52 Ancestors - Week 359: #572 Jabez Snow (1670-1750) of Eastham, Massachusetts

Jabez Snow (1670-1750)  is number 572 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married #573  Elizabeth Treat (1676-1755) in about 1695  in Eastham, Barnstable County,  Massachusetts Bay.

I am descended through:

*  their son #286 Jabez Snow (1696-1760) who married #287 Elizabeth Paine (1702-1772) in 1720.

*  their daughter #143 Eunice Snow (1722-1816) who married   #142 Nathaniel Horton (1721-1771) in 1742.

*  their daughter #71 Hannah Horton (1761-1797)who married #70 Thomas Dill (1755-1839)  in 1782.

*  their daughter  #35 Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869) who married  #34 Alpheus Smith (1802-1840)  in 1826.

*  their daughter, #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884) who married #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) in 1851.

*  their son #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) who married #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) in 1874.

*  their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.

*  their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)  in 1942.

*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

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1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  

   

*   Name:                       Jabez Snow[1–6]    

*  Sex:                           Male    

*  Father:                      Jabez Snow (1642-1690)    

*  Mother:                    Elizabeth Smith (1648-1732)  

 

2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

 

*  Birth:                       6 September 1670, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[1-5]    

*  Death:                     14 October 1750 (age 80), Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[1-5]    

*  Burial:                     after 14 October 1750 (after age 80), Cove Burying Ground, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[5]    

*  Probate:                   23 January 1750/1 (age 80), will proved; Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[6]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

 

*  Spouse 1:                 Elizabeth Treat (1676-1755)

*  Marriage 1:              1695 (about age 25) Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States[1-2]     

*  Child 1:                   Deacon Jabez Snow Jr. (1696-1760)

*  Child 2:                    Joshua Snow (1700- )

*  Child 3:                    Elizabeth Snow (1702-1759)

*  Child 4:                    Sylvanus Snow (1704-1772)

*  Child 5:                    Tabitha Snow (1706-1774)

*  Child 6:                    Samuel Snow (1709-1784)

*  Child 7:                    Edward Snow (1711- )

*  Child 8:                    Phebe Snow (1713-1754)    

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  

Jabez Snow was born 6 September 1670 in Eastham, Massachusetts, the son of Jabez and Elizabeth (Smith) Snow of Eastham[1-5].  He was the eldest of nine children.

He married Elizabeth Treat in about 1695 in Eastham[1-2].  She was the daughter of Rev. Samuel and Elizabeth (Mayo) Treat of Eastham.  They had nine children, all born and recorded in Eastham town records.

*  Jabez Snow (1696-1760), married 1720 Elizabeth Paine (1702-1772).

*  Joshua Snow (1700-????)

*  Elizabeth Snow (1702-1759), married 1724 Thomas Knowles (1702-1759).

*  Sylvanus Snow (1705-1772), married (1) 1733 Hannah Cole (1715-1750), (2) Mehitable Walker (1728-1759); (3) 1761 Deborah Cooke (1710-1786).

*  Tabitha Snow (1707-1774), married (1) 1731 John Mayo (1707-1760); (2) Samuel Horton (1686-1778).

*  Samuel Snow (1709-1784), married 1732 Elizabeth Freeman (1714-1784).

*  Edward Snow (1711-????).

*  Phebe Snow (1713-1754), married 1736 John Smith (1712-1754).

Jabez Snow died 14 October 1750 in Eastham at the age of 80[1-2,5].  He is buried in Cove Burying Ground in Eastham[5]. 

The probate records for Jabez Snow are in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Probate Court records[6].  The will of Jabez Snow was written on 11 October 1743 and was proved on 23 January 1750/1:

In the Name of God Amen I Jabez Snow in y^e County of Barnstable In the Province of y^e Massachusetts Bay in New England Yeoman being Arived to Old Age but through God's goodness Yet of Disposing mind and Memory do therefore now make this my last Will and Testament in Manner following that is to Say first of all I Commit my Soul to God y^t Gave it & my body to the Earth to be Decently buried.

Itt I Give unto my Dear and Loveing Wife Elisabeth Snow one third part of all my Personall Estate forever that is to Say after my Just Debts & funeral Charges are paid Out of the Same & also I Give unto her my S^d Loveing Wife Elisabeth Snow the use & Improvement of my Dwelling house and barn & Orchard for her to use and Improve towards her Support During the time She Shall Continue to be my Widdow and I also Give unto her my Said Wife Elisabeth Snow the use and Improvement of one third part of all my lands & Meadows for her to use and Improve for her Support During y^e term of her Natural life.

Itt I Give and bequeath unto my three Sons Namely Jabez Snow Silv^s Snow and Sam^ll Snow and to their heirs and Assigns forever all my Lands & Meadows and Real Estate Whatsoever to them in Equal Proportion in Equal Proportion Allike that is to Say two thirds thereof Next after my Decease & all the Remaining part next after my Said wife Elisabeth Snow Shall ^cease^ to have the Improvement thereof as above Expressed in this my Will & at the times above Expressed.

Itt I Give and bequeath to my three Daughters Namely Elisabeth Knowles Tabitha Mayo and Phebe Smith & to their heirs & Assigns forever in Equal Proportion Alike all and Every part of my Personal Estate not disposed of ^before^ in this my will and Testament that is to say after my Just Debts and funeral Charges are paid out of y^e whole thereof they my s^d Daughters having Each of them had Considerable heretofore.

Lastly I Do constitute Appoint Ordain and make my trusty Son Jabez Snow my whole and Soul Exec^r of this my last will and Testament Declaring this and no other to be my last will and Testament In Witness whereof I do hereunto Set my hand and Seal this eleventh day of Octo^r in the Seventeenth year of his Majesties Reign Anno Domini One thousand Seaven Hundred and fourty three.

Signed Sealed & Pronounced ^& declared^ to be his last Will & Testament in Presence of us                                                                                         his                

Joseph Doane                                                            Jabez V Snow  

Desire x Doane                                                                   mark              

Elisabeth + Doane              

 Desire Doane

To all People to whom these presents Shall Come Silvanus Bourn Esq^r Judge of the Probate of Wills &c in the County of Barnstable ^within^ the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Sendeth Greeting Know ye that on the twenty third day of January Anno domini 1750 The Instrument hereunto Anexed purporting the last will & Testament of Jabez Snow late of Eastham in the County of Barnstable Yeo^n Deceas^d was presented for Probate by Jabez Snow y^e Exec^r therein Named then Present Joseph Doane Esq^r & Desire Doane & Desire Doane Witnesses thereto Subscribed who made Oath that they Saw the Said Testator Sign Seal and heard him Declare the said Instrument to be his last Will and Testament and that they Together with Elisabeth Subs^d their Name Togather as Witnesses to y^e Execution thereof in y^e Said Testators presence and that he was then to the best of their Judgem^t of Sound and Disposing Mind. I do therefore Approve &Allow of the said Instrument as the last will & Testament of y^e before Named Deceas^d and do Commit the Adminis^n thereof in all Matters the Same Concerning and of his Estate whereof he Died Seiz^d and Possessed in said County unto Jabez Snow the before Named Exec^r well and faithfully to Execute the Said Will and to Adminis^r the Estate of the Said Deceas^d According thereto who Accepted of his Said Said Trust & to Exhibit an Inventory pursuant to Law and he Shall Render an Acc^o upon Oath of his proceedings when thereunto Law-fully Required. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand Seal of Office the Day and Year Above Written,

                       Exam^d (SS) Da^d Gorham Reg^r             Silvanus Bourn

5)  SOURCES

1. John D. Austin, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Volume Six: Stephen Hopkins (Plymouth, Mass.: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2001, 3rd Edition), page 170, Jabez Snow sketch.

2. John Harvey Treat, The Treat Family: A Genealogy of Trott, Tratt, and Treat; for Fifteen Generations, and Four Hundred and Fifty Years in England and America (Salem, Mass. : The Salem Press, 1893)., page 167, Elizabeth Treat sketch.

3. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), "Orleans and Eastham Records," Page 323 (image 171 of 285), Jabez Snow birth entry.

4. Col. Leonard H. Smith, Jr. and Norma H. Smith, Vital Records of the Towns of Eastham and Orleans (Baltimore, Md. : Genealogical Publishing Company, 1993), page 13, Jabez Snow birth entry.

5. Find A Grave, indexed database and digital image,  (http://www.findagrave.com), Cove Burying Ground (Eastham, Mass.), Jabez Snow memorial # 15872041.

6.  "Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," indexed database with digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), accessed 6 December 2016), Barnstable County > Probate Records, Vol. 8, 1745-1753, pages 457-458 (image 256 of 309), 1743 will of Jabez Snow and 1750 letter testamentary.  Original data from Barnstable County [Mass.] Probate Court clerk books.

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NOTE:  In 2014, Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2020 for a seventh year to 364 Ancestors in 364 Weeks.  The list of 52 Ancestors biographies from my great-grandparents to the 7th great-grandparents (in work) is in   https://www.geneamusings.com/p/ancestor-biographies.html.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/52-ancestors-week-359-572-jabez-snow.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com

Seavers in the News -- Lt. Horace Seaver Dies in 1945 in California

It's time for another edition of "Seavers in the News" - a weekly feature from the historical newspapers about persons with the surname Seaver that are interesting, useful, mysterious, fun, macabre, or add information to my family tree database.

This week's entry is from the Hartford [Conn.] Courant newspaper dated 12 May 1945:

The transcription of the article is:

"Lt. Horace Seaver, 57, Dead in California

"Lieutenant Horace Seaver, 57, formerly of Hartford, and a member of the famous Lafayette Escadrille Francaise Militaire during the last war, died April 27 at Caramillo Hospital, Caramillo, Calif, where he had been a patient for 13 years.  He had been blinded in battle.

"Born in Boston, he was the son of Mrs. Annie L. Seaver of 183 Wethersfield Avenue, and the late William Seaver.  He was a member of Lafayette Lodge AF and AM of Boston.  He enlisted in the Lafayette Escadrille in England and served with that group for more than two and a half years.  The body was cremated in Caramillo."

The source citation is:

""Lt. Horace Seaver, 57, Dead in California," Hartford [Conn.] Courant newspaper, obituary, Saturday, 12 May 1945, page 4, column 2, Horace Seaver obituary;  Newspapers.com   (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 3 December 2020).

This obituary provides the name, age, residence, death date and place, military service, and mother's married name and address.  It does not provide a birth date, a spouse or children names.  "Caramillo" is probably Camarillo in Ventura County, California.

There is information about the Lafayette Escadrille in   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Escadrille.  Unfortunately, Horace Seaver is not listed on that page, and probably should be.

Horace Seaver (1887-1945) was born 5 April 1887 in Boston, the son of William and Annie Louise (Voll) Seaver.  He married Ethel Van Vliet (1892-1934) in February 921 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and they had one son:

*  John Van Vliet Seaver (1922-2006), married about 1948 to Jean Northington (1929-2009).

I am a 8th cousin 2 times removed to Horace Seaver, with the common ancestors being Robert and Elizabeth (Ballard) Seaver, the immigrants in 1634 to Boston, Massachusetts.

There are over 10,000 Seaver "stories" in my family tree - and this was one of them.   Life happens, accidentally and intentionally, and sometimes a person is injured at a relatively young age, yet presses on with his life. I am glad that I can honor Horace Seaver today.  

You never know when a descendant or relative will find this blog post and learn something about their ancestors or relatives, or will provide more information about them to me.

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Disclosure:  I have a complimentary subscription to Newspapers.com and have used it extensively to find articles about my ancestral and one-name families.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/seavers-in-news-lt-horace-seaver-dies.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook,  or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Treasure Chest Thursday -- 1749 Marriage Record of Moses Brigham and Mehitabel Grout in Westborough, Mass.

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - a chance to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the marriage entry for Moses Brigham (1723-1769) and Mehitabel Grout (1726-1795) in the Westborough, Massachusetts town vital record book:

The marriage birth entry is the 8th record from the bottom on the page above:

The transcription of this record is:

"[BRIGHAM] Moses of Southborough and Mehitabel Grout, May 2, 1749. C.R."

The source citation for this record is:

Systematic History Fund, Vital Records of Westborough, Massachusetts to the end of year 1849 (Worcester, Mass. : Franklin P. Rice, 1903), Marriages, page 131, Moses Brigham and Mehitabel Grout entry, 2 May 1749.

This is a transcription of an original church record book for Westborough, Massachusetts, so it is a Derivative Source with Primary Information and Direct Evidence of the marriage of Moses Brigham and Mehitabel Grout.

   

Moses Brigham (1723-1769) was the son of Nathan and Dina (Rice) Brigham of Marlborough.  Mehitabel Grout (1726-1795) was the Joseph and Mary (Harrington) Grout of Westborough.  They married in Westborough on 2 May 1749.  They are my 5th great-grandparents, through their son Phineas Brigham (1755-1802) who married Lydia Bathrick (1752-1795) in 1779.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/treasure-chest-thursday-1749-marriage.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

New RootsMagic 8 Preview Video on "Tasks"

 RootsMagic continues to tease us with the new features coming in RootsMagic Version 8, which was supposed to release at the end of 2019, and now has no promised release date.

This month, the new features is a "Tasks" tab, which combines the To-Do List, Research Log and Correspondence Log that were separate features in earlier RootsMagic versions.  Here is the new video from RootsMagicTV on YouTube:

I am looking forward to learning how to use the new Version 8 soon.  I know Bruce and Michael are working hard to get this released for both Windows and Mac.  I will continue to have patience.  

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Disclosure:  I have been a happy RootsMagic user since 2006, and have purchased every new version.  I have not received any material considerations from RootsMagic.  I purchased Version 8 at RootsTech 2020 last February.

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/new-rootsmagic-8-preview-video-on-tasks.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

The Best Ways To Record Your Family History on MyHeritage

 My friend, Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage, recently provided this information:

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The most precious part of researching our family histories is the stories. Our ancestors were so much more than a name, a date, or a face in a photo. We treasure every detail we can find about their lives.

These resources from the MyHeritage Knowledge Base will help you learn the best ways to record your family history and preserve it for generations to come.

A DIY Guide to Creating Your Own Family History Video: This article from Dr. Clinton Moore, a professional family history and life story video producer, explains how to produce your own family history video — from transforming your research into a compelling story to preparing your interviewees and editing the final result.

Ask The Expert: Source Citations on the MyHeritage Website: Recording your sources well is the key to building an accurate family tree that will serve your family for generations. In this webinar with MyHeritage Genealogy Expert Daniel Horowitz, you’ll learn how to include accurate and detailed source citations for every fact you add to your MyHeritage family tree.

How to Add Photos and Media on MyHeritage Family Tree Builder: Adding photos and other media greatly enriches your family tree. This how-to video shows you how to do so on MyHeritage’s free offline software, Family Tree Builder.

By the way, did you know that you can now buy a MyHeritage plan as a gift for a family member or loved one? It makes a perfect holiday gift they are sure to treasure. Click here to learn how to gift a MyHeritage plan.

The holidays are a perfect time to catch up on your genealogy research, so we hope you find these resources valuable and wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Happy holidays,

Daniel Horowitz
Genealogy Expert

                               =============================================

Disclosure:  I receive a complimentary subscription to MyHeritage, and gave received other material consideration in past years.  I uploaded my autosomal DNA raw data to their DNA product.  This does not affect my objective analysis of MyHeritage products.

The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com. 

The James and Hannah (Rich) Richmond Family of Putnam, Conn. in 1885 -- Post 646 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday

 I can't help it, I can't do a wordless post! This is one of my favorite photographs:

The persons in the photograph are (I am not sure if my placement is correct):

Front row (left to right): Elizabeth Ann (Richmond) Sykes (1854-1905); James Richmond (1821-1912); Hannah (Rich) Richmond (1824-1911); Louisa Richmond (1852-1940)

Back row (left to right): Thomas Richmond (1848-1917); James Richmond (1850-1929); Hannah (Richmond) Smith (1859-1907); Emma (Richmond) Fitts (1856-1921); John Henry Richmond (1865-1947); Charles Edwin Richmond (1866-1951).

James and Hannah (Rich) Richman/Richmond married in 1845, and emigrated from Hilperton  in   Wiltshire in 1855/56 and settled in Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut before 1870. They had a dairy farm in Putnam for many years. A biography and family summary are provided here. James and Hannah (Rich) Richmond are my great-great-grandparents. I descend through their eldest son, my great-grandfather, Thomas Richmond, whose biography and family summary are provided here.

This photograph was taken in 1885, according to a handwritten note on the back of the photograph. The actual photograph was in the possession of Thomas Russell Richmond of Putnam, Connecticut in 1990, who allowed me to make a xerox copy of the actual photograph in 1990.

The photograph may have been taken for the 40th wedding anniversary of James and Hannah since they are all dressed in formal clothes.  John and Henry were not married at this time.  Louisa, the oldest daughter, never married.

Russell Richmond is now deceased, and I don't know if the photograph is still extant. Perhaps, one of the Richmond family members will see this post and inform me of the location of the Richmond family photograph collection that Russell Richmond once possessed.

This photo (originally black and white) has been enhanced and colorized using the MyHeritage photo tools.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/the-james-and-hannah-rich-richmond.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com

Genealogy News and Education Bytes -- Tuesday, 1 December 2020

 Welcome to Genealogy News and Education Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon and Friday afternoon, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news and education items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    

1)  News Articles:

*  The Genealogy Guys and Vivid-Pix Announce Society Grants Program and New Unsung Heroes Program Nominees

*  New tool shows Civil Townships on Google Maps

*  50% Discount on Legacy Family Tree Webinars and Software

*  Create Fantastic Family Tree Charts Using Charting Companion for Windows or Macintosh

2)  New or Updated Record Collections:

*  Ancestry New and Updated Collections - November 1-30, 2020

*  Added and Updated Ancestry.com Record Collections - Week of 21 to 27 November 2020

*  FamilySearch New and Updated Collections - November 1-30, 2020

*  Added and Updated FamilySearch.org Record Collections - Week of 21 to 27 November 2020

*  December Addition: GenealogyBank Just Added New Content from 122 Titles!

*  Chronicling America Updates - November, 2020

*  1,685 Free United States Online Alumni Collections

3)  Genealogy Education -- Conferences and Institutes

*  Conference Keeper Calendar

*  RootsTech Connect 2021 - 25-27 February 2021 (Online, Free)

*  Family History Federation's Really Useful Show returns in April 2021

*  41st Annual IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy (Philadelphia PA, 2-5 August 2021)

4)  Genealogy Education - Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

*  GeneaWebinars Calendar

*  Appleton, Wisconsin Library Presents a FREE "Find Your Ancestors" Webinar Series

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Tuesday, 1 December, 5 p.m.:  Once upon a time: It’s all about the story, by Carol Baxter

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Wednesday, 2 December, 5 p.m.:  Four ways DNA Painter can help with your family history research, by Jonny Perl

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Friday, 4 December, 11 a.m.:  Your DNA questions answered live with Diahan, by Diahan Southard

*  Upcoming SCGS Webinar - Saturday, 5 December, 10 a.m.:  Faith of Our Fathers: United States Church Records, Part 2 by Peggy Lauritzsen.

*  Upcoming SCGS Webinar -Wednesday, 16 December, 6 p.m.:  Bounty Land: It's Complicated, by Annette Burke Lyttle.

5)  Genealogy Education - Podcasts:

*  Research Like a Pro:  RLP 125 - Privacy and Permission in DNA Report Writing.

*  Extreme Genes:  Episode 353 – Ordinary Person / Extraordinary Find in Italy! “Archive Lady” Opens Minds To What Might Be Found

*  Ancestral Findings:  What Were Your Ancestors Doing in the 1940s? | AF-400

6)  Genealogy Videos (YouTube):

*  Family History Fanatics: How to Insert Source Citations Into a Family History Book

*  Family History Fanatics:  Use Findmypast to Research US Newspapers and Attach to Your Family Tree

*  Family History Fanatics:  Evaluating Evidence While Climbing Your Family Tree: Genealogy Basics

*  Genealogy Adventures Live:  S04 E10: Meeting DNA Cousins of a Different Race/Ethnicity - when the Settles cousins met

*  GenealogyBank:  Explore, Share and Discover Your Family Story in Community Clippings!

*  Geneavlogger:  AncestryDNA | CNN's Finding Kamau Bell Episode 2 | Ancestry - Professional Genealogist Reacts 

*  MyHeritage:  We're Live! Why Genealogy and the Truths it Reveals Are More Important Than Ever With Libby Copeland

*  NC Summer Series:  Let's Talk North Carolina Genealogy!

*  RootsMagicTV:  RootsMagic 8 Preview - Tasks

*  WikiTree:  WikiTree LiveCast (28 November 2020) - Weekly Recap + Native American Project

7)  Did you miss the last Genealogy News and Education Bytes - 27 November 2020 ?

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/genealogy-news-and-education-bytes.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Dear Randy: Why Do I Have So Few Known Common Ancestors in My DNA Matches?

 A society colleague asked me this question recently, and I've been thinking about it for awhile.

1)  Here is my response:

*  The main reason is that most of your DNA matches don't have big enough online family trees that might show a common ancestor.  And many of your matches have no tree at all.

*  Another reason is that the family trees your matches have may be wrong - they may have added the wrong parents to their tree due to bad information or bad decisions, or they may have one or more NPE (not parent expected) due to adoption or out-of-wedlock child birth.  

*  One more reason - your own family tree may be wrong!  I may have one or more NPE events in my ancestry and not know it, or may have made a bad decision on the parents of an ancestor.

2)  Examine your DNA matches:

*  I have 34,475 DNA matches on AncestryDNA, with 1,537 matches with 20 centiMorgans (cM) or more.  All of those above 20 cM should be real DNA cousins according to the experts, unless there is endogamy in my ancestry (of which I have little known, if any).   I have about 410 ThruLines (where Ancestry shows me a common ancestor and the line to me and the line to my DNA match), so about 1.2% of my total matches.  Some of those ThruLine matches share less than 20 cM with me, but my paper trail and the DNA match's paper trail shows a common ancestor.  

*  It's even worse on MyHeritage - I have 8,949 DNA matches there, and only 8 "Theory of Family Relativity" matches.  These also show a known common ancestor based on my tree, the match's tree, and other trees or records.  So that's only 0.1% of my total matches.

*  However, even those ThruLines and Theory of Family Relativity lines may not be correct - I have several "Potential Ancestors" on my ThruLines which don't make much sense, but there is an Ancestry tree out there that Ancestry used to create it.  Or my research is wrong...it could be!

*  In short - not every person who ever lived since, say, 1750 - picked because that's about the limit for the birth date of most common ancestors of my DNA matches - is in an online family tree.  There are over 7.5 billion living people now, and almost all of them are not in anyone's public online tree because of privacy reasons.  Not every person who ever died is in an online family tree - I find persons in my research who are not in any other online family tree until I add them.

So that's WHY. 

3)  Now - what can you do about it?  

*  According to the Shared cM Tool on DNAPainter,  229 cM is the average match value for a second cousin (common great-grandparents), with a range of 41 to 592 cM.  73 cM is the average match for a third cousin (common second great-grandparents, with a range of 0 to 234.  35 cM is the average match for a 4th cousin (common third great-grandparents), with a range of 0 to 139.  Some other relationships with a once- or twice-removed cousin relationship, or with a half-cousin relationship, changes the cM numbers.  Not every match has cM numbers consistent with the average, some have more, some have less, and by the time you get down to 3rd cousins not every 3rd cousin is your DNA match because of the randomness of DNA recombination generation by generation.

*  There are some possibilities, especially for matches with more than 20 cM.  For those with significant tree people (say 100 profiles or more), you can search their trees for known surnames - Ancestry does it for you.  If you're lucky, their tree might get back to 4th or 5th great-grandparents, or provide enough information for you to try to go back one or two more generations.  

*  You can try to contact your DNA Match with no tree or a small tree and see if they have a more fully-leafed tree that is not on Ancestry or MyHeritage.  You can use the message systems on Ancestry and MyHeritage.  My experience is that most of the Matches do not respond.  The ones that might respond are those that have logged into Ancestry or MyHeritage in the past week or month.  You might try to find the DNA Match on Facebook and contact them that way.

*  You can take the known ancestors of your DNA match and see if their grandparents or great-grandparents are in another Ancestry or MyHeritage tree, or in the WikiTree, Geni, or FamilySearch Family Tree with more ancestors back in time, and search for your known ancestors there. I've tried this numerous times, and have not had success.  

*  You can take the ancestors of your DNA Match that has a tiny or small tree (say with deceased grandparents or great-grandparents) and make your own tree on Ancestry or MyHeritage using their Record Hints and Matches and see if you can research your way back to one of your known ancestral families.  I have what I called a "Skeleton Tree" on Ancestry that I use for this type of analysis - it includes only ancestors, and is private and not searchable.  I add my DNA Match name and their known ancestors.  Other researchers have called this type of analysis a "Mirror tree," a "Quick-and-Dirty tree,"or a "Floater tree."  I've had some success with this - I have found a common ancestor for about 30 to 40% of the DNA matches that I've used it for.

*  You can add descendants of your 4th and 5th great-grandparents to your tree that is connected to your DNA test.  By extending your tree down to more recent times, you may find - and Ancestry and MyHeritage may find using their ThruLines and Theory of Family Relativity technology - the grandparents or great-grandparents of your DNA matches.  Every week I add more descendants of my 4th great-grandparents to my family tree and upload them to Ancestry Member Tree.

*  Some of your DNA matches may "cluster" together using Genetic Affairs or a similar technology.  Unfortunately, this doesn't work any longer for AncestryDNA, so you will have to use "Shared Matches" there,  There may be trees in that cluster that have an obvious connection with a specific surname in a specific place.  You could research, say, a 4th great-grandparent from one of those trees for descendants and perhaps find one of your ancestors in the process.  

4)  I'm sure there are other techniques that people have used, and would be interested in hearing about them.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/12/dear-randy-why-do-i-have-so-few-known.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

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Monday Genea-Pourri - Week Ending 29 November 2020

 Here are the highlights of my family history and genealogy related activities over the past week:

1)  Hosted and attended the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) General Meeting on Zoom on Wednesday with 28 attendees.  The speaker was Ray Raser, who is the California Governor of the Sciety of Mayflower Descendants in California.  He spoke on "The Mayflower, voyage of hope in 1620, and Its Impact on History."

2)  Participated in today's Mondays With Myrt Zoom webinar.  We discussed Dutch and English churchwarden records, my 1993 Hilperton visit, my Life Sketches in FamilySearch Family Tree from 52 Ancestors posts, the need to check all record collections, Frank's challenges of missing record pages, understanding history, geography and jurisdictions in research, the Dollarhide census maps, and using an FHC parking lot to access FHL digital microfilm.

3)  Watched one  video - DNA Methodology for Unknown Parentage Research With Debra Renard! - on the MyHeritage YouTube channel.

4)  Wrote and posted a biographical sketch of my 7th great-grandmother #569 Hannah (--?--) Haughton (1650-1690) of Boston, Mass. for my 52 Ancestors biographical sketch on Friday.  

5)  Transcribed a probate record in 1739 Bond and Decree to Distribute the Real Estate of the Widow of John Plimpton (1649-1704) of Medfield, Massachusetts for Amanuensis Monday today.  

6)  Added Life Sketch information (biography and sources) to 16 of my ancestors in FamilySearch Family Tree by copy/pasting from their 52 Ancestors posts.

7)  Added Notes to 12 more AncestryDNA matches with cM values, relationships and known common ancestors.  Ancestry added 19 new DNA matches this past week, with no new ThruLines.  MyHeritage added 8 new DNA matches.   Reviewed the new DNA matches on  AncestryDNA, MyHeritageDNA, FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe.  

8)  There were several sessions working in the RootsMagic software program to match with and update FamilySearch Family Tree profiles for Seaver families and my ancestral families, with occasional additions to the RootsMagic profiles. I have matched 39,023 of my RootsMagic persons with FamilySearch Family Tree profiles (up 231).

9)  Used Web Hints and Record Matches from Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch to add content and sources to my RootsMagic profiles.  I now have 60,234 persons in my RootsMagic file (up 147), and 129,205 source citations (up 345).   I TreeShared with my Ancestry Member Tree twice this week updating 397 profiles, and I resolved 1,097 Ancestry Hints.  I've fallen behind on the Ancestry Record Hints with 141,908 to be resolved, but I work on them almost daily.   I resolved 30 Record Hints, have 142,702 MyHeritage Record Matches to be resolved, and work on them weekly.

10)  Wrote 18 Genea-Musings blog posts last week, of which one was a press release.  The most popular post last week was Seavers in the News -- Pansy H. (Schwartz) Seaver Dies in 1945 in Brattleboro, Vt.  with over 503 views.  

11)  We are still fine here at the Genea-cave, hunkered down and not going out much in Week 37 of COVID-19 isolation.  I went to the grocery store on Monday and Friday, and it wasn't too busy.  We spent Thanksgiving at home with video calls to the grandkids and daughters, and did not ave he traditional dinner. We stayed home from church because the Chargers game was on at 10 a.m.  We went out to dinner at In 'n' Out on Sunday, and waited 40 minutes in line.  Other than that, it was stay-at-home on the computer doing genealogy, eating, sleeping, a little yard work, watched the SDSU and Chargers football games, and I started another new mystery fiction book on my laptop.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/11/monday-genea-pourri-week-ending-29.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com

50% Discount on Legacy Family Tree Webinars and Software

 I received this information from Geoff Rasmussen of Family Tree Webinars today:

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Just a quick note to let you know that we've launched our rare 50% off of new Family Tree Webinars memberships today - only $24.98. Here's the link to purchase: https://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/cyber-monday-c322.php. 

The campaign is good through Friday, 4 December 2020, and is valid only for brand new members.

Plus we released these three new bonus webinars for members today:

• Keep Track of Every Note with Evernote
• The 1939 Register - Why is it invaluable
• Find Your Belgian Ancestors

Note also that the cost of Version 9 of the Legacy Family Tree software program is also reduced 50% - to $17.48 for download only, but with a PDF book and charting software included.

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2020/11/a-quick-note-from-legacy-family-tree.html

Copyright (c) 2020, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com