The Risteen and Sparling Branches of My Family Tree

In my last two blog posts I’ve written about my Sabean ancestors in Nova Scotia and New England. Today, I will connect the Sabean branch to the Risteen and Sparling branches, beginning with my 4^th great grandfather, Davis Sabean, who married my 4^th great grandmother, Catherine Risteen.

Catherine was born in 1806 in Nova Scotia. Her parents are Joseph Risteen and Catherine Sparling. There are numerous records supporting that Joseph Risteen was a Loyalist who settled in New Brunswick after the American Revolution:

1.     Joseph Ristine, Wheelwright, The Pennsylvania Line. Source: Journals and Diaries of the Revolution With Lists of Officers and Soldiers, 1775-1783,

2.     “RISTINE, Joseph. Wheelwright and Pilot for the King. Came alone. Born in 1750 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died 6 August 1839 at Shelburne. Admiral Digby recommended that he receive land for services rendered. Recommended by Captain Dole.” Source: Names Submitted To Be Part Of The Port Roseway Associates Group Of United Empire Loyalists Evacuated From New York to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, 1783, globalgenealogy.com

3.     He is also listed in the Minutes Of The Proceedings Of The Port Roseway Associates 1782, globalgenealogy.com

4.     “Ristine, Joseph. Port Roseway Associate (408:48)” Source: Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol. I

5.     “Ristine, Joseph. Wheelwright; Port Roseway Associate (6:17)” Source: Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol. II

6.     “Joseph Risteen, residence about 1784, New Brunswick, Canada, Comments: Loyalists to Britain”, Source: New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920

7.     Joseph Risteen, wheelwright, origin: Pennsylvania, family: 0, servants: 0, remarks: New Brunswick. Source: Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale), Loyalist Reference Documents: Shelburne, Nova Scotia Loyalists, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

8.     Died 1839 in Carlton, New Brunswick, age 90. Source: Loyalists of American Revolution, p214

As mentioned above, Joseph Risteen was born in 1750 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and arrived in Shelburne, Nova Scotia in 1783. He and his wife, Catherine Sparling left Nova Scotia some time after 1806, to settle in New Brunswick. We know this because Catherine was born in Nova Scotia in 1806. Joseph died August 6, 1839, in Carleton County, New Brunswick. He is buried in Jacksonville Community Cemetery, Carleton Co. Also buried in the same cemetery are:

RISTEEN, Catherine, b. 1764, d. 1841 (on same headstone as Joseph)

RISTEEN, Jacob, b. 1804, d. 1844

RISTEEN, Eliza Camber, b. 1812, d. 1887 “relict of Jacob RISTEEN”

RISTEEN, Ruth A, b. Jan 1836, d. Jul 1883, “d/o Jacob”

Joseph’s wife, Catherine Sparling, was born in 1764 in New York City, New York. Her parents are Peter William Sparling and Margaret Fissell. Catherine has eight siblings:

1.     Ann Sparling, b. 13 Nov 1760, NY; m. Bartholomew Musgrave, 27 Sep 1778

2.     Mary Catherine, b. abt. 1762, NY

3.     William Peter, b. 1769, NY; m. Eleanor Leaver, 30 Oct 1791, Sydney, NS

4.     Jacob, b. 31 Oct 1770, NY

5.     Philip, b. abt. 1775; d. 1848

6.     Margaret, b. 1 Nov 1776, NY; m. Adam Moore, 14 Nov 1793; d. 29 Aug 1838

7.     George, b. 30 Jun 1782, NY; m. Ann Jefferson, 30 Jul 1811; d. 1817

8.     Margaret Ann, b. 1786, Sydney, NS; m. William Averns, Sep 1820

Catherine’s father, Peter Sparling, was born in 1732 in Ireland. He and his wife Margaret Fissell were married in 1754, in Ireland, prior to emigrating to New York. They were on board the ship “Pery”, departing from Limerick and arriving in New York in 1760. Peter was also on the list of names submitted to be part of The Port Roseway Associates group of United Empire Loyalists evacuated from New York to Shelburne, Nova Scotia 1783. It states he arrived in Shelburne with a woman and 6 children, and that he later settled in Sydney. Peter died on February 4, 1820 in Nova Scotia. He was 89 years old. His wife, Margaret, was born in Killiheen, Ireland (date unknown) and died on February 15, 1820 in North West Arm, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The challenge for me with writing this blog is that in genealogy there is no end. There are always more records to find, more stories to suss out. I find it extremely difficult to end a post. It probably seems simple and concise (or at least that’s my goal) but in reality, there are many trails I could follow all the time, and individual stories for each name mentioned. My hope is that if you happen upon this blog and find someone you are connected to it’ll give you a springboard to discover more about your ancestor. After all, the true joy in genealogy is finding discoveries for yourself!

Until next time, happy hunting, fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

1.     New Brunswick Cemeteries, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

2.     Bio Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution, Vol. 2, p. 214

3.     Names submitted to be part of The Port Roseway Associates group of United Empire Loyalists evacuated from New York to Shelburne, Nova Scotia 1783, globalgeneaology.com

4.     Minutes Of The Proceedings Of The Port Roseway Associates 1782, globalgenealogy.com

5.     Journals and Diaries of the Revolution With Lists of Officers and Soldiers, 1775-1783

6.     Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale), Loyalist Reference Documents: Shelburne, Nova Scotia Loyalists, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

7.     Loyalists of American Revolution

8.     New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920

9.     Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol. I

    10.  U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s

My Sabean Ancestors In Nova Scotia, Part II: Finding Roots In Massachusetts

I have been trying to uncover information about my 4^th great grandfather’s parents to no avail. I am still stuck with the only record being his death registration, listing his parents as Jeremiah and Sarah Sabean. The other information, which is from family trees on ancestry.ca has his parents listed as Jeremiah Sabean and Margaret Lewis.

The informant on the death registration for Davis Sabean is Jacob Sabean, and on the same page in the book of recorded deaths, Jacob Sabean is also the name of the informant for Davis’ wife, Catherine, as well as an Eleanor Sabean (35yrs), Martha M Sabean (23yrs) and (blank) Sabean, a female infant. At first, I thought Jacob was the son of Davis and Catherine, but as I continued searching for more information on him it led me in a different direction. I found a marriage registration for a Jacob Sabean and Martha Maria Condon, and on the death registration for the infant Sabean, her parents are listed as Jacob and Martha Sabean. This seems to line up with the informant being this Jacob Sabean, their husband and father. However, according to Jacob and Martha’s marriage registration and their son, Elmer’s birth registration, Jacob is a Mariner/Fisherman, whereas on the infant girl’s death registration, her father’s occupation is listed as Farmer. Even so, the other information seems too strong to ignore, and I have found other ancestors who were both fishermen and farmers, so this is not out of the realm of possibility. Jacob and Martha were married Dec 7, 1867 in Parker’s Cove, Annapolis, Nova Scotia; their son, Elmer was born abt 1869 in Port Lorne, Annapolis, NS; their daughter was born and died on June 16, 1873 in Port Williams, Annapolis, NS; and Martha died June 24, 1873 in Port Williams, Annapolis, NS. According to Jacob and Martha’s marriage registration Jacob is 23 years old (therefore born about 1844), that he was born in Port Williams, Annapolis, NS, and his parents are David and Susanna. It seems likely that although this Jacob is not the son of Davis and Catherine, he and the deceased that he was the informant for are related. I hoped to link Davis and David in the hopes of confirming who Davis’ parents are through a possible sibling or a misspelling of his name, but was unable to find further information on David and Susannah.

Although I cannot confirm with records at this time who Davis’ parents are, there is one thing I am certain of through historical documentation, and that is that the Sabean line in Nova Scotia traces back to William Sabin of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. If the line is correct, William is my 9^th great grandfather. In learning about William I came across some shocking information. William Sabin was the foreman of the jury that convicted three Native Americans for killing John Sassomon in 1675. The men were hanged, which triggered the start of King Philip’s War. William’s mill was burned to the ground and his son, Nehemiah, was killed. Approximately 3,000 Native Americans and 1,000 Colonists died in the war.

William’s son, Benjamin, had a son, Jeremiah (I), who had a son Jeremiah (II), who was the Sabean ancestor that first settled in Nova Scotia.

Jeremiah Sabean Junior was born February 17, 1717 in Pomfret (formerly Woodstock), Windham County, Connecticut. He married Susanna La Vallee of Quebec, and emigrated to Argyle, Queen’s county (now Yarmouth), Nova Scotia in 1762. He was a fisherman, and in 1765 he made his way west along the Atlantic coast with Jonathan Strickland, Moses Morrell, Borden Thurber, Christopher Strickland and Robert Morrell, and they decided to stop at the mouth of the Sissiboo River. They built a log building on the west bank of the river, on the southeast side of St. Mary’s Bay. In 1766, Jeremiah crossed the Sissiboo River and settled on Lot 17, division letter R. He is also described as helping to clear Lot 18 with a mention of it being “much improved”. Along with the above information, the book A Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia, also lists Jeremiah and Susanna’s children, who they married, and some information on their children’s children. It is here I found Jeremiah and Susanna’s son, also named Jeremiah (III) who married Margaret Lewis. So, although I haven’t found direct information linking my 4^th great grandfather, Davis, to Jeremiah III and Margaret, I now know this couple is documented in historical literature, making it more plausible that this is my ancestral line, and that Jeremiah also had a wife, Sarah, that we just can’t find further documentation for, or possibly that the informant wrote down an incorrect name for Davis’ mother on his death registration.

I am still not satisfied with the information I have found and will continue to look for more substantial documentation. However, I am very happy to have found books and records that confirm my Sabean line connects to William Sabin in Massachusetts. This is the connection leading back to England, which I look forward to following up on in the future.

Until next time, happy hunting my fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

A Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia
A Genealogy and History of the Hute (Chute) Family in America
Soldiers In King Philip’s War
Wikipedia.org

My Sabean Ancestors in Nova Scotia

Well, it’s official. I made huge, time-consuming genealogical researching goofs (yes, more than one) while trying to put my blog post together for June. My purpose in writing a genealogy blog is to have a place where I can organize my findings in a concise, easy to read format, and my goal is to do one post per month. I started compiling my research for June’s post, which inevitably led to further research in an effort to tie up some loose ends. This turned into two weeks of reading a 700+ page history book online and carefully documenting every mention of my known ancestors. I was so happy when I completed the book. A stack of notes in hand, I was ready to write my post. One small problem: I couldn’t connect this line to my Vidito ancestors. I researched the wrong branch of my family tree! You see, I am trying to be very methodical about what I post, so I’ve decided to focus on my great grandmother, Leafy May Vidito’s line and its’ various offshoots. However, the line I ended up researching for two weeks turned out to be an offshoot of my great grandfather, George Angus Grant’s line. After much thought, in keeping with my methodical approach, I decided to shelf that information, and continue with another offshoot of the Vidito line: The Sabeans.

Well, that opened up a whole other can of worms. This line is one of the very first ones I discovered when I started doing genealogy research. At the time, I was ecstatic to have such remarkable results so early on in my research that I was careless… So, I humbly admit to two more errors that I now had to rectify: I didn’t document some of my sources AND I saved information from ancestry.ca users’ family trees on to my family tree that did not have documentation to back up their findings. Not only were these costly mistakes, but ones that I PRIDE myself on ardently avoiding. I don’t know which was worse, the fact that I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, or the extra large slice of humble pie I was now eating. After a small pity party, realizing I wasn’t going to make the deadline for my June post, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and forged ahead. I had to meticulously go through all the information for each person, researching them AGAIN to make sure I could back up the information with hard, cold documentation, ensuring I made detailed notes as to where I found the information, and where possible, attaching the record to the appropriate person.  Much of the information could not be verified so I had to remove it. This was painful. Please learn from my mistakes. Impatience and eagerness can be your undoing. Go slow, be meticulous, WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

Now back to this month’s topic, the Sabeans. We connect to this line through Leafy’s father, Elias Vidito (my 2^nd great grandfather). Elias married Mary Jane Sabean on June 11, 1888 in Wilmot, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. They had the following children:

Herman (1888-1965)

Maggie (1889-)

William Wilbert (1891-1966)

Ernest Willard (1892-1963)

Percy (1893-)

Milford (1894-)

Ada (1896-)

Aubrey (1897-1918)

Bessie (1899-)

Leafy May (1901-)

Eva May (1903-)

Clarence Walter (1904-)

Victoria (1909-)

Helen Mae (1911-1984)

There are two other children listed in family trees on ancestry.ca, however, I haven’t found records for them, so I did not include them above. They are Laura and Chester.

 

My 2^nd great grandmother, Mary Jane is the daughter of Ambrose Sabean and Joanna Taylor. They had the following children (including Mary Jane):

 

John (abt. 1854-)

George (abt. 1856-)

Robert C. (1858-1935)

Alexander (abt. 1858-)

Margaret Ann (1860-1940)

Matilda (abt. 1863-)

Joseph (1866-1956)

Mary Jane (1868-1947)

Idella (1868-1951)

Ambrose Jr (1872-1937)

 

Mary Jane’s father, Ambrose Sabean was born about 1836 in Clarence, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. He was a fisherman and is listed as serving as a volunteer in the 69^th Regiment of the Militia in 1868 and 1871. He married Mary Jane’s mother on March 2, 1854 in Bridgetown, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. The 1871 census shows Elias was living in Clarence, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia with Joanna, and their children. Ten years later the 1881 census shows their situation had drastically changed. In fact, I couldn’t find the family at all. After some searching I realized the family was no longer together. I found an Ambrose Sabine, 44, living in Digby, Nova Scotia with a Susan H Sabine, 28.  They are both listed as married. Also living with them is a James E Sabine, 22.

I found Joanna Sabine, 45, on the census, listed as single and living in Bridgetown with a John Blanchard, 56, widower. Also living at this residence is a younger John Blanchard, 23, and a Jane Blanchard, 20. According to the 1891 census Joanna is still living with John Blanchard, 65, widower. On this census there is a column for relationship to head of house, and she is listed as “cousin”. Others listed at this residence are: James Blanchard, 54, brother; George Rhinard, 30, cousin; Idella Rhinard, 23, wife; Joseph Rhinard, 4, son; Harry Rhinard, 4, son; Eliza Rhinard, 1, daughter; and John Blanchard, 10, son.

 

So far I have found two clear connections to the Blanchard family: Ambrose and Joanna’s daughter, Margaret, married James Blanchard, son of Nicholas and Mary Blanchard, in 1877; and their son, Joseph, married Jane Blanchard, daughter of John and Harriet Blanchard in 1886.

 

The Idella Rhinard on this record is Joanna’s daughter, twin sister of my 2^nd great grandmother Mary Jane. Her first husband was Parker Sabean (1883), and her second husband was George Rhinard (1889). On the second marriage registration she is listed as Mrs. Parker Sabens, 21 years of age and a widow. Interestingly, only her father is listed as her parent. I’m curious as to why her mother’s name is absent, especially since they are living in the same household two years later. I can only speculate what family drama may have taken place after Ambrose and Joanna’s marriage dissolved, but in any case, all these pieces come together to support the fact that it is the correct Joanna “Sabine” living with John Blanchard on the 1881 and 1891 census records. I searched through the entire 1881 census for Annapolis and couldn’t find the underage children from Ambrose and Joanna’s marriage, or for Robert, who would have been 23 at the time. Hopefully with more research I will be able to locate the children.

 

Without further documentation I am unable to say for certain when Ambrose and Joanna separated, but I did find a document that may give us insight in to why their marriage ended. When I found the birth registration for Ambrose’s next child, David, he is listed as “illegitimate” and the son of Ambrose Sabean and Sarah Jane Wilkins, “not married”. David was born November 20, 1875.

 

I haven’t found a marriage registration for Ambrose and Susan, which I was really hoping to find in order to clarify if Susan H and Sarah Jane Wilkins are the same person.  If Ambrose had an affair, which led to an illegitimate child and the end of his marriage, and then married another woman shortly after, that would take my ancestors straight into soap opera territory. Which begs the question: just how naughty have you been, Grandpa Ambrose? In searching for records for Susan H and Sarah Jane Wilkins, I came up empty, but in searching the 1871 census, there was a family just four dwellings away from Ambrose and Joanna, who had a daughter named Susie J Wilkins, age 14. There is some conflicting information on Susan’s name:

1871: Susie J Wilkins, 14 yrs (prior to marriage if this is the correct person)

1881: Susan H, 28 yrs

1891: Susan, 31 yrs

1901: J. Susie, b. Oct 15, 1857, 43 yrs

1911: Susan, b. Mar 1856, 54 yrs

I looked through the children’s birth, marriage and death records that I found on novascotiagenealogy.com,  and there is one with her middle name on it: Jane. The H as her middle initial on the 1881 census seems to be an error.

 

Ambrose and Susan’s children are:

David (1875-1950)

Linda (abt 1876-)

Solomon (1879-)

Amy (1880-)

William (1883-)

Susie (abt 1885-)

Eliza Jane (1886-)

Odessa (1889-1974)

Randolph (1891-1972)

Edith May (1893-)

Rosa (1894-1968)

Theodore (1895-1979)

Thomas (1900-)

 

According to family trees on ancestry.ca there is also an Amos (1881-), however I haven’t found any records for this person.

 

I haven’t found information confirming that David is Susan’s biological son, however, she is listed as his mother on future documents. Whether she is his biological mother or step-mother, I am unsure. I have found no records confirming that Sarah Jane Wilkins and Susan Jane Wilkins are the same person, though I suspect this is the case.

My 3^rd great grandfather, Ambrose Sabean’s parents are Davis Sabean and Catherine Risteen. Their children are:

 

Ambrose (abt 1836-)

Jacob (1839)

James  Manning (abt 1841-)

Joshua M (-1899)

Family trees on ancestry.ca have other children listed, but I have not found evidence for them. They are Mary Jane, Joseph, Matilda, Charles and John.

 

My 4^th great grandfather, Davis Sabean, was born about 1801 in Wilmot, Nova Scotia. He died April 27, 1873, age 72, in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. His parents are Jeremiah Sabean and Sarah (maiden name unknown). I have found lots of information about the Sabean family that have him listed as being born in 1798, with his parents listed as Jeremiah Sabean and Margaret Lewis. I have not been able to find any records to confirm this information, and unfortunately, the authors of the information I’ve found online haven’t given sources. So for now, I can only go with the Death Registration I’ve found, which has his parents listed as Jeremiah and Sarah Sabean. It is possible the informant gave the wrong name for the mother, but without any records to confirm or deny, I’ll have to leave it at that for now.

 

As you can see there is still a fair amount of missing, incomplete and conflicting information in this family, however, after an exhaustive search with no results, I’ll have to be content with what I have found for the time being. Hopefully I’ll have more to post on this family in the future. Until then, happy hunting fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

Birth Registrations (novascotiagenealogy.com)
Application for Registration of Birth (novascotiagenealogy.com)
Marriage Registrations (novascotiagenealogy.com)
Death Registrations (novascotiagenealogy.com)
1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921 Census of Canada (ancestry.ca)
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922 (ancestry.ca)
findagrave.com

The Marshalls of Nova Scotia: Discovering Roots in New England

I have previously written about the Vidito line of my family dating back to 1630 in France, escaping to New York in 1660 and then settling in Nova Scotia after the American Revolution. Along the way we connected with other branches, including the Barnum and Pickett lines, all of which led to my great grandmother, Leafy May Vidito. She was born in Bridgetown, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia on January 29, 1901, and married my great grandfather, George Angus Grant on March 24, 1920 in Annapolis Royal, NS. Today, I am going to begin tracing back one branch of my great grandfather, George Angus Grant’s tree, which, like my Vidito line, also connects back to Colonial America.

George was born on August 31, 1899 in Annapolis Royal, NS to his parents, Norman Grant and Bertha Early. He served in WW1 prior to marrying Leafy May Vidito. Leafy died January 8, 1989, and George died January 16, 1992. A few years ago I came across a post on a genealogy forum about the Grant family in Nova Scotia, and after I contacted the person, we found out we were second cousins! He gave me some amazing information on my great grandfather, George, including that when he retired his childhood home was up for sale so he and his daughter, Anna purchased it! He lived the remainder of his days in his childhood home and passed away at the age of 92.

George’s father, Norman Grant was born November 27, 1865 in Lawrencetown, Annapolis Co., NS. His birth registration has December 27, 1865 as his date of birth, but the 1901 census and his death record both have November 27, 1865 as his date of birth.  His parents are John Grant and Samantha Marshall. It is Samantha Marshall, my 3^rd great grandmother, that we are going to trace back today on her paternal line.

Marriage Register for John Grant and Samantha Marshall

Samantha Marshall was born August 23, 1843 in Annapolis Co., NS to her parents, Enoch Marshall and Jane Hanspiker. Samantha married John Grant on Christmas day 1864 in Harmony, Annapolis Co., NS. They had two children that I know of by documentation, Norman and Florence. Samantha’s husband, John, died November 8, 1872, just shy of 8 years after they were married. On the 1881 census Samantha is the “Head” of the house, living with her two children. By 1891 Samantha’s daughter, Florence had married James Slocomb and Samantha was living with them. Samantha died June 27, 1931 in Outram, Annapolis Co., NS. She was 87 years old when she died of stomach cancer and was buried in the Whitman Burying Ground, South Williamston, Annapolis Co., NS.



Samantha Marshall's Registration of Death

Samantha’s father, Enoch Marshall was born in 1807 in Annapolis Royal, NS to his parents, David Marshall and Elizabeth Beardsley. I have been unsuccessful in finding a death record for him, but there is an Enoch Marshall on the 1861 census living in Annapolis, NS with 3 males and 3 females in the household. There are also 2 listings for an Enoch Marshall in the City Directory in 1867 and 1869.

Enoch’s father, David Marshall was born September 17, 1786 in Clarence, Annapolis C., NS to his parents, Isaac Marshall and Mary Robbins. David married his wife, Elizabeth Beardsley on August 23, 1806. Elizabeth died of old age on August 17, 1867 in Port Williams, Annapolis Co., NS. David died on Feb 20, 1876, also of old age, and also in Port Williams, Annapolis Co., NS.

Death Register for David Marshall

David’s father, Isaac Marshall, is the first ancestor we find who connects the Nova Scotia branch of this family to the Massachusetts branch. There is some conflicting information about him, but this is what I can tell from records: Isaac was born June 10, 1748 in Ipswich, Massachusetts to his parents, William Marshall and Elizabeth Nason; he married his first wife, Mary Robbins in 1772; moved to Nova Scotia some time prior to David’s birth in 1786; and died December 6, 1824.

The conflicting information is about when Isaac moved to Nova Scotia, where he married Mary Robbins and who is great grandfather is.

In a handwritten book of marriages from ancestry.ca’s Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, we find the record of Isaac and Mary’s marriage. It reads, “Isaac Marshall and Mary Robbins both of Walpole are married by Joshua Clap, Esq., May 6^th, 1772”.

According to the book History of the County of Annapolis, Isaac and his family had moved to Nova Scotia in 1760. He is listed as being one of four great grandsons of William Marshall (born 1595), the first immigrant of this line to come to America. The information here lines up with records I’ve found pertaining to his birth, wife, and son, David, however, from the records I have found, Isaac is not a great grandson of William Marshall. He is the son of William Marshall (1710-1797), grandson of John Marshall Jr., (1671-1713) and great grandson of John Marshall Sr., (1632-1702), and 2^nd great grandson of yet another John Marshall.

According to the book History of the County of Annapolis, William was born in 1595, was a native of Cranebrook, Kent County, England and emigrated to New England on the ship Abigail, June 17, 1635. The ship master was Robert Hackwell, and the passengers were “duly certified by the minister and the Justice of the Peace as being Conformists, and as having taken the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.” To corroborate, I checked the Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600s and there is a William Marshall, age 40 on the ship Abigail which sailed in the Spring of 1635, departing from London and arriving in Massachusetts Bay. There were also four more listings for Marshalls on the Pilgrim Ships: 1) Francis Marshall, age 30, March 16, 1635 from London, England to New England on board the ship Christian; 2) Edmund Marshall and his family, May 6, 1635 from Weymouth to Massachusetts Bay on board the ship Hopewell; 3) Jo. Marshall, age 14, July/Sept 1635 from London, England to Massachusetts Bay also on board the ship Hopewell; and 4) Thomas Marshall, July-Sept 1635 from London to Massachusetts Bay on board the ship James. The Ship Lists are incomplete, so it is possible there were others with the name Marshall who immigrated to America, of which Isaac could be a descendant.

I will have to be content with not having a clear answer on this matter since I can’t find any further documentation to connect William Marshall (b.1595) to Isaac Marshall.

So let’s get back to what I do know… Isaac’s parents are William Marshall and Elizabeth Nason. William Marshall was born July 28, 1710 in Billerica, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to his parents John Marshall Jr., and Eunice Rogers. William married Elizabeth Nason December 4, 1736 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, and he died in Granville, Annapolis Co., NS on March 31, 1797. From this we know both Isaac and his father moved to Nova Scotia.

Marriage Register for William Marshall and Elizabeth Nason

John Marshall Jr., was born August 1, 1671 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA to his parents, John Marshall and Mary Burrage. He married Eunice Rogers December 8, 1695/6 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. He died January 25, 1713 and is buried in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA.

John Marshall Sr., appears to be the ancestor on this line that came over from England. He was baptized March 1, 1631 in Redbourn, Hertfordshire, England, and his parents names are John and Mary Marshall. I am unsure when he immigrated to New England, but it had to be prior to November 27, 1665 because he married Mary Burrage on this date in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. He died November 5, 1702 and was buried in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. His headstone reads, “HERE LIES Ye BODY OF Serjeant JOHN MARSHALL AGED 70 YEARS DYED NOVEMBER Ye 5^th. 1702”. So here we learn another great piece of information: John served in the military and was a Sergeant.  

The one constant in genealogy is you are never done. For every question you find an answer to, you find more questions to be answered! So this is the best information I have AT THIS TIME on my Marshall ancestors. As I continue to research and as more documents become available hopefully I will be able to fill in some blanks and find clarification for conflicting information.

Until next time… happy hunting, my fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

1861 Census of Canada (ancestry.ca)
1881 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
1891 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
1901 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
1911 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
A Genealogy and History of the Chute Family InAmerica (1894)
American Genealogical – Biographical Index (ancestry.ca)
Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906 (ancestry.ca)
Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918 (Library and Archives Canada)
Family Data Collection – Births (ancestry.ca)
Family Data Collection – Individual Records (ancestry.ca)
History of the County of Annapolis
Massachusetts, Find A Grave Index, 1620_2013 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Town Birth Records, 1620-1850 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Town Death Records, 1620-1850 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Town And Vital Records, 1620-1988 (ancestry.ca)
Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics

Pilgrim Ships Lists Early 1600s, compiled by Anne Stevens

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s – Current (ancestry.ca)
U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 ancestry.ca)

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!