DNA tests can reveal family secrets. When a “secret” has been hidden on the Y chromosome causing the tester’s DNA to not match his own surname, we call it a “non-paternity event.” Somewhere in the past, whether they were aware of it or not, one of the fathers who shared that Y-DNA was not a biological father. And, though the term “non-paternity event” sounds very scientific and cold, the results of realizing one of these events is in your tree can be shocking. Over the past few days, I have followed Bill Griffeth’s story as he tells about his own...
Matthew Boyers, who was probably born in the 1750s, was living in York District, South Carolina in 1810, and in Sumner County, Tennessee in 1830. Although quite a few people have Matthew Boyers on their Ancestry family tree, no one had located him in 1820. So, I used one of my “tricks” and searched for Matthew without his last name. I specifically searched the 1820 U.S. federal censuses for the following: First name: “Matthew” with “sounds like,” “similar,” and “initials” checked Lived in (1st search): “York County, South Carolina” in the field and marked as “exact to this place” Lived...
Last week, I attended my local DAR meeting and the guest speaker was retired Colonel and Vietnam veteran, Albert Nahas. Colonel Nahas has written a photo documentary book, Warriors Remembered, highlighting the images and stories behind 100 Vietnam memorials in the United States. Part of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Photo taken by me, 2010) Several of those memorials include special images like a face without features or a dog tag without a name. Those images are to memorialize those who weren’t killed during the war, but who died as a result of the war. For example, some died later...
Excelsior College Courses: Excelsior College offered two new genealogy courses this summer: “Practicum in Genealogical Research” with instructor Melinde Lutz Byrne and “Genetic Genealogy” with instructor Dr. Blaine Bettinger. I signed up for the practicum and am proud to have completed this intense, advanced course a couple of weeks ago. It appears the courses will be offered three times a year: fall, spring, and summer. And, they hope to add additional courses soon. Cost: Each of the courses are 15-16 weeks long and are priced like college courses at $1,595 each. However, members of several societies (NEGHS, NGS, and APG)...
In 1847, the people of Ireland were suffering from mass starvation during a time period we now call the Irish Potato Famine. As I am continuing to research my Boyers family, I came across a newspaper article that mentions Robert M. Boyers (1788 in SC-1871 in TN) who I believe is either a brother or first cousin of my ancestor, John M. Boyers (~1801 in SC-aft 1870 possibly in TN). (Both men were born in South Carolina and lived in Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee in 1830.) The scene at Skibbereen, west Cork, in 1847. From a series of illustrations by...
Two years ago, I traveled to Kansas to visit with an aunt and uncle and view the incredible genealogical collection they’d inherited from my Great Aunt Beulah, the one who got me interested in genealogy in 1998. A couple of months ago, I discovered my dad had also inherited a large amount of photos and other items from his mother. Between the two of them, I imagine we have hundreds of photos and other old documents for this family. Years ago, my dad and his Aunt Beulah created this composite family tree. The primary couple, Emil Peters and his wife...
I have only contacted a state archive for a document a few times. Each time, I have been pleasantly surprised. Well, except for the time when I was told the court house for that county burned during the Civil War! I am learning that we need to use state archives and there is plenty we can do from home when we cannot travel to visit them. Last week, I wrote about a newspaper article I’d seen mentioned in an old post. To find a copy of it, I used Chronicling America and then contacted a repository that held the correct...
In the news… Charles Wentworth, L. E. Tibbits, Willard Wentworth and William Peters have put telephones in their residences last week. – Ashton, Kansas, 1906 [see source below] Alexander Graham Bell placing the first New York to Chicago telephone call in 1892, only 14 years before “my” family got telephones installed in Ashton, Sumner County, Kansas (photo from Wikipedia) It’s hard to imagine a time when getting a telephone installed at your house was news! I’m wondering if they were among the first to get phones in this small Kansas town. I believe these four men (& their households) were...
If you know of a newspaper clipping but can’t find it online, maybe it hasn’t been digitized. If so, a great place to find out what repositories have copies of it is at the Chronicling America site. I’ve been working on my Dickson family of Tennessee. A 1998 post on RootsWeb by David Walker mentioned an 1846 legal notice. The notice is in regards to the estate of my 4th great grandfather, James Dixon [or Dickson], and also mentions his son, my 3rd great grandfather, Joseph Dixon/Dickson. But, I could not find this article on any of the digital newspaper...
As I was working on my Boyers family, I came across a curious entry on a 1850 census record. One of the children in the household is listed as “Unchristened Boyers.” After finding this record, I searched Ancestry for all census records for an individual with the “first name” listed as “unchristened.” There were 84 results. Some of these were actually listed without a first name, but a researcher has added “unchristened” to the name field. All of the other 83 children are babies who appear to be less than 12 months old. 1850 U.S. census, Cocke County, Tennessee, population...
