James Patterson Hill Sr. 1888-1962

James Patterson Hill was born to Alexander N. Hill and Mary M. Young in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1888. He had had three older sisters, (Leah, Ida, and Mitzi) a younger sister, (Edith) and a younger brother, (Michael). His parents had two more daughters, (Alexis and Beatrice) who died prior to the age of one.

Death of Father

In 1902, James was fourteen years old when his father, Alexander Hill, died. The cause of Alexander’s death is unknown but two of his brothers died prematurely. His brother Adam died at age 42 and his brother William died at 52, from tuberculosis.

Alexander N. Hill

The Public Ledger, Obituary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 30, 1902
“Hill- On the 28th, Alexander Hill, aged 40 years. The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral on Saturday afternoon at 1 o’clock, from his late residence, the rear of No. 1519 South seventh street. To proceed to Mount Moriah Cemetery.”

U.S. Navy

Five months after the death of his father, Mr. Hill joined the Navy. He enlisted on January 21, 1903, at the young age of fifteen. He began as an apprentice seaman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was later assigned to the U.S.S. Indiana (BB-1).

U.S.S. Indiana BB-1

The U.S.S. Indiana was the Navy’s first battleship. She was commissioned in 1895 and was one of many ships, in the Battle of Santiago Bay during the Spanish American War in 1898.

The U.S.S. Indiana was decommissioned from December 29, 1903, through January 9, 1906, for repairs. She was drydocked in the U.S. Naval Yard in New York City for a thorough overhaul.

After the necessary repairs, President Theodore Roosevelt sent the U.S.S. Indiana to Havana, Cuba in 1906 to protect U. S. interests. This second occupation of Cuba was also known as the Cuban Pacification and lasted three years, ending with the establishment of a legitimate government. The U.S.S. Indiana had returned to the League Island Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by September 1907. She traveled between Philadelphia and New York naval yard, often during the remainder of Mr. Hill’s service.

The Washington Times, September 26, 1906

U.S. Navy Part II

Mr. Hill enlisted in the Navy for the second time in Chicago, Illinois on May 21, 1918. He attended the U.S. Naval Acadamy in Hampton, Virginia from May to November. In November, Mr. Hill began serving on the torpedo destroyer, U.S.S. Gamble (D-123).

The U.S.S. Gamble (D-123), February 24, 1919

U.S.S. Gamble Service history
After shakedown training out of the Virginia Capes, Gamble sailed from New York City on 13 January 1919 to take part in maneuvers off Cuba; Key West, Florida; and New England seaboard until June 1919. Following overhaul at Norfolk, she joined the Pacific Fleet at Sandiego 7 August 1919 and operated along the Pacific coast until placed in reserve status in the Mare Island Navy Yard, 1 December 1919. She was decommissioned in San Diego on 17 June 1922. “

New York City

June 2, 1917

Death of Mother

Mary Young

Mr. Hill’s mother, Mary Young died in October of 1924.

The Public Ledger Obituary, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. “Hill-Oct. 29 MARY, widow of Alexander Hill. Relatives and friends are invited to attend funeral services, Sat. 2 P.M. late residence, 2510 Gross St. Int. private. Friends may call Fri., 8 to 10 P.M.”

By 1926, Mr. Hill was living in West Palm Beach, Florida. He worked as a Taxi Cab driver and was in a relationship with a woman named Susan Lloyd.

Susan Lloyd

Happy Beginnings

Finally, my client’s DNA was ready, and we were both excited!  She was adopted at birth and was interested in learning about her biological family.  I began looking at her DNA matches and immediately discovered her closest matches were to two individuals listed by Ancestry as “Close Match or First Cousin.”  I was able to ascertain that the two individuals were not related to one another, so I knew she had close matches on both her maternal and paternal lines.  I spent a few minutes and figured out that she was somehow related to a woman with the last name of Greene.  I took a break and returned several hours later.  After looking closer, I realized the match I thought was a first cousin, was closer.  I checked the centimorgans and compared it to the chart.  Astoundingly, she was quite possibly, a half-sister because they shared 1600 centimorgans.  I never dreamed I would find her half-sister so quickly.  We knew her mother had later married and had four children.  The match was one child of six, although four were relatively close in age, and then two additional children came later.  I began researching the family and found a photograph of the woman from her High School Yearbook.  I snapped a copy of the photo and sent it to my client.  Her response, “OMG, she looks just like I did when I was younger!”

Fast forward to the next day.  I sent an email to this match.  I received an immediate response.   She was interested in talking to me about her half-sister.  She replied, ” I have known about a half-sister all of my life and is why I have taken a DNA test, in hopes of finding her.”  This email spurred a rush of emotion.  I was holding back tears of joy!  My client thought she was never a second thought in her biological family.  Not only was she thought about, but her sister was also looking for her.   They spoke on the phone for the first time today, apprehension and uncertainty, ended with acceptance, love, and the possibility of a new, extended family.

Every time I take on a new endeavor, I become emotionally attached to the outcome.  A purpose in life for me, using technology to help reunite families in a new way.   Satisfying.  Now, her father’s side.  Happy Beginnings Part II

Deep Kentucky Roots

Yesterday, I wrapped up a project for a woman who was adopted as a child.  She was looking for her biological father.  My research began a month ago and mainly involved the state of Kentucky.  She had a person in mind whom she considered a possibility but wanted verification.

I began my research with an empty palette.  My goal was to come to a conclusion by following the DNA.  I didn’t want to begin my research with the suspected individual.

After gaining access to profile on Ancestry.com, I was able to link her DNA to her tree and started building a tree.  I began with her mother (whom she identified several years ago) and developed a comprehensive tree on her maternal side.  Her grandfather’s name was Maxwell, a very common name in Kentucky. This Maxwell line has been traced to Herbert Maxwell (1382-1454), in Lancashire, Scotland.

One of her DNA cousins was a direct descendant of her great-grandfather.  I clicked on this individual’s profile and sorted by shared matches.  I then highlighted the star on the left, next to every match.  This helped me to sort her matches (highlighted stars) were her maternal matches.  The remainder of her matches, who did not have highlighted stars, were more likely to be on her paternal (father’s) side.

I then began the painstaking process of building family trees for all of the people who were suspected to be on her father’s side.  I looked for common surnames and eventually, tied all of these trees together.  This process can take weeks or even months.  As I constructed each tree, I looked at the person with whom she shared DNA.  I looked at the centimorgans and then looked at the probable relationship.  One of her matches was someone named Larry Webster.  He shared 874 centimorgans across 41 DNA segments with my client.  The above chart shows the possible relationships based on centimorgans.  Based on my client’s year of birth and Mr. Webster’s year of birth, I knew he had to be her cousin.  He was too old to be her brother’s son/grandson.  With this information, I began looking at all of the male siblings in both his mother’s and father’s families.  At this point, I had to expand the tree and develop a tree for Larry’s mother’s side of the family.  As I began to do this, the DNA trees I had developed, started falling into place.

The final step was to connect my client (in her tree) as a daughter to one of Larry’s uncles, on his mother’s side.  We chose the gentleman whose age was the closest to my client’s mother.   As it turns out, this was the individual she suspected to be her father.  In order to be completely certain, we must reach out to one of her half-siblings and see if they are interested in submitting their DNA.  If so, their centimorgans will tell us if our hypothesis is correct.  If it is not, we will likely move to one of this gentleman’s brothers.

Because we linked my client’s DNA to her tree as we began this project, Ancestry.com was able to sort through the tree and identify matches in my client’s tree with the trees of her DNA matches.  When Ancestry finished this process, we had identified 186 shared hints.  The photo on the left shows the number of shared hints.  The image on the right shows exactly who the shared ancestor is and the relationship of the “cousins.”  The image shown is one of my shared matches with a cousin.  We share great-grandparents.

Advanced DNA Analysis Tools: Double Match Triangulator

DNA testing has become a very popular addition to genealogy research.  As the number of people with DNA profiles increases, technology advances and allows us to look at DNA matches in very technical ways.  One method to better understand our matches is by using triangulation techniques.  Triangulation refers to matches with whom we share matches.  Person A shares a match with person B and person C.  Person C shares a match with A and B.  Person B shares a match with A and C.  This is a triangulation.  Raw DNA data helps us see the length of DNA strands we share with our matches (in centimorgans), which specific chromosomes we match on (1-23), and allows us to see others we have in common (whose DNA overlaps on a specific chromosome).  Double Match Triangulation was developed by Louis Kessler (Behold Genealogy).  This tool helps us with looking at all of our triangulated matches.  Using this tool we should be able to better determine which matches are maternal/paternal, identify those who share chromosome segments which may come from specific ancestors, and which part of our DNA segments might come from a specific ancestor.

In order to use this tool, we must have the raw DNA data from our testing company.  Ancestry.com does not provide the detailed information needed to use this tool; however, Ancestry.com does allow you to download your raw data.  This file can then be uploaded into GedMatch.com, FamilyTreeDNA.com, or MyHeritage.com, for free.  Once you have created an account with Gedmatch.com, you can begin using the methodology developed by Mr. Kessler.

Yesterday, I designed an Access Database, which will allow me to import my data (no data entry) so I can begin looking at my DNA matches with this technology.  I will keep you posted on my progress.  Let the fun begin!

 

 

 

5,300 Year Old Ice Man, Our Ancestor

How cool is this?!  My husband and I have done DNA testing with multiple providers.  This is copied from his 23andme profile.

Maternal Haplogroup

You descend from a long line of women that can be traced back to eastern Africa over 150,000 years ago. These are the women of your maternal line, and your maternal haplogroup sheds light on their story.

Your maternal haplogroup is K1b1a1.

As our ancestors ventured out of eastern Africa, they branched off in diverse groups that crossed and recrossed the globe over tens of thousands of years. Some of their migrations can be traced through haplogroups, families of lineages that descend from a common ancestor. Your maternal haplogroup can reveal the path followed by the women of your maternal line.

Migrations of Your Maternal Line

Haplogroup L

180,000 Years Ago

If every person living today could trace his or her maternal line back over thousands of generations, all of our lines would meet at a single woman who lived in eastern Africa between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago. Though she was one of perhaps thousands of women alive at the time, only the diverse branches of her haplogroup have survived to today. The story of your maternal line begins with her.

K1
22,000
Years Ago

Origin and Migrations of Haplogroup K1

Haplogroup K1 is a relatively old branch of haplogroup K that traces back to a woman who lived approximately 22,000 years ago. She and her early descendants likely lived in the Middle East, where the K haplogroup traces its origins and continues to have a strong presence. Then, about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, some women carrying K1 likely joined early migrations that moved west into Europe. The Ice Age was ending and temperate forests spread over the previously frigid continent. Human populations that had been blocked by massive ice sheets now expanded into the interior. Others came later, entering Europe with the spread of agriculture from the Middle East about 8,000 years ago.

Today, members of K1 can be found throughout Europe, the Middle East, and even in Central Asia.

K1b1a1

8,000 Years Ago

Your maternal haplogroup, K1b1a1, traces back to a woman who lived approximately 8,000 years ago.

That’s nearly 320 generations ago! What happened between then and now? As researchers and citizen scientists discover more about your haplogroup, new details may be added to the story of your maternal line.
 K1b1a1 TodayK1b1a1 is relatively uncommon among 23andMe customers.
Today, you share your haplogroup with all the maternal-line descendants of the common ancestor of K1b1a1, including other 23andMe customers.
1 in 1,200
23andMe customers share your haplogroup assignment.
See references 

Ötzi the Ice Man also belonged to haplogroup K

Ötzi was named for the Ötztal Mountains

Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in 1991, protruding from a snow-bank high in the Alps near the Austrian-Italian border. His 5,300-year-old remains turned out to be so well preserved that researchers were able to construct a detailed account of his life and death. Chemical analysis of Ötzi’s teeth indicates he came from the Italian side of the Alps. He had suffered during the year before his death with whipworm, a stomach parasite that was found in his digestive tract. Yet he was fit enough to climb 6,500 feet in elevation during the day or two before he met his end in a rocky alpine hollow. Ötzi apparently was murdered, struck by a stone arrow point that was found lodged in his left shoulder. The twisted position of his body indicates that the murderer, or one of his accomplices, pulled the arrow’s shaft out of Ötzi’s prone body.

Yet whoever killed Ötzi did not take the valuable and finely wrought copper axe that he carried with him — an indicator that at the age of 45, the Ice Man may have been a figure of some importance in his community. Recently, scientists who were able to extract DNA from Ötzi’s remains discovered that he belonged to haplogroup K, which reaches levels of 20 to 30% in present-day populations in the region. But Ötzi’s maternal line, which fell into the K1 family of haplogroup K, did not match any of the branches that are known today. His maternal line must have died out in the 5,300 years since Ötzi’s death.

The Genetics of Maternal Haplogroups

  • Mitochondrial DNA
  • Maternal Inheritance
  • Maternal Haplogroup Tree
  • Tracing Female Migrations
  • Mitochondrial DNA

    Maternal haplogroups are determined by sets of genetic variants in a tiny, unusual loop of DNA called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). As the name suggests, mtDNA is found in the mitochondria, small but mighty structures inside our cells that turn fuel from the food we eat into energy.

    Mitochondria evolved over billions of years from an independent bacterial cell that was engulfed by another cell. Instead of becoming lunch, the bacterium helped its new host use oxygen to produce energy. Over time it completely lost its independence and became an integrated part of the larger cell.

Y-DNA: Understanding Genetic Distance

When you receive your Y-DNA results from Family Tree DNA, you will see this on your main screen.  Click on “Matches” and you will see a list of men who share Y-DNA with you.

When you click on “Matches”, a screen like this comes up with a large list of men who share your Y-DNA.  On the left is the “Genetic Distance”, followed by the name of the person who tested.  Earliest known ancestor is based on the tester’s research on their male line.  Keep in mind, our trees are based on paper and our DNA is based on genetics.  It is very common to see a mixture of names here.  Different names could be due to name changes many hundreds of years ago, or a non-paternal event.   Why are my Y-DNA Surnames Different? 

The orange “Tip” box will give you an idea of how many generations ago you shared a common ancestor with this person.  For example, a person with a genetic distance of 2 has a 100% probability that you shared a common ancestor 24 years ago and a 99% probability that ancestor was within the past 12 years.  Obviously, the smaller the number, the closer the common ancestor was.

With genetic distance, I think in terms of steps on a ladder.  My father tested at the 67 level.  Currently, Family Tree DNA offers this test at 37, 67, 111, and 500 levels.  The cost varies from $169- $649.  So what do these levels mean?  If your DNA were steps on a ladder and the ladder had 500 steps, you would only have them sequence the first 37, 67, 111, etc. steps.  By looking at the image above, my father’s closest match is at a genetic distance of 2.  If we test at a higher level, this person will still be a genetic distance of 2.  If the person was a 0 genetic distance, I would be interested to see if this held true at a higher level of testing.   The only motivation for me to test my father at a higher level would be to determine information I have obtained from the projects I have joined.  I have touched on these “projects” in two previous posts and it is a topic requiring further discussion another time.  Family Tree DNA, Why are my Y-DNA Surnames Different?

Below is an illustration to help with understanding genetic distance.

For example, if the red line indicated 67 DNA markers and the steps above go up to 111 markers, because I only tested to the 67th step, I only know how closely our 67 steps match.  In this case they are exactly the same which would indicate a genetic distance of 0.  However, our DNA does not match higher up.  I would only know this if I tested at a higher level.  Although I have a genetic distance of 0 at 67 levels, I might have a genetic distance of 2 at 111 level of testing.

Samuel Curtis The Son of Eunice Flagg and Capt. Samuel Curtis: Documentation Errors

One of the first written histories about Henry Curtis of Sudbury was The Family of Henry Curtis of Sudbury, Ma., written by Henry Earnest Woods in 1907.

My focus is Samuel Curtis III, b. 1792 (the son of Capt. Samuel Curtis), as noted below.

17. Capt. Samuel Curtis {Samuel,^ Ephraim,'^ Ephraim,^ Joseph,"^
Henry^) was baptized in Worcester, Mass., 11 Oct., 1761, and died
there, 29 Jan., 1811. He was a Capt. of Militia.
He married first, in Worcester, 20 Aug., 1785, Eunice, born in
Worcester, 16 July, 1762, died there, 22 Aug., 1802, daughter of
Col. Benjamin and Abigail (Chadwick) Flagg, of Worcester; and
married second, about 1806, Eunice, daughter of Taft and
widow of David Stowell, of Uxbridge, Mass.
Children by first wife, all born in Worcester :
i. Sally,' b. 25 Nov., 1785.
ii. Abigail, b. 23 Feb., 1788.
iii. Aaron, b. 5 May, 1790.
iv. Samuel, b. 17 Apr., 1792. (Subject of this article/Samuel Curtis III)
V. Ephraim, b. 8 Apr., 1794.
vi. Lydia, b. 22 May, 1796.
vii. John B., b. 29 Apr., 1798; d. 29 July, 1823.
viii. Benjamin Franklin, b. 7 Sept., 1800; ra. in Auburn, Mass., 4 Apr.,
1731, Hannah S. Wakefield.
Children by second wife, all born in Worcester :
ix. Albert, bapt. 13 July, 1807.
X. William.
xi. Eunice, bapt. 21 Oct., 1810.

In the 1950s, Harlow D. Curtis compiled research and continued documenting this ancestral line in his book, A Genealogy of the Descendants of Henry Curtis of Sudbury Mass.   He gave the following account of Samuel Curtis III b. 1792, based on a letter written to him by Mrs. George Dean.  “SAMUEL, 132.113.4, b. April 17, 1792, Worcester, Mass., son of Samuel and Eunice (Flagg) Curtis. The following information, in its entirety, has been furnished by Reference [67]. “Reference [67]: (information from Mrs. George Dean, nee Edith Curtis, Gen. no. 132.113.852 to Harlow D. Curtis.)

Samuel migrated to Haldimand township, Northumberland County,
Ontario. He married Sarah Ann ---------' who was born in New York
state in 1800 and died in Fenella, Ontario on Oct. 12, 18?8.
Samuel Curtis died in Haldimand township in 1844.
Children:
132.11).41. Eliza, b. May 27, 1814; m. William George who was born
in 1822 and died on·Feb. 17, 1909. She died Sept.
27, 1872.
132.113.42. Elizabeth, b. ; name appears in the will
of her brother, Ira.
132.11).4). Mary Ann, b. r m. Charles Kelley.
*132.113.44. James, b. __ , 1822.
*132.113.45. Ephraim, b. ______ , 1823, New York state.
1J2.11J.l~6. Ira, b. Jan. 11, 1826; lived on Lot 20, Con. 8, Ha1dimand
township, Northumberland County, Ont.; died
Feb. 4, 1861. Unmarried.
*132.113.4?. John B., b. Sept. 2, 1829.
132.11).48. Nathaniel, b. , 1832; lived near Baltimore L?], Haldimand township; died Sept. 9, 1908. Unmarried.
*132 .llJ. L~9. Samuel, b. Sept. 8, 1833.
*132.113.4(10). Anthony, b. Oct. 12, 1836.
*132.113.4(11). Andrew, b. _, 1837·

Unfortunately, Samuel Curtis III died in 1810 (as evidenced by his gravestone below).  He is one of four children born to Samuel Curtis and Eunice Flagg, who all died at a young age and were buried together in Hope Cemetery in Worchester, Massachusetts.  Therefore, he could not have been the father of the children listed.  The information given to Harlow Curtis was incorrect.  The source of his information was “information from Mrs. George Dean, nee Edith Curtis, Gen. no. 132.113.852 to Harlow D. Curtis.”  Unfortunately, most genealogists researching this line have this misinformation in their records, and perhaps if they read this article, it can be corrected.  DNA evidence suggests this line goes back to Thomas Curtis of Wethersfield, Connecticut, via John (or Samuel John) Curtis and Sarah (Nickerson?).

The death certificates of their children suggest John/Samuel may have gone by either name.  Sarah’s (Ferguson)  grave is in a cemetery in Canada.  Cemetery records reflect she was the wife of Samuel Curtis.  Our research has shown that Sarah married Ira Ferguson after the death of her husband.

Ephraim-Listed Ira as his father(could have been step-father)
James-
John- Listed on Death certificate John and Sarah Nicholson
Samuel-
Nathaniel-Listed John and Sarah Ann Nicholson on his death certificate
Anthony-LIsted John and Sarah Nickerson/Nicholson on the marriage certificate to Mary Ann Williams.
Andrew–Listed John and Sarah Nicholson Death Cert.
Harrison-

My research shows Ira Ferguson’s first marriage was to Catherine Nickerson.  Could Sarah have been her sister?  Andrew listed his mother’s maiden name as Nicholson.

Alien Files Valuable Genealogy Records-Easy Access

A few weeks ago I was researching an immigrant who arrived in the United States from Mexico in 1916.  While searching for the name, the following record was suggested:

U.S., Index to Alien Case Files at the National Archives at Kansas City, 1944-2003

The record included Name, Birth Date, Arrival Date, Country of Origin, and Registration Number.

A-Files are an incredible source of information so I began the process of requesting this record.   Only A-Files with numbers less than 8 million can be requested by genealogists.   In order to request higher record numbers, a request has to be submitted via the USCIS Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Program.   If you are not able locate the A-File number, it can be researched and might be in an immigrant’s personal papers or on court naturalization records index card.  A-numbers above 8 million can be researched by submitting an Index Search Request on form G-1041.

To begin the process of requesting the record (if the A-File number is less than 8 million), go to National Archives Catalog Search and type in the name of the person you are searching.  You might have to try different spelling variations of the name to find the person you want.  When you find them, there will be information about the records they have and the location of the records.  The record I was researching gave me the email address to the Kansas facility and the following information:

National Archives Identifier: 0000000 (redacted)
Local Identifier: A0000000/000-00-0000/Box 8 (redacted)
Creator(s): Department of Justice. Immigration and Naturalization Service. 6/14/1940-3/1/2003  (Most Recent)
From: Series: Alien Case Files, 1944 – 2003
Record Group 566: Records of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2003 – 2004

I emailed them at: Afiles.KansasCity@nara.gov and included the name of the person I was researching and the numbers listed above.  The next day I received an email letting me know who the case was assigned to.  Within a week, I received an email indicating the record they had pulled with a few tidbits of information to make sure they had the correct person.  I was instructed to reply to the email if I wanted this record and was told to call the researcher to arrange payment of $40.00.  Approximately two days later, I received a link to 68 pages of detailed information.  All of the information was in PDF format and readily downloadable.  The entire process took less than ten days.

The Power of Understanding our Past

Genealogical research can be very powerful, especially when there are negative feelings associated with a parent or grandparent.  Countless times I am told by clients that their father did not speak about his past and that they have no knowledge of their family line.  In fact, my grandfather did not know his father and when I began my research, my father and uncle were eager to learn what nobody ever spoke about.  Who was their grandfather?  Why hadn’t their father spoken about him?  Why wasn’t he part of the family?  The untold stories were secrets protecting families from shame and embarrassment.

As time goes by, the shame and embarrassment fade leaving us an opportunity to explore the unknown.  Although, what we might find are less than perfect circumstances, it helps us to better understand how our fathers and grandfathers lives were impacted by circumstances beyond their control.

While conducting research it is of utmost importance to put the records into context.  This allows us to fully digest the situation and circumstances and leads us to a deeper understanding.  If we discover a female ancestor who left her child to be raised by someone else, we should explore the circumstances.  Did she become pregnant out of wedlock?  If so, what were to cultural values at the time regarding women who became pregnant?  Was she the oldest child in her family?  Did she help raise her nine brothers and sisters?  If so, was her pregnancy overwhelming to her?  Swift judgement is often easier than taking the time to develop a deeper understanding.  Taking this time may be therapeutic as you step away from judgement and embrace understanding.

Our fathers or grandfathers may have known the stories but they were never discussed because of the negative feelings associated with them.  You have an opportunity to uncover these stories and pass them on to the next generation.  An opportunity to present the facts from another point of view.  An opportunity to identify the strength of character that existed in someone impacted by such negative circumstances.

After making new discoveries, reflect and ask if the person your father or grandfather was (and how he was as a father) was influenced by the circumstances in his life that he had no control over.  The more you learn about your father’s life, the deeper your understanding (empathy) of his situation.  Empathy and understanding are important and you might actually find yourself embracing the past because it leads to forgiveness.  -peace

Our Family Secret

 

Double Irish

In researching the family history of the New England Settlers, there are several prominent families in many of our histories.  It gets confusing because the names seem to be repeated, and cousins share names.  Around the time of the Civil War and with the westward expansion of the territories, new names and DNA matches crop up.  In researching the Hadley tree I discovered that there was a new name, which was also quite prominent in early New England records, that of Gregg.   The Greggs and Hadleys were members of the Quaker Communities in Delaware and intermarried.  In researching the Greggs we ultimately end up with William “the Quaker” but their history precedes the colonies.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centimorgan

And this is when I found that Nellie A. Hadley was a distant cousin to Luella Belle Burrus.  These two women were descendants of brothers; sons born to William “the Quaker” Gregg.

This finding is the reason for the Double Irish title on this post.  My father has a DNA match which is so close to someone living in Ireland, it appears that my father was only second or third generation American.  This has been a puzzle, but the DNA only gives a piece of the story.  What the DNA cannot tell us is how the centimorgans seem to get doubled up, giving the results which appear to be less diluted due to whom we descend from.  In some cases, when there are two descendants who share DNA their offspring end up with a “double dose” of DNA characteristics.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centimorgan

Unbeknownst to my father’s parents, they were distant cousins sharing strands of DNA which gave him a “double dose” of the Irish.

The grandmother and great-grandmother came from two different areas of the United States; Luella from Texas who ended up in South Dakota.  Nellie from Iowa who went to Nebraska and then to Wyoming.