NOTE: Over the years this lecture has gone from just finding males to take a Y-DNA test to using both Y-DNA, at-DNA and “Real Research’ to prove and disprove published and discovered connections.
We will look at how Y-DNA results can help point research in the correct direction or disprove past claims.
One example is “UnChopping Down my Johnson Family Tree with DNA & Research”
My Grandmother was in the DAR and Magna Charta Society based upon a James Johnson & Rebecca Jones, he was the son of James Johnson & Millie Moorman, she was the daughter of Zachariah Moorman & Elizabeth Terrell. The Terrell line supposedly connected back to the Plantagenet Kings of England. Unfortunately I was never able to find any real supporting documents so “I Chopped Down My Royal Family Tree.”
In 2005 the “Y-DNA” results from a 4th cousin, the only living direct descent male in my Johnson line, matched with others who were also claiming descent from the Caskieben Johnsons. Traditional research, relooking at old records, and visits to Ohio and Virginia have uncovered records and helped me to find other people to test and also helped me to see where other project members fit in. I created the Johnson Project Olive Group webpage after the original project site was removed in 2016 ago. While verifying the claimed pedigrees of the group members before posting them, I noticed some interesting differences when researching uphill vs. downhill.
We will take a quick look at the DNA results at Ancestry, FamilyTreeeDNA, MyHeritage, and Gedmatch along with some spreadsheets to help organize the relationships and the DNA results to see if they agree.
The “at-DNA” test results, Ancestry’s Thrulines, and creating a similar report from people tested at other sites have helped to show that many of the relationships claimed by my Grandmother may have in-fact been correct after all!
Past Presentations:
9 Nov. 2024 The Southern Genealogist's Exchange Society (SGES), Jacksonville, FL - in person
24 Sept. 2022 The Cloud Family Association – via Zoom
30 April 2022 Adcock Family Convention, Chattanooga, TN – in Person
14 Sept. 2019 The North Suburban Genealogical Society, Northbrook, IL - Meeting
20 Oct. 2018 CAGGNI – (Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois) - Meeting,
DNA & Research Working Together - Revised 2018
See how the Y-DNA tests from distant cousins and recruited subjects & the Johnson DNA Project along with research and at-DNA tests are helping to "unchop" down my Johnson Family Tree.
Transferring Ancestry results to FTDNA and Gedmatch.com for additional reports and tools will also be explored.
Drilling Down for DNA - 2015 version
Discussed the Johnson/Johnston Y_DNA Project results from the candidates found, as well as the results from Ancestry DNA tests and moving the results to Gedmatch.com to see a variety of Heritage Mixtures and Pedigree Charts from DNA cousins.
13 Apr. 2017 Tinley Moraine Genealogists, Tinley Park, IL meeting
8 Aug. 2015 Polish Genealogical Society of America, Algonquin, IL Meeting - New 2015 Version
Drilling Down for DNA – Original
Explored a variety of methods to discover the distant cousins whose DNA test results might help to get past a brick wall. Looks at how DNA tests and DNA projects can help to overcome tough research problems.
Based upon his article in Everton's Genealogical Helper September/October 2007.
22 Aug. 2009 Tippecanoe County Area Genealogical Society, Lafayette, IN - Workshop
28 Feb. 2009 DuPage County Genealogy Society - Annual Conference, St. Charles, IL
6 Aug. 2008 Genealogy and Local History Section of the International Federation of Library Associations , Ottawa, Ontario Canada