AncestryDNA’s ThruLines: Finding a Strong Potential Ancestor Hint

AncestryDNA’s new ThruLines give suggestions of new potential ancestors that just might break through our brick walls! But, these are just hints; we still need to do the genealogy work to prove or disprove these are our ancestors.

Weak Potential Ancestor Hint

This suggestion showing Rynear Waldron as my possible 4th great-grandfather is fairly weak:

• • All the descendants are through one of his children, Nancy Waldron, who is my direct ancestor. It would be a better hint if the descendants were through several children.
  • Rynear Waldron is from a tree that doesn’t have any documentation for Rynear Waldron being Nancy Waldron’s father.

This does not mean Rynear is NOT my 4th great grandfather. I should do more research before accepting or rejecting him. In fact, I have researched this man before and I’m leaning towards another man as the father of Nancy Waldron. But the research will continue.

Stronger Potential Ancestor Hint

The suggestion showing Elizabeth Leslie as potentially being my 4th great-grandmother is much stronger:

• • The potential descendants of Elizabeth Leslie are through three of her children including Sarah E McCaig, my 3rd great grandmother.
  • There is some documentation and it points back to the same county as my Sarah McCaig!
  • There are two potential siblings with descendants who are showing as DNA matches to myself. Although there is only one match for a descendant of Mary, there are nine matches for descendants of Jane which include three people sharing between 13 and 17 cM with me.

Next Steps?

The next steps include researching Jane McCaig and her alleged husband, Benjamin Potter, as well as Mary B McCaig and her alleged husband, Benjamin Thomas. While researching them, I can also research their possible mother, Elizabeth Leslie, and father, Samuel McCaig.

Even if I can tie all three of these ladies together as sisters, that does not prove that Elizabeth (Leslie) McCaig is their mother.  That would likely require more research. But, this has been a brick wall for a long time and I’m excited to see these potential ancestors to research!