Part 3. . Who Do You Think You Really Are?" When Technology and Genealogy Collide

The Ancestors of Henry Irvin DeGraw

How Modern Science Changed the Ancestral Position

 of the DeGraw Family of America

And the lives of their Descendants in America and Australia

"Who Do You Think You Really Are?"

When Technology and Genealogy Collide

Part 3

After researching and then compiling Henry DeGraw's family, using the memories of Almon DeGraw, and amazing thing happened.

Randy DeGraw decided to do something with his DNA results, so they were loaded and as an example, compared with mine.  Of all things we shared DNA.  From that point, the goal was to find the common ancestor, who had to have been born in England.  

Background

The discovery of ancestral links to the family of King William the Conqueror, began with the finding that one of the DeGraw great grandmothers was the illegitimate daughter of Sir Rich!

In the days when King Henry VIII was picking and choosing bed mates at random, he took advantage of his laundress.  A child was born,  her brother also took advantage of some poor English girl, and Alice Rich was the result.  Alice, is one of the reasons that the family of Randy and myself were connected.

Well we thought it was, until another co-incidence occurred.

Randy, Maree and myself had all had our DNA processed.  None of us had any idea what to do with the results. 

So initially we did nothing.

My results were overwhelming, to say the least, including the fact that my DNA revealed my heritage to be Western Europe.

Maree's was a little better, she matched on the Western Europe, German region, and fairly high on the English line.  That was quite predictable, as all her family stories had been researched, written and shared.

My own family had been researched, website published, books written on every ancestor from over a thousand years ago.

Well perhaps not so, because my DNA did not show any Chinese backgrounds, and my 3rd great grandfather was Chinese, or so I thought.

Instead I was matching so strongly with French Canadians, thousands of them.

That was something that became nothing short of a very steep learning experience.

Went on with our daily lives, and Maree and Randy decided to come for a visit, and to make a start on his Family puzzles.

Sitting in front of my computer, Randy could see his lineage unfolding.  It is quite exciting to see, all these ancestors and to learn where they came from.

We are able to go right back into England, with some, and then we learnt that he was from Belgium.

Here began another history lesson in the making. 

So the research began.  My online tree grew expediently.  It didn't take long for my head to spin with all the snippets we found, and there was only one thing to do with them, begin a story.

Changing Perceptions

After extensive research to find my brother-in-laws ancestors, a connection was found.  We shared the same 12th great grandparents.  How exciting was that?  Those links were not to difficult to find.  In that same link though, his lineage and mine differed. the further back the research went. 

Back 950 years or more, to the Kings and Queens of France.  Randy's Ethnicity estimate told a bit of a different story to mine, so no doubt those links may be found in some small portion of his DNA but so would half the population.   

According to Randy's DNA results, he is more Scottish than myself, and my father was a Scot!

When Scientific Technology meets Genealogy

"Going back into my deep history, the first thing I discover is that my basic mitochondrial DNA is the same as in every other human on Earth, as we’re all descended from one woman, known as Mitochondrial Eve, who lived in Africa about 180,000 years ago. For me, this is a truly mind-blowing idea – that if it were possible to trace the family tree of every person in the world back 180,000 years (a blink of the eye in terms of the Earth’s history) we would come to a point where we are all siblings. No wonder that spiritual ideas of brother- and sisterhood have such deep resonance for humanity."

Clem Felix        https://www.psychologies.co.uk/what-your-dna-can-tell-you

The Science of Interpreting DNA is probably very easy for those dedicated scientists who solve hundreds of crimes by the process.

But those connections take a long time to prove.  When King Richard III was dug up from the carpark, it was known who he was, but it had to be proven.  It took a long time to find some direct descendants from the maternal line.

Just how successful would a $99.00 DNA test really be?  Would it be able to solve any jigsaw puzzles, or would it make more.  In my case, it made more, and left me in bewilderment for weeks. 

Those new puzzles became challenges, and challenges need to be solved, or in my mind they do.

In the end, they were.

For me, my DNA results were rather puzzling.  First it related to my ethnicity.

What a mystery that became. I thought I was English, well established English, but my DNA indicated 62% Western Europe, 24% English and 14% Scottish. 

Time to apply logic. Then it clicked, all those French who joined King William in 1066, crossed the channel and fought a battle, only ever married into families of their same background.  They married into almost every Scottish clan as well.  It was not until the late 1600's that there was ever an intermarriage that was out of the class and social structure, mistresses excepted.

Then the next very confusing part, was that I matched over 2000 Arcadian French Canadians.

How could that be possible?  There are countless advertisements showing how simple it is.

Just click a button and the whole new world is waiting.  But it doesn't really work like that. 

In some respects, DNA is a marketing exercise. In reality it is a huge learning experience, take a swab, send away the results and sit back and miraculously someone will work out that you are their long lost cousins, or worse. 

To learn who those people were, is still reliant on a paper trail, and good research.  In my case, my results indicated thousands of French Canadians shared my DNA. 

There were all the names of different French people, not one that I recognised.

Then it becomes a bit of a wild goose chase, hoping that someone who matches, will answer an email, so you can compare notes, so to speak.

After some help from some DNA sites, one person finally contacted me, and we set about to find a common name.  He had a Morrison in his records, and so did I.  My great grandparents.

The Morrison family lived in Scotland had a family, one of their sons left Scotland in 1783, to settle in Canada.  Then his 6 children, my cousins,  all married French Canadians. 

Another of their sons, my great grandparents remained in Glasgow.

Within my  Scottish family, there a links back to King James and before.   So there was the answer. 

But not quite, cause someone else maybe 3.5 generations ago, got quite close to another descendant of these cousins.  The who will remain unknown!  

But being able to come to terms with the French Canadian puzzle, gave me a little confidence.

Unravelling the family tree branches and adding the research has been very enjoyable, hard work but rewarding.  I have been completely overwhelmed that I have been able to discover so much about my ancestors.

But when Randy was trying to fathom just what to do with his DNA results, I helped him to load it onto the matching site.  "It will take a while, but I will check it in the morning, I said". 

When you load your DNA results,  you are given a number.  That stays with your profile.  Then by following the links you can find just how many people you share a relative with, people all over the world.

To test Randy's number, and to show him how he could compare a number kit with another, I decided to just try our own numbers.

You could have knocked me down with a feather, to find that the report on my screen showed we matched!

When they were here, they could see what could be done, but had no idea how to go about the process.  One night, via a few telephone and messenger connections, I helped Randy load his results.

What would be the chances of one American, born in Michigan, matching with an Australian born in Queensland.  Statisticians might like to work out the arithmetic, it is not a strong point of mine any more.

325 million is the population of America, 22 million in Australia, and two people related by marriage share the same common grandparents, and that match is around 6.3 generations ago.

It did not seem possible. 

DNA does not lie.  That is evident.  From that point, all the research was wasted unless this one person could be identified.  One in how many?  Surely a needle in a haystack.

Not only that but our matches were quite close.  Six generations.  That was something I really did not understand, as geographically, he was born in America, from American Heritage, I was born in Australia from English and Scottish Heritage.  

Initially I just thought it was all a bit suss!  Until I asked for some help, and one person told me it will be a six generation mixing with your fifth generation.  From that moment on, the focus on researching Randy's family, became a determined effort to find exactly where we matched and with whom.

Over the years, my understanding of my ancestors was pretty good.  The options for anyone going to America were very slim. 

In order to find this link, Randy's family tree had to be researched, because in my view the link had to be in England, and prior to 1600, but with whom?  Compiling his tree was so very difficult, due to so much misinformation relative to different ancestors.  It took a long time, and was quite frustrating.

I almost gave  up, then there it was!  A name that I had in my family.

So the link was found, and it was again another complete surprise, and for Randy another door opened into shared grandparents that he had no idea existed.  In 1597, my great uncle, Sir William Herrick married and had a family.  His eldest son was named Henry.  It was known that Henry went to America, and that there were thousands of Herrick descendants in America. 

In fact recently an elderly cousin visited Leicester where they lived, and while examining their grave, was confronted by some American cousins, who were most upset to think that their ancestors had descendants in Australia.  "Well we might be from the antipodes, but we are not stupid, and still shackled in convict chains", he was naturally, quite upset with their treatment. 

But for all the researchers and for all the books written over the years, about these twelfth great grandparents, none understood the family structure, as it was before Henry was virtually expelled from the family.  There had to be a reason why he left, that reason just had to be found!

Applying Logic

Nothing would have prepared Randy DeGraw or myself than to see this matching record of a comparison of our DNA.   There are others who can define just all the numbers, but nothing would be worthwhile, unless there was some corresponding Family Research to compare.

Randy had not compiled his Family Tree which would have made the search impossible.

Finding Common Links

Sara Burr Derby's research had been very difficult, due to the copious errors which others who are researching their family trees, have used when establishing Family Lineage.

So many seem to just want to find a link with some British Royalty, or Noble family, without taking the time to really research to see if that John Rogers, for example, is in fact, the one from that place.  Some people have ancestors born in America, years before it was even settled!

Every one of these hints, suggestions, whatever name they have, had to be checked, but not only were there so many errors, but the so were many "official" source records.

In the case of Sara Derby, there was a mistake from many about her father.  All the previous research had to be redone.

It was while this was happening that something caught my eye.  An unusual ladies' name, and the surname of my 12th great grandparents.

To think that was an ecstatic moment, is correct.  Fancy finding the link, now how to prove that it has followed through to Randy's family.

While Almon DeGraw was unaware of the names of his great grandparents, they were an interesting group of people. 

Their ancestor were all among the first settlers in America, that fact would no doubt have been a great surprise for the Randy's parents and their siblings.

The Great Grandparents were 

·        William DeGraw and Loorina Loomas               Paternal

·        Chauncy Derby and Sarah Burr                         Maternal

Neither of those persons names was familiar to me, and were not anyone previously researched. 

Then for some unusual reason,  some different research emerged about Chauncey Derby, and foolishly I started out wasting two days of research, trying to reorganise and re-establish my original theories, believing I was incorrect.  

One lesson learnt, stick to your own factual evidence. 

But if this had not happened, if by some chance there was mention of a woman named Bethiah,  an unusual name, and one who was in Randy's lineage, and if by chance, I had not decided to double check every Bethiah lady, I would never have known that one such Bethiah Conant married a Jonathan Herrick. 

Unbelievably, here was the link that glued our 6th generations together.  My Herrick family and Randy's Conant family married, but then there was a relationship closer than that.  

But firstly, the Herrick family are very well known, for many different reasons.  Probably the most significant is that they owned the land that King Richard III was buried on.  It is called Grey Friers.  

Then within the Leicester Cathedral in Leicestershire in England, there is a chapel, called St Katherine's Chapel.  It is the burial chapel for the Herricks. 

Now removed from the carpark that was built over their land, King Richard joins them again, as his tomb is outside their family crypt.

And if you thought that the researchers were all that clever, finding just where the body was, well don't let a good story get into the way of the truth.

 You see Randy's great grandfather Henry Herrick, went to Oxford, with his siblings, one of their masters was Christopher Wren.

 The father of the famous Sir Christophe Wren.   He was friends with our grandparents, and they had a marker on their land which said "Here lyth the last King of England." 

Mr Wren wrote it all in his diary, exactly where the grave was.  That diary, along with the Herrick papers has been digitised by Oxford University.

Any wonder there was no reply when an email was sent to the "finder".

The Paternal Ancestors

The following people are paternal ancestors of the DeGraw Family from Michigan.   As yet, Randy's mothers family has not been researched, other to know when the first of the French family arrived in America, and where they lived in England.   From the results of the research into the first century of residents in America, it is certain that the two families are likely to share one great grandparent or relative.

Parents

Henry Ernest DeGraw                           1875 -1924

Wildelmina Dorothy Portrafka              1895 - 1945

Grandparents 4 people

George Emmet DeGraw                        1841 - 1924

Sarah Burr Derby                                  1841 - 1926

Gustav Ernest Postrafka                       1873 - 1934

Ernestine Jasnof                                   1865 - 1945

Great Grandparents 8people

William DeGraw                                   1812 -1897

Loorina Loomis                                    1815 -1902

Chauncy Derby                                     1800 - 1865

Sarah Burr                                             1814

Friedrich Postrafka                                1843- 1915

Dorothea Plitt                                       1849 - 1895

Ludwig Jasnof                                      1820

2G Grandparents 16 people

Isaac DeGraw                                       1759 - 1837

Mehitable Miller                                   1793 - 1869

Thomas Loomis                                    1771 - 1776

Irene Chubb                                         1776  -1856

David Derby                                         1775  -1857

Sarah Abbott                                        1781  - 1865

Capt Nathaniel Derby                           1746  -1814

Jemima Skinner                                    1759  -1812

Chauncey Derby                                   1800  -1865

Samantha Derby                                   1799  -1855

Francis Karner                                      1805  -1841

Sythene Knapp                                     1802  -1841

Gottfreid Postrafka

Katherine Morty

3rd Generation  32 Great grandparents   Around this point the different families become interwoven

Johannes DeGraw                                 1753  -1830

Leah deVries                                        1756  -1849

Capt Michael Loomis                            1741  -1793

Mary Karner                                         1741  -1820

Gideon Chubb                                      1750  -1815

Ann Coates                                          1756 -  

David Derby                                         1750

Bethia Clark                                         1747 - 1845

Captain John Abbott                             1748  - 1835

Susannah Meacham                              1756  - 1833

Timothy Baker                                     1749  - 1816

Prudence Brooks                                   1750  - 1816

Felix Carner                                          1771 - 1821

Elizabeth Goldberg                               1772 - 1855

Edward Knapp                                      1763 - 1821

Esther                                                  1776 - 1853

4th Generation                         64 Great grandparents                    

Johannes DeGraw `                               1716  -1765

Racheael von Hoorn                              1723 - 1765

Johannes de Vries                                 1719 - 1802

Trynje Gerow                                       1728 - 1773

Josiah Loomis                                       1709  -1800

Abigail Bacon                                       1712  -1775

Andrew Karner                                     1702  -1781

Anna Stuber                                         1701  -1762

Gideon Chubb                                      1713

Phebe White                                         1710 - 1773

Samuel Derby                                       1710 - 1795

Mary Salisbury                                     1728 - 1778

Joseph Skinner                                     1733

Ruth Strong                                         1735                                       

Capt John Abbott                                 1724  -1814

Sarah Baker                                          1721  -1777

Isaac Meacham                                                 1716

Lydia Blanchard                                   1726  -1762

Aaron Baker                                         1726  -1802

Jemima Clark                                       1728 - 1845

James Brooks                                         1723  -1801

Elizabeth Bathrick                                1724  -1793

Daniel Knapp                                       1741 - 1778

Hannah Lyon                                       1744

5th Generation                                                 132 Great grandparents   

Wilhelm de Greau                                 1676

Leuntie Machielse                                1676

Cornelius van Hoorn                             1671 - 1733

Jaquemina de Marets                            1686  -1728

Johannes deVries                                  1686 - 1740

Marytie Becker                                     1683 - 1750

Benjain Giraud                                     1707 - 1797

Annetje Claesen                                   1698 -1733

Daniel Loomis                                      1657 - 1740

Mary Ellsworth                                     1660 - 1713

Capt Andrew Bacon                              1666 - 1723

Mettabell Whitmore                              1669 - 1732

Johannes Karner                                   1660 - 1717

Magdelena Fressler                               1661 - 1745

Johanne Stuber                                      1672 -

Anna Mann                                          1678 -

Samuel Chubb                                      1687  

Joan Walker                                          1690

Samuel Derby                                      1689  -1740

Mary Bryant                                         1685 - 1752

Nathanial Jones                                    1674 - 1745

Mary Redditt                                        1675 - 1749

Joseph Skinner                                     1703

Ezra Strong                                          1701 - 1785

Abigail Calvely                                     1714 - 1787

John Abbot                                           1701 - 1793

Elizabeth Phipps                                   1701 - 1782

Joseph Baker                                        1678 - 1740

Miriam Hurlbut                                    1683 - 1771

Captain John Baker                               1679 - 1762

Rebecca Clark                                       1687 - 1774

Increase Clark                                       1684 - 1775

Mary Sheldon                                       1690 - 1767

Joseph Brooks                                       1670 - 1746

Rebecca Blodgett                                  1689 - 1768

John Bathridck                                      1702 - 1769

Mary Boyce                                          1701 - 1726

Daniel Knapp                                       1696 - 1722

Sarah Wilde                                          1709 -1797

Edward Lyon                                        1710  -1773

Rebecca Boyden                                   1716 - 1776

           

           

6th Generation                                                 256 Great grandparents   

Pieter De Graeu                                    1645

Cornelius Van Hoorn                            1653 - 1729

Anna Wessels                                       1653 - 1702

Samuel Desmarets                                1656  -1728

Maria Simone de Ruine                        1662 - 1708

Johannes deVries                                  1647 - 1708

Adriaenjke Volkertzen                          1650 - 1698

Jan Claesen                                          1669 - 1705

Treyntje Straetmaker                            1673 - 1744

John Loomis                                         1622 -1688

Elizbeth Scott                                       1623 -1696

Sgt Josiah Ellsworth                             1629 -1689

Elizabeth Holcombe                              1634 -1712

Andrew Bacon                                      1640

Mary Miller                                          1640

Samuel Whitmore                                 1655 -1746

Maria Bacon                                         1664 -1709

Daniel Stuber                                       1624 -1693

Barbel Ysch                                          1625-1672

Jeremias Mann                                     1640

Appolonia Laumann                             1645

Samuel Chubb                                      1665

Honour Horne                                      1665

John Derby                                           1650  -1692

John Conant                                         1652 - 1724

Bethaih Mansfield                                1658 - 1720

Captain Josiah Jones                             1643 - 1714

Lydia Treadway                                    1649 - 1743

Jedediah Strong                                     1667 -1709

Abijah Ingersoll                                    1663  -1732

Philip Calverley                                    1688

Hannah Adams

Timothy Baker                                     1647 - 1729

Sarah Hollister                                      1646 - 1691

John Clark                                            1651 - 1704

Mary Strong                                         1654 - 1738

Joshua Baker                                        1642 - 1717

Hannah Tongue (Tonge)                       1654 - 1713

Samuel Hurlbut                                     1644 -1710

Mary Goode                                          1646  -1735

Isaac Sheldon                                       1656  -1712

Sarah Warner                                        1667  -1701

Joshua Brooks                                      1636 - 1698

Hannah Mason                                      1636 - 1696

Thomas Blodgett                                  1661 - 1740

Recebba Todd                                       1665 - 1740       

                       

Thomas Bathrick                                  1680  -1762

Elizabeth Lynn                                      1669  -1749

John Knapp                                          1661 -1773

Sarah Parke                                          1666 - 1727

Samuel Lyon                                        1679 - 1756

Joanna Weld                                         1685 - 1721
Bethiah Conant                                     1684 - 1774
Johnathan Herrick                                 1672 - 1724

7th Generation                         512 Great grandparents   

Leendert de Grauw                                1601 - 1664

Leuntie Alberts                                     1610 - 1660

Cornelius Van Hoorn                            1625  - 1658

Jannetje Jans                                          1629 - 1692

David Des Marests                                1620  -1695

Maria Sohier                                         1623  -1681

Simon de Ruine                                    1615  -1678

Magdalena van de Strat                        1620 - 1678

Dirk Volkertszen                                   1604 - 1677

Christina de la Vigne                            1610 - 1663

Jan Dircksen Straatemaack                    1642 - 1707

Geesje van Steenway                             1646 - 1700

Joseph Loomis                                       1590 - 1658

Mary White                                           1590 - 1652

Thomas Scott                                       1594  - 1643

Elizabeth Strutt                                     1594 -  1678

Sir John Ellsworth                                1578 -  1653

Lady Lucia Bower                                 1590 -  1633

John Ingersool                                      1614 -  1684

Abigail Bascom                                    1640 -  1668

Thomas Halcombe                                1601 -  1657

Elizabeth Ferguson                               1617 -  1679

Alexander Baker                                   1604 -  1685

Elizabeth Farrer                                    1611 -  1685

Henry Brook                                         1592-  1683

Hannah Cuncliffe                                 1594 - 1650

Hugh Mason                                         1605 - 1678

Hester Wells                                         1611 - 1692

John Knapp                                          1622 - 1696

Sarah Young                                        1623 -1696
Joseph Herrick                                      1645 - 1718
Sarah Leach                                          

My apologies if there is a set missing from the list, however if they have a story, it is included in their family lineage.

Our grandparents double in number through every generation. At some point the numbers can extend into the millions, especially if a linage can be traced 1000 years or so. Throughout this story, there is a corresponding number against the particular great grandparent who is being researched. It can get rather difficult to follow, as very often, there were up to four marriages.

There will always be one constant - the male lineage, unless of course they decide to change their name for some reason or other, or in England, when they changed a name in the medieval times it was to obtain lands often left to their wives. Occasionally it was for the right to bear arm, or have a Coat of Arms, and to succeed a dormant Earldom.

All of these people have a story to tell, sometimes finding those stories was rather difficult, but all attempts have been made to share their lives with their descendants

Every single one of those great grandparents on all levels was researched, simply to try to establish who the match was with.

Links to the Herrick Family

The identifiable links between the Herrick linege and the DeGraw, are many.

But they include the following family lineages

·        Tarbox

·        Conant

·        Blish

·        Woodbury

·        Derby

·        Skinner

·        Baker

·        Leach

·        Laskin

·        Strong

·        Karner

·        Herrick

To name but a few, of the families who lived in the period of the mid 1600's.

But one realistic thought, is that there are thousands and thousands of these descendants all with traces of the Herrick DNA in their makeup.

Sort of  a proverbial "needle in a haystack", but this just goes to show, that almost anything is possible, if you are determined enough!

Everyone of the lineages in this book, are related to the DeGraws.   Some become great uncles, some become great grandparents, or cousins.  But they are all part of a very large family network, and so many has a story to tell.

Throughout our lives we just take our heritage as a given right.  Far too much occupied with the events that keep us busy on a day to day basis.

But when the time comes to say "good-bye" to the work colleagues, and to contemplate all that "free time" that comes from no work, and no responsibilities.

A time, to do all the things you couldn't do while you were working.

Then as the retirement phase really fits in, there becomes a period of great adjustment.

Just what does an extremely busy person pre-retirement, do post-retirement.

Thank goodness for many of us, we begin a totally different journey, and seek answers to those who have come before us.  We decide to find our ancestors!

Solving some DNA Riddles

This is going to take a bit of understanding and hopefully it will be all as clear as mud!!!

Follow the trail, beginning with Henry Irvine DeGraw, up one level is his parents, Henry Ernest DeGraw and Wilhelmina Portrafka.   To the right hand you see up the next level George Emmett DeGraw and Sarah Burr Derby.   

Up the next level is William DeGraw and Lorena Loomis, then above William is Isaac DeGraw and Mehltable Miller. 

Special Note - This photo and the lineage is not correct, but it was at the time of first finding the missing links.  

What hasn't changed is that Sarah was born a Derby, her brother Chauncy was born a Derby, then the Carner family are Randy's great aunts and grandparents.  The Derby's are very interwoven. So it was just as easy to leave the diagram.  

Now we are going to follow the lineage of Sarah Burr Derby. Up one level to Chauncy Derby and Elizabeth Carner,  Then up a level to Jonathan Derby and Clarissa Baker, then another level up and Captain Derby and Jemima Skinner.  Then up a level to Jemima Skinner's parents, Ruth Strong and Joseph Skinner.   Then up from Captain Derby to John Derby and Susannah Jones.

Now you will notice that John Derby also married Rebecca Tarbox. 

Now begin with Mary Strong who is the 5th generation.  Follow her line, to Experience Strong, who married Samuel Tarbox.  Then to their daughter Metahible Tarbox who married Johathan Herrick

From Metahible Tarbox and John Herrick up to Johathan Herrick who married Bethiah Conant, and next is her sister Deborah Conant who married John Derby.

Beginning again with John Derby up one level and his mother was Deborah Conant.  Follow her line to the left and you will find Bethiah Conant, her sister, who married Jonathan  Herrick, who was the father of John Herrick above.

Now from Jonathan Herrick to Henry Herrick and above to the right his father Henry Herrick and Emma Laskin his mother.  Above is Sir William Herrick, and the Herrick family from Leicester

So how accurate was the DNA?

The estimate was 6.3 generations.  If we consider Bethiah  Conant and her sister, which is technically where our proven meeting point is, Bethiah married my cousin.

The Conant and the DeGraw merge on many occasions.   In Randy's case this is 6 generations. 

From utter bewilderment as to how was it possible, to amazement and accomplishment that the link was found. 

Better still these grandparents have such a rich history, and have played a huge part in world historical events, but not been recognised.  It is nice to be able to share them with such a close family member.

Who would have thought?