Great News! Y-DNA Proves Suspicions

Since I began my journey to discover my early West ancestors, I have come to believe that my West line belongs in FTDNA’s West Family Group 1.  At last, my strong suspicion has been proved through Y-DNA testing.

Why have I felt so strongly about this?  It’s because so many of the Y-DNA matches in Group 1 descend from West males who, I believed, were brothers--Solomon West, Alexander West, John West, Jr., and Isaac West.  Solomon, Alexander, John, and Isaac lived in the right time frame and in the right location, and many of their descendants were named after them.  I believe that their parents were John West and Mary Madden.

In addition, my sister has an FTDNA autosomal match with a man who descends from John West and his second wife, Eleanor Massey. Unfortunately, my sister’s match does not have the West surname and would not be able to prove the West line with his Y-DNA results.

Before I proceed with “the rest of the story,” I must provide a little background information.  Solomon West (1726-1830), the presumed brother of my Alexander West (about 1730-?), married Isabella Boyd and named one of their sons Alexander (1776-1860) who married Sarah Hawkins.

My Alexander West (1730-?), whose wife is unknown, named his first child Alexander West (1751-1834) who married Hannah Langley. 

Several years ago, a West male who descends from Solomon West (1726-1830) and Isabella Boyd and their son, Alexander West (1776-1860), discovered through FTDNA Y-DNA testing that he belongs in West Family Group 1.  Within the the last month, a Y-DNA match, who is my 5^th cousin, was informed that his results also place him in West Family Group 1.  He descends from the son of my Alexander West who was Alexander West (1751-1834) and Hannah Langley.  What a great discovery!

So…we now have two West men who descend from different sons of the same male West who belong to FTDNA’s West Family Group 1. We can presume that Solomon and Alexander West were brothers and were likely sons of John West and Mary Madden.

It would be wonderful if other males with the West surname, who believe that they are biological descendants from John West and Mary Madden or John West and his second wife Eleanor Massey, would participate in Y-DNA testing through Family Tree DNA.

What’s next?  I strongly suspect that the parents of John West, who was first married to Mary Madden and second to Eleanor Massey and the father of these four brothers (Solomon, Alexander, John, and Isaac), may have been the John West who was married to Sarah Haskell.  My suspicion is based on the fact that another John West, who may have been the father of John West (spouse of Mary Madden), appears in land records in the same area and at the same time as that of a John West and his apparent four sons—Solomon, Alexander, John, and Isaac.  Also, for some reason, Sarah Hawkins just keeps popping up as a spouse of a John West!

Anyone may go to the West Family DNA Project Results page (http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm) and read about the various West Family Groups.

©The Wests of Wilkes, Charlotte West Dade, Mar. 16, 2019

The Wests of Wilkes Blog

Hello Readers,
     Thank you for your support with your comments.  My posts over the recent years have been few, but I still have an interest in the blog and want it to remain on Blogger.  I believe that there is much information available in the blog to be of interest to many others for years to come.
     I received notification from Google that accounts that are not active may be shut down.  I have made a request that this blog not be shut down.
    Again, thanks for your support.

Hello to All of My Readers

Hello to All of My Readers,

I haven’t been actively writing posts for my blog for quite some time.  My last post was in February 2017.  My research has not revealed a great deal more about my West ancestors, and I haven’t had much to share.

Furthermore, I apologize for not responding to your comments. I have not been getting notifications via email that many of you have commented in my blog.  I’m amazed at all of the comments that I need to address and will respond to them as soon as possible.

I have started some Facebook Groups.  It seems that in today’s world Facebook offers a user-friendly platform that encourages conversation.  One of my groups is “West Descendants of Alexander West, b c1730.”  Not only is it open to descendants of my Alexander West but also to those who descend from his father John West who was married first to Mary Madden and second to Eleanor Massey.  It is a closed group and requires that one ask to join.

If you descend from John West and Mary Madden or Eleanor Massey and wish to join, search for “West Descendants of Alexander West, b c1730” and ask to join.

Thanks for your concerns.  I just live a busy life keeping up with four Facebook groups and serving as Registrar of my DAR chapter.  I have missed writing the blog and hope to get back soon.  First of all, I need to catch up on my correspondence with many of you.

 

Charlotte Is Alive and Well!

I know that it’s been a long time since my last post.  I just wanted you to know that I am still alive and well!

I hope to get a post out soon. Writing for this blog has taken “a back-seat” to the other things in which I am involved.  In addition to this blog, I manage a couple of Facebook groups and 10 DNA accounts. I am also the registrar for my local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution which keeps me quite busy helping members and prospective members with their research and applications.

A year ago, Doug and I visited the Wilkes County Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.  I am eager to share photos and information about our visit. Research on my West family has slowed because of lack of time to research and lack of the amount of information available that I haven’t already collected.  I still have hopes that DNA testing, particularly Y-DNA, will provide us with the answers that we need regarding our West ancestors who preceded Alexander West (born about 1730).

Edy Is Alive and Well!

I am so excited to report that Edy is alive and well!  Recently, I heard from her through her 4^th great granddaughter, Dolores!   Dolores descends from Edy’s daughter Leah Fowler.  Dolores and I believe that Edith “Edy” West WAS  the daughter of Alexander West, our 5^th great grandfather.

According to my records and with help from Dolores in filling in some missing pieces,  I have the following information.  Edith was born about about 1772 and died on July 19, 1855 in Benton County Alabama.  She married Archibald “Archie” Fowler about 1790. He was born about 1758 and died in 1839 in Greenville District, South Carolina.  They apparently lived most of their lives in Greenville, South Carolina. The names of their children, spouses, and grandchildren were as follows:

·         Lavina “Vina” Fowler (1791-1864), married John P. Pool

·         twin Leah Fowler (1795-c1868), married John “Flint John” Mahaffey

o   Edith “Edy” Mahaffey

§  Alexander “Alec” B. Greer

o   Rachael Mahaffey (1795-1880), married Henry Middleton Greer

·         twin Rachael Fowler (1795-1880), married John J. Pike

o   Leah Pike

o   Joseph Mortemer Baltimore Pike

o   John W. Pike

o   Balus Pike

o   Commodore P. Pike

·         West Isaac Fowler (born c1880), married Margaret or Mary Hall

o   Alexander Fowler

o   William Fowler

o   James Fowler

·         twin Louisa Fowler (1801-1855), married Edmund Miller

o   Edmund Miller

§  Charles D. Miller, married Helen Ruth Johnson

o   Boston Miller

o   Caroline Miller

o   Willington Miller

o   Louisa C. Miller

·         twin Lucy “Luna” Fowler (1801-1840), married Tilman S. Miller

·         twin Mary Fowler (1805-1875), married James Evans

·         twin John Wesley Fowler (1805-1876), married Harriett Catharine Towers

·         Alexander W. Fowler (1811-1839), married Minerva Walker

o   John W. Fowler (1834-1922), married Mary Ann Bennett

o   Saria Jane Fowler

o   Infant Fowler (died at birth or shortly afterwards)

o   Eady Ann Fowler

·         Jesse “Jessify” Fowler, married Elisha Pike

·         Lovey Fowler, married Davidson Green Waldrop

In my email discussions with Dolores, I’ve learned that my suspicions about the perpetuation of family names among Edith’s descendants were correct.  Many of the West and Fowler names have been replicated in succeeding generations. From the West lineage we find the use of Alexander, John, Isaac, Balus, West, and Wesley.

How do these names relate to earlier Wests?  John West (c1691-c1780), who married Mary Madden, may have been the father of Solomon West (1726-1830), who married Isabella Boyd;  John West, Jr. (born c1728); Alexander West (c1730-p1790);  Mary West (b c1742), who married Hezekiah Collins; Isaac West (1745-1814), who married Susanna Anderson; and Eleanor “Nellie” West (1748-p1810), who married Alexander Barnhill.  John West and Mary Madden likely had two other daughters about whom we have no information.  It is thought that one, known only as “Miss” West, married Bray Crisp.

My 4^th great grandfather, John West (1760-p1800), who married Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon, was the son of Patriarch Alexander West. One of their sons was John Balus West whose son was Alexander Balus West.  My 4^th great grandfather, John West (1760-p1800), and Edith West were siblings.  Isaac West (1745-1814) was their uncle. My 3^rd great grandfather, John Balus West was Edith West’s nephew.  My 2^nd great grandfather, Alexander Balus West, was Edith’s great nephew.  Are you thoroughly confused by now?

Nevertheless, the names Alexander, Isaac, John, and Balus are found in descendants of Edith West Fowler.  We see the following names perpetuated among her descendants:  her children - John, West, Wesley, Isaac, and Alexander; and her grandchildren – Alexander, John, Wesley, and Balus.

With this obvious connection between Edith West and Alexander West, how can we be wrong!