Genetics Proved the Paper Trail

Two nights ago on my sister’s Family Tree DNA website, I discovered that she is a genetic match with one of my blog readers.  A few months earlier, by examining our paper trail, my blog reader and I realized that we were 6^th cousins.   George McNeil and Mary Coates are our 5^th great grandparents.  The Family Tree DNA website revealed that this blog reader is also a genetic match with my sister.  I was elated because the genetic match confirms the paper trail! 

Sadly, I am not a genetic match with my reader.  Often, when my sister or I match with an individual and the other one does not, I am asked why this happens.  Most of the time, my sister and I do match with the same individuals.  However, one of us may share more or fewer centimorgans (cMs) with the match than the other does.  When the match is not a strong match, both of us may not match with the individual in question because the non-matching sister did not get enough of that DNA required for a match.  I’m sure that’s why I am not also a match with my blog reader.  The reader and my sister share a small portion of DNA which is enough for them to be considered genetic matches.  I just didn’t get enough of that DNA to meet the threshold set by Family Tree DNA to be considered a match.

According to the paper trail, George McNeil and Mary Coates are the 5^th great grandparents of my reader and my sister and me.  Because they are our 5^th great grandparents, my sister and I are 6^th cousins with my reader.  Since Family Tree DNA estimates that my sister and my reader are 4^th cousins, we may be related through some other families.  Not only do we share the surnames of McNeil and Coates but also the surnames of Stout, Wagoner/Waggoner, and Wilson.  McNeil, Coates, and Wilson are from our grandfather West’s maternal lineage.  Wilson is also found in our grandmother West’s lineage.  Stout is from our grandfather Hughes’ maternal line.  The name Wagoner/Waggoner is from our grandmother Hughes’ maternal lineage.  Therefore, we may share a closer cousinship through one of these ancestors.

Never the less, the three of us are cousins as proved not only by the paper trail but also by genetics.

Hopefully, in the near future my sister and I will find that we are genetic matches with others from our West family.

Cousins and More

At least one genealogical dream has come true for me.  Hopefully, it won’t be the last one and will open the door for many more. Daily, I discover new cousins who descend from my 3^rd great grandparents, John Balus West and Mary Ann “Polly” Swanson.
Recently, I discovered a new cousin, Beatrice, who descends from the same great grandparents.  And even, more… this new 4^th cousin is a 4^th cousin with my 4^th cousin, Joanne, who also descends from the same West grandparents.  For the three of us John Balus West and Mary Ann “Polly” Swanson were our 3^rd great grandparents.

Since I like things organized, I created a chart to illustrate my relationships with cousins. I have included one of these charts below to illustrate the connection among the three of us.  Joanne and Beatrice gave me permission to use their names.  Thanks, Joanne and Beatrice.

Relationship	Lineage of Charlotte Ruth West	Lineage of Linda Joanne Johnson	Lineage of Beatrice Wellborn
MRCAs	John Balus West/Mary Ann “Polly” Swanson	John Balus West/Mary Ann “Polly” Swanson	John Balus West/Mary Ann “Polly” Swanson
Siblings	Alexander Balus West/Nancy Land	Franklin W. West/Cynthia Adeline Holder	Margaret “Peggy” West/Wilson Hendrix
1st cousins	Thomas Harvey West/America Ann McNeil	Thomas Clingman West/Bethanie Triplett	Mary Jane Hendrix/George Washington Wellborn
2nd cousins	William Charles West, Sr./Ada Beatrice McQueen	Dicia Albertha “Bertha” West/George Hayes Walker	Benjamin Wellborn/Artie Wagner
3rd cousins	William Charles West, Jr./Ruth Stella Hughes	Winnie Hazel Walker/Arvil Robert Johnson	George Hayes Wellborn/Mary Wellborn
4th cousins	Charlotte Ruth West	Linda Joanne Johnson	Beatrice Wellborn

Most Recent Common Ancestors: John Balus West and Mary Ann “Polly” Swanson

A few days ago, I met on-line another cousin, Patsy, who descends from those same great grandparents. However, these common grandparents are not in the same generation for Patsy as for the other three of us. They were Patsy’s 2^nd great grandparents but our 3^rd great grandparents.  Patsy is actually a 3^rd cousin to the parents of Joanne, Beatrice, and me.  Therefore, Joanne, Beatrice, and I are “removed” from her.  In our situation, we are 3^rd cousins 1 removed (3^rd cousins 1R) from her. “Cousinships” certainly become complicated!

One never knows where he will find ancestors and cousins.  Several years ago, Joanne and I met through Ancestry.com.  Beatrice and I met a few days ago on the Wilkes County Genealogy Facebook site. Patsy and I, also, met on the Wilkes site.  Joanne became a follower of this blog about the time that I started writing it.  Beatrice has been a reader for quite a while, also.  Perhaps, many more of my anonymous readers may be West cousins!

Furthermore, I have connected with cousins through Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder.  Even though I haven’t found any DNA matches with the West surname, I have found DNA matches with the collateral families of Barlow, Carlton, Ferguson, Isbell, Land, McNeil, and Triplett.

While I take this opportunity to acknowledge these newly-discovered West cousins, I haven’t forgotten those of you from across the county—from North Carolina and Tennessee to the west coast.  All of you have been incredibly helpful as I have sought information about our common ancestors and the places they lived and as I continue to seek answers to the unknowns of our past.   One reason that I have this blog is to share information with you about our common heritage.  Many thanks to Beatrice, Brandon, Brent, Butch, Carol, Debbie, Fred, Jackie, Jeanette, Joanne, Nanette, Nick, Patsy, and my sister, Sandy, for sharing your information with me about our West families.  Many thanks to my other cousins who have shared information about our collateral lineages as well. I appreciate all of you.

Calling All West Descendants!

Now is a perfect time to participate in DNA testing. 

A couple of years ago I took Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder test which matches one with “cousins” who have also participated in the test.  Presently, I have matched with several West-related cousins and confirmed our matches with them by using what is called “the paper trail.”  These matches are connected to my West families:  Land-Isbell, Ferguson, Carlton-Land, McNeil, and Triplett.  Sadly, I have found no matches with the West surname or any matches who have the name West name among their collateral surnames.

What is wrong? 

Even though Family Tree DNA has one of the largest databases for genealogical genetic study, either no Wests, who are related to my West lineage, are in Family Tree DNA’s database or those West indivudals and I do not share enough common DNA to be considered a match.  My conclusion is that we need more Wests in FTDNA’s database!

Now is the time for those who are interested to be tested.  Family Tree DNA is currently sponsoring a fabulous sale on its products.  This sale, which will end on July 26, 2013, is the best one yet.  Several types of testing are available.  I have had the most success with Family Finder which matches one with “cousins” from both the paternal and maternal sides of one’s family.  Currently Family Finder is on sale for $99, a fantastic price.  When I purchased mine, it was on sale at that time for $199.  The current price of $99 is one-half that sale price.  Family Tree DNA tests are for genealogical purposes only, not medical purposes.

You may find out more at www.familytreedna.com.

Think about it!  I hope to find you among my matches!

The Long, Dry Spell

Yes, it has been a long dry spell.   Since my last posting on February 6, 2013, I have often thought about you, my readers, and have felt guilty not writing.  In reality, I have had nothing new or significance to write.  Regrettably, I have not broken the brick wall regarding my 5^th great grandfather, Alexander West I and have probably resigned to the fact that I may never find him.

In the meantime, I will continue to write about my West family when I have new information and will expand my topics to include my collateral West ancestors, the Lands, McNeils, Barlows, Carltons, and others.  As you have likely noticed in previous postings, I have already done this to some extent.

 

Recently, three of us Carlton descendants have formed an e-mail group sharing information about our Carlton lineage.  Yvonne and I met on-line when I saw her query in the Wilkes Genealogical Bulletin and contacted her.  She and I are 5^th Carlton cousins as proved by the paper trail.  I was able to introduce her to Ann.

Ann, my genetic match, and I are probably 5^th or 6^th cousins through three Carlton lines.  In one of the three lines, we know that both of us descend from John Carlton.  I descend from his 2^nd wife Catharine Livingston and Ann from his 1^st wife, Mary Land.  In a second lineage, both of us descend from Thomas Carlton’s parents, John Carlton and Elizabeth Wallace.  Then I descend from their son, Thomas, and his wife, Mary Land, and she from their son, William Lewis Carlton, and his wife, Elizabeth Eve.  Of course, I am related to Mary Land through my 2^nd great grandmother, Nancy E. Land.  Therefore, in the Land lineage, both of us have the common ancestors of Thomas Land and Ann Sumter (Sumpter).  From them I descend through their son, Jonathan Land and his wife, Elizabeth Isbell, and she through their daughter, Mary Land, and husband Thomas Carlton.  Things do get complicated!

Ann and I began our communication quite some time ago after we discovered that we were genetic matches.  Thus far, because she is uncertain of the degree of the relationship she shares with one of her great grandfathers and the fact that we have not compared her Land lineage with mine, we have been unable to determine our exact cousinship in these three lines.

What else have I been doing the past five months?  I have been working on my maternal lines of Hughes, Hoilman, Honeycutt, and Canipe from the North Carolina counties of Yancey and Mitchell.  In addition, I completed some work on my paternal grandmother’s family, the McQueens and Morelands of Johnson and Washington counties in Tennessee.  And now, a burning desire is telling me to start another blog about my Yancey and Mitchell ancestors.

I am amazed at the interest that this blog has created since I started it on June 30, 2011.  As of today, the count of “hits” is over 10,368.  As in the past, I want to hear from you.  I will NOT publish any comments from readers that include an e-mail address.  If you wish to correspond with me through e-mail, please keep that in mind.  Your readership is inspiring.  Thank you.

Melinda’s Legacy

When I began searching for my 3^rd great aunt, Melinda West, I immediately found her and her husband, Israel Presnell, in the 1880 United States Census living in White Water Township, Bollinger County, Missouri. She was 81 years old, and Israel was 85.  Both were listed as paupers.  According to the definition of paupers as used in census records, they may have been individuals who were dependent on some type of assistance or lived in the home of a family member.  However, Melinda and Israel were the only individuals listed at that residence.  Therefore, determining how they qualified as paupers is nebulous.

My first reaction was one of sadness to find that she was identified as “a pauper” in a state many miles from her birthplace of South Carolina and her childhood home of Wilkes County, North Carolina.  At the time of my initial search, I found no information about any children that she may have had.

Little did I know that my Aunt Melinda did, indeed, leave quite a legacy!

My search for Melinda was initiated a couple of years ago with the expectations of learning more about my 4^th and 5^th great grandfathers who were John West and Alexander West I.  John West was Melinda’s father, and Alexander was her grandfather. Since I began my genealogical endeavors, Alexander West I has been my “brick wall.” John West, her father, has been elusive, also.

Family lore and the 1810 census record indicate that John’s wife, Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon, and their three young children returned to Wilkes, North Carolina, after John’s death in South Carolina.  The couple had moved from Wilkes, North Carolina, to South Carolina sometime after their marriage in 1796.  According to census records, the three children were born in South Carolina.  John Balus West was born about 1798, Melinda about 1799, and another daughter after 1798.

Recently, I learned about Melinda’s legacy from my cousin, Joanne, who discovered it through her research.  Although Melinda never lived to see the accomplishments of her descendants, several of them became prosperous and well-known.

My paper trail revealed that Melinda and Israel married in Wilkes County, North Carolina, on December 12, 1819.  In 1820 they appeared in the census for Wilkes, North Carolina. By the 1850 census, they were living in Brazeau, Perry, Missouri; in 1870 they were in Union, Bollinger, Missouri; and in 1880 they resided in White Water, Bollinger, Missouri. Their five children, Stephen Joseph, Eveline, Isaac, Solomon, and Carolina, were born between the years of 1828 and 1843, one in North Carolina, one in Kentucky, one in Illinois, and two in Missouri.  The lives of Melinda and Israel certainly were typical of those who moved westward to find a better life in the first half of the 1800s.

Surprisingly, the lineage from Melinda and Israel’s son, Stephen Joseph Presnell, and his daughter Susan Frances Presnell led to the Limbaugh family!  The following list represents the direct-line descendants from Alexander West I to the Limbaugh family.

·         Alexander West I (between 1720-1730 - after 1790) and unknown spouse

·         John West (1760-about 1800) and Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon (1760-after 1840)

·         Melinda West (about 1799-after 1800) and Israel Presnell (about 1795-1884)

·         Stephen Joseph Presnell (1828-1881) and Elizabeth Hudson (1826-1904)

·         Susan Frances Presnell (1852-1938) and Joseph Hadley Limbaugh (1844-1898)

·         Rush Hudson Limbaugh, Sr. (1891-1996) and Beulah Maude Seabough (1891-1977)

·         Rush Hudson Limbaugh, Jr. (1918-1990) and Mildred Carolyn Armstrong (1925-2000)

·         Rush Hudson Limbaugh, III

Rush Hudson Limbaugh, Sr. was a lawyer who served as a Missouri prosecutor, judge, special commissioner, member of the Missouri House of Representatives, and president of the Missouri Historical Society. The Federal Courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is named for him.  Rush Hudson Limbaugh, Jr. was also a lawyer.   Rush Limbaugh, III is the conservative talk-show host.

At this point in my narrative, my readers must be curious as to what my relationship is with Rush Limbaugh, III.  According to my genealogical paper-trail, my cousin Joanne, my sister Sandy, and I share the relationship of 5^th cousins with Rush Limbaugh, III.  Our most recent common ancestors were John West and Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon who were our 4^th great grandparents.

Melinda would have been proud; she left a legacy that will not be forgotten.

Thanks, Joanne, for your discovery!

Sources:

·         Missouri, Find a Grave Index, 1812-2011

·         Missouri, Deaths and Burials Index, 1873-1976

·         Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002

·         North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868

·         North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2004

·         Social Security Death Index

·         United States Census Records for 1810, 1820,1850,1870, 1800, 1900, 1920, 1930

·         U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

·         West, John Foster. “History of West Family Is Given,” The Journal-Patriot, North Wilkesboro, NC, Nov. 8, 1976

·         Wikipedia.org