Week 17: DNA

I have had four different DNA tests over the last several years: 23 and Me, My Heritage, Ancestry, and Living DNA. Since each testing company has a very different data base, each of my test’s results have been different from the others.

So, let’s begin, shall we?

Two of my siblings have also tested at Ancestry. Once topic that has come up in family discussions is how each of my siblings and I have differing ethnicity results, yet have the same parents.

I explained it this way once to a friend, and I think it still holds up. Our two parents’ DNA that is passed on to each child is a bit like a big ol’ ladle of beef stew. One scoop might have more carrots and fewer potatoes. The next scoop will have more beef than the first. It’s all the same stew, but my bowl isn’t exactly like any of my siblings.

Here’s a screen shot of my DNA results at Ancestry compared with two of my siblings.

You can see that I and sibling #1 have considerable more English DNA that sibling #2. Sibling #1 has more Norwegian that either I or #2. Sibling #2 has significantly more Scottish and Swedish/Danish than either I or #1. I have more French that either. And, yet, we all all full siblings.

A new feature at Ancestry is the ability to see which ethnicities come from which parent, as in the graphic below. Parent 1 is my mother; 2 is my father.

I can tell that Parent 1 is my mother, because she has the Norwegian DNA and my father has the French.

My test at My Heritage had quite different results, as seen in the graphic below.

The percentage of English DNA is fairly close, as is the Iberian (Which I am going to assume includes France.). However, this is where things change up a bit.  Rather than Norwegian, My Heritage has Finnish DNA.  So far in my research, I have found no Finnish relatives.  

The East European and Ashkenazi Jew percentages really throw me.  As far as I know, no other sibling or relative has Jewish DNA.  What makes me think that this might be accurate is that My Heritage is an Israeli company, specializing in Jewish and Eastern European ancestry.  The 3% equates to having a fully Jewish ancestor about five generations back.  I have yet to find this person. 

Now, at 23 and Me, things are even stranger…

Spanish and Portuguese? Perhaps from my French ancestors, as France neighbors Spain. At least the Norwegian reflects my paper records more accurately.

At Living DNA, which specializes in British ancestry, my results are different as well.

I an understand the Scandinavian, as it’s not too far off from Ancestry and 23 and Me, but, the 72.4% French…

My grandmother was 100% French Canadian, which would account for up to about 25% French DNA in me, at the most. So, where does the other 50% come from?

My only thought is that the French and English traded kings, queens, and DNA for centuries. Since this company specializes in British heritage, perhaps they have been able to better specify which “English” DNA is actually French.

So, I find this interesting, but what does it prove, if anything?

I think the real value in DNA is found in discovering relatives and connections. It can prove a relationship where the paper trail might not be sufficient. It can give clues as to where to look to find an answer to an unknown relationship. And, it can disprove family lore, as in my case with our supposed Native heritage through my grandmother Keene.

I also think it can be just interesting and enriching; it’s a way to connect yourself with all the thousands of ancestors who make up each of us. It helps us to realize that we didn’t just appear in space and time from nowhere. Rather we are the result of little decisions in a chain thousands of years long.

“Til next time.

Week 16: Should Be a Movie

Most US citizens have heard about the Salem witch trials, a shameful event in our collective history (although, sadly, not the only one of its kind). Researchers have learned, and speculated, that the panic wasn’t so much a religious one, but rather had more to do with jealousy, wealth, and power.

It has long bothered me that the term “witches” has remained in our lexicon, as these women, girls, and men most certainly were not witches in any sense of the word. For the most part, they were caught up in a frenzy begun by young women that soon got out of hand. Most were church-goers, horrified at the thought of witchcraft. Some were women known for gathering the herbs needed to make the only available medicines at the time. Some were forced into confessions, out of a desire to either save their own lives or the lives of others. Certainly there were mixed motives among the accusers.

It must have been absolutely terrifying to live through this period, not knowing who to trust, nor if you would be the next accused witch.

I have written here before of Sarah Hood Basssett, my 7th great-grandmother. You can read her story here. I think it would be a gripping movie.

But, there’s more to the story. And, it’s a tangled one. And, it begins with my 9th great-grandparents, William Sr. and Ann Bassett, Sarah Hood Bassett’s in-laws.

So, let’s begin, shall we?

William Sr. was born in England in 1624. It is surmised that William’s father, Roger, died soon after William’s birth. His widowed mother, Ann, then remarried widower Hugh Burt. About 1635, at the age of 11, he immigrated to Massachusetts with his mother, Ann, and her second husband, Hugh Burt and, possibly, Hugh’s children. The passenger manifest of their ship “Abigail” lists Hugh Burt, wife Ann Bassett Burt, William Bassett (Ann’s son), and Edward Burt (Hugh’s son).

Hugh Burt, Jr. arrived later. Apparently Hugh Burt also had at least two daughters, Mary and Sarah, as William Sr. was appointed their guardian upon the death of his step-father, Hugh.

William married his step-sister Sarah, about 1646, presumably in Lynn, MA, where the family had settled. Are you with me so far?

In 1669, William’s mother, Ann Bassett Burt, was accused of witchcraft, 23 years before the more famous, and deadly, Salem trials. Ann was known in Lynn as a healer and a midwife. Most of the accusations against her were for her healing gifts and care of the sick.

Ann was tried on September 30, 1669 in Salem and acquitted. She lived for several more years, dying March 7, 1673.

Ann’s only biological son, William, Sr., and his wife (and step-sister), Sarah Burt, had a very large family of 11 children, and sadly, three of their children would be directly affected by the later Salem witch trials. I have highlighted them below.

1. William, Jr., b. 1647 (m. Sarah Hood)
2. Elisha, b. 1649
3. Elizabeth, b. 1650 (m. John Proctor)
4. Sarah, b. 1651
5. John, b. 1653
6. Miriam, b, 1655
7. Mary, b. 1657
8. Hannah, b. 1660
9. Rebecca, b. between 1660-1663
10. Samuel, b. 1663
11. Rachel, b. 1666

William, Jr. married Sarah Hood (these are my 7th great-grandparents), who was the focus of my earlier post.  Sarah, who was pregnant at the time of her trial, was tried for witchcraft Mar 23, 1692, convicted, and imprisoned in Boston until November 2.  With her was her little girl Ruth (my 6th great-grandmother), who was not quite two years old.  Sarah had been condemned to death at her trial, but due to her pregnancy, her execution was delayed.  Fortunately, by the time of her delivery of son Joseph, the panic had died down, and Sarah had been released.

Her sister-in-law, Elizabeth, was also accused and convicted.  Elizabeth was the sister of William, Jr..  She had married John Proctor of Danvers, and they were the proprietors of a tavern and considered well-off.  Elizabeth, like Sarah, was condemned to death and imprisoned, but due to the efforts of her husband, she, too, was released. 

John had been accused and tried at the same time as his wife, Elizabeth, and sister-in-law, Sarah.  They, along with little Ruth, spent months in prison together.  John, however, did not escape his sentence.  He was hung as a wizard on August 19, 1692. 

The third grandchild of Ann Bassett Burt to be caught in the trials’ snare was Mary Bassett, married to Michael DeRich.  May 23, 1692, an arrest warrant was issued for her.  She was examined the same day, and her own son, John De Rich, who was 16 at the time, testified against her. Mary was sent to a Boston prison and while she was there, her husband, Michael died.  She survived her ordeal and died in 1712 in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Before the panic was over, more than 200 people had been accused, with 20 executions. 

I’m only imagining, but the mistrust and betrayal must have destroyed what was a fairly small community.  The trauma would have lasted for years. 

We visited Salem a few years back, and I was very dismayed to find that witchcraft was a big business and a tourist draw there.  It was reminiscent of too many times in our history where another’s suffering was made into a spectator sport.  I did not enjoy my time there.

‘Til next time.

 

Week 15: Solitude

I can imagine that the loss of a long-time spouse brings not only sorrow, but an unwelcome solitude. I have seen a pattern repeated in my family research: Spouses dying within weeks of one another, and in one case, a widower committing suicide a year after the loss of his wife, almost to the day.

I came across a heart-breaking letter a while ago, tucked away in my Garrett memorabilia, about the sorrow and solitude after losing a spouse.

The letter was in an envelope address to my husband’s great-grandmother, Mary (Mollie) Morgan sometime before her marriage to Edward Garrett. Posted January 6, 1889, the letter was from her brother, Elijah Tunis Morgan.

Elijah’s and Mollie’s mother, Sarah Hadley Morgan, had died only a few weeks earlier, on December 8, 1888. Sadly, Elijah’s wife, Alice Fenton Morgan, died on the 3rd of January, 1889.

Here’s the letter Elijah wrote to his sister, Mollie:

Placerville

Jan 6th 1889

Dear sister Mollie

It is with a sad heart that I try to answer you sorroifull letter of December you can not tell how bad we felt whin we got it little thinking that within two weeks that I would be caled on to part with my Dear Wife I can hardly realise that she is gone to meat mother Alice read the letter that informed us of mothers death It was the last that she ever read she was sick two weeks and suffered no one can tell how much you must excuse a short letter this time for I can’t colect my thoughts to write much. please write soon your grief stricken Brother EJ Morgan

Dear Father Brothers & Sister except my hartfelt simpathy in our great loss

I can’t write it seems as though there was nothing left sinc Dear Alice is gone the children are all well and cared for I am going to keep them all together.

love to all

EJ Morgan

As usual, I transcribed this letter just as it was written.  There were several places where Elijah has added a word he forgot or scratched out another.  I think it tells us a little of his emotional state at the time.  

Alice died leaving behind six small children, as she was only 29.  In his letter, Elijah mentions that he wanted to keep the children together.  Sadly, it was not uncommon that a bereft husband would not be able to care for his children and would place them with relatives and neighbors.  

I did a little more research on both Elijah and Alice and found the following in another tree on Ancestry:

“On September 4, 1875, Leetha’s younger sister Alice Fenton married Elijah T. Morgan in Piedmont. Elijah had a bright red beard of which he was very proud. He would braid it to make it curly and wore it under his shirt to keep it clean. Elijah was sixteen years older than Alice was, twice her age. He swore out an affidavit that she was 18 years old in order to get the wedding license, but she was really two months short of being sixteen. Alice’s place of residence was given as Hilliard, Wyoming… Alice and Elijah’s first child, James was born in Wyoming in May, 1876.“

The reference given for this account was a family history given as “Connecticut Fentons & Their Travels West.” However, I couldn’t find it either on Google, Ancestry, or Family Search. The dates for their ages correspond to the records I have, so I just must say, “Elijah, dude, you’re 30, and she’s 15!”

The photo below is of Elijah and his father, James Morgan, taken in 1909.

As far as I could tell, Elijah never remarried, living the rest of his life in solitude.  Except, of course, for those six children. 

‘Til next time.