Part 860s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Updated James Smith Descendant Chart

Good Day,

Okay, I have re-created and redrafted with some minor changes my current James Smith Descendant Chart. I have re-positioned three of the great, great grands: great-great grandaunt Mary Ann; great-great grandaunt Sophia; and great-great granduncle George.

This positions the children of ggg-grandparents James and Mary Ann (née Dore) Smith in the following order on the Descendant Chart:

  GG-Granduncle George Smith;

  GG-Grandaunt Sophia (née Smith) Ventour;

  GG-Grandaunt Mary Ann (née Smith);

  GG-Grandaunt Eley Smith;

  GG-Grandfather James Smith;

  GG-Granduncle Henry Smith; and

  GG-Granduncle Thomas Smith.

My logic is currently based on my research and documentation concerning births, marriage, and burials, as well as the Last Will and Testament of my ggg-grandfather James Smith. (See Part 347s.)

I will shortly be updating the pull-down links at the top of the page of A Genealogy Hunt.

If you have any comment, thought, idea, or question, please feel free to contact me at A Genealogy Hunt.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 857ja - Smith Robertson Genealogy - July and Abraham - Île de Gorée, Sénégal

Good Day,

I'm not back from my genealogy search and research respite, but I just read an interesting article, in The Washington Post, dated June 28, 2013.

What Obama really saw at the ‘Door of No Return,’ a disputed memorial to the slave trade

Île de Gorée, Sénégal is where Great-Grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham was born in 2 Jan 1861 and her parents, Great-Great Grandparents Jean Jacques Alfred and Catherine Cora (née Merle) July were married on 2 May 1860.

Here a couple of postings on A Genealogy Hunt regarding great-grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham and her parents, gg-grandparents Jean Jacques Alfred and Catherine Cora (née Merle) July and their presence at Île de Gorée. The links -

-- Great-Great-Grandparents July - 1860 Marriage Transcription - Part 25

-- Addition and Corrections To 1860 Marriage Transcription - Part 26

-- L'Île de Gorée, Sénégal, A Possibility - Another Marriage Registration! - Part 28

-- 1860 Marriage Registration from Gorée - Part 29

-- Great-Grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham Found! - Part 30

-- The Map of Great-Grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette's Life - Part 31

Thought you may be interested.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 856ab – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Fanny Abraham and William Barak – 1857 Marriage Registration

Good Day,

I’m back to my search and research of my ancestry and genealogy.

Following up from Part 852ab, Bernard very nicely provided me with a copy of the Entry of Marriage  from the General Register Office.  Here is a copy of the image.

My transcription –

1857
Marriage solemnized at 5 Lisle St. Leicester Sq in the district of Strand in the County of Middlesex

No. – 152
When Married. – February 18th, 1857
Names and Surname. – William Barak, Fanny Abraham
Age. – full, full
Condition. – Widower, Spinster
Rank or Profession. – CardBox Master, -
Residence at the time of Marriage. – 43 Queen Sq, Bristol, 5 Lisle St., Leicester Sq.
Father’s Name and Surname. – Meier Barak, Victor Abraham
Rank or Profession of Father. – Gentm, Deceased

Married in the House, 5 Lisle St., Liecester Sq according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion by me, Nadler Dr, Chief Rab.

This Marriage was solemnized between us, William Barak, Fanny Abraham in the Presence of us, Philip Abraham, Adolph Blumenthal

IA Levy _____

GG-Grandaunt Fanny Abraham, according to the Marriage Registration, married William Barak at her family home at 5 Lisle Street in Leicester Square in the West End of London.  Also note the two witnesses: gg-granduncle Philip Abraham, gg-grandaunt Fanny's elder brother; and gg-granduncle Adolph Blumenthal, gg-grandaunt Fanny's brother-in-law and husband of her younger sister gg-grandaunt Matilda (née Abraham) Blumenthal.

Of course I have a question, what occupation is a CardBox Master?

And then there is the mystery in four years...

Thank you Bernard and Anne for your research and information.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 855a – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1890 Death – Great-Great-Granduncle Philip Abraham – London England

Good Day,

The discoveries through my search and research continue as I focus on my Abraham Family Line. From The Times I just found the 23 December 1890 Death Announcement of great-great-granduncle Philip Abraham.

From The Times Digital Archive via the Godfrey Memorial Library here are the images.

My transcription –

THE TIMES
No. 33,202.
LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1890
PRICE 3d.

DEATHS.

On the 18th inst., PHILIP, eldest son of the late VICTOR
ABRAHAM, of Lisle-street, Leicester-square, aged 83.

And from my files I found the Death Index page for the quarter October, November, and December 1890. I found the image via the FreeBMD, Free Births, Marriages, and Deaths.

My transcription –

1 DEATHS registered in October, November, and December 1890 [AAN-ADA

A

ABRAHAM, Philip. 89………………Pancras 1 b. 94

Also on file I did find the General Register Office 1890 Death registration for gg-granduncle Philip Abraham.

My transcription –

CERTIFIED COPY OF AN ENTRY OF DEATH
GIVEN AT THE GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE

Application Number COL349496

REGISTRATION DISTRICT – Pancras

1890 DEATH in the Sub-district of Camden Two in the County of London

No. 459
1. When and where died – Seventeenth December 1890, 101 Bayham Street
2. Name and surname – Philip Abraham
3. Sex – Male
4. Age – 89 Years
5. Occupation – Teacher of Languages
6. Cause of death – Decay of nature. Epithelioma of the Tongue. Certified by . T. W. Coffeie F.R.C.S.
7. Signature, description and residence of informant - J. Duncan Young, Son-in-Law. Present at the Death. 74 Kings Road Pancras
8. When registered – Nineteenth December 1890
9. Signature of registrar - _____, District Registrar

There is a discrepancy as to the actual date of death, based on the entries on the Death Register and The Times Deaths announcement, the “Seventeenth December” and the “18th inst.”, respectively. All-things-being-equal I would lean toward the 17 December 1890 from the copy from the Death Register versus the reporting of the 18 December 1890 in The Times.

If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas, and comments, please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 854ap – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1859 Marriage – Great-Great Granduncle Solomon Abraham – London, England

Good Day,

I have been searching The Times newspaper for any grain of information of my Abraham Family Line ancestry and genealogy. It is a wonder what technology and OCR, optical character recognition, can do nowadays. And of course, I have found another new find. (New to me that is.)

Today I chanced upon the Marriage announcement of my great-great-granduncle Solomon Abraham to Sarah Bloom Phillips. The date of The Times publication is 19 December 1959. The date of the announcement marriage was 14 December 1859. The printed text is “On the 14th inst.,” which does mean “On the 14th of this month”, and as the published date of The Time is 19 December it would be apparent that the date of the marriage was 14 December 1859.

Here are my images as downloaded from The Times Digital Archive 1785-2007 via Godfrey Memorial Library.

My transcription –

The Times
No. 23,493
LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1859
PRICE 4d.

MARRIAGES

On the 14th inst., by the Rev. Dr. Adler, assisted by the Rev. M.
B. Levy, S. Abraham, Esq., of Tavistock-place, Tavistock-square, son
of the late Victor Abraham, of 5, Lisle-street, to Sara Bloom, second
daughter of Lawrence Phillips, Esq., of Russell-place, Fitzroy-square.

I am always amazed at the amount of information that can be gleaned from such a small amount of words in such an announcement. Using Google maps I have been able to map out the approximate locations of residence as presented by the announcement. GG-Granduncle Solomon Abraham was “of Tavistock-place, Tavistock-square”. I have labeled that location with the “A” marker. GGG-Grandfather Victor Abraham, gg-granduncle Solomon’s and gg-grandfather Benjamin Victor’s father was “the late” of 5 Lisle Street. Marker “B” highlights that approximate location. GG-Granduncle Solomon’s wife, Sarah Bloom Phillips was “of Russell-place, Fitzroy-square”. This location is the “C” marker.

One name in the announcement immediately leads me to another question. “Rev. Dr. Adler” was “assisted by the Rev. M. B. Levy”. Could this “Rev. M. B. Levy” by related to ggg-grandmother Rebecca (née Levy) Abraham, gg-granduncle Solomon’s mother?

And then there is the happenstance of a non-typical name. That name is gg-grandaunt Sara’s middle name “Bloom”. Years gone by, I worked as a stock boy in a pharmacy in Montreal named The Apothecary. The owners of The Apothecary were the Bloom Family. Who knows?

Any comment, question, thought, and idea, please contact me. Stay tuned, as usual there is more to come.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 852ab – Smith Robgertson Genealogy – 1857 Marriage – Great-Great-Grandaunt Fanny Abraham – London, England

Good Day,

At times you never know which Family Line I may be searching and researching in my work of my genealogy and ancestry. And as more and more documents and sources become available, in this generation of technology, more and more is discovered and revealed.

Today I was able to find an image of The Times of England dated 21 February 1857. It is the Marriage announcement dated 18th February of great-great-grandaunt Fanny Abraham to William Barak of Queen-Square, Bristol. Here is the image I have been able to download from the Godfrey Memorial Library.

My transcription –

The Times
No. 22,610
LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1857
PRICE 4d.

MARRIAGES.

On the 18th inst., by the Rev. Dr. Adler, Fanny, third daughter of
the late Victor Abraham, to Mr. William Barak, of Queen-square,
Bristol.

Reference is made to the “late”, my ggg-grandfather Victor Abraham. He had passed away about nine years before in 1848. From the information that I have, gg-grandaunt Fanny, who was born about 1809, would have been about 48 years old at her marriage to William Barak. Is there a possibility of an earlier marriage?

According to Wikipedia - Queen Square is a 2.4 hectares (5.9 acres) garden square in the centre of Bristol, England. It was originally a fashionable residential address, but now most of the buildings are in office use. Queen Square, in Bristol, is about a 10-hour carriage ride from the approximate London address of the Abraham Family.

Stay tuned to A Genealogy Hunt for my continued search and research.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 737b – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1940 High School Graduation – Patricia (née Bulah) McKenna

Good Day,

This genealogy researcher and avid investigator continues to find connections in the most unobtrusive and discreet way. I am always looking for an iota, a shred of evidence that can connect me with that distant branch on my Family Tree.

This time I travel, electronically to California, to Los Angeles and to Manual Arts High School. Manual Arts High School, according to Wikipedia, was established in 1910 in the middle of bean fields, one-half mile from the nearest bus stop. It was the third school in Los Angeles and is the oldest high school still on its original site in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

I chanced upon the 1940 Senior Class as presented by the Manual Arts High School Yearbook, The Artisan W40. And I discovered on Page 53 Patricia Bulah.

Based on my research and logical deduction, this is second cousin Patricia Bulah, daughter of 1st cousin twice removed Muriel C. (née St. Philippe) Bulah, daughter of great-grandaunt Marie Adèle Céléstine (née July) St. Philippe. Great-Grandaunt Céléstine was one of the younger sisters of great-grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham. And both were daughters of my gg-grandparents Jean Jacques Alfred and Catherine Cora (née Merle) July.

Here is the Page 53 extracted from The Artisan Winter40, the Manual Arts High School 1940 Yearbook… Ancestry.com provides a database of various school yearbooks from across the United States.

Oh and by the way, I discovered that Frank Capra, Kathryn Grayson, Irving Stone, and Paul Winfield were just a few of the notable alumni of the Manual Arts High School. Another point of interest is that the name of the Class of W’40 at Manual Arts High School was the Mounties, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 649s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Updated Scott Descendant Chart

Good Day,

And it is great that at times there are family members and connections that are willing to share their research and the details that they have chanced upon. This time the new information and data center on our Scott Family line and genealogy.

Thanks to Tonya, our Scott connection in British Columbia, and her research and continued search, I can add some new detailed information about our ggg-grandfather Alexander Reid Scott to our Family Tree.

Here is my updated Scott Descendant Chart –

Instead of going into all the data in this Posting I have provided an updated Scott Descendant Chart; details to follow. It is amazing how this Scott family also includes England, Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Grenada as home locations.

More to come… I have to make supper.

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Tangent - Hasperat, Say What? - Genealogy Connections

Good Day,

Very different supper last night, a Hasperat. And now you're never going to believe what exactly a Hasperat is, that is unless you are real Trekkie. And no I have not found an Alien genealogy connection... but one never knows?

Apart from being Alien, sort-of, it was actually quite good, as far as a vegetarian quasi, almost like a panini sandwich type thing. The creator of this Hasperat recipe claims this is what is consumed on the planet Bajor. Well, I've never really been termed a Star Trekkie nor have I ever visited Bajor, but I think I can develop a penchant for Hasperat. 10" tortilla wrapped around sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, bell peppers, my addition, and spinach, a "brine" of soya sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, and pepper. I grilled it, and we devoured it.

And I sit waiting for the phone to ring regarding my desktop... I like my Sony Vaio, but I need my “resident” software to continue with my genealogy work... not to mention the software I use to design and create our quilt patterns. My files as I have mentioned are on my desktop system and it is sort of tenuous, sort of, when I need to refer to or reference an actual document or one of my databases.

I am biting at the bit with some of the new, aka old, information that I have found in my genealogy research. And yes I am obsessed, I’m obsessed. What can I say? After a conversation last night, it appears that I am that “eccentric” cousin/relative connection who knows what may have gone on in the lives of the ancestors, but... I may be considered “he cain’t talk about anything else but... so avoid him.” Oh well, I just continue. Keeps me busy and preoccupied.

Tonya in British Columbia, thanks for the info and Scott connection. Cheryl (sorry not sure where you are), I do think that there may be some credence in the Abraham connection. Thanks Ray in Grenada regarding the Smith construction detail. Diane in PA, thanks for the new Brunhammer photos and details.

And now back to work.

Regards,

Jim

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My Tangent – A Lost Dog – Ancestor List In My Genealogy Search

Good Day,

And yes I lost one dog this morning. Three accounted for, all asleep on their beds; Taylor, Tinker, and Bella. Where the hell was Radar? Not in the kitchen. Not in the living room. Not at the dining room window transfixed at the early morning strollers.

Nowhere to be seen on the patio checking out the Grays. I called... I whistled. Then finally I caught a glimpse of a moving mountain of blankets and covers on the bed. Out pops the hazel eyes and ratty snout, a stump of a tail wagging. Just looking at me, inquisitively demanding, "Why the hell are you disturbing my comfy nap?" Oh, well The Pack is complete.

I'm at sort of a quandary about where and what I should do next. Of course I'm not at a loss of what I need to do in my search for the origins and genealogy of my ggg-grandfather James Smith...but I feel that I am at a juncture of dis-organization.

I look at my piles of papers on my desk and I see the tremendous number of downloads and files in my storage and in the many folders just screaming out to me to do something. “Get the damn papers and files organized!” “Where is your To-Do List?” “Start something…” “Do something, anything!!!”

Okay, here’s who I need to find, in my search and research of my genealogy. Just a few of the ancestors in my genealogy.

• GGG-Grandfather James Smith – last known location – Grenada


• GGG-Grandmother Mary Ann (née Doret) Smith – last known location – Grenada


• GGG-Grandfather William Thomas – Possible last known location – Grenada


• GGG-Grandmother Maria Matilda (née Rush) Thomas – Possible last known location – Grenada


• GGGG-Grandfather Henry Rush – Possible last known location – Unknown


• GGGG-Grandmother Grace (née ?) Rush – Possible last known location – Unknown


• GG-Grandfather John Merrifield – Possible last known location – Middlesex, England


• GG-Grandmother Esther (née Bailey) Merrifield – Possible last known location – London, England


• GGG-Grandfather William Merrifield – Possible last known location – Gloucestershire, England


• GGG-Grandmother Susanna (née ?) Merrifield – Possible last known location – Gloucestershire, England


• GGG-Grandfather George Bailey – Possible last known location – England


• GGG-Grandfather William Goodey – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGG-Grandmother Keziah (née Warner) Goodey – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGGG-Grandfather James Warner – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGGG-Grandfather Joseph Goodey – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGGG-Grandmother Sarah (née Pudney) Goodey – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGGGG-Grandfather John Pudney – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGGGG-Grandmother Mary (née ?) Pudney – Possible last known location – Essex, England


• GGG-Grandfather Thomas Megwire – Possible last known location – Lancashire, England


• GGGG-Grandmother Christian (née Dudgeon) Robertson – Possible last known location – Lanark, Scotland


• GGGGG-Grandfather John Robertson – Possible last known location – Haddington, Scotland


• GGGGG-Grandmother Ann (née Lyle) Robertson – Possible last known location – Haddington, Scotland


• GG-Grandfather George Goodey – Possible last known location – Sweden


• GG-Grandfather Benjamin Victor Abraham – Possible last known location – Demerara, British Guiana


• GG-Grandmother Emily (née Boyle) Abraham – Possible last known location – Demerara, British Guiana


• GGG-Grandfather Victor Abraham – Possible last known location – Middlesex, England


• GGG-Grandmother Rebecca (née Levy) Abraham – Possible last known location – Middlesex, England


• GGGG-Grandfather Michael Levy – Possible last known location – England

If anyone has any information, please contact me.

This is just the start of my Smith and Robertson Family Line searches. And this list is to continue. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 561b – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1929 San Diego High School – 1st Cousin Once Removed Frederick A. Brebner

Evening,

This could be a coincidence, but then again the search and research of one’s genealogy may start with a coincidence. In this case the possibility may be just too, too close to not be a logical conclusion. And guaranteed I'm checking this one out, as always.

In the 1929 San Diego High School on Page 158 Manager of the Baseball team - Fred Brebner.

The information on Frederick A. Brebner; 1st Cousin once removed, the eldest son of Grandaunt René Marie Hyde (née Abraham) and Granduncle Arthur Henry Brebner was born 17 November 1911 in Demerara, British Guiana. He lived with Great-Grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham and his brother Harold S. Brebner in San Diego according to the 1930 US Census, below.

Take a gander at the attached pages 157 and 158 from the 1929 Yearbook.

Also, in the 1929 San Diego High School on Page 151 the Captain of the Class B Basketball - Freddie Brebner.

And check out who was in the 1929 graduating class that same year.

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Tangent - Time Again To Reorganize My Genealogy Research

Morning,

It is that time again to organize my genealogy research and work. Without a specific list of my things-I’ve-got-to-get-done; things-I’m-working-on; things-I-want-get-done; etc., I become lost in a black-hole of paper and information, ancestors and data. You get the picture.

Here is the newly updated list. It is by all means not conclusive, nor is it “set-in-stone”… but it is my organization and guideline.

1. Transcription Project the search for ggg-grandfather James Smith – I am currently transcribing a 29-page from the Grenada Registers of Records dated 2 April 1801.YD I have discovered two Smiths so far – William and Robert.

2. Parker Project – Based on the collected data I believe I need to follow the William Parker, circa 1670s, identified in the Parish Registers of Linton-in-Craven, Yorkshire to Griston in Norfolk.

3. Smith Robertson Genealogy - Respond to and develop cohesive work research regarding gg-granduncle Solomon Abraham information received from Australia.

4. YDNA Update - Determine the possible matching of YDNA 111-marker test results between Smith and Wahl.

5. YDNA Update - Correspondence concerning Brebner/Bremner YDNA issues and project.

6. mtDNA Update - Correspondence regarding my own mtDNA (referencing back to Tasker in Lancashire) with similar H1a1 Haplogroup match from Gloucestershire.

7. Brunhammer Genealogy - Review, update, and corroborate Biddle/Brunhammer information and genealogy data.

8. Brunhammer Genealogy – Get a picture and images of the final resting place in Arlington Cemetery, Pennsylvania of gg-grandmother Mary (née Marie Katz) Brunhammer.

9. Buccino Genealogy - Follow up correspondence regarding Buccini/Buccino.

10. Genealogy Tools - Investigate RestingSpot.com.

11. Genealogy Tools - Possible use of genealogy photobook from AdoramaPix.com

And by all means this is not a complete or unending list. It is just those things and those emails that I need to get done... with some sort of semblance of order.

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Tangent - AC and Reading - Genealogy Transcription Project Continues

Morning,

AC is up and running and the house is comfortable… and now to start the paperwork to deal with the insurance companies, to recoup that which I had to fork out to repair. My stash is on the desk, but I really want to give myself a couple of days just to sit back before I begin writing that tome.

I’ve noticed a couple of glitches with my PC, but and with that one I will wait another couple of days to see if the issues continue. And then I will take it in for a check-up. At least this one is a different set of insurance agencies.

Last night I began working on my next set of Indentures of my Transcription Project. This next work is a set and is, I believe, 74 pages long. It was entered to the Grenada Registers of Records 2 April 1801 and begins “This Indenture of ten Parts made the twenty fourth day of July… 1800.” I have finished cropping and cleaning 40 of the downloaded images. Thirty-four more pages to go.

The following are some books that I am currently reading.

• Jewish Pirates of The Caribbean by Edward Kritzler, published by Doubleday, 2008. My expectations are the hopes to understand the whys and the possibilities of connections to my Abraham Family lines. I not implying that my Abrahams were pirates. I am reading and searching the time frames and all possibilities to find any portal of hints and family connections.
  
• Scotland, the Caribbean and The Atlantic World, 1750-1820 by Douglas J. Hamilton, Manchester University Press, 2005. All-things-being-equal this writing could open some more doors to the search of origins of my ggg-grandfather James Smith and Grenada. Of course there is a possibility that there may be some Robertson connections as well.
  
• Dining in the Raw by Rita Romano, 1992, published through Kensington Books. And no I am not becoming a naturist. The book is of “the Techniques of Macrobiotic, Vegan, Allergy-Free, and Raw Food Disciplines.”
  
• The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain, Loyola Classics, 1952. I just finished Costain’s The Tontine, thank you Miss P. and I thought that I would like to read another one of his novels.
  
• Kimberly Einmo’s Jelly Roll Quilts & More, AQS Publishing, 2010. We are using Cross Bows techniques to create another new quilt. This of course means we have 11 now in progress.

I added a new App, Evernote. Evernote allows me to synchronize documents, etc., between my PCs and Notebook, my iPad, and mobile phones. I really like it but my only issue, I believe, is that it is a power-hog when it is in the process of synchronizing between the different components. Something to check out.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 522a - Smith Robertson Genealogy - GG-Granduncle Lewis Abraham - 1848 Cincinnati

Evening,

And sometimes a gift falls out of the sky… or should I say out of the Internet. This quick note is a thank you to Angela and Gaby of Cemetery Scribes and Synagogue Scribes.com. Angela and Gaby provided information and a contact to Patricia Van Skaik of the Genealogy & Local History Department of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County.



Patricia Van Skaik presents on TEDxCincy a discussion Advanced Photography Opens Doors to the Past: Exploring the 1848 Cincinnati Panorama. It is a discussion of a series of eight photographs, albeit dauuerreotypes of Cincinnati’s river front. This is an amazing coupling of the present technology and treasures from the past.

The presentation is 17 ½ mind-boggling minutes. But the fantastic surprise is at about 14:56 minutes into the presentation. A picture cut of store sign “Foreign Wines & Liquors.” and an associated advertisement. It is great-great-granduncle Lewis Abraham store and advertisement. GG-Granduncle Lewis was a younger brother of gg-grandfather Benjamin Victor Abraham of Georgetown in British Guiana. Amazing!!!

The distance between the two brothers; Cincinnati, Ohio in the United States to Georgetown, British Guiana, as the crow flies, 2,752 miles / 4,431 kilometers. Both born in England… some distance, and some connection.

Check out my Abraham Descendant Chart, always under construction, under the Smith Heading at the top of this page.
Enjoy,

Jim

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My Tangent - Back In The Genealogy Swing Of Things

Afternoon,

The search for the origins and genealogy of my ggg-grandfather James Smith continues. And the research never seems to end.

My research into the newest technology of genealogy DNA also progresses, and I can honestly say that at times it is so far beyond me that I feel like chucking it all. But hell, there is no way I am giving up. I am trying to understand the concept of 23andMe’s Ancestry Painting and Family Tree DNA’s Illumina OmniExpress Chromosome Browser. Stay-tuned for that discussion.

The following two new charts have been added to the DNA Label at the top of the page: Smith Robertson Autosomal DNA Test Results and Smith Robertson Autosomal DNA Comparison. I am in the process of updating my charts and the drafts of my analyses.

I am currently working on a transcription of 1844 Indenture regarding Samuel Smith, George Smith, John Smith, Abel Smith, Samuel George Smith, and George Robert Smith. These appear to be Smiths of the London financial and mercantile Smith Family that I worked on documentation in Parts 479s, 480s, 481s, 484s, 485s, and 486s. The John Smith of Nottingham Descendant Chart Part I has been added to the Analyses tab at the top of Page.

Thank you, Lorna, for the important family information and photos of your ancestors and family members of your Smith and Malins-Smith line.

Bob, as I mentioned your Smith Aberdeen connection may just touch the James Smith and Family of Logie in Scotland.

Ashley, I certainly appreciate and look forward to our continued conversations and discussions regarding the Steele and Gentle connections.

Deirdre, as I am getting back into the swing of things, I certainly hope to continue to pursue our preliminary discussions regarding our Abraham Line.

Helen here’s to your success finding our gg-grandparent’s John and Margaret (née Megwire) Robertson’s gravesite. Good luck in your search for our uncle Stuart Alistair Frederick Robertson’s wife, Daphne Joan (née Fuller).

All discussions and comments are welcomed. You never know what or where an inquiry will lead. If you have any family tales, photographs, documents, and data that may be of some note to my research, I more than welcome hearing from you.

Regards,

Jim

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Part 474 - Smith Robertson Genealogy - YDNA and mtDNA Updates

Morning,

As I have mentioned and written before we are collecting the results of YDNA and mtDNA testing. The testing, conducted through Family Tree DNA, provides us with another vehicle and possibility in the search of our genealogy and ancestry. If anyone is interested please feel free to get in touch with me for further details.

All-things-being-equal, we now have the possible tests results that would assist in determining the mtDNA of Aunt Cécile Esme (née Smith) Olton and her mother, Grandmother Jeanne Lucie Ernestine (née Abraham) Smith, then Mann. All of their mothers and grandmothers in this maternal line should have the same mtDNA results. The predicted and possible Haplogroup is J1b1. Thank you Z.

The first series of YDNA test results are now in for our Robertson line which include Uncles John, Stuart, Jimmy, and Malcolm and their father, grandfather Frederick Henry Robertson. Theoretically, and based on the scientific know-how, this will include all our Robertson grandfathers and sons. Loci 1-37 and 48-67 are back. We’re still waiting the pending lab results for Loci 38-47. The predicted Haplogroup is R1b1a2. Thanks G.

My Smith confirmed Haplogroup is R1b1a2a*. Per the readings and model I understand that this includes all males descended from ggg-grandfather James Smith. This includes every son, that I am currently aware, of the Smiths, Lloydsmiths, Lloyd-Smiths, Malins-Smiths, and Landreth-Smiths. Check out the Haplogroup results of both the Smiths and the Robertsons. Also I have been recently accepted for the new “Walk Through The Y” test. Stay tune for the details and early results.

My maternal Haplogroup, the mtDNA results, is H1a1. This result applies to all Robertson sisters and the daughters and sons. It all applies to our maternal line – Robertson, Goodey, Crossley, Parker, and Kendal.

The Family Finder test results are due in April. Together with the YDNA and the mtDNA tests, the Family Finder Test is supposed to help find family across all lines. Who knows? Stay-tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 465sr – Smith Robertson Genealogy – How Common Is Common?

Good day,



From time-to-time and as I get new DNA information, I try to contact anyone who has been reported to me by Family Tree DNA as a possible genetic Match. This is just in case that there may be a chance of some connection hiding on some limb on some branch in my ever-growing Family Tree.

The Matches, in the search for my genealogy and ancestry, that I attempt to contact in order to explore the possibility of finding a “Most Common Ancestor” are usually at the upper scales of the provided results. This means that if there is a reported Match for my YDNA results, I will try to get in touch with those who are matched at the 25 Marker or more levels. The other criteria are that the Match should have no more than a Genetic Distance of 3. There is a fair write-up of a definition of Genetic distance available at Wikipedia.

To date the best two Matches have been at the 67 Marker level where our YDNA has a Genetic Distance of 3. This means that we match at least 64 of 67 Markers. It also means that there is about a 97.01% probability that within 16 generations there may be a shared common ancestor. The surname of both these Matches is “Seymour”. We also know that prior to “Seymour” the preceding surname may have been “Semer”. I suppose at anytime our ancestors could have changed their surname to "Smith"... We certainly do it today.

Today we know that the surnames, or derivative surnames, that have originated from our ggg-grandparents James and Mary Ann (née Doret) Smith include: Smith; Lloydsmith; Lloyd-Smith; Malins-Smith; and Landreth-Smith. (And I am not including the varying use of upper- and lower-case letters.) I am recording every possible descendant derivation as may find. One thing, based on the scientific data, all males descended from ggg-grandfather James Smith will all have the same YDNA result – R1b1b2a.

As you can see from the Ancestry DNA chart that I created in Part 464rs, I have been able to collect the YDNA and mtDNA of all my immediate paternal and maternal grandparents. Paternal line – Smith >YDNA = R1b1b2a; Abraham et al >mtDNA = J1b1. Maternal line – Robertson > YDNA = R1b1b1*; Robertson et al > H1a1.

The issue is, I have the most common name in the English language – Jim Smith. Also the surname Robertson is not necessarily uncommon. I also have three of the most common of European DNA Haplogroupings possible – R1b1b2a; R1b1b1*; and H1a1. This of course opens the “flood gates” for me to have to sift through the numbers of records of results that to date have been produced.

Apart from all the research that I am currently now doing, I have been following a possible lead with a Smith line from Logie, Scotland, who were also in Grenada. I have not been able to connect to the Smiths in 1760’s to 1781’s generation but there is “a possible and logical leap”. As the time goes, I am trying to research as to whether the James Smith, who was born 19 April 1767 and subsequently died in Grenada in about 1796/7, could have possibly been my ggg-grandfather James Smith’s father. But the gap does exist and am yet to find the bridge. You can see a Descendant Chart of the Smiths of Logie, Scotland at this link.

So in my search and research, I ask the question “How common is common?”

Regards,

Jim

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Part 462s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Possible mtDNA J1b1 Subclade – Abraham, Castex, Charbonnier, Chevalier, Clergeau, Clopath, Emery, July, Merle, Olton, Rénier, Smith, Titus, Vogt…

Good Afternoon,

ZC just received news from Administration of the J-mtDNA Group at Family Tree DNA.

The classification of Haplogroup J could, based on the results, be restated as J1b1.

“I see that they have classified you as Haplogroup J, but based on a quick review of your HVR1/HVR2 results, I believe you should more properly be classified as J1b1 and thus I have moved you into that subgroup within the project.”

What does this mean to our genealogy and search?

From Wikipedia - “A Haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation.”

The Subclade, J1b1 is “a term used to describe a subgroup of a subgenus or haplogroup.” (Wikipedia)

Here is an updated DNA Pedigree Chart, which does now include the tracing of the possible J1b1 mtDNA lineage.

See my Posts Part 456s, Part 450s, Part 449s, Part 448s, and Part 447s for my preceding discussion of our paternal grandmothers’ mtDNA.

To date our documented paper trail is to gg-grandmother Catherine Cora (née Merle) July who was born in France in 1836 and passed away in French Guiana in 1886. I do know the ggg-grandmother Jeanette Etienette (née Castex) Merle is also a part of this mtDNA lineage but I am yet to discover an physical evidence of her vital records.

The Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) differences for the HVR1 and HVR2 tests are, respectively: 16069T, 16126C, 16145A, 16172C, 16222T, 16261T, 16519C, and 73G, 242T, 263G, 295T, 315.1C, 462T, 489C. The inserted extract of the J1b1 subclade is from a paper by Mannis van Oven and Manfred Kayser.

To date the related surnames that I can include that may also be recipients (albeit owners) of this mtDNA classification include: Abraham, Castex, Charbonnier, Chevalier, Clergeau, Clopath, Emery, July, Merle, Olton, Rénier, Smith, Titus, Vogt. Please let me know if I have forgotten a surname which may also belong.

The following paragraph was found as an ancestry description of the J1b1 subclade.

J1b1: The mitochondrial haplogroup J contains several sub-lineages. The original haplogroup J originated in the Near East approximately 50,000 years ago. Within Europe, sub-lineages of haplogroup J have distinct and interesting distributions. Haplogroup J1b is found distributed in the Near East and southern Iberia, and may have been part of the original colonization wave of Neolithic settlers moving around the Mediterranean 6000 years ago or perhaps a lineage of Phoenician traders. Within haplogroup J1b, a derivative lineage haplogroup J1b1 has been found in Britain and another sub-lineage detected in Italy. Further research will better establish the relationship of these two geographically distant, yet evolutionarily related, haplogroups. Bryan Sykes in his Seven Daughters of Eve book named this mtDNA haplogroup Jasmine.

(See Charles Kerchner’s MtDNA Haplogroup Descriptions & Information Links).

That's it for now.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 456s - Smith Robertson Genealogy - DNA Pedigree - New Ancestry Chart

Morning,

Last night I thought that I would reproduce an Ascendancy Chart which incorporates relevant and associated DNA information. There is so much that I need to learn, (self-imposed), regarding my genetic genealogy. A fair reference work, Genetic Genealogy, is available on Wikipedia.

In my work I thought that I would like to have a visual representation of genetic pedigree or my ancestry and bloodline. My Chart simply provides the YDNA - R1b1b2a, and mtDNA - H1a1 and J1b, Haplogroup designations of my ancestors.

Oxford Dictionaries defines bloodline as “a set of ancestors or line of descent of an important person.” My question, “Do you have to be an important person to have a bloodline?”, as according to Oxford Dictionaries. (I'll reserve my comments.)

I stumbled upon, in my research a website, Modern Software Experience, by Tamara Jones, which is right up my alley. Check out the page “What is genealogy?”

And thank you Megan Smolenyak for the brief moment of your time yesterday in Largo. Yes, I do have a triple whammy – The most common name in the English Language, Smith… The most common of European YDNA haplogroup – R1b1b2a, and one of the most common of mtDNA classifications – H1a1.

And so I continue to search for my most common, "important" person in my ancestry. Hah!

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 450s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Our mtDNA Results Lean To J1b

Afternoon,

Based on ZC’s present results, and the immediate differences results from the Cambridge Reference Sequence, (see Parts 448s and 449s), it may be possible to infer that the sequence may be classified as J1b. J1b is a subclade of the Haplogroup J.

I have highlighted the HVR1 results in the inserted 2004 Schematic Tree for European mtDNA Variation. This representation is from the thesis by Piia Serk, from the University of Tartu, in Estonia.

In my research of my genealogy and ancestry I am constantly “drilling-down” to locate more and more information. As discussed, my father’s maternal line mtDNA resulted in a J Haplogoup classification. This means that my father, Frederick Kenneth Lloyd Smith received his mtDNA from his mother, grandmother Jeanne Lucie Ernestine (née Abraham) Smith (and Mann). She received hers from her mother, my great-grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham who in turn received hers from her mother, my great-great-grandmother Catherine Cora (née Merle) July.

My search and research, at presents stops at my great-great-great-grandmother Jeannette Etienette (née Castex) Merle. I have not found any information on my Castex line as I have not delved into those records as yet. All-things-being-equal those records and documents could begin in the vicinity of Bordeaux, in Gironde, France.

A geographic line of the passage of these J-mtDNA results would be from Bordeaux, France to Sénégal in West Africa, to Georgetown in British Guiana (now Guyana), to St. George, in Grenada. Other lines of transfer from Bordeaux to Sénégal, to Cayenne in French Guiana, to Paris and Brittany, France as well as from British Guiana to San Diego, in California, USA.

To date, the individuals in our Family Tree with the surnames who may be recipients of this J-mtDNA include: Abraham, Castex, Charbonnier, Chevalier, Clergeau, Clopath, Emery, July, Merle, Olton, Rénier, Smith, Titus, and Vogt.

Quite a bit to assimilate at one given time… but I’m getting there.

Enjoy,

Jim

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