I must second Bill's advice about DNA testing. I had my nephew DNA tested. After being in a Hall program family and lots of 12 and 37 marker matches with no recent connections, a new family entry solved my 30 or more years search. Although I was 90% sure my ancestor originated in Gloucester Co., Va., the new entry proved it and connected me to the original immigrant from England. I still have gaps in the line, but I now know about Thomas Hall and that completes my search. Now I just idly look at lists, not seriously. The days of haunting the library are over. On 3/14/2011 12:06 PM, Bill Davidson wrote: > While it is only part of the solution, I wish that more people would > have a man....with the surname of interest....take the DNA test. DNA > has already shown that some "approved" DAR lineages are "flat wrong," > and many such other "myths" have also been "busted" by this > technology. It is not an "end all/be all answer," but to not take > advantage of it, where such a male with the correct surname can be > found, is a huge omission in most cases. It amazes me that people > will spend thousand of hours (and who knows how much money?) > researching in courthouses and libraries (and Ancestry.com) for years > and years, but they won't spend a few minutes and $150 for a 37 marker > DNA test. > > My own DNA test confirmed that my Davidson family in Cumberland Co., > VA was part of the same Davidson family as the one in Buckingham Co., > VA....and that helped me to "trace" the overall family back to James > City Co., VA by at least the 1680s. I also learned that I have a > "Viking heritage" versus the more common "Celtic heritage" for my > surname. I never could find anything in "conventional documentation" > that proved a "connection" between the families in those two counties > in VA. > > My mother's family had even more interesting results. Her male cousin > with the surname of "Brown" took the DNA test, and we found that he > was actually a "blood Smith" versus a "blood Brown." Since my > maternal gg-grandfather was named Smith W. Brown, I guess that we > should not have been too surprised by that result....but nothing other > than the DNA test would have ever shown this. My "biological maternal > Smith family" has been in VA since at least the 1650s, and I am proud > to be a member of that family (and I am happy to finally know the > truth....that only DNA testing could have provided). > > In closing, when I get frustrated with all of the bad data that is > "out there," I remind myself that it is "just genealogy." Compared to > what is going on in the world these days (like in Japan), trying to > prove who my gggggggg-grandfather was seems far less critical. > > Bill Davidson > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html