Grandma’s Genes Blog

Would the REAL Martin Ebert Please Stand

Well in this case Martin Ebert can’t stand, either of them, at least not on their own. They need a little bit of help from genealogists. Maybe a a good sweep with a broom and then prop them up with the broom. Oh, we could go into all sorts of metaphors for this. But the truth? If people see something on the internet and copy and paste it willy-nilly without checking it’s validity, then the REAL Martin Eberts of the world will never be able to stand-up.

My Task

I have been given a task. To locate a marriage record for  Martin Ebert, b. 1780ishy who lived in Hull, Ottawa County, Quebec and died in Hastings, Ontario in 1783ish. Like how exact I am in those dates?

It appears that at some point someone connected a Martin Ebert who was born in York County, Pennsylvania – specifically his birth information – to Martin Ebert who lived and died in Quebec and Ontario.

It happens…a lot unfortunately.

I could say buyer beware. I could say if you wade into internet Genealogies you will find this quiet epidemic of copy and paste Measles. It is very contagious. What do you do about it? Read the information carefully and number one? Look for sources. Sources are the best inoculation.

Martin Ebert of Pennsylvania

Since I use, as most of you already know, WikiTree as my main Genealogy platform for my own family and for clients as well, I have been working on this task there. I was more than pleased to find that the Martin Ebert of Pennsylvania on WikiTree had NOT been connected to the Martin Ebert of Ontario on WikiTree. 

As I worked I noted information for Martin of Pennsylvania, and discovered he lived all of his life in Pennsylvania as witnessed by the many entries for him being involved as a sponsor for Baptisms from the Records of the First Moravian Church, City of York, York County, Pennsylvania, 1758-1800. Be hard for him to keep up this religous sponsorships while living full time in both places. This would be a BIG red flag for anyone trying to connect Martin of Ontario with Martin of York, Pennsylvania. It’s just logical.

Martin Ebert of Quebec and Ontario

Where was Martin of Quebec and Ontario born? No idea yet. When and where was he married? No idea yet.

Martin was born sometime between 1783 to 1790. This based on numerous bits and pieces from the internet and via some guesswork of how accurate Census Data is.

This Martin could have been born in New York State. There are a few Martin Ebert’s born about this time in New York State. To figure out which one fits this Martin we can look to the unsourced information for the marriage of this Martin Ebert to Roxanne Waller. Most of the Internet Genealogies point to Utica New York in 1808 or by Ebert researcher, Carol Hutchinson, in Hull, QC.

This Martin of Canada can not be the Martin Ebert, son of John Martin Ebert and Anna Maria Smyser born in Pennsylvania, John Martin Ebert. Martin Ebert who was born in York PA, married Mary Eichelberger, died in York, PA and is buried there. As we shown above.

Martin Ebert who married Roxanne Waller somehow took advantage of the 1792 proclamation of Governor Alured Clarke “of 1792, which threw the lands of Lower Canada open to such American settlers as were willing to declare allegiance to the British Crown. These migrations took the typical form in British North America of group settlements consisting of ‘leader and associates’….”

Along with Philemon Wright and his Laborers and workers,”…The core of the first group of settlers consisted of four other families and thirty-three labouring men, 1 1 unmarried farmers, from different parts of Massachusetts.” [1] What is the route these settlers took? If they swung across New York and Near Albany then, per Carol Hutchinsons theory, that he born somewhere near Albany, then it could be likely he joined this group as one of the workers and made his way with them to Hull.

Carol Hutchinson points to the First Account Books Philemon Wright as a source for knowing Martin Ebert was in Hull as early as 1806 as witnessed by his log entry into the account book.[2] Carol also lists him as living in Hull and being on the 1808 Militia Rolls – age of 24. “One is a militia list for Hull, Eardly and Onslow circa 1808. It lists Tiberius Wright and Philemon Wright as well as Eliad Waller, Eder Waller, (both sons of Truman Waller) and Martin Ebert as well as others for a total of 52.[3]

His Wife Roxanne Waller. Roxanne’s family headed by her father “Truman Waller, 43, from Marlborough Township and formerly of Granville, New York” traveled to Canada, August 1801, with a group of families with lead by Dudley Moore. [4] Considering Roxanne’s estimated birth date is 1790? She would have been ten year old when her family traveled to Canada. This helps to substantiate Carol Hutchinson’s idea that Martin and Roxanne were not married in Utica New York as Internet Genealogies pose.

If the Ebert Family was the Ebert Family of Albany, that Carol has posed in her research, they were not far away from the Waller family, 65 miles south, in Granville, Washington County. Did they Migrate together?

Carol Hutchinson poses that Martin Ebert could have left Hull during the War of 1812, which would explain the birth of his daughter Elizabeth Catherine in Utica, New York, in 1815. Carol also points to a Mertin Ebert who was a part of Colden’s 5th Artillery and Infantry Reg’t., New York Militia. [5]

That he lived and died in Quebec and Ontario is fairly well documented.

1825 Land Information

“At the Bristol Township Line sometime before 1825, an American by the name of Martin Ebert had squatted on the East half of Lot 11, Range 2, which borders on the River. This property had been improved by an American squatter living in Bristol by the name of Uzal Pearson. Ebert Bought these improvements in 1827.”[6]

1833 Land Grant

Name: Martin Eberts
Location: Clarendon, Pontiac
Acres: 100
Letters Patent Date: 1 Aug 1833[7]

1851 Census

1851 Census. [8]

 

Est. Birthdate of 1779.

1861 Census

1861 Census.[9]

Est. Birthdate of 1780.

Find-A-Grave: Memorial #77246563 His tombstone lists his dates as 1780-1873. According to Bob Sturgeon on Ancestry Message boards from 2001, “we now have an actual marker on his gravesite”. This grave marker was set in modern times and unfortunately may be carrying some of the internet misattribution with it.

Research Notes

1859 Fonds Cour Supérieure. Greffes de notaires

“Acquit and Discharge, Hector Russell to Martin Eberts”[10]

1842 Fonds Cour Supérieure. Greffes de notaires

Martin Ebert
Record Date: 12 févr. 1842 (12 Feb 1842)
Record Place: Terrebonne, Québec (Quebec), Canada
Notary: Louis-Edouard Globensky
Notarial Act Number: 2766
Record Type: Vente (Sale)
Record Description: Vente
Participants: Martin Ebert and Stanislas Linssico[11]

Other interesting Eberts

A Marin Ebert was born in 1788 in New York.
A Martin Ebert Born in NY in 1783. “Martin Ebert died 1873 in Bangor, Hastings, Ontario, Carol H., 2011
John Ebert, Census 1790, Rensselaerville, Albany, New York, United States[12]
John Ebert, Census 1800, Berne, Albany, New York, United States[13]
Derrick Ebert, Census 1830, Watervliet, Albany, New York, United States[14]

Places To look for Martin and Roxanne and the illusive Marriage Record.

  • Granville, NY
  • Marlboro Township, UpperCanada
  • Albany, NY
  • Augusta, Ontario
  • Sattlers to Early Ottawa/Eardley
  • Settlement of Hastings – Bangor
  • Look for all state possibilities for Ebert Family.

    The DNA

    Of course there is DNA involved – I am all about DNA! Martin’s Descendant has done DNA testing with AncestryDNA.com and shared her DNA on GEDmatch (GEDmatch enables the sharing of DNA match information across all the testing companies). Ancestry created a DNA circle connecting  others to Martin and Roxy. Unfortunately so far all the other matches reach Martin and Roxy through the same child. While my Martin Ebert Descendant reaches Martin and Roxy through a different child. What I would love to see pop-up are some testers from another direct line from Martin and Roxy. I would love to see a Marriage Record float down from the sky <I have Dreams>.

In a perfect DNA world I would also like to see DNA information from some of Martin Ebert of Pennsylvania’s Descendants. Ebert may sound like a unique surname to you but to me? After working this line for some time? They could be smiths for all the Eberts I am finding in the Canada and the United States North Eastern States

Sources

  1. ↑ “The Famous Township of Hull”: Image and Aspirations of a Pioneer Quebec Community, p. 341, by Bruce S. Elliott, prepared for a seminar in social history at Carleton University.[1]
  2. ↑ The Family History and Account Books of Philemon Wright, By Diane Proctor, BIFHSGO. Link given but it is not working.
  3. ↑ Martin Ebert Died 1873 in Bangor, Hastings, Ontario, By Carol Hutchinson, 2011.[2] and Bob Moody
  4. ↑ “The Famous Township of Hull”: Image and Aspirations of a Pioneer Quebec Community, p. 341, by Bruce S. Elliott, prepared for a seminar in social history at Carleton University.[3] via Thad. W.H. LEAVITT, History of Leeds and Grenville (Belleville: Mika Silk, Screening Limited, 1972), p. 133; United Church Archives, Toronto, Methodist Church in Hull, L. Canada, Baptismal Register, 182~1843, Micro. D.3.5.86
  5. ↑ War of 1812 Service Records, National Archives and Records Administration, Compiled Military Service records for the Volunteer Soldiers who served during the war of 1812, Washington DC, NARA M602, 234 Rolls
  6. ↑ Clarendon and Shawville, p. 21, by J. Loyd Armstrong, Dickson Enterprises, 1980. Ottawa Room, Ottawa Public Library. Call 971.4215 A736.
  7. ↑ Letters Patent Book: N Grants; Page: 179; County Index Volume: 1; Page: 830, Robert Dunn and Derek Hopkins, comp. Alphabetical Index to the Land Grants by the Crown in the province of Quebec from 1763 to 31st December 1890. Pointe Claire, Quebec: Quebec Family History Society, 2005. Ancestry.com.[4]
  8. ↑ Census of 1851 (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia). Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada. Census of Nova Scotia, 1851. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM): Nova Scotia Board of Statistics, 1851.
  9. ↑ 1861 Census of Canada for Martin Ebert, Litchfield, Canada East, Pontiac, “Census returns for 1861.” LAC microfilm C-999 to C-1007, C-1010 to C-1093, C-1095 to C-1108, C-1232 to C-1331, M-1165 to M-1166, M-1168 to M-1171, M-556, M-874 to M-878, M-880 to M-886, M-896 to M-900. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa.
  10. ↑ Fonds Cour Supérieure. Greffes de notaires. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1637-1935 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.[5]
  11. ↑ Fonds Cour Supérieure. Greffes de notaires. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1637-1935 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.Image
  12. ↑ “United States Census, 1790,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKG-149 : accessed 7 January 2018), John Ebert, Rensselaerville, Albany, New York, United States; citing p. 193, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 6; FHL microfilm 568,146.
  13. ↑ “United States Census, 1800,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRC-P6H : accessed 7 January 2018), John Ebert, Berne, Albany, New York, United States; citing p. 68, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 22; FHL microfilm 193,710.
  14. ↑ “United States Census, 1830,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG1-L7Y : 29 July 2017), Derick Ebert, Watervliet, Albany, New York, United States; citing 462, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 84; FHL microfilm 17,144.

DNA and The Global Family Tree – Poll 1

In June your Grandma will be presenting a 3 hour Workshop at the Ontario Genealogical Associations Conference 2018. The subject of the Workshop is DNA and the Global Family Tree. In preparation for this I’ll be posting some polls to find interesting information from you, to mix into my presentation.

I’ll post polls to Grandmas Genes Facebook Page. Please do share these polls to your pages, blogs, message boards, Twitter, holiday table and consider it a gift to the OGS Conference 2018 Workshop participants. 

Thanks!

Tea Leonis’ Grandfather

The name is what caught my attention – “Sumpter”. Henry Louis Gates, Harvard Professor and Presenter on the PBS series, Finding Your Roots,  said to Tea Leoni, “Sumpter J. Daniel is your grandfather.” My head nearly snapped off as the camera zoomed in on a map of eastern louisiana.

The Pioneer Children Migrate

This all sounded familiar to me, a man named Sumpter living in East Louisiana. Before I saw the beautiful pedigree chart Henry presents on Teas’ grandfather, I had already guessed that the Daniels (O’Daniel) were probably connected to the families who had participated in the great Carolina Migration West. It is a story I know well because my 3rd great grandfather made the same trip with the Richardson Family.

The children of the pioneers to Virginia left for greener pastures to the south, then their children left for greener pastures to the west. Why? The oldest child normally inherited the land or worked in the community. There would be nothing left for the younger children of the pioneers, so they moved on to be the next pioneers.

From the Schlatter Family Site:

  • “In the early 1700’s several of John Richardson’s children moved to the Cape Fear River area of North Carolina from Virginia, probably the Jamestown area.

  •  Around 1750 members of the family moved to Sumter District, South Carolina.

  •  Several of the South Carolina Richardson’s fought on the side of Francis Marion during the Revolutionary War.

  •  In the early 1800’s there was a rush of migration from the Carolina colonies to the West — which, at this time, was Mississippi and Louisiana.  In addition to population pressures due to immigration and birthrates, the land that had been heavily farmed in the Carolinas was beginning to wear out and many people headed west to new land.

  •  In Dec 1808-Jan 1809, one of several Richardson brothers and a small party, including several slaves,  trekked to southwest Mississippi — to what is now Wilkinson County — where they cleared land and put in a cotton crop.  In the fall of 1809 they sold the crop, returned to South Carolina, packed up several other family members and “100 slaves” and returned to Wilkinson County, Mississippi, in January 1810 where they settled and prospered.

  •  Descendants of the Richardson’s who moved from South Carolina to Wilkinson County, Mississippi, in 1810 spread throughout Wilkinson County and adjoining counties in Mississippi and Louisiana.”

My Gauldens followed this route from Virginia to Sumter, South Carolina, following John Gauldens Father-in-Law, John Watson Brumfield,  to his plantation in Sumter, South Carolina. Then his Children moved on to Louisiana.

Carolina Migration from the north.

John Gauldens Daughter, Martha and her brother Dempsey

John Gauldens daughter Martha married Francis R. Richardson. Francis R. was a part of the group who migrated through Native American Lands out to Eastern Louisianna/Western Mississippi. My 3rd Great Grandfather, Dempsey Gaulden traveled with his sister and her family out to Louisiana, sowed some wild oats in New Orleans and returned to South Carolina to continue my line of Gauldens.

Sumpter Daniels Family Trail

Sumpter Daniels family followed a similar path, immigrating from Western Europe, to Virginia, to Edgefield District, South Carolina. They were very close to where my Gauldens lived.

SC Map
Map showing proximity of Sumter, Camden and Edgefield SC.

Did the Gauldens/Richardsons and Daniels know each other? It’s hard to know unless Francis D. Richardson mentions the Daniels in his Memoir. But the fact that over 27,908 native born South Carolinian people lived in Mississippi and 4,583 native born South Carolinian people lived in Louisiana in 1850 might preclude any knowledge of each other.

Knowing your family history

Because I know my family history, when I heard a similar story, I recognized in Tea’s family a story we share. Makes our world seem just a bit smaller.

Further Research

If you check-in with The Family Search Wiki you will discover information and resources for the migrations into and out of SC.  One regarding the westward move of South Carolina Pioneer children is, Dorothy Williams Potter in Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823 “which identifies some migrants from South Carolina into territories that are now Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri.” – FamilySearch Wiki

Roads west
Routes into Mississippi and Louisiana

Diversity In Genelaogy

A good bit has been made/stated/drooled over about the ethnic results in the new age of Genealogy – Genetic Genealogy. I help people daily with their DNA, sometimes it’s to dig deeper into their Ethnicity. Deeper than the fairly general ethnicity results information one receives from testing companies. But I have never thought about the diversity of a site, a Genealogy group or a conference. Diversity in Genealogy? I was asked point blank on Sunday morning at the breakfast table a very blunt Question. “Can you tell who is ‘Black’ on WikiTree?.”

The Real Question

After my initial shock that someone would ask that of me, I realized I had/have never, ever thought about it. And I answered her with that – I have never had the need or wanted to know or even considered someones ethnic make-up while working away at the Great Big Ole Collaborative Family Tree that is WikiTree. After the questioner realized that her wording may have been askew she explained the question in full.

The question turned out to be a very good question related to identifying Southern US Colonial and pre-1865 Slaves and how to connect them to their descendants. What better way than WikiTree?

But her question is not the reason for this post.

After one incredible weekend at the FTDNA ICGG2017 and after having been asked this very blunt question, I wondered? Who are we collaborating with on the other side of our computer screens? Who are WikiTree’s, WikiTreer’s.

What’s in your Genes WikiTree?

Being the Project Admin for the WikiTree DNA Project, I thought I would share a little of what I discovered while searching for the answer to this question. What makes WikiTree, WikiTree? It’s Volunteers, from the Genetic Perspective.

The Number and types of DNA tests for WikiTreer’s who are participating in the WikiTree DNA Project:

Big Y 123
Combined GEDCOMs Uploaded 261
DISTINCT mtDNA Haplogroups 264
DISTINCT Y-DNA Confirmed Haplogroups 212
DISTINCT Y-DNA Predicted Haplogroups 0
Family Finder 516
Genographic 2.0 Transfers 55
Maternal Ancestor Information 667
mtDNA 395
mtDNA Full Sequence 316
mtDNA Plus 382
mtDNA Subgroups 16
Paternal Ancestor Information 716
Predicted Y-DNA Haplogroups 188
Total Members 884
Unpredicted Y-DNA Haplogroups 0
Unreturned Kits 153
WTY 4
Y-DNA Deep Clade (After 2008) 45
Y-DNA Deep Clade (Prior to 2008) 26
Y-DNA Subgroups 12
Y-DNA111 191
Y-DNA12 437
Y-DNA25 415
Y-DNA37 410
Y-DNA67 308

And Who,  Really, Are We?

FTDNA pie Chart of HaploGroups of Y-DNA tested WikiTreer’s who have joined the WikiTree DNA (FTDNA) Project.
FTDNA pie Chart of HaploGroups of mt-DNA tested WikiTreer’s who have joined the WikiTree DNA (FTDNA) Project.

Who are we?

Wikitreer’s appear to be people of all origins, based on the dispersal of HaploGroups across all spectrums of the Rainbow. Especially for the Y-DNA (father’s line) testers. For the mt-DNA (mother’s line) testers there is a larger percentage of the most common Haplogroup for mt-DNA “H”. I thought this was a really interesting thing to see, how very colorful we all are.

I have another set of charts showing the “Brightest Bulb in the Pack” HaploGroup too, but you’ll have to send me some BlueBerry Pie before I will answer anything about those, or the elusive Bossy HaploGroups, or the Elf HaploGroups or the WikiTree Tribble Haplogroups. Blueberry Pie? Ah, Come on, isn’t this post about colorful things and aren’t blueberries, after all, blue?

DISCLAIMER: No BlueBerries or Blueberry Pies have been harmed in the creation of this Blog. Grandma’s Genes does not endorse nor receive payment in blueberry pies by any DNA testing Company or anyone connected to them, despite the rumors to the contrary.

DNA Raw Data to Gedmatch

I noticed a post today about auDNA Raw Data File upload to GEDMatch. The comment that struck me was the idea that people, in general, are nervous, overwhelmed, uncomfortable with the process of downloading their raw DNA data from their testing company and uploading to GEDmatch.

Well, to calm those nerves – we aren’t talking about brain surgery. Not talking about a 120 story tight rope walk. We are not talking about a trip to Mars.

Ir’s just downloading a file to your computer, then uploading the file to GEDmatch. It is exciting, there is no denying that. First time working with DNA results is incredibly exciting. You do all the file portation and in 8 to 24 hours you are connected to people from ALL the Genealogy Testing Companies – not just the company you tested with.

The Process

Get your DNA Tested for Genealogy

No you can’t upload a paternity test using DNA to a Genealogical Testing Site or to GEDmatch. Get a DNA test from one of the Genealogical DNA testing Companies:

FTDNA Family Finder 
AncestryDNA
23andMe *
MyHeritageDNA

You can transfer from other testing companies, like LivingDNA, but until GEDmatch gets the Genesis database merged into the main database you may miss many, many matching opportunities with Genesis.

* “23andMe is now using the GSA chip for their new V5 raw DNA file results. This format is not compatible with the regular GEDmatch upload, but can be used with the GEDmatch Genesis upload.”

Register at GEDmatch

Register for a GEDmatch Account

This one is easy AND you can protect your privacy by providing an Alias. Though I am not all that fond of Aliases. One of the first things I do when searching for matches is scan the one-to-many result for a kit to see if any of the known surnames appear in the list (this is easy using your browsers “find” feature). An initial (any initial) and LNAB (last name at birth) can be enough to protect privacy (in my opinion). 

Download your Raw Data File to Your Computer

Here are the links to directions for downloading your Raw Data File:

FamiyTreeDNA Family Finder – Build 36 Raw Concatenated
AncestryDNA
23andMe
My Heritage
LivingDNA

You can download your raw Data from other companies and upload them into GEDmatch Genesis – Google it – “Download my raw data from _____.”

Make sure you know where the file ends up on your computer. When you download the file make sure it goes to your desktop or downloads folder. If you download it and have no idea how to find the downloaded file, then the anxiety can kick-in. If you can’t find it go back to your browser and click on Downloads in the browser to see where the file might have ended up.

Upload your Raw Data file from your computer to GEDmatch.

GEDmatch Notes
Gedmatch Communicates about current information on your profile page.

GEDmatch posts pertinent information about it’s site for users at the top of your profile page. Note the information about the 23andMe chipset and it working in Genesis?

GEDmatch upload link (GEDCOM upload Link too).Once you are on your Profile page you will see the above box on the right of your page. Click on the Generic upload and it will take you to:

GEDmatch Upload Instructions

• Upload For FTDNA
• Upload For Ancestry
• Upload For MyHeritage
• Upload Generic (this includes 23andMe and LivingDNA and more)

You’ll get your GEDmatch ID on the Screen at the end of the upload – Write it Down and share it if you are really interested in finding genetic cousins.

It is not all that hard and shouldn’t be anxiety producing. I would equate the feeling of joy with uploading your Raw DNA Data file to Gedmatch. But then again I am such a DNA geek…

DNA Confirmations and Citations

Did you know DNA Confirmations and Citations are like peas in a pod?

Or Peanut Butter and Jelly or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Bread and Butter.

You can not have Confirmed with DNA status in your research or on a WikiTree profile without the DNA Confirmed Citation. Period, end of story.

How many DNA confirmed status buttons have you clicked without also including the DNA Confirmation Citation? If you have a citation, is it done following WikiTree’s DNA Confirmation Citation Standards?

This page gives you the nuts and bolts of using Confirmed with DNA indicators on WikiTree relationships and how to cite your source for the confirmation. Here is citation specific help. 

The Data Doctors rolled out a new Suggestions report for the DNA Project yesterday:

213: Missing fathers DNA confirmation

313: Missing mothers DNA confirmation

You will notice these popping-up in your Suggestions Report (My WikiTree Drop-down Menu, Top right of every page, scroll to and click on Suggestions) as well. 

As of today there are over 17,000 of these suggested corrections. Can you help to make WikiTree more accurate by reading the instructions listed above and working to reduce these suggested corrections?

Examples from the DNA Confirmations Link above:

One To One Family Finder:
* Maternal relationship is confirmed by a 1417.42 cM Family Finder match between [[Roberts-7085|Peter Roberts]] and his maternal uncle [[Dekle-6|Dekle-6]].

One To One 23andMe:
* Maternal relationship is confirmed with a 23andMe test match between [[Whitten-1|Chris Whitten]] and [[Nally-4|Rebecca (Nally) Syphers]], first cousins once removed. Predicted relationship from 23andMe: “1st to 2nd Cousin based on 6.68% DNA shared across 21 segments.”

One To One Ancestry:
* Paternal relationship is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between [[Whitten-1|Chris Whitten]] and [[Bartlett-34|Hollis Bartlett]], second cousins. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: 2nd Cousins based on sharing 150.3 cM across 9 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.

One To One GEDMatch:
* Maternal relationship is confirmed by a 1417.42 cM match between [[Roberts-7085|Peter Roberts]] GEDmatch T412069 and his maternal uncle [[Dekle-6|Dekle-6]] GEDmatch T559569.

Autosomal Triangulation:
* Paternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group consisting of [[Roberts-7085|Peter Roberts]] GEDmatch T412069, [[Sjostrom-39|Kris Sjostrom]] GEDmatch A936004 and [[Collins-5366| Elizabeth Collins]] GEDmatch T688604 sharing a 10.8 cM segment on chromosome 1 from 163621974 to 173712569.

X Chromosome:
* Maternal relationship is confirmed by a 18.89 cM X-DNA Family Finder match from 142421555 to 150560582 between [[Dekle-6|Dekle-6]] and his [http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:Relationship&action=calculate&person1_name=Price-7294&person2_name=Dekle-6 fourth cousin twice removed] [[Price-7294|James Price, Jr.]]

mt DNA:
* Maternal relationship is confirmed by an exact HVR1 and HVR2 match between [http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:DNATests&u=6727476&id=7 this Family Tree DNA mtDNA test] for [[Weatherford-199|Priscilla Weatherford]] and [http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:DNATests&u=7713929&id=7 this Family Tree DNA mtDNA test] of her maternal line cousin [[Zimmerman-1613|Clair Zimmerman]].

Y DNA
* Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. [[Roberts-7266|Anonymous Roberts]] and [[Roberts-7085|Peter J. Roberts]] match on 36 out of 37 markers (see YSearch IDs 9WCMS and 97ZDB) thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA [[Roberts-7104|Thomas W. Roberts]].

Just one more way WikiTree is working to become the most accurate Global Family Tree. Period. End of Story.

Do You Triangulate Well?

 

The WikiTree DNA Project has a brand new spiffy badge just for you.

Triangulator Badge

 

This badge is awarded to WikiTreers who have mastered the complex concept of DNA triangulation and applied it on WikiTree to mark profiles as “Confirmed with DNA“.

To be eligible, the member needs to have added the appropriate citations for each parent-child relationship for three or more distant cousins who share a segment measuring 7cM or more back to their shared ancestral couple as explained in the triangulation instructions on Help:DNA Confirmation.

In addition, so that the badge committee can confirm the triangulation:

  1. all three tests need to be on GEDmatch, and
  2. all three relationships trails to the common ancestor or common ancestral couple need to be on WikiTree and the profiles need to have public family trees.

Requesting the badge

Are you a triangulator? If so you’re a valuable contributor to our single family tree project and we thank you for it!

To get the Triangulator badge, please answer this G2G post.

Be sure to include:

  1. Your WikiTree ID.
  2. The IDs of profiles in the triangulated group that have been marked as Confirmed with DNA.

Standards used

WikiTree’s standard for triangulation (see Help:DNA_Confirmation) is based on ISOGG auDNA triangulation and the writings of Tim Janzen, Jim Bartlett, and Blaine Bettinger.

WikiTree profile: Space:Triangulators

Can Gen Summit and Blueberries

Oh yes I said it, “Blueberries”. Speaking in Halifax at the Canadian Genealogy Summit and I am being well rewarded by the calibre of speakers (myself included, what?!?!) AND Blueberries.

Blueberry Arrival

First thing today, off the plane in Halifax and I am greeted with this:

The Land of Wild Blueberries! BLUEBERRIES! Heaven here I come.

Settled into my hotel room in Halifax, registered for the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit, badge on (Speaker ribbon attached), Grandma’s Genes Biz Cards and decaf coffee in hand and I am set to go! 

The keynote

The Keynote speaker was better than good. Jan Raska introduced us all to Canadian immigration through Pier 21, The canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. I learned Immigrants to Canada were “cared for”. They were given housing and meals and even a gentle ear for translations or a postcard home. For those deemed problematic? They still had the tender love and care of Canada. He mentioned some of the Syrian and American refugees that Canada has been taking in over the last year (yes the wide, Canadian, southern border is being crossed en mass by people, families who are in fear of being deported by the current US presidents’ roll back of many immigration protections). Canada is truly the “Melting Pot” unlike so many other places in the world. They took me didn’t they?

Discoveries Before we begin

The presentation was great and the speaker’s knowledge was great and the company was great – at my table three women who did not know each other discovered there were cousins. Where else can you have that happen? When I mentioned this to Kathryn Lake Hogan (one of the organizers of the Conference) she said: “That’s it. We’re done”. Really. What other reason is there for coming to a great conference than meeting two living cousins before the opening of the event!

More Discoveries

For me? I might be walking away with a DNA connection to one of my clients. Yes tonight before the Keynote we spent time going around the table talking about our genealogical interests and one of the cousins mentioned above knew one of my client surnames. Yes, she knew someone researching that line in the area I have been searching. Yes, they had done a DNA test. Yes, she would get me her GEDMatch Id and get us in touch with each other. HOW freakin cool!

And now back to our sponsor, BLUEBERRIES!

Then? The Blueberry infused dinner. I ate in the hotel restaurant, The Arms, at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax. Way above and beyond!

The Meal:

Blueberry. Whiskey. Reduction. O M G.

I may never leave!

Genealogy Gadget Geek

This weekends BIFHSGO conference has all the traditional Genealogy lectures and Tours and Workshops and a great Marketplace Hall.

Social Media Team

I am also volunteering here at the conference since BIFHSGO is also my “home” Genealogical Society (OGS Ottawa too). Surely you have noticed my tweets about the conference as a member of the Social Media Team. As such I spend a good bit of time slinking along the back rows of lectures taking quiet pictures and tweeting briefly, politely during those lectures so you all can live vicariously through me and my Social Media Shares.

DISCLAIMER – Please do not take pictures or do social media while attending lectures unless you are  a part of a recognized Social Media Team for the event.

Gadget Proximity

Since the Social Media Hub at this event is set-up in the BIFHSGO Conference MarketPlace we have the opportunity to hob nob with some of the venders while sessions are running. No it’s not downtime, because you don’t have to be registered or even pay to get into the Market Hall, so there are always people buzzing about, it’s just a break from the crush of people from the sessions.

This year the Social Media Hub is just around the corner from this conference’s main Gadget Geek Vender, Shop The Hound!

I want to buy everything they have!

A Few Eye Catching Gadgets

One thing that has caught my eye is the ZCan Scanner Mouse. If you have ever had a scratch off card? Lottery or coupon – as you scratch an image appears kind of thing? Well this is similar  you run your mouse over an image or document and with each swipe of the mouse the image or document appears. It’s crazy cool and it’s easy to carry.

Shop the Hound has other Gadgets too. Need to add some bling to your headphone jack? They have has shiny, sparkly bangle for this. Want to carry a full blown, but portable, Scanner? You can walk away with the Flip Pal. Have a lot us SD storage cards from Camera’s or netbook storage floating around in every bag and drawer you have? Well, they have a little leather case designed just for this and more! Tech Gear and Gadgets specifically designed for Genealogy, can’t beat it.

Now I have to run do another WikiTree Source-A-Thon. Exhausted but still working!

Slavery In The US Southern Colonies/States and DNA

Accessory Tether Bonds Prison Shackles Lake Dusia

It’s a controversial topic, Slavery In The US Southern Colonies/States and DNA. Well, I don’t know if DNA is all that controversial but I don’t shy away from discussing it either. It is my heritage, slavery and slave ownership. That my family(s) were a part of this wide ranging, “it’s what they did back in the day”, thing is not something to be proud of, but I am also not hiding it away. My Family, most every limb, at one time or another owned slaves.

Resources, information and a listing of owners.

My part as the descendant of slave owners, is to add any information I find regarding the ownership, sale, gift of a human being to another, to the work I am doing. Mainly on WikiTree, where the US Southern Colonies has a Project on Slavery.  As WikiTreers add profiles of Slave owners, and transcriptions of wills or other documents to WikiTree, they can also add the category, Slave Owner. There are other categories for each state and one for all of the US. Searching these categories for the names given to Slaves is a boon to helping those searching for their ancestors. These categories create an incredible resource for people trying to find and identify the place where their ancestor lived and worked.

The DNA

Today I was looking into something we are working on in the DNA project regarding triangulation (using DNA from three matches that share DNA on the same segment of the same chromosome, used in confirming the genealogical paper trail). I drifted to my own DNA trail when I got an email from a Gaulding/Gaulden cousin in reference to the Y-DNA of her brother – which matches my dad back many, many, many generations to our MCRA.

The haplogroup that caught my attention

I headed over to the FTDNA Gaulding/Gaulden Portion of the Golding DNA project. The results page is cumbersome (a table within a table and two scroll bars) so the page often sits or takes a while to scroll. Sitting there waiting for the screen to catch up with my mouse I realized I was staring at people in the project who had a Nigerian/Camaroonian Hapogroup – E-M2.

I had been staring at it for so long that when it dawned on me who I was looking at I felt a burst of energy. Really. There in the midst of all these DNA results were people whose ancestors were, in all probability, slaves. They listed as their MDA (most distant ancestors) as people living in the US south prior to 1864.

Slavery DNA Project

My next question is, is there a DNA Project specifically designed to help identify people whose ancestors were slaves? Googling Slavery DNA Project returns hits with people. like me, writing articles or Blogs about Slave related DNA Projects. FTDNA has an African DNA Project and  23andMe has the African Genetics Project, but no one has a Slavery DNA Project.

Check your surname DNA project

Because of the way Slaves were named, very few carried their original name, they were given the name of a master, or of many masters. Then the masters listed them in the bills of sale or their wills by first name only or by the diminutive “boy” or “girl” or just “negro”.

I know there are Gaulden’s out there who are of African descent. Already done a shout out to try and connect with Lydia Gaulden (mother of Raven-Symoné – someone has to know how to get me in touch!). There’s a college football player with Gaulden emblazoned across his Jersey as well. I know that every single person out there with the name Gaulden is related to me to some degree, no matter the amount of melanin we have.

Find Your Surname DNA Project

Go check out all the DNA Projects associated with the name your family was given and look for the African haplogroups in the DNA. Better yet, get your DNA tested and add your results to a DNA project. Other people may find you and have some answers for you.

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit

I’ll be talking more about slavery as it relates to the US and Canada in my presentation, An African Canadian Family History Mystery on Sunday October 15th at the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit in Halifax. 

 

LiveCast on the 30th

The US Southern Colonies Project will be the focus of the the WikiTree LiveCast comping up on the 30th, live from the BIFHSGO Conference 2017.

Further Reading

Check out this in-depth article, Locating Afro-Diasporan haplogroups within Africa,  on African Slave DNA from Tracing African Roots Blog.

Give me a shout

If you ended up with my last name (any of my last names) or any derivative shoot me a note. I will gladly try to connect you further back along your in your heritage if I can.

Shout out from me

Thanks to my childhood friend Cynthia for sharing your finding of your heritage story with me. Your wonderful work and your family inspire me everyday.