Genetic Genealogy and Me

I’ve been planning to share my experience with having my DNA tested for a while, but now seems the perfect time since I am taking an online Genealogy course through Future Learn and this week’s class was about genetic genealogy! So a big shout out to Graham Holton at the University of Strathclyde for explaining such a complicated subject in such an easy to understand way!

 

There are a few different types of DNA testing: Y-DNA STR, Y-DNA SNP, Autosomal (atDNA) and Mitochondrial (mtDNA).

Y-DNA Tests: These tests can only be done on males. STRs (Short Tandem Repeats) are repeated patterns of chemical bases that can be measured in the Y chromosome. STRs look for similarities between results because closely matching results indicate descent from a common male line ancestor. STRs are useful for genealogy because they measure the number of repeats at selected locations. They are useful for the period around 1500, but are unreliable for periods prior to that. Mutations occur at different rates, for example, in a 500 year period, one family could have 1 mutation, while another family has 3 mutations. 

There are 2 major types of mutation, which are relevant for genealogists. The first involves changes in STRs, the second involves mutations known as SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism). SNPs occur when a single chemical base in the DNA changes at a specific location. Once a SNP mutation occurs it is usually permanent, unlike STRs which are prone to further changes. SNPs can be used to identify a specific branch of descendants because of their stable nature. Prior to recent advancements SNPs could only be able to be used to distinguish between different branches of very large genetic groupings thousands of years ago. However, now we can see SNPs that occurred hundreds of years ago, during a time of recorded history, therefore making it easier to decipher more specific groupings. For example, SNP CLD51 indicates descent from the Macdonalds of Kinlochmoidart, who are descended from John Macdonald, 9^th of Clanranald, who died in 1593. Through DNA testing, a student at the University of Strathclyde was found to be a descendant.

Autosomal DNA Test: Autosomal tests are useful for both males and females because it gives information on all ancestral lines (father’s mother’s line, mother’s father’s line, mother’s mother’s line, etc.). At present, Autosomal tests are good for going back around 5 generations with confidence. Furthermore, if a number of known relatives take this test it is possible to identify which segments of DNA have been inherited from specific ancestral lines. This test gives information on the X chromosome, and also indicates a percentage of your ancestry that comes from various geographical origins. I did the Autosomal DNA test so I will have an example of this when I discuss my results (see Ancestry Composition). 

Mitochondrial DNA Test: mtDNA testing is the opposite of Y-DNA testing, (mother to daughter instead of father to son), however, mtDNA is also passed from mother to son, but cannot be passed on by sons. There are fewer mutations with mtDNA than Y-DNA which means it isn’t good at telling us if we are related to an individual with a close genetic match. However, it can show you a probable common female line ancestor from about 400 to 500 years ago, and which part of the world a female line ancestor lived in several thousand years ago.

MY DNA RESULTS

I took the Autosomal DNA test through 23andMe. All of the information below is from 23andMe. It will cover ancestry composition, my maternal line haplogroup information and Neanderthal ancestry information. Since only males carry the Y DNA I do not have results for my paternal line haplogroup. A male relative, from my father’s line, would have to take this test in order for me to get these results. I had hoped to find a match through DNA testing but haven’t… yet. Fingers crossed!

Ancestry Composition:

99.3% European

65.9% British & Irish

5.7% Scandinavian

5.2% French & German

21.5% Broadly Northwestern European

0.4% Iberia

<0.1% Broadly Southern European

0.1% Ashkenazi

0.4% Broadly European

0.3% Middle Eastern and North African

0.2% North African

0.1% Broadly Middle Eastern & North African

0.1% South Asian

0.1% Sub-Saharan African - West African

0.1% Yakut

0.1% Unassigned

Maternal Line:

My maternal line haplogroup is H8, an ancient subgroup of H, tracing back to present-day Turkey and Syria around 30,000 years ago. H8 migrated to the Altay Mountains of Central Asian.

Fun fact: Famous people from Haplogroup H are Luke the Evangelist, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Philip and Susan Sarandon.

Neanderthal Ancestry:

It is estimated that my genome-wide percentage of Neanderthal is 2.6. Neanderthal characteristics are heavy eyebrow ridge; long, low bigger skull; and prominent nose with developed nasal chambers for cold-air protection. I am ranked 57^th among my matches on 23andMe, some with a percentage as low as 1.3%, some as high as 3.4%.

Although the Neanderthal percentage was a fun portion of my testing, the truly helpful part was the matches to other users at 23andMe. To date I have 854 DNA relatives just on the 23andMe site alone. I also upload my results to GEDmatch.com and have found further matches there, although I haven’t done much with that yet since I’ve barely scratched the surface with my original matches on 23andMe.

I have been fairly selective in sending invitations to matches because it can be incredibly overwhelming when you get a high volume of responses all at once. I tend to send messages/an invitation to share genomes to closer DNA relative matches (2^nd to 4^th cousins) because it is easier to find the shared ancestor with a closer matching relative than a distant relative, although I will also contact distant relatives if they have surnames and geographical locations that match my genealogy research. Most of my matches are 3^rd to distant cousins. I’ve been matched to three 2^nd-4^th cousins, but 1 is “private” so I can’t contact them. He’s a male from Northern Europe and we share 4 segments of DNA. Which is cool to know, but I can’t really do anything with this information without knowing the specifics, such as which segments we share, what some of his ancestors’ surnames are, etc. Grr! I’m waiting for a response from the other two. 

I’ve had two successful matches, where we could pinpoint our shared ancestor. That’s been very exciting, since one was confirming the ancestral line of my great grandmother’s biological father. She was adopted so that was the information I needed to confirm my genealogical research, and it was the initial reason I did DNA testing to begin with! That was a fantastic day.

Now I’m hoping to find a male ancestor on my father’s line (Farrer), so that I can find out his haplogroup. So far, no luck, but sometimes with genealogy research, it’s a matter of patience; waiting for new information to emerge. I have recently found a cousin from my Farrer line, however, he is a descendant from a female in that line so he has a different haplogroup. Without the benefit of DNA testing I would never have known of this cousin. Now I have his ancestors’ names and locations that I can compare with my own research to find our shared ancestor. What I know so far is that his Farrer ancestors and mine were in the same geographical location, in the same time frame and have the same surname. I’m confident this is our probable connection. Now I just need to figure it out! Which is why my kitchen table and office wall look like this…

Happy hunting, fellow gene geeks!

Coming to Canada, Kissing Cousins and DNA.

In a prior post I wrote about my Vidito line, from my 7^th to 10^th great grandfathers. To recap, my 10^th great grandfather, Jean Vittiteau, a Huguenot fled from France due to religious persecution, and immigrated to New York via Amsterdam about 1660. At the close of the American Revolution my 6^th great grandfather, John Vidito and his family sought refuge in Nova Scotia. This is where we pick up today.

John Vidito was born in 1737 in Long Island, New York. He served in the Military in Connecticut in 1759 and was married to his wife, Sarah (maiden name unknown) some time prior to 1771. According to documentation they had four children: Charlotte, Phebe, Jesse and Jacob. 

Jacob is my 5^th great grandfather. He was born in 1781 in Long Island, New York and was in Annapolis, Nova Scotia with his family by 1784. We know this because his mother died in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia in 1784. Jacob married Mary Elizabeth Weatherby and from the records I’ve found, they had six children: Jacob, John, Mary Eliza, Sarah, James and my 4^th great grandfather, Robert Weatherby Vidito. Robert was born in 1816 in Annapolis, Nova Scotia and married Mary Ann Vidito. That’s right, they both had the surname Vidito. I was fairly certain right away that they were related, but needed to map out the families to figure out how.

Mary Ann Vidito was born in 1818 in Annapolis, Nova Scotia to her parents, John Vidito and Ann Daley. Johns’ parents are Jesse Vidito (1771-1850) and Isabel Fisher (1774-1844). Jesse’s parents are (drum roll please…): John and Sarah Vidito, my 7^th great grandparents, who settled in Nova Scotia at the close of the American Revolution. Jesse and Jacob are brothers, which means Robert Weatherby Vidito and Mary Ann Vidito are second cousins.

Robert and Mary Ann had one child that I’ve found documentation for, my 3^rd great grandfather, Samuel Vidito. He was born October 9, 1836 in Annapolis, Nova Scotia and married Elizabeth McKenzie on December 23, 1857 in Nictaux, Nova Scotia. Their children, according to documentation, are: William Henry (1860-1944), Charles (1863-?), Elias (1864-1931), Katy M. (1871-1937) and Milford (1876-?). 

Elias Vidito is my 2^nd great grandfather. He was born June 10, 1864 in Nictaux Falls, Nova Scotia. He married Mary Jane Sabean on June 11, 1888 in Wilmot, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. They had many children: Chester, Laura, Herman, Maggie, William Wilbert, Ernest Willard, Percy, Milford, Ada, Aubrey, Bessie, Leafy May, Eva May, Clarence Walter, Victoria, and Helen Mae.

Leafy May is my great grandmother. She was born January 29, 1901 in Bridgetown, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. She married my great grandfather, George Angus Grant on March 24, 1920 in Paradise, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. They also had many children: Daisy, Murray, Harold, Gerald, George, Margaret (Peggy), Shirley, Anna and my grandfather, Angus Freeman Grant. 

I recently had my DNA tested through 23andMe and was matched to over 800 cousins, ranging from 3^rd to distant. I contacted a potential match on my Vidito line and received a message from her the other day confirming that her 2^nd great grandparents are also Elias Vidito and Mary Jane Sabean! This means we are 3^rd cousins! It is exciting to have made a confirmed match to a new relative, AND it confirms that my research is correct. Now going forward I can compare other matches to her DNA and mine, and if we both get a match, we know we are related through this line!

Sources:

www.novascotiagenealogy.com

Vidito, John Vidito of New York City and His Descendants, A Huguenot Founder of an American Family, by Alice L. Priest

My Pickett Lineage In Colonial America

Previously on Unearthing Ancestors I have written about my Vidito and Barnum lines. Both of these ancestral lines arrived in America in the 1600s. Today, I will explore another line of my Pilgrim ancestors that links the Vidito and Barnum families: the Pickett family. The Picketts were early settlers of Connecticut. In the book History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896, Pickett is referred to as an “ancient” name. When this book was written (1896) there were still headstones with this name standing in good condition in the town's first burial ground. Originally called The Old Town Plot, it was renamed Wooster Street Cemetery in 1820. I haven’t visited Danbury yet, but I hope to, and I would definitely go to this cemetery to see if any of the original headstones are still there.

 

Credit: Jan Franco

The earliest documentation I have found for a Pickett ancestor is Zerubabbel Pickett, born about 1591 in Kent, England. He is my 11^th great grandfather. His son, John Pickett was born about 1616 in Derbyshire, England. John married his wife, Margaret Metcalfe in Derbyshire in 1642 and they arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1648. Four of their children (John, James, Thomas and Sarah) were baptized on September or November 19, 1648 in Salem (MA Vital Records says September, The Genealogy and History of the Families of Old Fairfield says November). Either way, we know they were born prior to that time, most likely in England. From baptism and estate records, we know John and Margaret went on to have three more children after their arrival: Rebecca, Daniel and Jacob.

 In 1660 John and Margaret moved to Stratford Township, Fairfield County, Connecticut. John served as Constable in 1667, Selectman in 1669, and Deputy to Colonial Assembly from 1673 to 1675. Margaret passed away on October 6, 1683 in Stratford at the age of 62. Thomas died, also in Stratford, on April 11, 1684.

It is John and Margaret’s son, Thomas Pickett (my 9^th great grandfather) who married Sarah Barnum (my 9^th great grandmother), connecting the Pickett and Barnum families. Thomas was born about 1643 in England, and as we know was baptized in Salem, Massachusetts in 1648. He and Sarah married in 1690 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Thomas had children from before and after this date, giving us a good idea of which children are from his first marriage, to Abigail Seymour:  Abigail, Jacob, Hannah, Ephraim and Thomas; and which are from his marriage to Sarah: Sarah, James, Joseph, Benjamin and Ebenezer.

Thomas and Sarah’s daughter, Sarah Pickett, is my 8^th great grandmother. She married John Vidito, my 8th great grandfather, and the grandson of Jean Vittiteau, a Huguenot refugee who  arrived in New York in 1660. 

I hope I have concisely presented the links between my Barnum, Vidito and Pickett ancestral lines.  If you are a visual person, here is a picture of this branch of my tree, which I’ve taken from my Grant/Farrer Family Tree on www.ancestry.ca.

Sources:
History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896
The Genealogy and History of the Families of Old Fairfield
Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850, Vol: Salem-V2
Boston, MA: Births, Baptisms, Marriges and Deaths, 1630-1699
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s - 1900s

U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection)
Millenium File (ancestry.ca)
Family Data Collection - Individuals, Births, Deaths (ancestry.ca)

Happy researching!

Thomas Barnum (1625-1695), One of the Original Eight Settlers of Danbury, Connecticut

Last month I wrote about my Vidito ancestry. One of those ancestors, John Vidito (1686-1745), my 8^th great grandfather, married Sarah Pickett, my 8^th great grandmother. Sarah was born September 21, 1694 in Stratford, Connecticut to her parents, Thomas Pickett and Sarah Barnum. Pickett is described as an “ancient family” in North America. I’ll do a post on this line another day. Sarah Barnum is the daughter of Hannah (whose maiden name I have yet to confirm) and Thomas Barnum, one of the “Original Eight” settlers of Danbury, Connecticut.

Thomas Barnum (or Barnham) was born about 1625 in Hollingbourne Hill, England. It is believed he immigrated to North America about 1640 and settled in Fairfield County, Connecticut in 1655, however, I have yet to confirm this information. He married Hannah in Norwalk, Fairfield, CT in 1660, and they had nine children: Thomas, Sarah (my 9^th great grandmother), Esther, Abigail, Francis, Elizabeth, Richard, John, Hannah and Ebenezer; all of which were born in Norwalk from the years 1663 to 1682. His wife, Hannah, died in 1683 in Norwalk. Thomas remarried in 1688 to Sarah Thompson, the widow of John Hurd, Sr. Thomas received an appointment in Norwalk to “keep decorum during the exercise on the Sabbath, and at other public meetings, and to keep a small stick to moderately correct the disorderly.” I gather from this that his religious beliefs were, indeed, very strict.

Records state he “purchased land at Norwalk, as early as 1662,” that “the assessment of Thomas’ estate in lands in Norwalk, in 1671 and 1687 (was) forty pounds,” that “Thos. Barnum hath by purchase of John Crump one parcel of land at Maximuss, being in quantity by estimation three quarters of an acre more of less,” and that in Norwalk on April 30, 1678 “the plantation granted to Thomas Barnum was ‘three acres lying by the land said Thomas purchased of John Ragment.’” We also know he “settled in Fairfield, and before 1678 sold his land…to Alexander Bryan; removed to Norwalk, and was a founder of Danbury.”

Danbury was settled only eleven years when Thomas died. It states in the probate records from Fairfield that he died December 26^th, 1695, leaving a widow (Sarah), five sons and five daughters, and that some of them were “under age”. Sarah returned to her former town of Stratford after his death.

The book History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896 proved to be a valuable resource, not only for information about my ancestors, but about how Connecticut came to be. It states that in 1631 “an Indian sachem visited the governors of the Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies, urging them to send Englishmen to settle in the Connecticut Valley; and soon after Governor Winslow, of Plymouth, visited it. The next year other parties from Massachusetts explored the valley, and reported it as good”. Between 1634 and 1639 parties set out to plant towns in Connecticut, specifically in the Hartford and New Haven areas. In 1640, Norwalk was purchased from the Indians, but the town wasn’t permanently settled until 1651. It is from this town that seven of the original eight left to settle in Danbury: Thomas Barnum, Thomas Taylor, Francis Bushnell, John Hoyt, James Benedict, Samuel Benedict and Judah Gregory. James Beebe was the only one not from Norwalk, he came from Stratford. Some relocated in the summer of 1684 and throughout the winter, and the last to relocate did so in the spring of 1685. They all lived at the south end of Town Street, beginning at the south end; Taylor, Bushnell, Barnum and Hoyt on the west side, the two Benedicts, Beebe and Gregory on the east side.

Danbury is located in northern Fairfield County, and it is believed the route the original settlers took was “on the west side of the pond”. The town had fir trees, alders and a swamp, and the first settlers almost called the town Swampfield, but were deterred from doing so by an arbitrary action for the general court. They decided on the name Danbury, which originates from a town in England called Danebury, meaning a camp or town of the Danes.

Danbury’s nickname was Beantown. It is believed this originated from Danbury’s reputation to produce a very small, round white bean “of excellent quality”. However, another explanation is that the site was bought from the Indians with a peck of beans.

Since my direct ancestor in the Barnum line is female, this is where the Barnum name ends in my lineage. However, many records can be found pertaining to Thomas Barnum’s descendants in Connecticut through Sarah’s brothers. Two ancestors were soldiers in the Revolutionary War and their names appear on a memorial plaque in Newtown, CT: Thomas Barnum and Isaac Barnum.

There is a chapter in History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896 entitled Danbury in the Revolution, which tells us that Noble Benedict formed a company of soldiers, and among the names listed are: Second Sergeant Eliph Barnum, and musicians Seth Barnum, John Barnum, Eli Barnum, Lazarus Barnum and Eben Barnum. Captain Benedict’s company joined the 16^th Regiment and was “ordered to duty with the northern arm, reporting to Lake Champlain.” They were enlisted for six months and returned without losing a single member. Others from Danbury served, but had enlisted elsewhere. It was the capture and burning of Danbury by the British in April of 1777 that prompted Generals Wooster, Arnold and Silliman to respond, leading to the death of General Wooster, who was brought to Danbury and buried there.

Among the many details this book provides about this period in American history, there is a sad story of a young man by the name of Barnum who was captured by the British: “Porter and a man named Barnum are believed to be the only prisoners the enemy carried away from Danbury. They were taken to New York City and confined in the infamous Sugar House prison. Porter was subsequently released and returned home, but Barnum died there from starvation. When found he had a piece of brick in his hand, holding it to his mouth, as if to draw moisture from it to cool his feverish throat.”

This lines up with another story from the same book: “We mentioned in a previous paper the death of a young man named Barnum, in the Sugar House prison in New York. His father, Colonel Joseph Barnum, was seriously affected by the deplorable fate of his boy, and became so full of the spirit of vengeance, that on the next day after getting the news he loaded his gun and started out to avenge himself on sympathizers with the British. Seeing a Tory at work in a field the half-crazed father fired at him, wounding him severely. He had previously been a professedly pious man, but frequently after the loss of his son concluded his devotions in his family by invoking a curse upon ‘old King George and his hellish crew.’”

Well, I don’t think I should end on such a heavy note, so here is a fun fact: Through Thomas Barnum I am related to P.T. Barnum, the founder of Barnum & Bailey Circus. We are apparently 4^th cousins, 7x removed. I haven’t researched him at all, but if Wikipedia’s information is to be believed he was quite a shady bloke. I think he would’ve been hit many times by our great Grand-Pappy’s stick. I’m sure I would’ve received a few good whacks myself.

 

Sources:

Catalogue of Names of the Early Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut

Founders of Early American Families

History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896

History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield

Immigrants to America Before 1750

The Ancestral Heads of New England Families, 1620-1700

 

The Vidito Lineage: Seeking Refuge in the New World

What if you always thought you were the second generation on both sides of your family to be born in Canada? What if you also thought that both sides of your family were from Scotland, but then as you started to research you discovered only one grandparent was actually born in Scotland? What if, in fact, you had very deep roots in Canada and in the colonies prior to the American Revolution? That is what I discovered and it fascinated me!

 

In genealogy, you start with what you know and work your way backwards. To my surprise it led me to ancestors carving out a life for themselves in the New World after fleeing religious persecution in France, up until the time they had to again seek refuge in a new land following the American Revolution. My great grandmother on my maternal grandfather’s side, Leafy May Vidito comes from a long line of early settlers that, like a neatly wrapped Christmas gift, are astonishingly well-documented.  Here is an overview of the Vidito line:

My great grandmother, Leafy May Vidito was born in Bridgetown, Annapolis, NS on January 29, 1901 to her parents, Elias and Mary Jane (Sabean) Vidito, who were also born in NS.

My 2^nd great grandfather, Elias was born in Nictaux Falls, Annapolis, NS on June 10, 1864 to his parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (McKenzie) Vidito.

My 3^rd great grandfather, Samuel was born in Annapolis Royal, NS to his parents, Robert Weatherby and Mary Ann (Vidito) Vidito. 

My 4^th great grandfather, Robert was born about 1816 in Annapolis, NS to his parents, Jacob and Mary Elizabeth (Weatherby) Vidito.

My 5^th great grandfather, Jacob Vidito was born about 1781 in Long Island, NY to his parents, John and Sarah (unknown) Vidito. 

My 6^th great grandfather, John was born about 1737 in Long Island, NY. His father’s name was also John Vidito, but I have yet to discover his mother’s name.  John served in the Seven Years’ War (known as the French and Indian War in America) in 1756 and 1759 according to the Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. To quote vol. IX, French and Indian War Rolls, 1755-1757, vol. 1 (pp156, 157): “Campaign of 1756, Fourth Regiment, “Against Crown Point etc in the Pay of the Colony of Conn, 1756… Eighth Company, Capt. Wood, of Danbury… John Videto one of the privates.  A report on the condition of the forces, called ‘This muster roll, signed by Henry Leddel Muster Master General, is dated at Camp at Fort William Henry Oct 13, 1756’ (State Library, Adams Papers). Of this Eighth Company, 24 were ‘Sick at Alby’, including the captain, 1^st lieutenant, sergeant”.  And from vol. II, 1758-1762 (p 150), “Campaign of 1759, Third Regiment, Fifth Company…John Videto, one of the privates, enlisted April 3, and was discharged Dec. 3, and there is a star indicating that he was one of those who had ‘servd’ ‘in a former Campaign’.”

This was the first of the Vidito line to settle in Nova Scotia. John and Sarah moved their family to NS sometime between 1781 and 1784. It had to have been between these years because Jacob was born in Long Island, NY about 1781, and his mother died in Annapolis Royal, NS in 1784. According to the book, Vidito, John Vidito of New York City and His Descendants: A Huguenot Founder of an American Family, by Alice L. Priest, Brookline, it states that the first ancestor to settle in Nova Scotia, John Vidito did so “with the Loyalists”. Alice L. Priest quotes from the book: Queens County, New York (published 1882), “Their resistance to the encroachments of regal power was as uncompromising as that of the people in other regions; though, by the force of circumstances, many were loyalists during the Revolutionary struggle… It must be remembered that Long Island had about three hundred miles of vulnerable coast, which could not have been successfully defended against a marine force… Motives of personal safety and the preservation of their property would necessarily induce many either to remain inactive or join with the ranks of the opposition… The inhabitants who continued on the island were compelled to subscribe to the oath of fidelity to the king.” She also quotes Mrs. Sarah Vidito, a descendant of this Vidito line, born 1847 as saying that “she always understood that the Vidito family in Nova Scotia were refugees from the American Revolution”.

My 7^th great grandfather, John was born Nov 11, 1714 in Danbury, CT to his parents, John and Sarah (Pickett) Vidito. (Side note: Sarah Pickett is the daughter of Thomas Pickett and Sarah Barnum. Both the Barnum and Pickett families are of the original settlers of Danbury, CT. I will write future posts about these families)

My 8^th great grandfather, John was born about 1686 in Greenwich, CT to his parents, Jasper and Sarah (Palmer) Vidito.

My 9^th great grandfather, Jasper was born about 1660 in the Netherlands to Jean and Jeanjte (Jaspers) Vittiteau. He was christened shortly after in New York, NY.

My 10^th great grandfather, Jean Vittiteau was born about 1630 in Condom, France. Jean was the first Vittiteau settler in the colonies. He was a Huguenot, who fled France due to religious persecution. For those unfamiliar with the Wars of Religion that were fought between 1562 and 1598, Huguenots were French Protestants inspired by John Calvin’s writings in the 1530s. As their numbers grew, Catholic hostility also grew, resulting in the wars until the Huguenots were granted religious, political and military autonomy under the Edict of Nantes. However, fighting started again in the 1620s and the Huguenots were defeated and their political and military privileges were taken away. They kept their religious freedom until Louis XIV abolished it by issuing the Edict of Fontainebleau (1685), forcing the Huguenots to convert. Many were killed or submitted, but about 500,000 Huguenots fled France by the early 18^th century.

Again citing from Alice L. Priest’s book on John Vidito it states that Jean fled with his family to Holland and subsequently to New Amsterdam with the Dutch settlers of New York. Alice L. Priest’s book is a treasure trove of Vidito family history, documenting each family member and their offspring from 1630 in Condom, France all the way up to the early 1900s in Nova Scotia. It has been an invaluable resource in the research of my Vidito ancestors.

For those of you who, like me, are stuck on where Jean Vittiteau is from… yes, I find it incredibly humorous that my 10^th great grandfather, the man responsible for vast amounts of descendants, is from Condom. I hate to ruin the fun but it has nothing to do with the English word. It comes from the Gaulish (an ancient Celtic language) phrase condate-o-magos, meaning market of the confluence. Not as funny but pretty cool. This is as far as I have researched the Vidito line so far, but felt it was well-worth writing about. Hopefully, I can dig even deeper and do a future post on the Vidito line again.

Happy researching, fellow genealogy geeks!