, in Perry and surrounding counties in Kentucky, that would be almost impossible due to intermarriage and pedigree collapse. Even if you “think you know” that there’s no connection through a third line, given the deep history and close proximity of the families, the possibility of unknown ancestry or an unexpected parent is always a possibility.

Discover

While the blue gene is not connected to either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA, we do have the Fugate’s Y-DNA haplogroup and the Smith sisters’ mitochondrial DNA.

Y-DNA

The Big Y-700 haplogroup for the Martin Fugate (c1820-1899) line is R-FTA50432, which you can see, here..

You can see the Blue Fugate Family by clicking on Notable Connections.

If you’re a male Fugate descendant who descends from anyone other than Martin Fugate (c1820-c1899), and you take a Big Y test, you may well discover a new haplogroup upstream of Martin (c1820-1899) that represents your common Fugate ancestor.

If you descend from Martin, you may find youself in either of the two haplogroups shown for Martin’s descendants, or you could split the line to form a new haplogroup.

We don’t have the mitochondrial DNA of Martin Fugate (c1820-1899), which would be the mitochondrial DNA of his mother, Nancy Noble. We also don’t have the the mtDNA of Mary (Polly) Wells, the mother of Zachariah Fugate (c1816-1864). If you descend from either of these women in a direct matrilineal line, through all women, please take a mitochondrial DNA test and reach out. FamilyTreeDNA will add it as a Notable Connection.

We do, however, have the mitochondrial DNA of Elizabeth and Mary Smith

Mitochondrial DNA of Elizabeth and Mary Smith

The mitochondrial DNA of both Elizabeth and Mary Smith follows their mother’s line – Nancy Combs through Nancy (Eletia?) Grigsby. Nancy’s mother is unknown, other than the possible first name of Margaret.

Nancy Grigsby’s descendant is haplogroup K1a61a1, which you can see here.

The Blue Fugates show under Notable Connections.

The Smith sisters’ haplogroup, K1a61a1, tells us immediately that their ancestor is European, eliminating other possibilities.

The time tree on Discover is quite interesting

Haplogroup K1a61a1 was formed about the year 1400. Descendants of this haplogroup are found in the UK, Scotland, England, several unknown locations, and one person who selected Native American, which is clearly in error. Haplogroup K is not Native American.

By focusing on the haplotype clusters, identified by the F numbers in the elongated ovals, our tester may be able to identify the mother of Nancy Grigsby, or upstream lineages that they can work back downstream to find someone who married Thomas Grigsby.

This story is far from over. In fact, a new chapter may just be beginning.

If you’re a Fugate, or a Fugate descendant, there’s still lots to learn, even if autosomal DNA is “challenging,” to say the least, thanks to pedigree collapse. Testing known females lineages can help us sort which lines are which, and reveal their hidden stories.

Other resources if you want to read more about the Fugates: The Blue People of Troublesome Creek, Fugates of Kentucky: Skin Bluer than Lake Louise, Those Old Kentucky Blues: An Interrupted Case Study, and Finding the Famous Paintings of the Blue People of Kentucky.

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New “Share” Features at FamilyTreeDNA Blur Match Information and Make Sharing Easy

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Have you ever wished you didn’t have to blur or otherwise redact each name and other sensitive information in order to share your DNA match results? Or maybe you’d like to share fun Discover pages? Well, you got your wish!

FamilyTreeDNA has introduced a new “Share” feature in two locations. The first Share feature is available in your personal account after signing in, and two additional features can be found in Discover.

  1. “Share Mode” on your personal page obfuscates the names and photos of your matches.
  2. “Share Mode” in Discover obfuscates the names and photos of your matches on your Match Time Tree.
  3. “Share Page” in Discover shares publicly available pages to social media or provides a sharing link for you.

These are extremely easy to use and help immensely, allowing you to share screenshots on social media and with family without revealing the names of your matches.

I’ll show you, step-by-step, how to use all three.

“Share Mode” in Your Personal Account

When you want to enable Share Mode, you just toggle it on.

Sign in to your account at FamilyTreeDNA.

Select Account Settings beneath your name in the upper right-hand corner.

Under Privacy and Sharing, toggle Share Mode to “ON.” Default is “OFF.”

Sharing turns itself back off each time you sign out, so you’ll need to do this each time you sign on and want to share.

To see the results, let’s take a look at my match page. Sharing works the same way for Y-DNA matching, mitochondrial or Family Finder.

Not only does Share obfuscate your matches’ names, it also blurs their picture, and your information as well, at upper right.

This is wonderful for presenters!

Using “Share Mode” in Discover

On your dashboard, for either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA, select “Discover Haplogroup Reports” in the appropriate section.

Discover has two ways to share.

You can share your Match Time Tree, or other pages – using different tools.

Only one Discover page, the Match Time Tree, contains potentially sensitive match information. There’s a “Share Mode” for the Match Time Tree that blurs private information.

However, you may want to share your other Discover reports on social media. “Share Page” provides a quick and easy way to share any publicly available page.

Let’s look at both of those options.

Discover “Share Page”

Every page in Discover, except for the Match Time Tree and Globetrekker, has a “Share Page” icon at the top.

You can share any Discover page on social media (except as noted below), whether you’ve clicked through to Discover from your dashboard, or you’re using the public version of Discover.

In this case, I clicked on “Share Page” to share my Haplogroup Story page to Facebook. On your social media platform of choice, or by sharing the link, your friends can click through to see the page you’ve shared – minus your name and photo.

Please note that there are four Discover pages that either do not share or will display reduced information when using “Share Page,” as follows:

  • Globetrekker is an amazing animated video of your ancestors’ trek across the planet which is reserved for FamilyTreeDNA clients who purchase the Big-Y test or the mtFull, full sequence mitochondrial DNA test. Globetrekker does not use the “Share Page” feature, and is not yet released for mtDNA Discover.
  • Ancient Connections uses the “Share Page” feature, but only publicly displays a few ancient DNA haplogroup matches. Several more are reserved for testers who have taken either the Big-Y or mitochondrial DNA full sequence test, and click through from their dashboard. In a kit I just checked, two or three displayed when shared publicly, but the tester had more than 20 when clicking through his dashboard.
  • Notable Connections uses the “Share Page” feature and functions like Ancient Connections.
  • The Match Time Tree does not use the “Share Page” feature, which populates to social media, but there is a “Share Mode” option which blurs your matches’ sensitive information, similar to your personal page. After blurring, you can take screen shots to share.

Discover Share Mode for the Match Time Tree

The Match Time Tree on Discover is an extension of matching – meaning that your matches are placed on the Time Tree with names of tester-provided Earliest Known Ancestors (EKA) and their country of origin listed.

To view your Match Time Tree, click through to Discover from your FamilyTreeDNA dashboard, then select “Match Time Tree.”

You need to enable “Share Mode” within Discover, even if you had it enabled on your personal page. Toggle “Share Mode” to ON at the top of your Match Time Tree page.

Enabling “Share Mode” obfuscates the names and photos of people on your match list, who now appear on your Discover Time Tree in their proper place. You’re there too!

To share this page publicly, you’ll need to take a screenshot – so please don’t forget to enable “Share Mode” within Discover before doing this.

Benefits of Sharing

The best thing we can do for DNA testing, speaking broadly, is to encourage additional testers who are excited about what they can discover.

Sharing our pages and discoveries on social media is a great way to generate excitement.

Who do you know that might be excited to discover that they share an ancestor with Leo Tolstoy or maybe “Wild Bill” Hickock, even if it’s hundreds of years ago?

How about discovering that an Ancient Connection is a Viking man who was buried in Shestovista, Ukraine about a thousand years ago, and you two shared an ancestor about 1900 years ago? Might that provide a clue about your genealogy? What was the life of your ancestor like?

Or, maybe your friends and relatives would be excited to view the path their ancestors took, marching across the map, until their ancestor arrives on the globe where their haplogroup is most recently anchored?

Trying to get Uncle John or Aunt Mary to test? What kind of information would they think is cool?

A scientist I know especially loves the Ancient Connections that extend far beyond the reach of surnames.

One of my ancestral lines has an ancient DNA match just 9 kilometers from the town where they are rumored to have originated in France. Along the ancient Roman road. How else would I have EVER made this discovery?

The more people that test, the larger the matching pool – and the better for all genealogists.

Thank you to FamilyTreeDNA for introducing “Share Mode,” which makes sharing matches with other researchers effortless, and for “Share Page” within Discover, which makes sharing publicly a breeze!

Who can you share and collaborate with?

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Welcome to the New FamilyTreeDNA® mtDNA Group

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If you are a member of the Mitochondrial DNA for Genealogy Facebook group that I started when we launched the Million Mito Project, you may have noticed something new.

Not only does the group have a new name, FamilyTreeDNA® mtDNA Group, and an updated map, but it’s also now the official FamilyTreeDNA mitochondrial DNA group. A company-sponsored group provides one official, moderated, social media platform for mitochondrial DNA discussions and ongoing education.

I’m very pleased to “bequeath” this group to FamilyTreeDNA. It’s the perfect time, too, with the Mitotree release and full sequence testers receiving new haplogroups, along with the mtDNA Discover reports. Have you checked your new haplogroup – and mtDNA Discover?

I’m still an administrator, but I have been joined by several talented people from FamilyTreeDNA, including Million Mito Team members. We’ve assembled the best group possible to educate and answer questions.

You probably know that FamilyTreeDNA has an official Big-Y DNA group as well, here, where people can engage in conversation and education about Big-Y testing and results and how to use them for genealogy. This is the companion mitochondrial DNA group.

This FamilyTreeDNA® mtDNA Group is a private group, but anyone is welcome to join – whether you’ve already tested or are just thinking about it. It’s the “go to” place to learn about mitochondrial DNA.

Everyone can test their own mitochondrial DNA, so take a test, come on over, and join the fun, here.

See you soon!

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I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

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Lineages Versus Ancestors – How to Find and Leverage Yours

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Today, we’ll explore how a single direct test can uncover insights into an entire ancestral lineage, shifting our focus from individual ancestors to the broader concept of lineages.

When we work with either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA, we’re using a type of DNA that is specific to one ancestral line – or lineage. However, it’s not limited to just one ancestor. In fact, it applies to many.

Autosomal DNA, on the other hand, can be and is inherited from multiple ancestral lines. Of course, autosomal DNA is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle because YOU have to figure out WHICH line is the source of your match to someone.

You don’t have to do that with Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, plus, there’s a LOT more information available about both of those types of DNA.

Inheritance – How Parts of Your Ancestors Descend to You

I’ve put together a chart to explain the difference in the amount of autosomal DNA that you inherit from your ancestors versus the amount of either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that you inherit from specific lineages of ancestors.

Generation Autosomal Ancestors % DNA # Ancestors Y (males) & mtDNA Ancestors – %
7 GGGG-grandparents 1.5625 64 1 – 100%
6 GGG-grandparents 3.125 32 1 – 100%
5 GG-grandparents 6.25 16 1 – 100%
4 Great-grandparents 12.5 8 1 – 100%
3 Grandparents 25 4 1 – 100%
2 Parents 50 2 1 – 100%
1 You 100 1 – 100%

If you look at the amount of autosomal DNA inherited from each ancestor back seven generations, with you as the first generation, you’ll see that, on average, each of your GGGG-grandparents contributes 1.5625% of their DNA to you. In some cases, you might receive none at all, and in other cases, you might receive more – thanks to the uncertainty of recombination in each generation which I explained, here.

That’s not the case, though, for either Y-DNA (for males) or mitochondrial DNA for everyone. You always inherit 100% of the mitochondrial DNA carried by the entire lineage of your direct maternal line ancestors. Males always inherit 100% of the Y chromosome of their direct paternal line ancestors. Neither type of DNA is divided, recombined, or washed out over the generations. With the exception of an occasional mutation, the Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA that your most distant ancestor in that line inherited is exactly what you receive.

Everyone can test their mitochondrial DNA, and males can take the Y-DNA test. Women give their mitochondrial DNA to both sexes of their children, but only females pass it on.

While you can only test for your own direct lines, you can test other people for their lineages which are also your ancestors.

Test Family Members

By testing family members who descend appropriately, you can obtain that same information for any ancestor.

For example, your father can test his mitochondrial DNA to receive the mitochondrial DNA information for his mother’s direct matrilineal line, or lineage. If you’re a female, having your father test both his Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA provides you with valuable information about two ancestral lines that you can’t obtain from your own DNA.

Your mother’s brothers (or paternal uncles) can test their Y-DNA for your mother’s father’s line, and so forth.

Y-DNA is always the direct patrilineal line for males, and mitochondrial DNA is always the direct matrilineal line for everyone, so males can provide the DNA for both types of DNA for their ancestors. Men carry both types of DNA, the Y-DNA of their father and the mitochondrial DNA of their mother.

Lineages

The great news is that once you obtain that information by locating an appropriate tester, it’s conclusive in the sense that you typically don’t need to find someone else in that line to test – especially if they match someone else who descends from an ancestor in that same line. I say typically because, especially with Y-DNA, you may well want to test multiple men in different generations to track mutations that identify twigs and even leaves on their haplotree branch.

Essentially, both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA represent entire lineages, not just individual ancestors.

Once you obtain that information, you can:

  • Identify ancestors further back in time
  • Confirm lineages
  • Disprove lineages
  • Learn when your common ancestors with other testers lived
  • Learn where your ancestors and their ancestors lived
  • Discover which ancient and notable people you’re related to
  • Utilize match maps
  • And more

Click on any image to enlarge

There’s an entire world of information just waiting to be revealed – beyond matching for both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA and the half dozen great tools provided on your dashboard at FamilyTreeDNA.

The free Discover tool (currently for Y-DNA but very soon for mitochondrial too) provides a dozen extra reports. Between your dashboard reports and the Discover reports, there are about 20 chapters to your lineage story waiting for you.

There’s even a customized Discover experience for Big Y-DNA testers and full sequence mitochondrial DNA testers.

If you take the Big Y-700 test or the full sequence mitochondrial DNA test, your Discover experience includes:

  • Globetrekker
  • More Ancient Connections
  • More Notable Connections
  • The Match Time Tree
  • If you join projects, the Project Time Tree

For my Estes research, the Match Time Tree and Project Time Trees have been critically important.

Time Trees provide a genetic structure for how you and your matches are related over time. In the Match Time Tree above, you can see how my cousin is related to his matches, and when important branching of the tree that defines lineages occurred. The earliest known ancestors (EKA), provided by testers, are shown as well. This branching information correlated within 25 years of the births of the ancestors whose DNA split those branches.

For example, the mutation, R-ZS3700 was formed when Moses Estes was born in 1711 and was then passed to his descendants. If you test as a member of haplogroup R-ZS3700, we know you descend from Moses Estes. Some of his descendants have downstream haplogroups too, such as R-BY154184.

The Group Time Tree shows the same type of things but for members within Group Projects.

It’s truly exciting what lineage tests can reveal and how they can demolish brick walls.

Finding Testers

After you’ve exhausted your supply of close family members, then known aunts, uncles and cousins, how do you find testers to represent your lineages?

Most of us don’t know our third or fourth cousins, but they may carry that golden DNA that represents that entire lineage.

I’ve written about using both Relatives at RootsTech and WikiTree to find people who descend appropriately from the line you seek, but you’ll be most productive if you get organized first.

Let’s begin with organizing your lineages. Since this type of DNA is passed through that entire line of ancestors, you want to have those ancestors gathered together so it’s easy to find someone who has descended from any of those ancestors in that lineage appropriately.

For Y-DNA, that means each direct male line, and for mitochondrial DNA, that means every matrilineal line.

Lineage Spreadsheet

In my Ancestor Birthday Spreadsheet, where I track pertinent information about each of my ancestors individually, one row per ancestor, I created a lineage sheet for mitochondrial DNA and another one for Y-DNA. If you don’t want to create a spreadsheet, you can always make a chart or list.

It’s easier to recognize Y-DNA testing candidates because the surname (generally or often) doesn’t change.

Surnames generally do change in each generation in mitochondrial lineages.

Everyone can test their own mitochondrial DNA, so let me start with the tester (me) as an example. If I test my mitochondrial DNA, the results automatically apply to my ancestors in my direct matrilineal line – or lineage.

So, one test represents a dozen of my direct-line maternal ancestors. Your test represents however many ancestors you have on your direct matrilineal lineage.

Beginning with my mother, I’ve been able to track my matrilineal line beyond the six generations shown in my desktop genealogy software.

For purposes of clarity, while only six generations are displayed here, the entire lineage continues with Anna Elisabetha Mehlheimer on the next page. That line includes each female, mother-to-mother, as far back as I can go, consisting of all 12 generations.

I’ve entered all of those ancestors into their generational position in the first row on the Lineage Spreadsheet that begins with me.

Click any image to enlarge

The entire spreadsheet looks like these first few rows. I don’t expect you to read the small print. I just want you to get the idea so that you can follow the process.

The entire mitochondrial lineage of each “first of line” ancestor is shown in the “Upstream” generation columns at right. In other words, the person closest to current in the lineage is listed by last and first name (me), and all of their mitochondrial lineage ancestors are shown to their right.

My mother, Barbara Jean Ferverda is shown in the column “Upstream 1”, because she is one generation upstream from me, or the ancestor listed at far left. “Upstream 2” is her mother, Edith Barbara Lore, and so forth.

The haplogroup, once discovered, applies to ALL of those people – the entire lineage. Those ancestors don’t need to be shown on the spreadsheet again because you’ve checked them off the list when you find someone to represent all of them. Of course, in this case, that person is me.

My mitochondrial DNA represents 12 known generations, and countless unknown ones, some of which may yet be discovered. But there are other lineages that I need to discover that I can’t personally test for.

Identifying Lineages That You Need

I created this fan chart in my genealogy software and placed a red star for each pink mitochondrial DNA line that I need – beginning with the “first of line” ancestor. For example, Ollie Bolton is my “first of line” ancestor whose mitochondrial DNA represents all of her direct-line matrilineal ancestors.

Of course, each generation back in time provides more ancestors whose DNA we need – including each male who carries the mitochondrial DNA of his mother.

By the way, if I only have a partial haplogroup from either an autosomal test that provides base haplogroups, or a predicted haplogroup from an older HVR1 or HVR1/2 test, I leave them in the “need” category. In other words, I’m still seeking a full-sequence tester.

I started with each female in my tree and created their lineage backward in my spreadsheet.

More Distant Ancestors in Your Tree

My genealogy software shows a maximum of 6 generations on one page.

When I reached the point in my tree where I needed to go to the “next page,” other lineages began there. I began losing my place, so I color-coded the lineages in my spreadsheet so I could identify them at a glance. Additionally, the red-colored text indicates that the line begins with a female, and the black text means that the line “bookmark” begins with that man’s mother. Remember, every man had a mother whose mitochondrial DNA we need as part of that family’s story.

The “bookmark” ancestor is the person where I was when I advanced to the next “page” in my genealogy software, so I don’t lose my place.

You can see that Johanna Fredericka Ruhle is the bookmark ancestor for Maria Margaretha Krafft. Johanna Ruhle’s direct line is listed in the Upstream columns for her, and Maria Margaretha Krafft’s direct line is listed in the upstream columns for her. Please note that Maria Margaretha Krafft is NOT in the direct matrilineal line for Johanna Ruhle, but a different lineage that I need.

In my desktop genealogy software, Johanna Fredericka Ruhle is the last person in her line on page one. She’s the bookmark that leads to the next page, so I need to begin with her on page 2.

Now Johanna is the first person on the next page, with her pedigree chart showing. You can see that Johanna’s OWN mitochondrial lineage continues through Margaretha Kurtz (red arrow), but this page also includes 11 NEW mitochondrial lineages that begin with a female in each line.

Maria Margaretha Krafft’s lineage is labeled as #11 here.

If your bookmark or “page turn” individual is a male, then he goes in your bookmark field so you can figure out how to get that lineage in the first place. Bookmarks are kind of like breadcrumbs.

You don’t need to worry about “page 2” and more distant if you are just beginning.

However, this process will encourage you to check each end-of-line individual. As you search, you’ll know that when you find descendants of any one of these people, their mitochondrial DNA test will represent all of the ancestors in that entire lineage.

Find One, Get the Entire Dozen! BOG12

BOGO might be an American saying, and it means Buy One Get One, so essentially two for the price of one. In my case, it was buy one test, get information for 12 ancestors, or BOG12.

So, find one tester/haplogroup and get that information for the entire lineage! In my case, I got 12 for the price of one.

In Johanna Fredericka Ruhle’s case, she is the grandmother of Evaline Miller, my mother’s grandmother. Evaline Miller’s line includes 8 generations, so when I found someone who carried Evaline’s mitochondrial DNA, it applied to all 8 generations of her direct matrilineal ancestors – BOG8. The great news is that it doesn’t have to come from a descendant of Evaline herself, it can come from a direct female descendant of, say, Margaret Elisabeth Lentz, or her mother, Johanna Fredericka Ruhle – or more distant in the tree.

More distant ancestors may have more descendants that carry their Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA.

You can see that in my desktop software (and only there,) I’ve added Evaline’s mitochondrial haplogroup as a middle name. I don’t ever do this in a public tree because it confuses the search algorithm. Besides that, haplogroup names evolve and change over time as the phylogenetic trees become more specific.

Follow That Line

For purposes of this exercise, let’s use one of my lineages to see if I can find someone who descends appropriately from either that ancestor, through all females to the current generation, or from any of her matrilineal ancestors upstream.

Let’s use Curtis Benjamin Lore’s mother as an example. His mother was Rachel Levina Hill, so that lineage begins with her since only females pass mitochondrial DNA to their offspring.

I’m going to search for someone who carries the mitochondrial DNA of Rachel.

Rachel is the fourth generation back from me, and according to my lineage spreadsheet, there are a total of 11 generations from me to the last person in her direct mitochondrial lineage.

  • Rachel Levina Hill – (born 1815 Addison Co., VT, died after 1870 Warren Co., PA, married Antoine “Anthony” Lore)
  • Abigail “Nabby” Hall – (born 1792 Mansfield City, Tolland Co., CT, died 1874 Waukegan, Lake Co., IL, married Joseph Hill)
  • Dorcas Richardson – (born 1769 Willington, Tolland Co., CT, died c 1840 Addison Co., VT, married Gershom Hall)
  • Dorcas Eldredge – (born 1739 Mansfield City, Tolland Co., CT, died 1772 Willington, Tolland Co., CT, married James Richardson)
  • Abigail Smith – (born 1718 Massachusetts, died 1793 Willington, Tolland Co., CT, married Jesse Eldredge)
  • Abigail Freeman – (born 1693 Eastham, Barnstable Co., MA, died 1737 Wellfleet, Barnstable Co., MA, married Samuel Smith)
  • Mary Howland – (born 1665 Dartmouth, RI, died 1743 Eastham, Barnstable Co., MA, married Nathaniel Freeman)
  • Abigail (surname unknown) – (born about 1635, married October 1656 to Zoeth Howland)

In order to obtain Rachel Levina Hill’s mitochondrial DNA, I need to find someone who descends from either her or her matrilineal lineage ancestors through all females to the current generation, which can be male. Women give their mitochondrial DNA to both sexes of their children, but only females pass it on.

In order to be “safe,” meaning less likelihood of a genealogical error, I prefer to find two descendants through different children who match each other. However, to begin, I’m always happy to locate any one descendant. They may match someone from this line who has already tested.

This is a good place to insert a cautionary note about the accuracy of other people’s genealogy. Always verify as best you can that the person you’re relying on for a critical test actually descends appropriately from the ancestor whose DNA you seek.

Autosomal Match List

When searching for testers, I always check my own autosomal match list first to be sure someone with that surname or who descends from that ancestor isn’t already lurking there. That includes both ThruLines at Ancestry and Theories of Family Relativity at MyHeritage.

It’s not always easy to tell because, at most vendors, you can’t search for (mitochondrial or other) matches by ancestor.

However, I enter the various surnames, beginning with the closest first, to see if maybe the right person is already there. The further back in time, the less likely you’ll have an autosomal match from any ancestor.

After you view one of your matches’ trees and determine that they are NOT an appropriate tester for what you seek, be sure to make a note on that match so you don’t check over and over again. You can make notes at every vendor on your matches.

FamilyTreeDNA Projects

If you’re searching for a particular surname, especially a Y-DNA lineage, checking the surname Group Projects at FamilyTreeDNA is always a wonderful first step to see if someone has already tested.

You can check group projects for surnames here.

Unfortunately, due to generational surname changes, surname projects often aren’t relevant to mitochondrial DNA lineages, although there are some lineage projects. If your ancestor is connected to a particular group of people, like the Acadians, for example, you can search or browse that group. The Acadian project and some others have both mitochondrial DNA and Y-DNA pages.

The Group Project search results will show any project where the administrators have entered that surname as potentially of interest to that specific project, so always check that resource.

WikiTree

Next, I go to WikiTree. If someone enters their mitochondrial DNA information, WikiTree propagates it through the tree to the appropriate descendants and ancestors. I love this feature.

Let’s see what we find for Rachel Levina Hill.

Look here!!!

Tim Prince has entered his mitochondrial DNA haplogroup, which was automatically associated with Rachel. It’s my lucky day. She is haplogroup H2a2a1e.

I can click through to Tim and view his tree.

Sure enough, Tim’s ancestor is Bathshua Smith, the sister to my Abigail Smith, four generations upstream from Rachel Levina Hill.

How cool is this?!!!

If no one is listed for Rachel’s mitochondrial DNA, I can click on the Descendants link on any ancestor, then click on DNA Descendants.

Next, click on which type of DNA you’re looking for.

At this point, I’d suggest contacting the profile owner or checking your autosomal matches for people with these surnames—in this case, Wickwire or Chain. You can also view the entire descendants list, which I’ve truncated here for brevity.

Relatives at RootsTech

While you can check WikiTree anytime, you can only access Relatives at RootsTech for a short time, typically about a month before and after RootsTech  – which means right now. Signing up for free virtual attendance works just fine as your key to accessing Relatives at RootsTech.

I wrote about Relatives at RootsTech here. Once you’re set up, you can access your list of cousins attending RootsTech by:

  • Location
  • Ancestor
  • Family Line

By selecting “Ancestor,” I can see who is attending that descends from Rachel Hill, according to the FamilySearch tree. Scanning further down the list, I see her mother, Abigail “Nabby” Hall. Two people descend from Rachel, while 3 descend from Abigail.

By clicking on “Relationship,” you can see how you and that person are related. In this case, what I’m really interested in is how they descend from Rachel Lavina Hill.

Rachel contributed her mitochondrial DNA to her son, William, but he didn’t pass it on, so that mitochondrial DNA line stops right there. If it hadn’t stopped there, it would have stopped a few generations later with another male – Gladys’s son.

Any male in the line is a blocker for mitochondrial DNA, unless it’s a current generation tester who descends from all females.

Sometimes, when the line is interrupted by a male in the last couple of generations, it’s worth reaching out to that cousin to see if they know of anyone who descends appropriately. Ask if the last female in the line has daughters or sons who are still living and might be willing to test – or if their daughters had children and so forth.

Each Relatives at RootsTech selection shows a maximum of 300 people, but you can choose the applicable grandparent’s family line to see 300 people in that line. You’ll need to click through each person to see how they descend, but that’s fine because you have 300 opportunities for success!!

Check back, too, because more people register up to and even during RootsTech.

Create Those Lineage Spreadsheets

Now, we’re back to why creating those lineage spreadsheets is essential. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember exactly how family members descend from each other beyond 3 or 4 generations.

I actually need a tester from my paternal grandmother’s line, so I’m focusing on that line for this next example.

When I look at the list of who is related to me through my paternal grandmother’s line, I want that spreadsheet readily available, so I know precisely which lineages I need to find cousins to test for both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA.

I have a partial haplogroup for Ollie Bolton based on a very old HVR1 test. There is no DNA left to upgrade, and the tester is deceased, so I need to find someone else.

I’ve made a list of all of the women in that lineage. Unfortunately, it’s pretty short.

  1. Ollie Florence Bolton – (1874 born Hancock Co., TN, died 1955 in Chicago, married William George Estes)
  2. Margaret N. Claxton or Clarkson – (1851-1920 Hancock Co., TN, married Joseph Bolton)
  3. Elizabeth “Bettie Ann” Speaks – (1832 Lee County Va, died 1907 Hancock Co., TN, married Samuel Claxton/Clarkson)
  4. Ann McKee – (1804/5 Washington Co., VA, died 1840/1850 Lee Co., VA, married Charles Speak)
  5. Elizabeth (surname unknown) – (born about 1768, died 1839 Washington Co., VA, married Andrew McKee)

I’m brick-walled, so if I can obtain Ollie’s mitochondrial DNA, through matching, I may be able to identify Elizabeth, Ollie’s great-great-grandmother. This line is one of my most frustrating, and mitochondrial DNA testing and matching hold a lot of promise for giving Elizabeth a surname and parents.

I’ve already checked my matches and WikiTree, so I’m going to see if any of the “Family Line” Relatives at RootsTech descend through all females.

I have 300 opportunities to find a tester.

As more people sign up, the most distant cousins will roll off the list, so start at the bottom.

Cross your fingers for me!

DNA Testing Scholarships

If I find someone, the first thing I’ll ask is if they have taken any kind of DNA test. If so, where? Then, I’ll ask if they have taken a mitochondrial DNA test at FamilyTreeDNA and explain why that’s important and what it can potentially do for us.

If yes, I’m golden because the next question will be about their haplogroup, and I’ll invite them to join a project that I manage so I can view the results.

If the answer is no, but they’ve tested their autosomal DNA elsewhere, I’ll invite them to upload for free and join the project. You can also establish a private family project for this purpose, if you wish.

I tell them I have a DNA testing scholarship for someone who carries that DNA lineage. I explain that with the scholarship, the test is entirely free, including postage, and that they’re in complete control of their kit and results. All I ask is some level of access.

I always explain the results when they arrive. I’ve never had anyone object to this arrangement, and often we research collaboratively. I’ve met wonderful cousins this way.

Get Started!

Whose Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA do you need to find?

Make your lineage spreadsheet or chart, and take this opportunity to find a testing candidate and learn more about your ancestors! Not just one at a time, but entire lineages.

They are waiting for you!

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You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

Genealogy Products and Services

My Books

Genealogy Books

Genealogy Research

Leave No Stone Unturned, No Ancestor Behind: 10 Easy Steps to Capture DNA Clues

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There’s a lot, a whole lot that DNA testing can tell you. Not just your own tests, but the genetic information carried by your relatives that you do not.

Recently, I’ve been reviewing my brick walls, which led me to realize there are several ancestors who are missing their mitochondrial DNA and/or Y-DNA  results. I need these to learn more about my ancestors that can’t be revealed any other way – and to break down those pesky brick walls.

I’ve solved two mysteries recently, one thanks to a Big Y-700 test, and a second very unexpectedly thanks to mitochondrial DNA – both thanks to cousins who tested. These revelations were very encouraging, especially since there’s no way other than DNA for me to break through these brick walls. The mitochondrial test had been sitting there, waiting for what seemed like forever until just the right other person tested.

I am in the process of unlocking several brick-walled ancestors by providing testing scholarships to people who are appropriately descended from known ancestors in those lines.

Don’t leave information on the table. If I were to tell you there even MIGHT be a book available about your family, you’d overturn Heaven and Earth to find it – but you don’t need to do that. All you need to do is order DNA tests for cousins.

All cousins can provide useful autosomal DNA results, but you do need to find appropriate cousins for Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA testing.

I’m sharing the steps for how I accomplish this! You’ll be amazed at what’s out there – and someone may already have tested!

Take Advantage of the Holidays

I’m sharing NOW because it’s the holidays and you’re likely to gather with people you don’t see any other time – and because the best sale of the year for both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA lasts from now through the end of the year.

These two factors combined mean strike while the iron is hot.

Prices for new tests and bundles are at an all-time low.

If you or your relatives have already taken a lower-level test, now is the time to upgrade to either the Big Y-700 or the mtFull Sequence test.

Step 1 – Test Yourself and Your Known Family

If you’re a male, order both the Big Y-700 test and mitochondrial DNA tests.

Be sure to click on “See More” for more useful tools.

When you receive your results, be sure to click on all of the tabs in your results, and do the same by clicking through to Discover from your account. Discover has 13 more goodies for you to help with your genealogy.

Both your personal page and Discover are essentially chapters of your own personal book about your DNA results. 25 very interesting chapters, to be precise, that are uniquely you.

I’ve written about understanding Y-DNA results here, and mitochondrial results here. My book, Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA, covers both along with Discover.

Discover provides robust information for Y-DNA haplogroups. If you’ve taken a Big Y-700 test, you’ll want to click through from your page to receive additional, personalized and more robust information than is available through the free public Discover tool. That said, the public version of Discover is an amazing tool for everyone.

After the new Mitotree is released for mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial haplogroups will be available in Discover too.

I can’t even begin to stress how important these tools are – in particular the Time Tree, the Group Time Tree for members of group projects, and the Match Time Tree for your own matches.

Who Can Test For What?

Once you’ve tested yourself, you will want to take a look in your pedigree chart at branches further up your tree to see who can be tested to represent specific ancestors.

Let’s begin with my father’s side.

A mother contributes her mitochondrial DNA to all of her children, so your father carries the mitochondrial DNA of his mother.

If you’re a female, and your father is available to test, you’ll want to test BOTH his mitochondrial DNA and Y-DNA, because there’s no way for you to obtain that information from your own test. Females don’t have a Y chromosome, and men don’t pass on their mitochondrial DNA.

If you’re a male, you can test your own mitochondrial DNA and Y-DNA, but you’ll need to test your father’s mitochondrial DNA to obtain his mother’s. You might still want to test your father’s Y-DNA, however, because you may discover a personal family haplogroup. How cool is that??!! Your own tiny branch on the tree of mankind!

Your father’s mitochondrial DNA provides you with mitochondrial matches and haplogroup information for your paternal grandmother – in this case, Ollie Bolton.

If your father and his siblings can’t test, then all of the children of your paternal aunts carry your paternal grandmother’s mitochondrial DNA.

If they have no children or they can’t test, then the children of Ollie Bolton’s mother, Margaret Claxton/Clarkson all carry her mitochondrial DNA, and the children of Ollie’s sisters continue the line of descent through all daughters to the current generation.

The male children of Joseph “Dode” Bolton and Margaret Claxton carry his Y-DNA. Fortunately, that’s not one of our missing haplogroups.

Yes, you may have to climb up your tree and climb down various branches to find a testing candidate.

One of the reasons I’m using this example is because, while I have a high-level haplogroup for my grandmother, Ollie Bolton, we need a full sequence tester – and I’m offering a mitochondrial DNA testing scholarship for anyone descending from Margaret Claxton (or her direct female ancestors) through all females to the current generation, which can be male.

Ok, now let’s switch to the maternal side of your tree.

On the other side of your tree, your maternal grandfather or your mother’s brothers will provide the Y-DNA of your mother’s father’s line. Your mother’s uncles or their sons will provide your grandfather’s Y-DNA line, too. In this case, that’s John Whitney Ferverda, who carries the Y-DNA of his father, Hiram Bauke Ferverda/Ferwerda.

Your maternal grandfather or his siblings will provide the mitochondrial DNA of their mother, Evaline Louise Miller.

If they are deceased or can’t test, for mitochondrial DNA, look to the children of Evaline Miller’s daughters or their descendants through all females to the current generation, which can be male.

And yes, in case you’re wondering, I do need Evaline Miller’s mitochondrial line too and am offering a scholarship.

You might have noticed that I’ve been inching my way up my tree. All of my immediate relatives have passed over already, so I’m now looking for testers that I don’t know but who I’m related to.

If you’re seeing family members anytime soon, figure out if their Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, or autosomal DNA would be useful for your common genealogy. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Next, you’ll want to figure out which ancestors need haplogroups and locate appropriate cousins.

Step 2 – Identify Ancestors Who Need Haplogroups

Peruse your tree to determine which of your ancestors you need haplogroup information for. To make it easy, on my computer, but never in a public tree anyplace, I store the haplogroup of my ancestor as a “middle name” so I can easily see which ones I have and which ones I need. Sometimes, I have a high-level haplogroup and either need a new tester or someone to upgrade.

Sometimes, I have one tester from a line but need a second for confirmation.

In this example, I’m not missing confirmation on any Y-DNA haplogroups (although I am further upstream on different lines,) but I do need four different mitochondrial DNA lineages.

For easy reference, make a list of all of the lines you can’t confirm with two testers from different children of the same ancestor.

You just might get lucky and discover that someone has already tested!

Step 3 – Check FamilyTreeDNA Projects

Check FamilyTreeDNA Projects to see if someone has already tested to represent those ancestors on your list.

Click here for the Group Project Search. It’s located at the very bottom of the main FamilyTreeDNA page in the footer.

I’m going to use Estes as an example since I’m the volunteer administrator of that project and am very familiar with the lineages.

I’m searching for projects that include the surname Estes.

The projects displayed on the list are projects where the volunteer administrators listed Estes as a possible surname of interest. It doesn’t mean those projects will be of interest to everyone or every line with that surname, but evaluate each project listed.

You probably want the surname project, but if there’s not a surname project for your surname, try alternate spellings or consider checking other projects.

You can see at the bottom that 384 people of both sexes by the surname of Estes have tested at FamilyTreeDNA.

Now, let’s look at the Estes project. Note that not everyone with the Estes surname has joined the Estes project.

I’ve clicked on the “Estes” link which takes me to an additional information page where I can read a description and click to view the project.

For the Estes project, you do not have to join to view the results. Nor does your surname have to be Estes. All Estes descendants of any line are welcome. Everyone can benefit from the Advanced Matching within project feature to see who else you match within the project by selecting a wide range of individual and combined filters.

Click on the Project Website link shown in the search results.

If you’re searching for a male Estes ancestor, you’ll want to review the project’s Y-DNA Results and the Group Time Tree, for sure, and possibly the Map as well.

Let’s pretend I’m trying to determine if anyone has tested who descends from my ancestor, Abraham Estes, the founding Estes ancestor in Virginia who arrived in the mid-1600s.

In the Estes project, the volunteer administrator has divided the Estes male participants by sons of Abraham, the immigrant. Only three are shown here, but there are several.

Some of the participants have completed their Earliest Known Ancestor information, in the red box. Sometimes people don’t think to update these when they make breakthroughs.

If you descend from Abraham’s son, Sylvester, three men have taken the Big Y-700. That’s the test results you need.

If you descend from Abraham’s son, Abraham, no project participants have taken the Big-Y test to represent that line, although six people have tested, so that’s great news. Maybe you can offer an upgrade scholarship to one or some of those men.

In other words, to establish the haplogroup for that lineage, at least two men need to test or upgrade to the Big Y-700, preferably through two different sons of the common ancestor. A new, more defining haplogroup is often formed every two or three generations for Y-DNA.

Your genetic pedigree chart looks a lot like your genealogy pedigree chart.

Click any image to enlarge

The project Group Time Tree shows selected groups of men who have taken Big Y tests, along with their Earliest Known Ancestor, if they’ve provided the information. This is one of the reasons why the Big Y-700 is so critically important to genealogy. The time granularity is amazing and can answer the question of whether men by the same surname descend from the same common ancestor – and when.

If you’ve taken a Family Finder autosomal test at FamilyTreeDNA, or uploaded an autosomal file from another vendor, you may match one of these men or another male that descends from the Estes line if they, too, have taken an autosomal test.

This same process applies to mitochondrial DNA, but generally surname projects aren’t (as) relevant for mitochondrial DNA since the surname changes every generation. However, sometimes other projects, such as the Acadian AmerIndian Project are quite beneficial if you have Acadian ancestry, or a geographic or regional project like the French Heritage Project, or something like the American Indian Project.

Another great way to find testers is by utilizing your Family Finder test.

Step 4 – Family Finder at FamilyTreeDNA

The next step is to see if you match anyone with the surname you’re searching for by using your autosomal test results, so select your Family Finder Matches.

At FamilyTreeDNA you’ll want to search your matches by the surname you seek. This surname search lists any tester who has that surname, or anyone who has entered that surname in their surname list. Please note that this search does NOT read ancestors in your matches’ trees. You’ll still need to view trees.

Reviewing the 32 Estes Family Finder matches reveals several men, but one man with the Estes surname has already taken a Y-DNA 25-marker test, so he would be an excellent candidate to offer a Big Y-700 upgrade scholarship. If he’s not interested or doesn’t respond, there are several more men to contact.

Click on your match’s name to display the profile card, along with the Earliest Known Ancestors, both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA haplogroups if they have tested, and the assigned haplogroup based on their testing level.

Craft an email and offer a testing scholarship. This will help both of you. I’ll provide a sample email at the end of this article.

If you match a female with an Estes surname, her father, brother, uncle or cousin may either have already tested or be willing.

If you match someone who has a different surname, that means they have an Estes surname in their surname list and may know a potential tester. If your match has a tree, click to check.

I’ve found that matching through a company where you’ve both tested is the easiest way to encourage someone to take an additional test, but certainly, it’s not the only way.

Step 5 – WikiTree

WikiTree is a quick and easy way to see if anyone has taken a Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA test that should reflect a particular ancestor’s Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA.

I just googled “Moses Estes 1711-1787 WikiTree” and clicked to view.

Each ancestor includes both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA information, in addition to people who descend from that ancestor through only autosomal lines.

In this case, two men have provided their Y-DNA results that pertain to Moses Estes. They have tested at different levels, which is why they have different haplogroups. That doesn’t mean either is “wrong,” one is just more refined than the other. You can correlate their kit number with the Estes surname project. People often don’t update their haplogroup information at WikiTree when it’s updated at FamilyTreeDNA.

Please note that if the genealogy is wrong, either at WikiTree or individually, the haplogroup may not reflect the appropriate lineage for the ancestor. Check to be sure that there’s no conflict showing between two testers for the same ancestor. For example, the same ancestor clearly can’t have two different base haplogroups, like E and R. The Discover Compare tool can help you evaluate if two haplogroups are in the same part of the Y-DNA tree.

When possible, it’s always best to test a close family member to represent your lineage even if someone else has already tested.

Scan down the list of autosomal testers for that ancestor to see if there’s someone with the Estes surname.

WikiTree provides additional tools to find descendants.

Sign in to WikiTree. You’ll see the ID of the profile you’re viewing – in this case – Estes-167. Click the down arrow and select “Descendants.”

This view shows all descendants through five generations, but you can click on DNA Descendants to see only Y-DNA descendants, X-DNA, or mitochondrial DNA descendants for female ancestors.

You may find people who are living and have added themselves who you can contact to offer a DNA testing scholarship.

Step 6 – MyHeritage

At MyHeritage, you can also search your DNA matches by surname.

Click on “Review DNA Match” to view more detail, including locations. Look to see if you have a Theory of Family Relativity Match which suggests how you may be related. That’s golden!

There’s no Y-DNA information at MyHeritage, BUT, you can search by surname and view DNA matches that either carry that surname or have that surname in their tree as an ancestor.

I have a total of 75 “Estes” matches, and other than the kits that I manage, searching through my matches shows:

  • Two Estes men connected to the same small tree, but that’s OK, I’m a genealogist!

  • One Estes male match with a Theory of Family Relativity. My lucky day!

You can contact your match easily through the MyHeritage messaging system and offer a DNA testing scholarship at FamilyTreeDNA. You may also want to share your email address.

MyHeritage customers may not be familiar with Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA testing, so you might want to share this article about the 4 Kinds of DNA for Genealogy.

MyHeritage testers can also upload their DNA file to FamilyTreeDNA for free to receive autosomal matches plus a complimentary mid-range Y-DNA haplogroup. This free haplogroup is not even close to the detailed resolution of a Big Y-700 test, but it’s something, and it may well be an enticing first step for people who are only familiar with autosomal testing.

Step 7 – At Ancestry

At Ancestry, select DNA Matches and then search by surname.

You can search by the surname of the tester, which is very useful, or by people who have Estes in their trees.

I started with the surname Estes, because it’s the most straightforward and I may find a perfect male candidate for Y-DNA. If someone’s “screen name” doesn’t show as Estes, they won’t appear in the results of this search. In other words, if your Ancestry screen name is “robertaestes” you won’t show in this search, but “Roberta Estes” will.

For mitochondrial DNA, you would want to search for the surname in your matches’ trees. Unfortunately, you cannot search for the specific ancestor in someone’s tree, at least not directly.

Of my 19 Estes surname matches, ten are males, and of them:

  • Three have unlinked trees
  • Three have very small linked trees, but I can work on extending those if need be
  • Three have public linked trees AND a common ancestor, which means ThruLines

I can review which ancestor we share by clicking on my match’s name

The Estes side of this man’s tree has only one person and is marked “private,” but Ancestry has suggested common ancestors based on other people’s trees. (Yes, I know trees are dicey, but bear with me.)

It’s also worth mentioning that you can be related through multiple lines. I share surnames from Acadian lines with this man, but that really doesn’t matter here because I’m only using autosomal matching to find an Estes male.

Click on “View Relationship” to see our common Estes ancestor’s ThruLine.

The ThruLine shows how Ancestry thinks we’re related on the Estes line.

I can also click on “View ThruLines” to see all Thrulines for John R. Estes, which shows four additional males, some of which did NOT appear in the Estes surname search, and some of which don’t appear further up the tree. In other words, check all Estes ThruLine ancestor generations.

Don’t rely solely on Ancestry’s surname search.

Go directly to your ThruLines on the DNA menu.

Ancestry only reaches back seven generations, which for me is Moses Estes and Luremia Combs. Moses has 95 matches, but he has been given some incorrect children. Again, for this purpose, it doesn’t matter. Within all ThruLine matches, I found three Estes males who all descend through John R. Estes. Check every generation.

However, Luremia Combs shows promise for mitochondrial DNA descendants. Unfortunately, only two of her daughters are represented in ThruLines, and both of their descendants descend through Luremia’s grandsons. That’s too bad, because I need Luremia’s mitochondrial DNA line.

It’s easy to message your Ancestry matches. You may want to mention that they can upload their DNA file to FamilyTreeDNA for free where they will receive more matches and males will receive a complimentary mid-level Y-DNA haplogroup.

Please note that, in general, ThruLines need to be evaluated very carefully and are prone to errors, especially if you accept Ancestry’s suggestions of ancestors instead of carefully building out your own tree. Regardless, you can still find Estes cousin matches in your match list and by using ThruLines to find people that do not show up in an “Estes” match search.

Step 8 – At 23andMe

At 23andMe, you can search for anyone who either has the Estes surname or has included that surname in their “Family surnames” list. Keep in mind that your matches at 23andMe are restricted to either 1500 if you don’t have a subscripition, or about 4500 if you do have a subscription.

On my match list, I have two males with the Estes surname.

23andMe provides a mid-level Y-DNA haplogroup. You can’t use this to confirm the lineage when comparing with FamilyTreeDNA, especially given that 23andMe provides no genealogy or user-provided tree, but it is a clue.

Both Estes men at 23andMe have Y-DNA haplogroup R-CTS241. You could use this in some cases to potentially eliminate these matches at 23andMe. For example, if men in your lineage in the Estes project are in haplogroup R and your 23andMe matches are showing as haplogroup E, or any other base haplogroup, their common ancestor is tens of thousands of years ago.

Comparing the 23andMe haplogroup, which in this case is about 4500 years old, to contemporary testers who have taken the Big Y-700, which reaches within a few generations, isn’t terribly useful. These matches are extremely useful to identify individuals to reach out to for further information and potentially offer a Y-DNA testing scholarship at FamilyTreeDNA.

Remember, this also applies to females who have included Estes in their family surnames, given that they may have Estes male relatives.

By clicking to view your match, you can see if they have provided Family Background information, including a link to a family tree someplace.

Sometimes, there’s great information here, and other times, nothing.

You can’t verify this lineage without genealogy information.

I suggest leaving a genealogy-focused message, including where they can see your tree in addition to your Estes connection. Also include your e-mail.

You may want to say that if they descend appropriately, you have a Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA testing scholarship, or you may want to wait to see how they descend. You can also ask if they have already taken a Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA test at FamilyTreeDNA.

Step 9 – FamilySearch and Relatives at RootsTech

We’re getting ready for RootsTech 2025 which takes place in March. In the month or so before the last two RootsTechs, FamilySearch provided an absolutely wonderful tool called “Relatives at RootsTech.”

I’ve written about this several times, but essentially, you can see, by ancestor, other people who are registered both in-person and virtually for RootsTech, and how they descend.

Here’s an example.

In both years, I’ve found several people who descended from common ancestors AND were very willing to take the relevant DNA test. That’s a huge win-win for everyone.

The best part is that because these people have freshly registered for RootsTech, the reply rate is almost 100%.

I’ll write about this as soon as RootsTech makes it available this year. Fingers crossed that they do!

Step 10 – Social Media

Social media wouldn’t be my first choice to find DNA testers, but I have found perfectly willing cousins this way. You may be less successful on Facebook or other social media platforms, but if you’re striking out elsewhere, there’s absolutely no downside to trying.

You can enter a surname and search on Facebook, but I prefer to do a Google search like “Estes genealogy on Facebook” or even just “Estes genealogy,” which will produce far more widespread information, some of which may be irrelevant.

That Facebook Google search provided the names of two groups. People join groups because they have an interest, and I’ve had good luck in Facebook genealogy groups.

A Search of “Estes” on Facebook itself, then selecting “people” provided a list of Estes Facebook users.

I’ve had far better luck by joining a group that is focused on Estes genealogy, or even a county genealogy group that includes Estes families, than individuals. People who join any Estes group or project likely have an interest in that surname.

If you have a common surname, or there’s a park named after your surname, like Estes Park, you’ll probably want to focus by using Google searches for Estes genealogy.

The Descendants of Abraham Estes Facebook group has 222 members, of whom at least 31 are males with the Estes surname. Facebook just might be an underestimated resource.

If there isn’t a genealogy-focused group for your surname, you might want to consider starting one and encouraging people to join.

It can’t hurt, and it just might help. Before you start reaching out to random people on Facebook, please do a privacy checkup – I wrote about how, here.

Sale Prices

Remember, the sale prices at FamilyTreeDNA for new tests and upgrades last through year-end.

In my experience, it’s best to test as soon as someone agrees. You never know what will happen otherwise. I’ve had people pass away before they could swab. And yes, we’ve done funeral home swabs, too.

There’s no one-size-fits-all, but here’s a rough draft contact letter.

Potential Contact Letter

You’ll want to include several critical pieces of information.

Essentially:

  • Introduce yourself
  • Say their full name on their test AND the testing company in the title of an email. I manage many tests and if I receive an email that says, “Hi, can you tell me how we match” without telling me which person they match, I can’t even begin to answer.
  • Explain your genealogy connection
  • State your purpose in writing
  • Explain how a specific test will help them too
  • Offer to answer questions

Be sure to modify this letter to reflect your own voice and circumstances. You don’t want this to read like a form letter.

Dear cousin (insert their full name here,)

It was so nice to find our DNA match at <company name> (or we share a common ancestor, or appropriate circumstance.) (If you are managing someone else’s kit, say the name of who they match and explain that you manage their DNA kit.)

I descend from (ancestor plus birth and death date) who lived in Halifax County, Virginia and was married to (spouse.) You can view my tree at (insert link that does not require a subscription for viewing unless you match them on that platform. I use MyHeritage because everyone can view their trees)

I would very much like to confirm that our line descends from Abraham Estes (or relevant information meaning your reason for wanting them to test.)

Given that my surname is x (or I’m a female), we need to test the Y-DNA of a male who is descended from (ancestor) through all males to the current generation. (Or mitochondrial DNA descended through females to the current generation which can be male.)

FamilyTreeDNA provides this testing and shows who you match on that specific line using the Y chromosome (mitochondrial DNA).

This testing may connect us with earlier ancestors. Genetics can be used to determine when we share common Estes ancestors with others who test, where we come from overseas, and when. Even if we match ancient DNA samples that may tell us where our ancestors lived before surnames. In other words, where did we come from?

(Include a nice paragraph, but not a book about your ancestral lineage here.)

I have a DNA testing scholarship for someone from this line and you are the perfect candidate. I would like to take advantage of the current sales. If you’re interested, I only need two things from you.

First, permission so that I can order (or upgrade) and pay for the test, and second, an address where to send the test (unless it’s an upgrade). (If it’s an upgrade at FamilyTreeDNA, they can use a stored sample or will sent them a new kit if there’s not enough DNA.)

If you have any questions, please let me know. I’m very excited that we may be able to learn more about our heritage.

Please email me at xxx or call me at xxx if you have questions.

Your name

I know one person who offers to review results over Zoom. Someone else stresses that the tester’s email is attached to their test and they are always in control of their results. Another person asks them to join a project they manage to assure that they can follow their matches over time.

Customize this communication in your own voice and to fit the circumstances of each match.

It’s just me, but since I’m ordering while the tests are on sale, unless the person uploads their DNA file from another vendor, I add on a Family Finder test too and explain why. You never know if they will match you or another cousin, and they may have that match that eventually breaks down the next brick wall. Shared matches are powerful evidence and it’s a lot easier to add that test on now than try to contact them again later.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Which ancestors do you need Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA results for? Methodically check each line.

There’s so much to learn. Don’t leave information on the table by virtue of omission.

Leave no stone unturned!

You don’t know what you don’t know.

Who’s waiting out there for you?

____________________________________________________________

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Hickerson Family Tapestry Woven from the 1798 Wilkes County Tax List – 52 Ancestors #432

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Recently, three new resources have allowed me to review the information I’ve collected about my Wilkes County, NC, families with fresh eyes. What I’ve found is amazing, as is the light it shines on life in Wilkes County right at the turn of the 18th century. I thought there wasn’t anything left to find, given that I’ve been to Wilkes County extracting records multiple times, as well as to the North Carolina State Archives. I’m very pleasantly surprised.

This information is not readily available from any set of indexed records, anyplace, but it is these resources.

  1. Jason Duncan’s book titled 1798 Wilkes County, NC Tax List, in which he has transcribed the most in-depth and detailed tax list I’ve ever seen – including the size of the house, outbuildings, and even the construction material of the house and roof. You can order his book, here.
  2. Jason Duncan’s transcribed (and free) Wilkes County, NC, Land Grants WITH MAP, here.
  3. FamilySearch’s Full Text AI Search to discover and further flesh out information not previously available, such as court documents and references in deeds where people were involved but not the primary subject. Buyer and seller, for example, are generally indexed, but others mentioned aren’t, and there’s pure gold in those nuggets.

I’m telling you what, this trifecta is simply INCREDIBLE!

Not only that, but I was able to use Jason’t land grant map to find his land today and “drive” up the road through his property using Google Maps. Not approximately his property – exactly, unquestionably his property.

In addition, I discovered an amazing nugget by rechecking my Hickerson cousin’s Y-DNA results again.

I’ll take you through these steps one by one.

Here’s the first article I wrote using these tools, which provided a great deal of additional information about the Braddock Harris “assault” case, including the identity of his intended victim, Ann Alexander.

That article is connected to this article because Braddock Harris married my ancestor Charles Hickerson’s daughter, Rachel, about that same time or shortly thereafter.

Wouldn’t you love to know the dynamics of all of that? Let’s just say the Hickerson family was “very interesting.”

What would Jason’s book reveal?

Jason’s Book

I began by finding each ancestor in Jason’s book, thinking it would be a quick extract for my families who lived in Wilkes County. However, there was so much information by combining those resources that I quickly discovered that I needed to write an additional article for each family.

Making things more complex, though, is the fact that these people didn’t exist in a vacuum up on the mountainside. I find their records intermixed in unexpected ways.

I did expect to find some family groups who lived as near neighbors, intermarried, and eventually migrated to Claiborne County, Tennessee, together, but what I didn’t expect to find was a mixture across those groups back in Wilkes County. In part because they didn’t live in the same area, and mountain travel was challenging. Well, surprise.

  1. The McDowell family intermarried with the Harrold/Harrell/Herrell family, so I expected their records to be intermixed.
  2. The Vannoy and Hickerson families intermarried, and the McNiel, Rash and Sheppard families intermarried, then those two groups intermarried too.

I suspect attending the same or different churches had a lot to do with this phenomenon.

Around 1810, members of both family groups moved another 100 miles or so across and through treacherous mountains and settled in Claiborne County, TN, near the Virginia border in what would eventually become Hancock County, TN. Their association with each other began earlier than I expected, but the two family groups didn’t actually merge (in my line) until my grandparents married.

This article focuses on the Hickerson family, so let’s do a short recap of what we know to set the stage for what we discover.

The Hickerson Family of Wilkes County, NC

Charles Hickerson was the progenitor of the Hickerson family in Wilkes County. He lived in this area before Wilkes was formed from Surry County, which was formed from Rowan County, where he was found in late 1771, witnessing a will for Lydia Stewart.

In 1775, on the tax list, Charles Hickerson was living between Francis Vannoy, who is listed with Leonard Miller, and Daniel Vannoy, Hickerson’s future son-in-law who would marry his daughter, Sarah Hickerson, a few years later. Leonard Miller married Charles Hickerson’s daughter, Jane, around 1782.

In 1776, Charles, then about 50 years old, set out on the Rutherford Expedition in which Cherokee towns were destroyed as part of the Revolutionary War.

In 1778, Charles Hickerson was serving on juries in Wilkes County as most landowners did in that time and place.

In March of 1779, Charles Hickerson had John Robins Sr., his neighbor, arrested for trespass, which typically means they are having a land dispute.

Hickerson’s original land grant for 320 acres in 1779 was located on both sides of Mulberry Creek and was witnessed by his son, David Hickerson.

Map courtesy Jason Duncan’s Wilkes land grant maps at http://webjmd.com/wilkeslandgrants/grantstable.html

Keep in mind that Charles Hickerson had clearly been living there for several years, probably more than two decades. Wilkes County was not formed until 1778, and land could not be granted until after the Revolutionary War when the State of North Carolina had land available to grant.

Prior to that, this part of Wilkes County was Surry County. Before the Revolutionary War, land in what would become Wilkes County was granted from the Granville District by John Carteret, the Second Earl of Granville, one of eight men who received large tracts of North Carolina in 1730 because they helped King Charles regain the throne. No land was granted in the Granville District after Carteret’s death in 1763 until after the culmination of the Revolutionary War, but people were still settling there nonetheless.

Land was staked out or claimed by marking trees with hatchets, known colloquially as hatchet claims, as the first step in the process. The next steps might not take place for many years, if ever.

Three years after the 1779 suit between Charles Hickerson and John Robins was filed, in August 1782, it was heard and found for Hickerson, with Robins having to pay seven pounds, 10 shillings, and costs. 

The incident with Braddock Harris occurred in 1786, which is also about the time Braddock married Charles Hickerson’s daughter, Rachel. If you’re shocked by Charles Hickerson allowing his daughter to marry a man who had been convicted of a violent assault on a young woman, then punished and humiliated publicly outside the courthouse, so was I.

By 1786, Charles Hickerson’s life was coming unraveled. He was not a young man, probably older than 60, and his family life was volatile and increasingly violent. Charles was arrested on a charge of trespass brought by his son-in-law, Daniel Vannoy, who had been married to his daughter, Sarah Hickerson, since 1779.

There’s no way to know what trespass meant in this connotation, but trespass suits over land disputes didn’t typically result in the sheriff being ordered to go and physically apprehend the person.

Something was up.

This was followed in 1787 by a suit filed by Daniel Vannoy against Charles Hickerson, “for words,” which is slander.

Whoo boy things were getting hot and spicey.

Unfortunately, the year is incomplete on another document, although this was found in the 1785-1787 court records.

The sheriff confiscated the property of Daniel Vannoy, who apparently lost one of those two suits, which clearly affected Charles Hickerson’s daughter, Sarah, Daniel’s wife.

Was Charles alright? His family seems deeply embroiled in increasingly violent feuding, including Charles granting permission for his daughter to marry a man convicted of an extremely violent act.

I actually wonder if something had happened to Charles, like maybe a stroke or accident resulting in a brain injury, as he seems to have become very combative beginning about 1779. Was his decision-making ability or judgment impaired?

In 1788, Charles Hickerson sold 150 acres of his land on Mulberry Creek to his son, David Hickerson, “being the survey that Charles Hickerson now lives on.” His wife, Mary Lytle Hickerson’s will in 1793 does not mention Charles, indicating that he was already deceased.

This means that the other 170 acres of Charles’ 320-acre land grant was likely sold to someone, but who, and when?

Many of these land grants weren’t actually filed or surveyed for years, which means that the actual grant date is much later than the family began inhabiting, improving, and farming the land. Land grants weren’t free. It cost money to file the grant and also for the survey. Often, claims were abandoned or passed hand to hand for cash, given that ownership, in the traditional sense, didn’t yet exist. Only occupation and improvements to the property, like clearing fields and building homesteads – creating farms from dense woodlands. In families, often at death, deeds were simply passed hand to hand and sometimes not registered for generations.

Charles was recorded on the census in 1790 but had died before his wife, Mary, passed away in December of 1793, with a will.

The end of Charles’s life was anything but peaceful. Not only was his daughter Rachel Hickerson Harris’s house burned in 1789, his other daughter, Jane, who married Leonard Miller, was somehow involved, and in 1793, John Roberts was found guilty of that arson.

It was just a huge, ugly, dangerous mess.

Let’s take a brief moment to recap what we know about Charles Hickerson’s children.

Charles Hickerson’s Child Spouse Comments
Jane Hickerson was born about 1760 Married Leonard Miller before 1782 and appears to have “divorced” before 1800. He moved to SC.

Jane may have remarried to John Reynolds in Wilkes in 1806.

 Jane concealed goods from her sister Rachel’s home robbery and arson in 1789. Convicted in 1793 in extremely unflattering terms. Later seems to have reconciled with Rachel as she later testified on her behalf.
Sarah Hickerson was born 1752-1760 Married Daniel Vannoy in 1779. Bought land in what would become Ashe County in 1779. He sold personal property the day after the Hickerson vs Vannoy conviction in 1794, sold his land in 1795, and disappeared entirely from all records.
Rachel Hickerson was probably born before 1766 Married Braddock Harris about 1786, moved from Wilkes after 1793. In March of 1789, John Roberts robbed and burned the Harris home.
David Hickerson was born about 1750-1760 Married Sarah Ann Talifaferro circa 1781. Leaves around 1809 for Coffee Co., TN. In 1793, he sued John Roberts for slander.
Joseph Hickerson was born probably before 1760 Married Ann Green or Greer. In 1793, Joseph and Samuel Hickerson testified against Leonard Miller and Jane Hickerson Miller but Joseph apparently stayed out of the rest of the mess.
Mary Hickerson Stewart Husband was probably Samuel Stewart/Steward, son of Lydia Stewart. The Hickerson family had an association with the Stewart family in Rowan County in 1771. Son named Samuel Hickerson alias Stewart, as recorded by the court, may have been born before marriage. In 1793, Mary’s mother left Mary the contents of a chest and also named Samuel specifically. Mary may have left the state shortly thereafter.
Elizabeth Hickerson was born 1748-1768. Married a Stewart, probably a son of Lydia Stewart Wound up in Nacogdoches, TX, per 1877 letter from Elizabeth’s elderly daughter saying they left about 1794.

After both Charles Hickerson and his widow, Mary, had died, all Hell broke loose within the family. It’s hard to believe that the feuding could increase beyond what was already happening, but it did. They quarreled and fought with each other incessantly, and their dirty laundry was aired in the courtroom – fortunately for us today. I can only imagine how much we don’t know. The tidbits we have are just the tip of the iceberg, teasers about the long-forgotten truth.

Most family members eventually moved to other states, probably to escape the ugliness and violence. Some simply disappeared, which makes me wonder about what actually happened – especially to Daniel Vannoy who is never heard from again. I’m not sure I want to know.

After Mary Lytle Hickerson’s 1793 death, the lawsuits increased, with David Hickerson suing Daniel Vannoy, Samuel Stewart/Steward alias Little Dr. Hickerson suing Daniel Vannoy for slander, and Leonard Miller forfeiting his appearance in the cases after he had been subpoenaed. Translated, Leonard didn’t want to or was afraid to be involved and paid a hefty fine for that choice.

The court was insistent that Samuel, alias Little, Hickerson, alias Steward/Stewart appear in court, but he refused and did not. The multiple lawsuits weren’t resolved amicably, or at all. Instead, the situation continued to escalate. In November of 1794 the state indicted both Vannoy and Samuel Hickerson for assault and battery and fined David Hickerson.

The court must have been getting sick of this, too.

By the time the 1798 tax list was taken, Charles Hickerson had been buried someplace, probably on his own land, for between 5 and 8 years, and Mary had been gone for five years.

On the 1798 tax list, we show the two land entries for Charles Hickerson’s sons, David and Joseph.

David Hickerson owned three parcels of land totaling 368 acres, worth $501, as follows:

  • 196 acres on Mulberry valued at $95, with a 24 by 17 still house valued at $5. This makes me laugh because that stillhouse is larger than most homes. I’d wager that what was produced in the stillhouse was worth a great deal. A stillhouse might also explain a good bit of the feuding within this family.
  • 170 acres on Yadkin River at the mouth of Lewis Fork valued at $300. This is the right amount of land to be the remainder of his father’s land, but the wrong location, several miles distant across mountains.
  • 2 acres, no location given, with a 17 by 24 dwelling house that is 1 story with an 8-foot wide shed on one side, with a shingle roof valued at $90. There is also an 18 by 20 kitchen made of logs and covered with slabs valued at $11. Note that this dwelling house is the same size as the still house. That still house must have been huge, at least comparatively

David’s 1796 land grant is only for 50 acres on the banks of Mulberry Creek, crossing Piney Creek, adjacent his own line. This tells us that he has more than one piece of land in that location, even though it’s not accounted for in the land grants. The additional land is probably his father’s land from the 1788 deed conveyance.

The 150 acres he obtained from his father in 1788 does not seem to be broken out in 1798, unless it’s part of the 196 acres, but if so, where’s the house? Charles Hickerson lived on this plantation.

Joseph Hickerson has 150 acres valued at a total of $100 with the following details:

  • 150 acres on Mulberry adjoining David Hickerson valued at $61
  • 16 by 20 dwelling house, 1 story, hewed logs, shingle roof valued at $10
  • 12 by 16 kitchen, 1 story, logs, slab roof valued at $8
  • 10 by 16 barn, 1 story, logs, slab roof valued at $8
  • 12 by 16 blacksmith shop, 1 story, logs, slab roof valued at $1
  • Stable, 1 story, logs, slab roof valued at $2
  • 8 by 12 mill house, 1 story, logs, slab roof valued at $10

Joseph’s 1799 land grant shows as 100 acres on the waters of Mulberry. A second grant for the same amount, with the same file number, but a different grant number is in the same location generally, but unplaced on the map. He does not have 200 acres total, nor is the grant that is placed on Jason’s map adjacent his brother.

Given that Joseph’s grants aren’t dated until a year after this tax list, is it possible that this 150 acres adjacent David Hickerson is his father’s land? We know Charles Hickerson’s land was adjacent both Joseph and David’s land.

If this is Charles Hickerson’s original land, or at least part of it, this tells us that Charles probably had a mill and might have been a blacksmith, although perhaps Joseph built that shop. Regardless, Charles, David and Joseph would have all worked together. Their survival depended on it.

There’s one other 1798 tax entry that references a Hickerson. James Cast’s 60 acres on Hunting Creek is noted as being adjacent Samuel Hickerson, but there is no entry for Samuel Hickerson nor land grant for him. Samuel Hickerson would be aka Little Hickerson aka Samuel Stewart/Steward.

Expanding the Searches

I took this opportunity to use the new FamilySearch Full Text AI tool first in Wilkes County, then further afield. I removed all location filters and just searched for Charles Hickerson more broadly since we still don’t know where he came from before his arrival sometime before 1771 in Rowan County.

I didn’t find what I hoped for. If Charles was born around 1724, then he would have married maybe between 1745 and 1750. Did he own land before migrating to the new Carolina frontier?

FamilySearch continues to add records, so I’ll check back often.

Revisiting Hickerson Y-DNA

I also revisited the Y-DNA matches of our Hickerson cousin, who tested a few years ago, and discovered a pleasant surprise. My Hickerson cousin has a new haplogroup, I-FTC98093, which you can see here in Discover.

On his match list, we have a Hickerson male who is a Y-DNA STR match but who provided no genealogy information, so we need to reach out to him. If we are lucky, he will descend from a different line which will provide us with clues as to the ancestors of Charles Hickerson.

A second STR match whose ancestor, Everett Clyde Henderson, not Hickerson, was born in Illinois, died in Marion County, IN, and was married to Maud Johnson, who was born on Nov. 11, 1875, in Cass Co., Indiana. Fortunately, he has taken the Big Y-700 test and his haplogroup is I-FTC98093 – the same as our Hickerson cousin’s.

Things are getting mighty interesting!

Another Y-DNA match is also named Henderson, and his ancestor is Edward Henderson, born in 1735 in Hunterdon County, NJ, the same location where the Wilkes County Vannoy family originated before removing to the Jersey Settlement in NC about 1739.

Is this relevant? Maybe.

Given that our Hickerson cousin and the Henderson man match on both STR tests and the Big Y-700, and Discover tells us that their haplogroup was formed about 1400, this seems quite relevant. Haplogroup ages are refined as more men with that haplogroup test, so this date would become more concise with additional Hickerson or Henderson testers.

We need another Hickerson male and another Henderson male to upgrade to the Big Y-700 with the hope that the additional tests will allow the haplogroup date to be further refined, or additional branches defined. I don’t want to get too excited, though, because the genetic distance at 111 markers is 9, so their common ancestor could be back in the old country. Still, it would be wonderful to know we’re actually looking for Hendersons, not Hickersons. So far, our only identified Hickerson matches are to our known line through David Hickerson.

One VERY interesting aspect of Discover is the Ancient Connections, which are derived from archaeological excavations published in academic papers.

Click to enlarge image

All of the Ancient Connections haplogroup matches are of Viking origin, but one was found near St. John’s College in Oxford, England.

Our common Hickerson/Henderson ancestor with this man lived about 3900 years ago, probably in Sweden, based on the other Ancient Connections.

How cool is this???!!! Without the Big Y-700 test and Discover’s Ancient Connections, we would NEVER have been able to discern that our Hickersons were at one time Viking warriors – or at least we share ancestors with them.

Perhaps a little bit of Viking warrior influence carried over into the mountains of Wilkes County.

My Favorite Revelations

This article builds on our earlier knowledge of the Hickerson family by adding court records, land grants plotted on maps, and DNA matches, but my favorite tidbits were revealed in that 1798 tax list.

Even though Charles was already deceased, he really hadn’t been gone long. It’s very likely that one or both of his sons owned his land. We know positively that he sold part of his land to David in 1788. Wilkes County in 1798 was very much like Wilkes County a decade earlier, before Charles Hickerson, then Mary, died.

From the tax records of those men, we learned that David was by far the wealthier of the two brothers, with assets totaling five times what his brother, Joseph, had.

David’s dwelling house on the two-acre tract was 12X17, or 204 square feet, had a shingle roof, and was valued at $90. There’s no mention of an outside kitchen? Was the cooking done inside? And by whom?

The only structure on his 196-acre Mulberry property was a stillhouse of the exact same size as his house on his other property, but valued at $5.

Know what David doesn’t have? Barns or stables. No outbuildings whatsoever. That’s baffling because even if he didn’t have livestock, he had to have owned horses. Was one of his properties, perhaps the one that was his father’s, omitted? Did his brother oversee his land and stillhouse while David lived on a much smaller parcel in town?

In the 1790 census, David is shown living beside his father, Charles, with two enslaved people who were probably doing much of the work on David’s land. He owned slaves in 1800 and 1810 as well, so they had to have lived someplace. Comparing the tax list to other men such as Jonathan Hethman or Heathman, who in 1790 owned four enslaved people and two in 1800, shows that in 1798, Heathman had five cabins of 12×12, 12×14, and 12×16 feet that would clearly have been slave quarters. But David Hickerson shows no other structures. That’s odd.

I also wonder why David Hickerson’s house was worth so much more than other homes of the same size, including his brother’s.

By comparison, his brother Joseph’s dwelling house was larger than David’s at 16X20 or 320 square feet, but it was valued at only $10, similar to that of most dwelling houses. The outside kitchen was 12X16 and was valued at $8, so almost as much as the house itself.

By virtue of comparison, a 14X70 mobile home today is 980 square feet, three times the size of their homes – so quite tiny by today’s standards.

Joseph clearly farmed because he had a 10X16 barn, so about half the size of his house, which was worth $8, the same as the outside kitchen and more per square foot than the house.

Joseph’s blacksmith shop was 12X16 but was only valued at $1, even though that’s probably a primary source of income. His blacksmith shop was worth far less than David’s stillhouse. Joseph’s mill house was 8X12 and was valued at $10, the same as David’s stillhouse. Joseph also had a stable that was worth $2, twice as much as his blacksmith shop.

Taken together, this gives us a snapshot of life in Wilkes County in 1798. Both of these men had been born in the 1750s or 1760s and had spent their entire adult life in what would become Wilkes County, first working their father’s land, then their own.

They watched their father march off to war in 1776 and probably farmed his land as best they could until his return. They learned to handle horses, cows, and whatever other livestock they would have had. They would rise with the sun every morning and begin the never-ending chores that defined farm life.

The seasons determined their activities, such as plowing, planting, harvesting, hunting, butchering, and processing meats. Not to mention making moonshine, which requires dried corn.

At least David, and probably Charles before him, turned excess corn into moonshine. Or maybe the corn wasn’t excess and was grown for this specific purpose. Were the Hickerson’s the premier distillers of the region? Perhaps so.

I extracted a list of all of the other stillhouses from the 1066 individuals taxed in Wilkes County, which covered an extensive area, across the mountains to the Virginia border. There were a total of 18 stills, including David Hickerson’s, meaning that one in every 60 households included a stillhouse. But David’s was the largest at 24X17. A few had no size listed, but most were substantially smaller. Interestingly enough, though, David’s was valued at $5, but the next largest, 20X18, and one at 14X18, were valued at $12. The rest were valued between $2 and $10, with six others valued at $5. I sure wonder what the criteria were for valuing a stillhouse.

Back then, whiskey was medicine as well as recreation, and considered a gentleman’s beverage. Drinking was only frowned upon if liquor was consumed in excess. The definition of excess was determined by your neighbors and the church.

Ironically, in the years since, Wilkes County proclaimed itself the Moonshine Capital of the World, where NASCAR was born from highly skilled moonshine runners outpacing the law on those treacherous mountain roads.

It’s also worth noting that on the 1798 tax list, Joseph Herndon’s property is noted as being on the road from the Wilkes Courthouse, across from David Hickerson. Given that David had one parcel of 2 acres, which included his dwelling house, I wonder if he actually lived in the town of “Mulberry Fields” which would one day become Wilkesboro, and sold his moonshine to folks coming and going from the courthouse.

Joseph Hickerson’s mill would be another great location to imbibe and pick up some moonshine.

When farmers harvested grain, be it corn, rye, barley, or wheat, it had to be ground at the mill. Mills were very important community resources and also served as gathering places for the local farmers who discussed anything and everything that needed discussing. They might have whittled on a piece of wood, crafting it into something useful, played a friendly game of checkers on top of a barrel, and had a nip or two. I wonder if the remains of the Hickerson Mill still exist on Mulberry Creek.

Of course, every horse and the local oxen needed horseshoes, stirrups for their saddles, and bits for their halters. The farmers needed hinges, nails, wheel rims, barrel stays, chains, tools, and other hardware forged by the local blacksmith.

Almost everyone farmed in Wilkes County, or at least tried to on the rocky mountainsides. Flat land closer to the Yadkin held a much higher value because it was easier to farm and much more productive. David Hickerson’s 170 acres on the Yadkin at the mouth of Lewis Fork was valued at $300, much higher per acre than his 196 acres on Mulberry Creek at $95, or his brother Joseph’s 150 acres on Mulberry that adjoined his that was valued at $61.

Now, of course, I want to look up all of the Hickerson neighbors shown on the land grant map to see what their life was like in 1798. Each family was part of the community tapestry that was interwoven and shaped the lives of our Wilkes County ancestors.

Let’s Take a Drive

I absolutely LOVE finding my ancestors’ land on Google Maps and “driving by.”

Given the shapes of the roads and Mulberry Creek on Jason’s map, it was easy to find on Google maps too. Joseph’s land is parallel to the left with a small piece running partway beneath Charles’s land, and David’s is above Charles in the loop.

You can see Mulberry Creek meandering through this entire area, and in at least one place, there was a still, a blacksmith shop, and a mill, in addition to at least two and probably three houses.

I turned on the aerial features.

I was excited to drive up Mountain View Road, which is road 1002. The land on both sides of the road is heavily forested with small cleared areas for farming. The road, on Charles Hickerson’s land, runs along beside, then crosses Mulberry Creek.

You can see the bridge on Mountain View Road, looking back to where it crosses Mulberry Creek.

Two roads traverse the Hickerson land. Mulberry Creek Road intersects on the west, leading to Joseph’s land.

Turning onto Mulberry Creek Road, we continue to climb and can see one of the cleared areas. Charles’s land abuts Joseph’s near here.

One last look at Mulberry Creek’s path through the Hickerson land, this time looking north to south. Water was the lifeblood of farming, not only to drain the lands and water people and animals, but to power both mills and stills.

Mulberry Creek provided the lifeblood of the Hickerson family for generations.

How I wish this landscape could talk and tell us the secrets that it holds. Charles and Mary, and probably a few others are buried someplace here in the family cemetery, but where?

What’s Next

I know I went down a huge rabbit hole in this article, beginning with the 1798 Wilkes County tax list and winding up someplace in the Viking homelands with a few detours through North Carolina, possibly New Jersey, and maybe England on the way.

I’ve identified what I need to do to make progress, though.

  • Reach out to Hickerson Y-DNA matches and ask about their genealogy.
  • Encourage another Henderson and another Hickerson male to upgrade to the Big Y-700 test to refine the origin dates and haplogroups, if possible, with the hope of bringing into better focus the date of a common ancestor. This will help us determine if the common ancestor is in colonial America or in England.
  • If the common ancestor lived after immigration to the colonies, begin searching more aggressively for information about the Henderson or Hickerson line in New Jersey.
  • Check the FamilySearch AI tool often. (Yes, I already checked for Edward Henderson, and he’s in NJ and had a will. More research is needed.)
  • Edward Henderson’s WikiTree entry is here, and his father, James is here.

How are we related to the Henderson family, when did we share a common ancestor, and where did we come from after the Vikings and before North Carolina?

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Genealogy Proof Series – Creating Genealogy Proof Tables

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5

This is the fifth article in the Genealogy Proof Series.

For maximum advantage, I recommend reading these articles in publication order.

In earlier articles, we’ve detailed how to gather resources for specific locations, how and where to search for surnames and the process of extracting and recording information from those sources.

Now, it’s time to use that information and assemble it in a logical way to provide “proof” that the person by the name of “John Smith,” or whoever you’re seeking, is actually YOUR John Smith.

I use a technique that I call Genealogy Proof Tables. We will cover two types here. You’ll need the first one to complete the second one.

Genealogy Proof Tables

Genealogy proof tables have two purposes:

  • Individual Proof Tables – For an individual ancestor, to compile the various pieces of evidence to prove a connection to their parent or parents and their child or children.
  • Lineage Proof Table – Evidence for an entire lineage, proving connections between all of the individuals in the lineage, one by one in both directions. For a lineage proof table we prove a connection to the parent and also to the descendant that is your ancestor for each generation.

Please note that sometimes you actually wind up disproving a relationship, or realizing you need more information, but that’s equally as important. Nothing worse than wasting time by barking up the wrong tree.

A genealogy proof table is a working document that can be used to focus on each ancestor in every ancestral line. What’s included in a proof table varies by which records are available, the timeframe and circumstances.

You may want to prepare proof tables to help yourself focus and evaluate your data. Proof tables can be sent to someone who asks questions like:

  • How do you know that?
  • What is your proof?
  • What are your sources to identify John as the son of George?

People should be asking those questions, and researchers should be able to answer them. You need to answer them for yourself for your own ancestors, even if no one asks.

The answer to these questions may well be that you’re still working on “proof,” but you’ll at least want to have documented everything available to date. For me, doing these exercises helps me think about what’s still missing and looking for additional sources if I actually don’t have “proof.”

Generally, I create a proof table for a specific ancestor, which I then roll up into a comprehensive proof table for the line. This approach helps me identify which pieces of evidence are conclusive and which ones are not.

The purpose of a proof table is to compile and rank information about that ancestor’s connection to their parents, including negative evidence. It’s not meant to be “everything I know” about that ancestor, just the things that relate to proving that this ancestor is in FACT the child of his parent or parents.

What is Proof?

Isn’t this the question of the ages for genealogists? I wrote an article, Ancestors: What Constitutes Proof?, here. In that article, I’ve provided a list of what isn’t proof and some challenges you may face.

Aside from what I’ll term normal genealogy roadblocks to be overcome, there are other challenges as well.

For example, you can have a birth certificate, a death certificate, a will, and personal knowledge that a person lived with their parents – but that child could have been adopted, or the father might not have been the biological father.

In this case, paper proof, no matter how compelling, isn’t actual proof. It can prove the identity of the person, but alone, cannot prove a biological relationship connection.

Sometimes, DNA evidence outweighs everything else, but without DNA evidence, paper proof is the closest we can get. The BCG defines the Genealogical Proof Standard, here.

We need our evidence to be as conclusive as possible.

What does Conclusive Mean?

Conclusive evidence means that any other evidence cannot reliably contradict it, or it’s so strong that it overbears any other evidence. (Thank you Bar Prep Hero.)

In a nutshell, that’s your goal – and all evidence is not created equal.

Evidence is Weighted

Some evidence is better or more solid than other evidence.

Furthermore, sometimes one single piece of evidence isn’t conclusive, but multiple pieces of evidence, taken together, create a body of work and are considered a “preponderance of evidence.” Having said that, I often cringe when I hear that term because sometimes it means there really isn’t good evidence or not enough research has been done.

How good is good enough? You can only work with what’s available and what you have. Unfortunately, one cannot unburn the courthouse!

Sometimes, you’ll need to use DNA evidence. From my perspective, you ALWAYS need to utilize DNA evidence to confirm at least the closest generations.

By closest, I mean that second cousins or closer always match, and you can often reliably use autosomal DNA within, minimally, 5 or 6 generations, but circumstances vary.

Many times I have solid matches to descendants of ancestors 9 or 10 generations in the past, but as you can see in this graphic created by Dr. Paul Maier at FamilyTreeDNA, beginning at eight generations, you may not inherit any DNA from a particular ancestor. Of course, to match someone else, you both need to have inherited the same DNA segment(s) from that ancestor.

You can almost always use Y-DNA to establish relationships beyond what autosomal can confirm, but with both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, you need someone who is appropriately descended from the ancestor in question, as illustrated in this three-generation chart. Sometimes, you need two people descended from that ancestor, preferably through different children, because their Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA needs to match.

Every situation is different.

How Much Evidence is Enough?

It depends.

Enough for what?

  • Enough to prove that your parent is the child of their parents?
  • Enough to prove to yourself that you’re searching in the right ancestral line?
  • Enough to prove that this John Doe is the same John Doe that moved from Virginia to someplace else, or conversely, the John Doe in Missouri is the one who moved from Virginia?
  • Enough to quality for a lineage society?

Again, from my perspective, enough is not enough until you have looked at every piece of evidence that even MIGHT be relevant for that ancestor.

Essentially, all of this is a bit fluid, so let’s look at an example.

Individual Proof Table

Let’s begin with a proof table for one person.

I’m going to create a proof table to attempt to prove that my paternal grandfather, William George Estes, is the son of Lazarus Estes and Elizabeth Vannoy.

I’ll be using actual documents and information from my files.

If you want to read my 52 Ancestors articles about these people, you can find William George Estes, here, Lazarus Estes, here, and Elizabeth Vannoy, here. I’m not specifically trying to prove that my father, William Sterling Estes, is the son of William George Estes, but some documents cover both men – plus, there’s the possibility of same-name confusion, given that both of their first names are William. I swear, every generation in this family has both Johns and Williams.

To begin, there are a few mandatory categories on every chart. For example, I always use the census when it’s available. You should include these categories even if you don’t have evidence for them, because it reminds you if you’ve searched and the search came up with nothing.

Some categories would be expanded, such as Organizational Societies. For example, if there’s a separate History and Genealogy Society for that county, you would want to check both, as well as the local library and regional or state organizations.

You’ll notice that I’ve assigned a weight to each piece of evidence. Weighting is subjective. Aunt Margaret was the daughter of Wiliam George Estes, so she should know – but often, she didn’t provide any source, like a document or Bible, and she was a bit “eccentric.” In some circumstances, I might weigh what she provided as a 5, but in the first item, I only gave it a 4 because she provided other dates that I found to be erroneous. Memories do fail people.

Red items are direct, confirming evidence of the relationship and that the William George Estes, my grandfather, is the same William George Estes who is the son of Lazarus Estes. Names are spelled or misspelled the way they are in the original source.

William George Estes Information Source Weight (1-5) Comments
Birth March 30, 1873 Aunt Margaret 4 Birth certificates not available in 1873
Father Lazarus Estes
Mother Elizabeth Vannoy
Identity of Parents From letters and discussions 1980s, 1990s Aunt Margaret, Aunt Minnie, children and grandchildren of William G. Estes 5 They knew their grandparents
1880 Census Wm. G. Estis age 7, listed with parents Lazarus and Elisibeth Estis, and siblings, including sister Cornie Claiborne County, TN Dist 8, page 107 on Ancestry 5 Family lives between William G.’s future wife’s uncles
1890 Census destroyed
Marriage Ollie Bolton, Sept 26, 1892. Claiborne County Marriage Index, page 382 5 No parents given
1900 census William G. age 27, with wife, Ollie, and two children Claiborne County, TN Dist 8, page 113 5 Lives next door to Lazarus and Elizabeth Estes and next to his sister Cornie and her husband
1910 census Age 38, with Ollie and two children, Estle and Robert Claiborne County, Civil Dist 4 5 Lives beside sister Cornie and her husband, three houses from Lazarus
Home Location – 1913 Family photos taken in 1913 and labeled “Fowler” Provided by Margaret 5 Written on the back of the family pictures
Home Location Fowler, Indiana Sept 1915 Newspaper article 5 Sons Wm. and Joe ran away and were returned to parents in Fowler
William G. Estes’s divorce from Ollie Fowler, Indiana Aunt Margaret 3 Ollie caught him cheating with her cousin Joyce Hatfield, who was visiting them in Indiana
Divorce from Ollie Unknown, maybe 1916 or 1917 Inferred
Children William S. and Joe “run away” to their grandparents 1915/1916 Fowler, Indiana to Claiborne County, TN Aunt Margaret’s letter, Uncle George, 1915 newspaper articles stated that they tried to run away but got caught 5 Margaret said that when William G. and Ollie divorced,  neither wanted sons Wm. and Joe, 13 and 11, and the boys jumped trains to make their way back to their grandparents, Lazarus and Elizabeth
William George returned to Claiborne County 1916/1917 ish Uncle George Estes, family historian 5 Lazarus was furious when William G. returned after cheating on Ollie and abandoning the boys and threw William G. out of Estes Holler
Move to Harlan County, KY After being thrown out of Estes Holler when he and Ollie divorced Uncle George, Aunt Margaret, Estel’s daughter 5 Settled in Harlan County, KY, just over the border from Claiborne Co., TN
Divorce from Ollie Unknown, about 1916/1917ish Fowler, Ind newspaper August 30, 1917 2 Ollie listed without Wm G and as visiting where she used to live
Marriage Joyce Hatfield, unknown if or when/where married Census, daughter Virginia’s birth Nov. 1918. 3 Inferred, no document found
Child Irene’s Death* August 1, 1916 – Irene Estes, mother Joyce Fury Shawnee, Claiborne Co., TN Informant of the death of daughter, Irenia.

*Please note that this has since been disproven. This William B. Estes who married Josie Fury is not our William G. Estes who married Joicie Hatfield.
Military/draft Registration – signed Sept. 12, 1918, gives birthdate as March 30, 1873 Tazewell, Claiborne County, TN 5 Wife is listed Joisce Estes.
1920 census Age 47, lives with Joise and daughter Virginia Claiborne Civil District 4 5 Future third wife, Crosha Brewer, and her child are living with them as lodgers
Divorce Joice Hatfield Unknown, approx 1921 or 1922 inferred Based on Crosha’s children’s ages
Son William S. Estes’s marriage to Martha Dodder Dec. 12, 1921 Calhoun County, MI 5 Parents are given as Ollie Estes and W. G. Estes
Wm G. Estes child with Croshia Brewer Josephine born March 19, 1923 Springdale, Arkansas 5 Birth certificate, death certificate, census
William George Estes Marriage Croshia Louise Brewer, Feb. 3, 1925, Wise County, VA VA Marriage Registers, page 171 5 Parents given as Lazarus & Elizabeth Estes
1930 census Cannot find the family
1940 census Age 67, living with Crochie and their 2 daughters Harlan Co., KY Lynch dist 5
1940s or 50s Photo with “his sister Cornie” and also one with “Worth Epperson” Claiborne County, TN 5 Photo is labeled and provided by Cornie’s family, who knew him
1950 census 76, lives with Crocie, daughter and boarder Harlan County, KY 5 My mother visited William G. and Crocie with my father in the 1950s.
Cornie Estes Epperson’s 1958 death certificate Born June 22, 1878 to Lazarus Estes and Betty Vannoy, age 79, died Feb. 18, 1958 Death Certificate 5 Correlates to census dates and other data indicating she is the daughter of Lazarus and sister of William G.
Cornie Epperson Obituary Gives Will Estes, of Lynch, KY as her brother. Newspaper clipping 4 Does not give her paents
William Sterling Estes obituary Aug. 28, 1963, Star Press in Muncie, Indiana, page 3 Residence Dunkirk, IN 4 Lists surviving father as W. G. Estes, Cumberland, KY
William George Estes’s death Nov 29, 1971, lived in Harlan Co., KY Kentucky Death Index 5 Parents not given
Obituary Parents not given, living children include Estil, Virginia, Margaret, and Minnie, their locations provided Nov. 30, 1971, Middlesboro Tribune 4 His nephew, Cornie Estes Epperson’s son, Kermit Epperson is a pallbearer
Social Security Claims Index for William G. Jan. 15, 1972 claim, birth 1873 Ancestry 5 SS # given, but no parents given
Social Security Claims Index for my father, William Sterling Estes No claim filed
Will No, rechecked film at FamilySearch 7-8-2024.
Legal No, checked court index in Harlan County
Land Tax No tax lists
Personal Tax No tax lists
Deeds Yes, 1915 deed from Lazarus to Cornie and Worth Epperson where they must pay his other heirs Claiborne County deed book, in person 5 Cornie Estes Epperson to pay William Estes $120
William George Estes signed receipt and release On July 22, 1957, Will signed on the edge of the above deed, releasing the claim on the deed and stating that the $120 had been paid. 5 Confirms his relationship to Lazarus Estes and Cornie Estes Epperson
Sibling Documents Have not looked extensively beyond Cornie
Newspapers Need to revisit when Claiborne County, TN newspapers are digitized
Organizational Searches such as Historical Societies Have not looked recently, need to recheck local libraries
DNA ThruLines to John Y. Estes, father of Lazarus Estes Ancestry 5 Proven via 35 cousin connections to Lazarus’s parents through 3 of John’s siblings
DNA Lazarus Estes ThruLines at Ancestry through Lazarus’s children Ancestry 5 20 matches, 9 through William George, 7 through Cornie, 5 through Charlie Thomas Estes
DNA at FamilyTreeDNA My autosomal matches to Buster Estes, Lazarus’s grandson FamilyTreeDNA 5 Including 556 matches in common and many triangulated segments to descendants of Wm. G., Lazarus, John Y. Estes and upstream ancestors
Other Relationship to wives and children Letters from Aunt Margaret 3 or 4 Clearly states relationship of William G. and Lazarus
Other Relationship to wives and children Letters from William G. to my father 3 or 4 Clearly states relationship of William G. with his siblings and family members

Some types of information are notably unreliable. For example, obituaries may omit people or confuse relationships. William George Estes’s obituary omits his daughter and incorrectly notes her husband, his son-in-law, as William’s child.

Death certificates often give parents incorrectly, especially the mother’s birth surname.

The names of parents in both obituaries and on death certificates are often third-hand information provided by people who are at least two generations removed and are under significant stress at that time. My mother’s obituary was republished two times due to errors made AFTER I provided correct information.

We have several pieces of information that strongly suggest that the William George Estes who was born to Lazarus Estes and Elizabeth Vannoy is the same William George Estes that married Ollie Bolton, but there’s more.

We know for sure that William Estes, who married Croshie/Crosha Brewer, is the same person because his parents are given in the county marriage record book. This is first-hand information and judged to be more reliable because we can reasonably expect that William George knew who his parents were, or at least who they were supposed to be.

If we discount entirely the fact that my aunts personally knew Lazarus as their grandfather, and look only at the paper evidence, we just need to tie William George in his later life to the same William George in his earlier life.

Here’s a photo passed from William George’s daughters to me. Cornie Epperson’s grandchildren had this same photo showing William George Estes with his sister, Cornie Epperson.

Here’s another with Will Estes and Cornie’s husband, Worth Epperson.

Cornie’s children told many stories about their Uncle Will, who rode the bus from Harlan County to Claiborne County, as he didn’t drive. The legendary favorite story was about the time that Will had a bullet in his shirt pocket. It accidentally got mixed into his pipe tobacco, which he put into his pipe and was smoking on the bus.

Yes, the bullet blew up. No one was hurt, and miraculously, the driver didn’t crash. Nevertheless, Will was banished from riding the bus forever thereafter.

That story alone connects the William George Estes living in Lynch, in Harlan County, as the same person, as do his children from all three wives. So do letters from my aunt to family members discussing several people involved, and letters from Will himself in the early 1960s detailing some pretty spicy antics.

However, we’re looking for more than oral history. What other documents do we have?

The Smoking Deed

This deed serves, in essence, as the will of Lazarus Estes and his wife, both of whom conveyed this deed.

Thankfully, it identifies both Cornie and William as their heirs, along with several other children, although it never actually states that the people mentioned are their children. The census confirms that these people, Cornie and William George, along with Martha (Estes) Norris, Charlie Estes, and Lum (James Columbus) Estes mentioned, are their children.

If you’re still wondering if William George Estes is their son, notice the release of lien, stamped on the upper left-hand side of the page decades later, in 1957, with his signature.

This signature matches Will’s other handwriting on letters that he sent in the 1960s, in my possession, and on my father’s delayed birth certificate signed in 1952.

This document provides their relationship, the type of evidence submitted, and both of their addresses and signatures. Evidence doesn’t get much better than this.

For additional signature confirmation, William G. signed his 1918 draft registration in Claiborne County. In Harlan County, KY, in 1957, he signed the delayed birth certificate for his son, Estle, who was born in Springdale, Arkansas, in November of 1894.

When Evidence Isn’t Conclusive

Unfortunately, this situation happens often, especially with generations further back in time where less information is available. Let’s look at an example.

Genealogists tried for years, decades actually, to identify the parents of John R. Estes.

His son was named John Y. Estes.

No one knew what the R. stood for, nor what the Y. stood for. Truthfully, we still don’t, at least not for sure.

Here’s what was said:

  • John R. Estes’s mother was Mary Younger, who was married to George Estes. This claim was made because John R.’s son was named John Y. Estes, the Y. standing for “Younger.” That was the hypothesis, but it was stated as fact.
  • The middle initial R in John R. Estes stands for Regan or Reagan because his grandson, John Reagan Estes, son of John Y. Estes, was “named for his grandfather.” This was told to me by his grandchildren who were living in the early 1990s, as information they were told.

I fully understand why one would think those are possibilities or why conclusions might be drawn. They are clearly possibilities, but without additional evidence, that’s all they are. Eventually, that possibility begins to be passed along as a fact. Then, people don’t want to question what was passed down from “people who should know.”

So, let me play devil’s advocate here.

The Y in John Y. could stand for any number of things. For example, the surname Yancey is also found in Halifax County, Virginia. Y could have come from anyplace. At that point in time, we were searching for the parents of John R. Estes, so Mary Younger seemed to make sense.

Having said that, we now know that John Y. Estes’s grandmother WAS Mary Younger, BUT, that does NOT mean that the Y. stands for Younger, nor does it serve as any kind of concrete evidence.

Might it stand for Younger? Yes, of course. But the Y itself serves only as a potential hint.

Can you use it for evidence? Nope, not without more information. I’ve searched high and low, so if you find “Younger” in a reliable record for this man, by all means, let me know. While confirmation would be wonderful, we really don’t NEED to know like we do with Reagan.

John Reagan Estes (1871-1960), the son of John Y. Estes, could well have been named for his grandfather, John R. Estes (1787-1885). John was his father’s first name as well as his grandfather’s. That does NOT mean that that Reagan was John R. Estes’s middle name. We have no idea where Reagan comes from. If I had a letter from John Reagan’s mother or sister, for example, saying John Reagan was named for his grandpa Estes, who was also named John Reagan, that would be evidence because we have a contemporaneous source and know the information wasn’t assumed or constructed later to “fit” the question about John R. Estes’s middle name.

I have dug for years for any Reagan connection to the Estes line, or to the wives’ lines in upstream generations in Virginia, hoping to prove that Reagan genealogical connection. I have never found it, although that clearly doesn’t mean it’s not there. For all we know, Reagan could have been the name of the preacher or the doctor who delivered someone. It may or may not have anything to do with John R. Estes, and even if it does, Reagan may not be an ancestral surname.

So, if you’re taking yourself down the path of ascribing too much weight to information that may or may not be evidence – don’t. What you can do that’s beneficial is more research. If you think the Y or the R might be a hint, DIG!!! You just might find that evidence. If you haven’t utilized the new FamilySearch full-text AI search, by all means, do. These are the perfect types of situations to research using this amazing tool.

Treat everything as a hint, but it’s not evidence until it’s confirmed.

While we’ve since proven that, indeed, John R. Estes is the son of Mary Younger using other types of evidence, the middle initial R. and the middle name Reagan two generations later still is and may remain a mystery.

In the Weeds

At this point, you might be thinking that we are SO FAR DOWN IN THE WEEDS, and you’d be right, but the answers to our specific question are found here.

Our original goal was to prove that William George Estes was the son of Lazarus Estes and Elizabeth Vannoy.

The items bolded in red in the Individual Proof Table for William George Estes, above, individually and certainly cumulatively “prove” that relationship, as far as a paper trail can go.

The other information, especially taken together, supports that and, more importantly, does not dispute or provide contradictory or conflicting evidence about any of the other evidence. In other words, we have concensus.

Lineage Proof Table

The table below is designed to document the proof that the individual listed under the name column is, in fact, the child of the father and mother below. Other information from the Individual Proof Table that we completed above is omitted because it’s not needed in a Lineage Proof Table.

The Proof rows between the child and their parents are the proof, or the best evidence we have, that connects the child conclusively to the parent or parents. Sometimes that proof can arrive indirectly, such as a sibling’s obituary that lists your ancestor as their sibling – allowing you to connect the sibling who died and your ancestor both to their parents through the census or other documents.

Proof listed will vary and could be personal knowledge (someone you knew within your lifetime), a Bible, a will, a deed, an obituary, a church baptismal document, a pension application, census records, and more.

The best proof, of course, is multiple contemporaneous pieces of evidence.

Proof can also be negative proof. For example, if there was a will but this person was missing, that should be noted. However, that alone is NOT negative proof, as sometimes a child who had already received their inheritance was not mentioned. It does need to be listed because, when combined with other evidence, it may become very important. So is the wording of the will. For example, does it say “all my children,” but omit the person you’re searching for?

Proofs also must take into consideration things like individuals with the same name. In other words, we need to prove that THAT particular John was the son of THAT particular George.

There are times when one must dig deeply as well as far and wide, using siblings and the FAN (friends and neighbors) methodology to reveal a nugget or put enough information together from multiple sources to prove a relationship collectively. For example, I have found proof two generations downstream in Virginia chancery suits that detail the descendants of someone who died and left a will two or three generations earlier.

If this Lineage Proof Table was for my own use, I would utilize a spreadsheet, and I would provide links and more detailed information. For ease of use in this article, I’ve constructed a chart here.

The entire purpose of this lineage document is to unquestionably connect the generations. If these proofs are strong and unquestionable, the only piece of evidence that could upend all of them, together, is an unknown DNA event where a parent or parents are not the individuals reflected in the non-genetic proofs.

Name Birth & Loc Death & Loc Father Mother DNA Confirmed
Me William Sterling Estes Separate lineage proof for mother’s line Father confirmed via paternal half-sister’s children and cousins’ autosomal DNA matches..
Proof My birth certificate, newspaper announcements
Proof Father’s obituary
Proof Social Security application after my father’s death
Proof Personal knowledge, photos, and memories
Proof DNA match at the expected level to my half-sister’s descendants and our upstream Estes relatives
William Sterling Estes Oct. 1, 1902 or 3, Tazewell, TN Aug. 27, 1963, Jay County, IN William George Estes 1873-1971 Ollie Bolton 1874-1955 Autosomal DNA matches to multiple Estes cousins & half-sister’s children
Proof Census and newspaper articles identifying my father as his parents’ child
Proof My father’s marriage license, personal knowledge, and his delayed birth certificate
Proof Death certificate and obituary
Proof Aunts’ knowledge and family letters
William George Estes March 30, 1873, Tazewell, TN Nov. 29, 1971, Harlan Co., KY Lazarus Estes 1845-1916/1918 Elizabeth Vannoy 1846-1918 Autosomal DNA triangulated to multiple descendants of both Lazarus Estes and Elizabeth Vannoy.
Proof Deed to Worth and Cornie Epperson where Lazarus lists William George Estes as one of his heirs – Claiborne Co., Deed Book M2, page 371.
Proof Various censuses showing parents and siblings, including sister Cornie Estes Epperson
Proof Marriage license to Crocie Brewer lists his parents
Proof Cousin George Estes knew these people and was at the funeral of Lazarus when he was a child, plus Aunt Margaret’s letters
Lazarus Estes May 1845, Claiborne Co., TN 1916-1918, Claiborne Co., TN John Y. Estes 1818-1895 Rutha Dodson 1820-1903 Y-DNA confirmed to haplogroup of Moses Estes, autosomal triangulated to descendants of Lazarus and Elizabeth and upstream ancestors through multiple matches.
Proof 1850 and 1860 census with his parents, 1870 census where he lives one house from parents with wife and children, 1880 census where his wife is still living a few houses from his parents, with their children, and John is found in Montague Co., TX
Proof October 1865 deed where John Y. Estes deeds all his possessions to his eldest son, Lazarus. Claiborne Co., Deed book B1, page 37
John Y. Estes December 29, 1818, Halifax Co., VA Sept. 19, 1895, Montague Co., TX John R. Estes 1785/88-1885 Nancy Ann Moore c 1785-1860/1870 Y-DNA confirmed through multiple sons. Autosomal triangulates to several descendants through multiple lines of other children.
Proof Personal written knowledge of Claiborne County attorney, P. G. Fulkerson, published in the local newspaper who listed parents, wife, siblings, and children of John Y. Estes and wife and children of John R. Estes
Proof John R. Estes signed as a witness for John Y. Estes in 1865 when he deeded goods to son Lazarus “for natural love and affection.” In 1850 census John R. Estes lives near sons Jechonias and John Y. Estes
Proof John Y. Estes’s and John R. Estes’s death conveyed in letters between family in Claiborne County, TN, Texas, and Oklahoma
John R. Estes 1785-1788, Halifax Co., VA May 1885, Claiborne Co., TN George Estes 1763-1869 Mary Younger  ~1775-1820/1830 Y-DNA confirmed through multiple lines. Autosomal confirmed triangulation of multiple lines of his children and his ancestors. Descendants’ DNA triangulates to that of Nancy Ann Moore’s ancestors.
Proof Halifax County 1812 personal property tax list where John R. Estes is listed as the son of George Estes and lives next to him.
Proof Halifax Co., VA chancery suit dealing with property of Moses Estes, father of George Estes, lists John R. and his wife’s name and location in Tennessee as Moses’s descendants.
Proof War of 1812 pension application
George Estes Feb. 3, 1763, Amelia Co., VA July 1859, Halifax Co., VA Moses Estes Jr. 1742-1813 Luremia Combs c1742-1820/1830 Y-DNA haplogroup descended from Moses Estes Sr. 1711-1787 and autosomal from his maternal and paternal lines, both.

I’ll stop here because you clearly understand the process. If I were applying for membership in a lineage society, I would simply continue this chart until I reached the individual in question. In this example, George Estes is a Revolutionary War soldier, so I could apply for DAR membership, assuming I meet their various criteria.

Another aid in documenting your ancestors is lineage organizations and their records, but keep in mind that their evidence, especially that submitted decades ago, may not be sufficient today.

DNA Confirmation

DNA can either confirm this relationship, even without a paper trail, or conversely, it can burn it all down.

The closer in time a DNA relationship is, the more likely you’ll be able to confirm it using autosomal DNA.

Sometimes, Y-DNA is a consideration, and it certainly would be in this circumstance, except that I’m not a male, and we don’t have a living Estes male descended directly from William George Estes (through all males) to test.

Mitochondrial DNA can’t be used in this circumstance either since William George Estes’s children have their mother’s mitochondrial DNA, not his.

For the purposes of today’s proof, I used the Family Finder autosomal DNA test.

Buster Estes, now deceased, grandson of Lazarus Estes through his son Charlie Tomas Estes, is my 1C1R, (first cousin once removed). He tested both his Y-DNA and took the autosomal  Family Finder test for me many years ago.

Additionally, Cornie Epperson’s grandchild and great-grandchild, my second cousin and 2C1R, agreed to autosomal DNA testing for me as well. Cornie’s grandchild agreed to test their mitochondrial DNA, which descends from Elizabeth Vannoy – for which I remain immensely grateful.

All of these cousins match me, as well as each other, appropriately, as would be expected for their respective relationships to me and to each other.

Since then, additional descendants of Lazarus Estes and Elizabeth Vannoy have tested and match others at the appropriate, expected level.

I also match other descendants of Elizabeth Vannoy’s parents, as do my cousins, so I can literally walk both Estes and Vannoy segments back in time.

In this case, NOT matching close Estes relatives would conclusively prove that I’m NOT related to the more distant Estes family.

However, if I didn’t match, it’s also possible that my father would not have matched those people either. I don’t have a full sibling through my father, but I do have a half-sibling whose descendants I match appropriately for the expected relationship. That proves that I’m my father’s biological child.

My half-sister died before DNA testing. NOT matching my sister’s descendants would confirm that we were not sisters, meaning we did not share the same father. One or the other of us would probably match Estes descendants, such as our second cousins. Fortunately, we match each other and Estes descendants.

Unfortunately, my half-brother Dave did not match me, nor any Estes family members, providing that we did not share a biological father – a heartbreaking discovery. He’s still my brother though, just not biologically, and I loved him dearly. (For the record, I found Dave’s father and his family after his death.)

I can prove that my father descends from his father because I also match the descendants of my father’s paternal half-siblings, as expected.

I also match (and triangulate with) the descendants of my grandfather’s sibling, Cornie Epperson, as expected, which proves my connection back to Lazarus and, therefore, my father and grandfather’s connection to Lazarus, too.

By the time we reach John R. Estes, son of George Estes, we can also use Y-DNA. While I personally can’t test for the Estes Y-DNA, a descendant of John R. Estes has taken the Big Y-700 test, needed for this level of detail, and they match the unique mutation (R-ZS3700) that occurred between Abraham Estes and his son Moses Estes Sr., then descended through Moses Jr. to George to John R., then on to our tester, confirming this paternal lineage.

Furthermore, I and other descendants of Lazarus Estes autosomally match Y-DNA descendants of John R. Estes as would be expected of 3rd or 4th cousins.

Therefore, by proxy, using both Y-DNA and Family Finder, we are all confirmed to descend from this entire Estes lineage, to and including Lazarus Estes and his son, William George Estes, through my father to me.

Whew!!!

Summary

Yes, it was a long, detailed path to get here using both traditional genealogical research and DNA results, but we did, and that’s really all that matters. I probably provided more examples than I really needed to, but I’m trying to answer as many “what about this” questions as I can, in advance. The Proof Table methodology isn’t cast in concrete and is easy to replicate and adapt based on your situation and the records at hand.

My final word of caution would be to make sure you don’t discount or omit negative evidence inadvertently. I made that mistake when I was less experienced because I didn’t realize the importance of negative evidence.

I’ve seen situations where a resource was not recorded because there “was nothing there,” when the fact that “nothing was there” is in itself important negative evidence that needs to be weighed and considered.

That’s one reason why preparing a list of all the resources in a particular area is so important. When you discover new resources or they become available, be sure to record and check those resources. For example, if a tax list for a particular county or district is uncovered, record that resource, even if the person you’re seeking isn’t listed there. The next question to ask is why they would not be listed, which may lead you to seek out or perhaps reevaluate other information.

Future Topics

I have three more articles planned in this series and expect to publish the next one in the winter.

  • DNA as Proof – or Not
  • Leveling up
  • Writing it Up

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FamilyTreeDNA Match Download Files are Back!

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14

Such great news!

FamilyTreeDNA has resumed their match file downloads, making FamilyTreeDNA the ONLY major company that provides this important feature. You can now download a file of all of your matches and for autosomal DNA, where they match you on your chromosomes, a critical function for genealogists.

During the aftermath of the 23andMe data breach, at FamilyTreeDNA, you could still view each match individually and up to 7 selected matches together in the chromosome browser, but you could not download your entire match list.

Now, once again, you can!

How To Download Your Matches

To download either your full match list, or a filtered match list, sign on to your account and select matches.

Family Finder Autosomal Matches

Click on any image to enlarge

The Family Finder download option is located at the top of your match list, at far right.

You can download, or export, a CSV file of all of your matches or a select group of filtered matches.

I downloaded all of my matches and then immediately began catching up.

On my PC, I located the file under “downloads” in a file named with my kit number and date.

There’s a LOT of great information here, but let me point out perhaps the most important genealogical feature.

The Matching Bucket Column

The Matching Bucket column isn’t just an “estimate” or best guess of which parental side an individual is related to you on; it’s confirmed through triangulation.

When you link known relatives to their profile card in your tree, FamilyTreeDNA identifies triangulated segments and uses that information to assign matches either maternally, paternally, or both, depending on the matching segments found.

Additional columns reported are:

  • Full, first, middle, and last names or each match
  • Match Date
  • Relationship Range (based on estimates)
  • Shared DNA (in cMs)
  • Linked Relationship, based on where you linked the match in your tree
  • Ancestral Surnames, as entered in by your match
  • Y-DNA haplogroup for males, either Y-DNA tested directly or mid-range level haplogroup based on a Family Finder test
  • mtDNA Haplogroup
  • Notes that you’ve made on this match
  • Matching Bucket – maternal, paternal, or both
  • X-Match amount in cMs. Remember that X-matching is only shown if the person ALSO matches you on one of the other chromosomes as well. The interpretation of X-matching is somewhat different than other autosomal DNA due to a unique inheritance pattern, which means it can be very important. I discussed that in the article, X Chromosome Master Class and also in my book. FamilyTreeDNA is the only vendor that provides X-matching.
  • Autosomal Transfer – yes or no.

This information and these features, combined with shared matches, means that you can assign most of your autosomal matches either maternally or paternally, and often attribute descent from a particular ancestor or couple.

Download the Match Segment File

Additionally, you’ll need to download the match segment file from a separate location.

Under “Autosomal DNA Results and Tools,” click on “Chromosome Browser.

The chromosome browser will display showing all of your matches. Instead of selecting someone to compare, instead, click on “Download All Segments.”

On a PC, the resulting file can be found in downloads.

This file holds the results on every chromosome of each match. Many people will match you on multiple chromosome locations, so will be listed more than once.

I then sort, either by name, or by chromosome and location, depending on my goal.

This segment match file and the match information file should be used together to garner as much information as possible about each match and how you are related.

Y-DNA

The Y-DNA match list is available, too, and can be found at the right of the STR marker headings.

The Big-Y match download option is also to the right of the Big-Y matches tab.

Mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondrial DNA matches are also available but in a slightly different location than the Family Finder and Y-DNA.

The mitochondrial DNA match list download is found at the bottom of your match list, in the right corner.

Caution About Privacy

I want to remind everyone about privacy. You should never, ever, send your match list to someone else unless you know them well and are collaborating with them directly. For example, let’s say you’ve asked your sibling or cousin to test, and they have agreed. Sharing under this limited circumstance would be reasonable.

Unfortunately, we have encountered some “researchers” that are targeting specific groups of people and asking them to provide the names and contact information of their matches – in this case – specifically mitochondrial DNA of a particular ethnic group. After receiving your match list, they contact your matches, telling them they are working with someone they match, and then ask for their match list, too – building a genetic pyramid scheme.

Please DO NOT comply with a request of this type. Do NOT provide your sign-in credentials to anyone like this either. Both of these actions risk your security and your matches’ privacy since your matches have only given permission for their matches to see their information – not anyone else. Additionally, this violates FamilyTreeDNA’s Terms and Conditions.

If someone requests this type of information from you, please immediately report it directly to FamilyTreeDNA.

Additional Benefits of Autosomal Match Download Data

The primary benefit of the autosomal match download is being able to see who matches you on which side of your tree, then perform additional research to determine your common ancestor(s).

You can also discover information about various ancestors via both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA of your matches who inherited that type of DNA from your common ancestors. I wrote about the four types of DNA that genealogists can use in the article, 4 Kinds of DNA for Genetic Genealogy. 

Be sure to check surname projects for your Y-DNA matches along with all of your ancestral surnames, here, to locate testers who descend from those ancestors.

There are additional benefits, too.

You’ll now be able to paint your chromosomes at DNAPainter again using various import features. The most useful import might be the Maternal and Paternal bucketed matches which helps you determine which matches descend from which ancestors. You can find more information in the article, DNAPainter Instructions and Resources, here.

You can also utilize your downloaded file at Genetic Affairs for various types of clusters. You can read more information in the article, Genetic Affairs Instructions and Resources, here.

So download your matches once again, and enjoy! What gems are waiting to be discovered?

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You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

Genealogy Products and Services

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Genealogy Books

Genealogy Research

DNA Academy Webinar Series Released

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Great news! Legacy Family Tree Webinars has just released DNA Academy.

DNA Academy is a three-part series designed to introduce the basics of DNA for genetic genealogy and how Y-DNA, X-DNA, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA can be utilized. Each of these different types of DNA serves a different function for genealogists – and reveals different matches and hints for genealogy.

  1. DNA Academy Part 1 introduces genetic genealogy basics, then, Ancestry’s DNA tools – including their new pricing structure for DNA features. Click here to view.
  2. DNA Academy Part 2 covers FamilyTreeDNA’s products. Click here to view the webinar, which includes:
    1. Y-DNA for males which tracks the direct paternal line
    2. Mitochondrial DNA for everyone which tracks your direct maternal line – your mother’s mother’s mother’s lineage
    3. Autosomal DNA which includes matches from all of your ancestral lines and along with X-DNA matching, which has a very distinctive inheritance path.
  3. DNA Academy Part 3 includes MyHeritage, 23andMe, and third-party tools such as DNAPainter and Genetic Affairs. Click here to view.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars has graciously made Part 2, the FamilyTreeDNA class, free through August 22nd for everyone – so be sure to watch now.

After August 22nd, Part 2 will join Part 1 and Part 3 in the webinar library for subscribers with more than 2240 webinars for $49.95 per year.

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Share the Love!

You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

Genealogy Products and Services

My Books

Genealogy Books

Genealogy Research

Y-DNA Highways of History: Fleshing Out Your Ancestors Using Discover Case Studies – Webinar Free for 7 Days!!

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I’m so very pleased to announce with Legacy Family Tree Webinars, that we are offering a special midsummer surprise webinar – and it’s FREE through August 1st, here.

Thank you, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, for making this webinar free!

We are using FamilyTreeDNA’s free Discover tool to reveal our ancestors’ past and their path through history.

This webinar features fun ”how-to” case studies. Who doesn’t love a good story – especially ones that you can put to use in your own genealogy right away?

We begin with an overview.

  • What are reasonable testing goals for Y-DNA?
  • Why do we want to take Y-DNA tests anyway?
  • What can we discover when we test, and when we encourage our cousins to test?
  • Where and how do we find those cousins?

If you ladies are thinking, I WISH I had a Y chromosome to test, cheer up, because one of the topics I cover is how to find relevant family members, even distant members, who can test for your male ancestral lines.

History Revealed

Genealogists always want every piece of available information. Y-DNA testing does just that and reaches beyond the barrier of surnames. In fact, it reaches beyond the possibility of genealogical research with only one test.

There’s so much to learn.

Who were my ancestors, and where did they come from? How are they related to other people, including ancient burials and notable people who lived more recently?

I’m sharing several case studies from my own genealogy. Come join me on my journey.

  • I discovered that my ancestor is related to a burial along the old Roman Road in France. He lived there before the Romans arrived. What does that mean to me today, and how can I find out?
  • I’ll also share with you how I solved an adoption case within a generation with JUST Y-DNA, and then how I used autosomal DNA matches to augment and refine that information.
  • In another case, we learned something VERY interesting and quite unexpected, revealing either a secret or information that was never passed to contemporary family researchers. Y-DNA testing is the only way this would EVER have been revealed.
  • Another ancestor appears to have been a retired Roman soldier in England. How did I figure this out? I’ll show you.
  • My Jewish friend famously said “My ancestors are in my soul. I can’t get them out of my mind.” Can you relate? The Big Y-700 test proved that his ancestors settled in Spain and exactly when they migrated to Eastern Europe using a very unconventional approach that you can utilize too.
  • Another tester discovered that he and a famous lineage match. You’ll probably recognize this historical person and you might even be related yourself. Their ancestors are found in the baptismal records of the same church in England, but their common ancestor reaches back to the people buried beneath the Saxon tombstones outside.

How did we discover all of this???

Big Y-700 testing at FamilyTreeDNA, combined with the Discover tool, sprinkled from time to time with some old-fashioned genealogy.

Once you engage in Y-DNA testing, you’ll have fascinating success stories of your own to share too.

Collect the Full Set

There’s so much to be learned about our ancestors.

I “collect” Y-DNA haplogroups from testers in each of my ancestral lines to reveal their history that has been obscured by time – and to assure my recent genealogy is accurate.

Every one of these haplogroups on my family tree, such as R-ZS3700, looks like just letters and numbers, but they aren’t. They are the keys that easily unlock that ancestor’s paternal family story, previously hidden behind history’s misty curtains. Now, they’ve been revealed! You can do exactly the same thing!

All you need to do is enter your Y-DNA haplogroup into Discover or just click through directly from your results page at FamilyTreeDNA.

Which ancestors are waiting for you?

Please enjoy this webinar. Don’t forget it’s only free for a week, so check it out now.

There’s More

Take a look at the other webinars I’ve recorded for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. (Hint – there are more coming very soon!!)

You can always access this and any of more than 2200 webinars in the library by subscribing to Legacy Family Tree Webinars, here.

_____________________________________________________________

Follow DNAexplain on Facebook, here.

Share the Love!

You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

Genealogy Products and Services

My Books

Genealogy Books

Genealogy Research