Mother's Day DNA test prices

Mother's Day autosomal test prices:

23andme. $99. Also a $30 discount on the Health & Ancestry package.
Ancestry. $59. Offer ends May 13.
Family Tree DNA. $79.
Living DNA, $79.
MyHeritage. $69. Sales ends May 13.

Finding my parents' marriage information

Both of my parents have been gone for many years. I had been told that they were married at the First Baptist Church in Ludlow, Kentucky, in 1947. Although I had a leather-bound genealogy my mother started and her Bible, I did not have a copy of their marriage certificate. Searching the county records online never found them and the Church said they did not have any records for that year.

Recently I subscribed to Newspapers.com and found the announcement of the issue of a marriage license to them. Writing to the Boone County Clerk of Court office I was able to get a copy of the marriage license and the return of marriage. In it my father was listed as being in the Navy and living in Brooklyn, New York, and my mother as living in Cincinnati. Since I already knew my father was working on a Navy tub boat in New York Harbour at that time, I am now looking to see if he was living on-base at the Brooklyn Navy Yard or somewhere off-base and if my mother also lived in Brooklyn for sometime.

I had used other newspaper databases without luck before I finally subscribed to Newspapers.com. So always try every resource.

Black Friday genetic genealogy DNA tests

The following companies are offering reduced cost autosomal DNA tests. These tests can be used to reliably find immediate family and cousins out to 4th or 5th cousins. Less reliably, they can give you ethnic ancestry results.

• MyHeritage DNA - $49 plus free shipping with coupon code Free18 (ends Nov 23)
• 23andMe - $69 per kit, shipping extra, or $129 for the Ancestry + Health version (ends Nov 25)
• AncestryDNA - $49 per kit, plus shipping (ends Nov 26)
• Family Tree DNA - $39 per DNA test, shipping extra (ends Nov 26)
• LivingDNA through Findmypast, $59 plus shipping (ends Nov 26)
• LivingDNA direct - $69 per kit, plus shipping (no posted end date)

I have tested at all of these companies.

I recommend the following testing strategy:
Test at AncestryDNA and 23andMe and then upload the raw data to the others. This is the lowest cost strategy and gets your results into the largest commercial genetic genealogy databases.

An additional upload is to Gedmatch. This will allow people who have tested at only one company to match other people from different companies. Gedmatch has both free and fee services. The free services get you their matching service.

There is a new company Dante Labs, doing whole genome testing for $199.00 (L169.00) for Black Friday Week. This is a 30x coverage of your whole genome and can be used for learning about medical propensities. Not really useful for genealogy.

If you already have a test result, be sure to upload to MyHeritage and Living DNA before 1 December to avoid their new fee schedule.

If you are interested in graphical representation of your relative network, Rootsfinder is another company to join before 1 December.

NOTE: I do not earn any money from your using any of these links.

From the New England Historic Genealogical Society's The Weekly Genealogist:

A journalist from French television channel TF1 is seeking French families who, as part of their genealogical research, are trying to connect with relatives whose ancestors immigrated to the United States or Canada between the 16th century and the beginning of the 20th century. If you or someone you know has been contacted by anyone in France for information about possible relatives in the U.S. or Canada, or if you know of any French families seeking information about U.S. or Canadian connections, please contact Eugénie Cohen at ecohen.cpi@tf1.fr

Ancestry Blog Post: Conduct Search Utilizing the information on another Member’s Tree

Posted by Marissa Huntsman on June 11, 2018 in Products and Services

Customers have been able to conduct a search for a person within their own tree utilizing the information in their timeline. Now we have made it possible for customers to conduct a targeted search from a person in a Public Member Tree.

Continued here: https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2018/06/11/ancestry-product-update-conduct-search-utilizing-the-information-on-another-members-tree/

Do you have a DNA match to me? Please add a family tree.

While there are different reasons to take a DNA test, one reason is to find unknown relatives. If you have taken a genetic genealogy oriented DNA test you are probably interested in determining your genealogical link to people you match. When you add a family tree at either the DNA testing company, FamilyTree DNA, MyHeritage, LivingDNA, or AncestryDNA, etc., or at a genealogical website which you link your DNA results to, GENI, WIKITREE, TribalPages, etc., please be as complete with the data for deceased individuals as you can. This means that you include locations, at least county and state in the USA, and full dates of birth, marriage, and death, as far as you know them.

Please don't list deceased persons as Private unless you don't want genealogical relations to find you. In the USA the most recent public population census is that for 1940. The 1950 census will be available in 2022. Having locations and dates allows the person looking at your family tree to make connections with people in their tree to allow identification of the most recent common ancestor/s, (MRCA). This will greatly enhance the possibility of extending your genealogy research.

My suggested minimum family tree would go back to your Great Grandparents with their spouses and children, and work forward and stop at living people on each line. Ideally going back to before the 1850 census would probably work for most people in the USA.

If your ancestry in the 1800s or 1900s was mostly in Europe or otherwise outside of the USA, testing at MyHeritage and/or AncestryDNA will probably be of most use to you. For genealogical records I also suggest using FamilySearch.org due to its worldwide coverage.

I hope this will help you find your relatives.

Do you have your original birth certificate?

This article from The Atlantic Magazine, by Christine Ro, discusses the development of birth registration and birth certificates. The birth certificate is your "first possession".

A Birth Certificate is a Person’s First Possession: Around the world, the document establishes legal, social, and economic legitimacy. But it also makes compromises.

A recent controversy over birth certificates in Arkansas demonstrates that these slips of paper are imbued with political and social meaning. In 2015, a married couple, Marisa and Terrah Pavan, had their first child, who was conceived through sperm donation. The Arkansas Department of Health, or ADH, listed only Terrah, who gave birth to their daughter, on the baby’s birth certificate. This was contrary to state law, under which the spouse of the birth mother also is automatically listed.

My Slaveholding Ancestors and Relatives

Revised 10 August 2022. First posted in 2017.

Although I have ancestry from Colonial New England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as New Amsterdam, New Jersey, New Sweden, and Pennsylvania, that ancestry is prior to the Revolutionary War. The bulk of my ancestry is from colonial Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and after the Revolutionary War, Kentucky and Tennessee. Between 1800 and 1870 my relatives had spread South to Arkansas, Missouri, Georgia, Texas and North and West to Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, California, and Oregon.

However, between 1820 and 1870 my families were based in Southeastern Kentucky and Northeastern Tennessee, in Knox, Wayne, Whitley, and Pulaski counties Kentucky, and in Knox, Overton, Campbell, Scott, and Fentress counties in Tennessee.

In 2017, when I first posted this page, The Slave Name Roll Project was attempting to recover the names of slaves from documents, wills, inventories, slave passes, manumission records, censuses, newspaper advertisements, etc., that individuals have discovered in their genealogical research. This is for the area that is now the United States of America.

Since then the Beyond Kin Project has taken over that role and I refer interested people to it.

Below I have listed my known slaveholding ancestors and relatives with the relationship, a citation to the source of the information, and the names of the enslaved where that is given. I will be adding to this page as I now make a definite effort to document this.

There are two lists, Ancestors, and then, Relatives, in reverse chronological order to facilitate the possibility of finding kin in the documents. Although listed by closeness of ancestry to me, they are mainly from most recent to farthest in time. I welcome additions and corrections.

Two new wills are added: My 6th Great Grandfather, Joseph Phipps of Chester county, Pennsylvania, and Botetourt county, Virginia, 1699-1771, naming three enslaved persons, and that of Joshua Phipps, 1801-1861, my 1st cousin 5 times removed of Hawkins county, Tennessee, which lists 42, named and unnamed enslaved persons. There are a number of Phipps enslavers listed in the 1850 and 1860 Slave Censuses for Hawkins county, Tennessee. At this time I am not sure of their relationship to me, but I will be trying to determine if a connection exists and to list any enslaved persons in their wills and estates.

An inventory for Mr Samuel Brashear of Prince Georges county, Maryland, a 7th Great Grandfather, is added with five enslaved individuals and one white servant with ages and values, dated 1739-1740. They are not noted in the will.

These additions are in bold fonts.

At this time over 160 named and unnamed enslaved people are listed on this page. I expect the number to double as I work through the documents I have gathered.

Spelling is as found in the document.

Locations of slaveholders:

• Alabama: Marshall county.
• Arkansas: Ouachita county.
• Kentucky: Knox county; Logan county; Pulaski county; Wayne county, Whitley county.
• Maryland: Prince George's county; Talbot county.
• Missouri: Henry county; Lafayette county; Saline county.
• North Carolina: Ashe county.
• Tennessee: Hawkins County.
• Texas: Grayson county; McClennan county.
• Virginia: Amelia county; Botetourt county; Charlotte county; Chesterfield county; Essex county; Frederick county; Grayson county; Henrico county; Henry county; Norfolk county; Stafford County.

In 1850 there were 201 slaves in Whitley county, Kentucky. In 1860 there were 157 slaves. In 1870 there were between 131 and 137 Black and Mulatto residents in Whitley county.

In 1860 the percentage of free families who owned slaves in the states below were as follows: Alabama 35%, North Carolina 28%, Texas 28%, Virginia 26%, Tennessee 25%, Kentucky 23%, Arkansas 20%, Missouri 13% and Maryland 12% (RATIO OF SLAVEHOLDERS TO FAMILIES, (1860)).

See, Slavery Laws in Olde Kentucky and David H. Streets, Slave Genealogy: A Research Guide with Case Studies
(mainly on Wayne Co., KY) and East Tennessee Roots: Slavery in East Tennessee and Hell without fire: Blacks in Tennessee before 1865.

I encourage others of pre-U.S. Civil War ancestry to do the same.

Slave holders

Ancestors:

James Campbell, 4th Great Grand Father,
Will, Whitley, Kentucky, 1829.
1 female, Ann.

Daniel Strunk, 4th Great Grand Father,
1820 Census, Whitley, Kentucky, 1 unnamed male, 26-45.
1810 Census, Ashe, North Carolina,1 unnamed male.

Samuel Wiatt, 4th Great Grand Father,
Inventory, Knox County, Circuit Court, Kentucky, Suits, Box #65, 1835.
5 slaves, one man, one woman and two children and one old woman",
names unknown.

Jeremiah Burnett, 5th Great Grand Father,
Deed of Sale, Wayne County, Kentucky, 1815:
Sold one Negro boy slave Adam, to son Isaac for $400.00.
Deed of Gift (to daughter and son-in-law), Wayne County, Kentucky, 1815.
In 1815 he gave them "one Negro slave woman Hannah and her increase".
In 1812 he gave to James and Ursula Hurt, "one Negro girl slave and her increase".
Tax List, Wayne County, Kentucky, 1805.
6 slaves.
Tax Lists, Henry County, Virginia, 1782-1790:
1782 4 blacks;
1783 2 Negroes, Sipes and Sarah;
1784 4 Negroes, Sipes and Sarah and 2 young ones;
1786 6 Negroes;
1787 3 blacks over 16, 3 blacks under 16;
1788 1 black;
1789 2 blacks;
1790 3 blacks.

Sources,
June Baldwin Bork, The Burnetts and their connections, 3 vols.
David H. Streets, Slave Genealogy: A Research Guide with Case Studies
(mainly on Wayne Co., KY).

Alexander Campbell, 5th Great Grand Father,
Will, Knox, Kentucky, 1810.
unnamed "Negro boy".

Joseph Phipps, 6th Great Grandfather,
Will, made 1771, Botetourt county, Virginia, proved 12 Feb 1772 (also proved in Chester county, Pennsylvania. Published transcript is incorrrect and the filed wills are followed below).
"ITEM I give and devise to my son Joshua Phipps a negro man Slave named young Caesar to him and his heirs for ever."
"ITEM I give and devise to my Grand Daughter Mary Hubbard one Mullattoe Girl named Pugg, to her and her heirs for ever."
"ITEM I give and bequeath to my Daughter Easter Crosby one negroe Girl named Dinah to her and her heirs for ever."

Thomas Morgan, 6th Great Grand Father,
Deed, Thomas Morgan to Bartholomew Anderson, Arnold's Branch, Frederick, Virginia Colony, 1749.
"Negro named Jack for sixty some odd pounds" as partial payment to Thomas Morgan.

Thomas Womack, 7th Great Grand Father,
Will, Henrico, Virginia, 1732/33.
1 unnamed female "Negro Woman".

Mary (Farley) Womack, 7th Great Grand Mother,
Will, Chesterfield, Virginia Colony, 1750.
"Negro Woman nam'd Mall".

Joseph Batchelor, 7th Great Grand Father,
Will, Norfolk, Virginia Colony, 1733/4.
Negro Boy Cush;
Negro Boy Tony;
Negro Woman Hayes;
Negro Boy Pompy;
Negro Boy Sharper;
Negro Boy Philly.

John Burnett, 7th Great Grand Father,
Will, Essex, Virginia Colony, 1717.
negro Will;
melato girl Cate;
negro boy Sam;
negro girl Sue;
negro woman Moll.

Mr Samuel Brashear, 7th Great Grandfather,
Prince Georges County, Maryland Colony, 1739-1740.
Enslaved named in inventory with ages and values:
Jerry, 75, 5S;
Jacob, 75, 5S;
unnamed negroe woman, about 20, 40L;
negroe boy named Wopping, about 17, 30L;
negroe boy named Sharper, about 15, 30L
One white servant named William Pollard, 2L:10S:00P.

Charles Walker, 7th Great Grand Father,
Deposition of Rebecca Walker (either the widow or daughter) Prince George's, Maryland Colony, 1767.
slave Priss. She is listed in 1775 Surry, North Carolina, tax roll.

Abraham Womack, 8th Great Grand Father,
Will, Henrico, Virginia Colony, 1732.
3 males, Frank,York, and Matt.
Deed, Henrico, Virginia Colony, Patent Book 8, Page 172, 20 October 1691.
imported 5 slaves, "Eliza,Pain,Tom,Nan,Peter, negroes".

Amy (nee McGraw)(Gatewood) Baker, 8th Great Grand Mother,
Will, Southfarnham Parish, Essex, Virginia Colony, 1744.
negro boy, Bristol;
negro girl, Frank;
negro woman, Jenny;
negro boy, Will;
negro Essex;
negro Guy;
negro Sarah.

John Farley, 8th Great Grand Father,
Will, Amelia, Virginia Colony, 1754. (of Dale Parish, Chesterfield, Virginia Colony).
Negro Dickboy;
Negro Dick;
Negro Nancy and all her increase;
Negro boy named Billy;
Negro girl Patt and all her increase;
Negro wench named Sue and what Children she brings after this Day;
Negro boy named Lewis;
Negro wench named Lucy and all her Increase;
Negro boy named Stephen;
Negro Fellows Frank and Jimboy.

James Akin, 9th Great Grand Father,
Will, Henrico, Virginia Colony, 1712.
"I leave the Indian woman named Rose and her two children".

Sarah Akin, 9th Great Grand Mother,
Will, Henrico, Virginia Colony, 1714,
Leaves "slaves" to son James Akin. Is this "the Indian woman named Rose and her two children"?

Mary (nee Richeford) Brasseur, widow of Benois Brasseur, J.P. Talbot County, Maryland Colony, 9th Great Grand Mother,
Deed of land at the Cliffs (Talbot County, Maryland Colony) from Richard Bennett (Gov of both Virginia and Maryland) 1663, included Servants:
Thomas Smyth
Geo: Dauison
William Whitehead
Thomas ffrost
and Sarah a negro Woman.
Will of Mary Brasseur (made before her marriage to Thomas Starling),1663,
mentions delivery of servants, unnamed, to children.

Relatives:

Levi Preston Cox, 1st Cousin 3 times Removed,
Letter to wife, from Sherman, Grayson, Texas, 9 May 1856.
Mentions enslaved, Uncle Timothy and Aunt ELiza in missouri..

Joel Hayden Walker, 1st Cousin 4 times Removed,
1860 Slave Census, Dover, Lafayette, Missouri,
8 slaves; 4 females ages, 5,14,14,30; 4 males, ages 10, 23, 38, 40.

Mary Ellen Walker Vivion, 1st Cousin 4 times Removed (wife of George William Vivion),
1860 Slave Census, McClennan, Texas,
11 slaves; 8 males, ages 1, 2, 6, 12, 14, 16, 40, 40; 3 females, ages 24, 35; 1 is mulatto, aged 8.
1850 Slave Census, District 46, Lafayette, Missouri,
12 slaves; 9 males; 3 females.

Paris M Walker, 1st Cousin 4 times Removed,
1860 Slave Census, Marshall, Saline, Missouri,
10 male slaves, ages 6 months, 1, 2, 20, 21, 28, 30, 30, 32, 40.
1850 Slave Census, Saline, Missouri,
5 slaves.

Fielden Young, 1st Cousin 4 times Removed,
1860 Slave Census, Grayson, Virginia, USA.
1 Female, age 40;
1 male, age 12;
1 male, age 4.
1850 Slave Census, Dist 19, Grayson, Virginia;
1 Male, age 40;
1 female, age 32;
1 male, age 1.

Joshua Phipps, 1st cousin 5 times removed,
Will made 3 July 1861; Codicil made 4 July 1861; Proved Aug Term 1861, Hawkins county, Tennessee;
I also will and devise to my son Frank L. Phipps the following named slaves which he now has in his possession, including the increase if any born since (to wit)
one negro man named Jim,
one negro boy named Henry,
one negro woman named Lucy and her infant child named Saul or Sal,
one negro girl named Laura,
one negro man named Frank,
one negro girl named Mary, daughter of Lucy,
one negro boy named Dick,
one negro girl named Maria,
also a negro boy named Tom which the said Frank L. Phipps has never had in his possession.
I also will and devise to the said Ida Netherland and her husband the following named negroes which they have now in their possession, and their increase if any (to wit)
One negro woman named Julia Ann:
one negro boy Jack,
one negro girl named Lucy;
one negro girl named Amanda;
one negro girl named Minta:
one negro man named Anthony (sold by R. G. Netherland to Buchanan),
one negro man named Ransom;
one negro girl named Ann,
said negroes are all in their possession except Anthony heretofore sold to Buchanan.
Also, one negro boy named Amos and
one negro boy named Walter which they have not yet had possession of.
I also will and devise to the said Nancy B. Bynum the following named negroes which are now in her possession, and their increase if any, to wit:
One negro girl named Queen;
one negro boy named Ike;
one negro boy named Dave:
one negro girl named Rosetta;
one yellow man named Madison;
one black woman named Peachy
which property I devise to the said Nancy B. Bynum for her own separate use and control.
I also devise to my son Mack Phipps the following named negroes, to wit:
One negro man named Andy;
one negro man named Lewis;
one negro man named Jack;
one negro man named Rufus and his wife Viney and child.
Also one negro woman named Maria and her three children, to wit: Sal, Rufus and Mary.
In a Codicil he states that Andy, is to be given only light tasks as befits his age and faithful service.

Wright Stephen Batchelor, 1st Cousin 5 times Removed,
Will, Nash, North Carolina, USA, 1846.
Negro Woman, Fanny.

Richard Walker, 1st Cousin 7 times Removed,
Will, Prince George's, Maryland, 1807.
one unnamed Negro girl.

Armstead S. Morehead, 4th Cousin 3 times Removed,
Logan, Kentucky, abt 1837.
Union Pension records of sons, Thomas and James W. Morehead.
Dinah, slave (consort of ASM), (Ancestors of Muhammad Ali Haj, aka, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.).

Jabus Perkins, 2nd Great Grand Uncle,
1850 Slave Census, Marshall, Alabama.
Black female 21;
Black male 17;
Mulatto Female 3;
Mulatto male 1.

Joel Moses, 3rd Great Grand Uncle,
1860 Slave Census, Ouachita, Arkansas.
Black female, age 20;
Black female, age 3.
Both unnamed.

Ezekiel Abbot Porch, 3rd Great Grand Uncle,
1840 U.S. Population Census, Pulaski, Kentucky.
one female slave, age 36-54.
1820 U.S. Population Census, Knox, Kentucky.
one male slave, age under 14.

Samuel Wilcoxon Walker, 3rd Great Grand Uncle,
1820 Census, Whitley, Kentucky.
6 unnamed slaves.

Pleasant Phillip Walker, 3rd Great Grand Uncle,
Assessor's Book, Henry, Missouri, 1845.
10 slaves valued at $2,725, unnamed.

Joseph Walker, 6th Great Grand Uncle,
Will, Prince George's, Maryland, USA, 1797.
Negro man Pompey;
Negro girl Phebe;
Negro man Will;
Negro girl Nell;
Negro man Sam;
Negro woman Jinne; Negro girl Prins; Negro girl Easter and Negro boy Ben (all four together);
Negro boy Harry;
Negro man Bob.

William Womack, 6th Great Grand Uncle,
Will, Charlotte, Virginia, USA, 1790.
1 female, Betty and her increase.

James Akin, 8th Great Grand Uncle,
Will of mother, Sarah Akin, Henrico, Virginia Colony, 1714.
legatee of "slaves".

Sarah (?????) Whitecotton, wife of 8th Great Grand Uncle,
Will, Stafford, Virginia Colony, 1761.
two Negroes (unnamed, sex not stated);
one negro wench and one white girl named Marcaret Whitcomb.

Possible relative:

George Bagley,
Will, Amelia, Virginia Colony, 1768.
Son James Bagley, Negro fellow Morrica.
Son George Bagley, Negro fellow Jack.
Anderson Bagley, Negro boy York
Dau. Elizabeth Bagley, Negro girl Tabb.
Dickerson Jennings, who married my dau. Frances, Negro girl Ursay.
G'son. William Ligon, son of William Ligon, when he is 21 or married, 90 pounds to be raised from Negro woman Lucy and her increase.
Lend wife (no name) for life or widowhood, Negroes Jeff & Hannah.
Estate Inventory & Appraisment, Amelia, Virginia Colony, 1769.
"Slaves: Jeffery, York ,Hannah, Lucy & her child Jenny;Tab, girl Ussey".

A New U.S. Budget Blueprint May Affect Genealogists [Chronicling America and other sites/programs]

From Genealogical Insider blog: This blog is written by guest blogger and Associate Editor of Family Tree Magazine, Madge Maril

The new administration’s federal budget blueprint—a sort of planning document in the budgeting process—would eliminate the National Endowment for the Humanities. If this line item manages to make it through to the final budget for fiscal year 2018, its genealogical impact might surprise you.
. . .
The NEH’s grants also support historical records digitization and access projects including the free Chronicling America newspaper search website. Chronicling America was sparked by The United States Newspaper Project, which microfilmed and cataloged 63.3 million pages of American newspapers. Chronicling America lets you search and view digitized American newspaper pages from 1789 to 1924, as well as a directory of all U.S. Newspapers published from 1690 to present.

http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2017/01/24/ANewUSBudgetBlueprintMayAffectGenealogists.aspx

272 Slaves Were Sold to Save Georgetown [University]. What Does It Owe Their Descendants?

In 1838, the Jesuit priests who ran the country’s top Catholic university needed money to keep it alive. Now comes the task of making amends.

By RACHEL L. SWARNSAPRIL 16, 2016 Continued here 
and here 

Do You Think You Might Have a Connection to the 1838 Slave Sale that Kept Georgetown Afloat?

In fall 1838, 272 men, women and children who belonged to the nation’s most prominent Jesuit priests were sold as slaves to help secure the future of Georgetown University.

Now, genealogists are trying to find out what happened to them, and The New York Times wants to hear from their descendants. If you have researched your family history and have found connections to either these enslaved African-Americans or to the priests who owned and sold them, please let us know by completing the form below.

If you know of someone else with that lineage, we’d like to hear about that, too. Times reporters may follow up with you to learn more about your story.