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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July 31, 2009 - Correction and Update - Part 34

Good Morning,

If I make a blatant mistake please point it out to me! Last night I discovered that I had incorrectly paired Morris Mann with great-grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham in the Marie July and Siblings - 3 Descendant Chart. I can image my grandmother Jeanne and her mother, great-grandmother Marie Antoinette wagging their collective fingers at me somewhere from some higher or nether region or dimension. Grandmother Jeanne (née Abraham) married Morris Mann after she and grandfather Hubert Lloyd Smith had divorced. So I was wrong.


The updated Descendant Chart in the left column is Marie July and Siblings - 4. I will be updating the other Descendant Charts shortly.

Please use the comments link, at the bottom of each posting to provide your feedback. Your feedback is always welcomed.

Enjoy,

Jim

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31 juillet 2009 - Correction et mise à jour - Partie 34

Bonjour,

Si je fais une erreur flagrante s'il vous plaît, laissez-moi savoir! La nuit dernière, j'ai découvert que j'avais tort lié Morris Mann, avec mon arrière-grand-mère, Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham, en le Tableau des DescendantsMarie and Siblings - 3. Je peux d'image de ma grand-mère Jeanne, et sa mère, arrière-grand-mère Marie-Antoinette agiter leurs doigts, à moi à partir d'une région plus élevé ou bas ou dimension. Grand-mère Jeanne (née Abraham) marié Morris Mann, après son grand-père Hubert Lloyd Smith avait divorcé. J'ai donc eu tort.

La mise à jour du Tableau des Descendants de la colonne de gauche est "Marie July and Siblings - 4". Je vais mettre à jour les tableaux des autres descendants peu.

S'il vous plaît utilisez le lien, en bas de chaque annonce à vos commentaires. Vos commentaires sont toujours les bienvenus.

sincèrement

Jim

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July 3, 2009 - The World Really Is Getting Smaller and Great-Grandaunt Berthe - Part 16j

Afternoon.

The sky is blue and the squash are dead! Drowned! The zucchinis, the other squash looked like they may have learned to swim. The tomatillos and new tomatoes plants appear to have survived the flood. The harvest this morning; three pear tomatoes and two eggplants, but I'm not feeding the Lilliputians. Tonight's supper maybe Thai eggplant, green tomato and Cubanelle pepper pizza.

I struggled yesterday trying to figure out how to send a self-addressed envelope to the Centre des Archives d'Outre Mer at Aix-en-Provence in France. I know I could have attached an International reply coupon but the immediate issue would be is where to get one locally. And face it, I'm totally green as to their use. I did chance upon La Poste website and quickly discovered that I could purchase French stamps. And this makes more sense to me...

I can provide a SASE with actual stamps, which I hope will be appreciated by the person at the other end when and he is tasked with the job of returning the requested documents to me. And so I wait. I would like to go to Paris and Nice but this may be a somewhat less expensive means of acquiring the documents I need.

And while I am now at a standstill acquiring great-grandaunt Célestine's 1872 birth registration, I discovered a new one for another July. (It's going to get confusing searching for a July in July.) From the Cayenne Tables De L'État Civil, I found a registration date of 7 avril 1868 for Marie Eugénie Berthe July. (See Part 13j.) I borrowed the microfilm FHL[1093377] Registres de l'état civil, 1795-1870, Naissances, mariages, décès 1868-1870 and found the corresponding entry, on two pages. I've taken the liberty to create a single picture of the Birth Registration.

Reading through the entry her parents are written as Jean Jacques Alfred July and Catherine Cora Merle. Definitely a match! This Marie Eugénie Berthe is a younger sister to Pierre Gustav Henri, Maria Amélia Blanche, and Jean François Alfred. The July family is growing. (Thank you Cousin Yann for the other additional family information.)

And the added note in the margin of the Birth Registration catches my eye. The names July and Rénier and the year 1899 stick out and are a bit more bold than the rest of the notation. Where have I seen the name Rénier before? I think, and think... Of course, the letter addressed Dear Monsieur Rénier from Lt. Col. Compton Smith, dated Nov. 30/18. The letter of condolence regarding the death of granduncle Frederick Abraham, the only son of great-grandmother Marie Antoinette, and nephew to Monsieur Rénier. And Marie Eugénie Berthe is married to Tatius Valentin Aimée Rénier. This is too, too coincidental! (See my Blog post dated May 23, 2009.)

I don't have a complete documentary proof and paper trail to exactly prove the July family. I do have a number of coincidences, and I do have a number of conflicting bits of evidence. And so I've updated great-grandmother Marie Antoinette's Sibling Chart. It now includes four sisters, all named Marie, two brothers, their parents and known spouses.

And more is to come...

To be continued... and stop by for homemade pizza when you're in the neighborhood.

Jim

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Bonjour.

S'il vous plaît excuser mon français.

Le ciel est bleu, et le squash sont morts! Mort de la pluie! Les courgettes, les courges d'autres ont appris à nager. Le tomatillos, et de nouvelles plantes de tomates, semblent avoir survécu à l'inondation. La récolte de ce matin, trois tomates poire et deux les aubergines, mais je ne suis pas nourrir les Lilliputiens. Ce soir, le dîner peut-être de l'aubergine thaï, de tomates vertes et poivrons Cubanelle pizza.

Je me suis battu hier à essayer de comprendre la façon d'envoyer une enveloppe pré-adressée au Centre des Archives d'Outre Mer à Aix-en-Provence en France. Je sais que je pourrais avoir joint un coupon-réponse international, mais la question immédiate serait, là où pour obtenir un local. Et en face, je suis totalement vert quant à leur utilisation. Je n'ai chance sur site de La Poste, et a rapidement découvert que je pouvais acheter des timbres français. Et cela fait plus de sens pour moi ...

Je peux fournir une SASE, avec les timbres, qui je l'espère, sera apprécié par la personne à l'autre bout, et quand il est chargé de l'emploi, de revenir à moi, les documents demandés. Et j'attends. Je voudrais aller à Paris et à Nice, mais cela mai être un peu moins cher, moyen d'acquérir les documents dont j'ai besoin.

Et tandis que je suis maintenant à l'arrêt d'acquérir arrière-grand-tante Célestine de 1872 l'acte de naissance, j'ai découvert un nouveau pour un autre July. (Il va y avoir de confusion recherche d'une July, en July.) De la Cayenne Tableaux de l'état civil, j'ai trouvé une date d'enregistrement du 7 avril 1868 pour Marie Eugénie Berthe July. (Voir la partie 13.) J'ai emprunté le microfilm FHL [1093377] Registres de l'état civil, 1795-1870, Naissances, mariages, décès 1868-1870, et a trouvé l'entrée correspondante, sur deux pages. J'ai pris la liberté de créer une image unique de l'acte de naissance.

Dans l'entrée, ses parents sont écrits comme Jean Jacques Alfred July Cora et Catherine Merle. Certainement un match! Cette Marie Eugénie Berthe est une petite soeur de Gustav Pierre Henri, Maria Amélia Blanche, et Jean François Alfred. July La famille est en pleine croissance. (Merci Yann Cousin pour les autres renseignements additionnels sur la famille.)

Et la note ajoutée en marge de l'enregistrement de naissance attire mon oeil. Les noms July et Rénier et l'année 1899, sont un peu plus gras que le reste de la notation. Où ai-je vu le nom Rénier avant? Je pense, et je pense que ... Bien sûr, la lettre adressée Cher Monsieur Rénier du lieutenant-colonel Smith Compton, en date du 30/18 novembre. La lettre de condoléances, concernant la mort de Frederick granduncle Abraham, le fils unique de l'arrière-grand-mère Marie-Antoinette, et neveu de Monsieur Rénier. Et Marie Eugénie Berthe July est marié à Tatius Valentin Aimée Rénier. C'est trop, trop coïncidence! (Voir mon blog en date du vendredi 22 Mai 2009.)

Je n'ai pas une preuve documentaire, et de papier, à prouver exactement le July famille. J'ai un certain nombre de coïncidences, et j'ai un certain nombre de bits de la preuve. Et j'ai mis à jour le tableau des arrière-grand-mère Marie-Antoinette. Il comprend, désormais, quatre sœurs, toutes les Marie, deux frères, leurs parents et leurs conjoints connu.

Et de plus, est à venir ...

A suivre ... et d'arrêter, par les pizzas maison, lorsque vous êtes dans le quartier.

Jim

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June 13, 2009 - Great-Grandmother Marie - Why? - Part 2

Evening,

Panic in the menagerie this afternoon. A really large white duck flew into and slammed into the screen over the pool and patio. You can imagine the trotting and galloping of six quadrupeds... It was like the Kentucky Derby. All six, chasing an unknown thing, a white blur, round and round the pool. They really had to have been confused! Not one barked. So much for the excitement in my life.

Initially, the "why" great-grandmother Marie went to San Diego, California in the United States from Georgetown, British Guiana was an unknown. Today I can make a few assumptions but I'm not going to go into that at this point in time. I'll let you develop your own hypothesis for her reasonings. I'll just present the facts, and the myths as I find them.

Growing up, I had heard that my father's mother, grandmother Jeanne (née Abraham) Smith Mann's mother, my great-grandmother, Marie Abraham had been French and was from France. That was an accepted truth... I had no reason to question it. I never met my great-grandmother Marie, and as I discovered neither had my father. And all of the recent questions I asked provided answers that she, great-grandmother Marie, was from France.

My first discovery as indicated in Part 1, was that great-grandmother Marie and great-grandfather Fred Abraham had five children; a son and four daughters. Great-grandmother Marie became a widow as quoted from the Demerara, Saturday, July 13, 1901 edition of The Argosy on the 12th of July; "which occurred at his, (Mr. Fred Abraham's), residence, Croal Street, shortly before nine o'clock yesterday morning."

The clip of the inserted map provides a present day map of Georgetown and the location of Croal St, at the left end of the map.

Allen Morrison's website, titled The Tramways of Georgetown provides a good series of pictures and drawings of what Georgetown may have looked like about when great-grandfather Fred Abraham passed away in 1901.

The next critical date that I have, (thanks for the copy, Zoë), is the British Guiana Marriage Licence for my grandparents Hubert Lloyd Smith and Jeanne Lucie Ernestine Abraham. This date was 23 March 1918. See an enlarged image of the original Licence by clicking on the insert to the left. (You should note that there are no ages or dates of birth provided on the Marriage Licence, and so this point we can only guess.)

Family lore indicated that two of my grandmother's three sisters; grandaunts Edmée and Renée were possibly already married. (You'll note that I now type grandaunt Edmée's name and not Esme, as indicated on the first Descendant Chart. Again family lore and other sources have presumed it to have been either Esmé or Edmée.)

A major event in the life of great-grandmother Marie appears to next have been the death of granduncle Frederick Henry Abraham, her only son. He was killed in World War I near Joncourt, France on 2 October 1918. (See my blog posting of May 23, 2009.) This was more than likely a devastating blow. And with the small amount of information gathered, she was alone, a widow in a foreign country - British Guiana, with a foreign language - English and with only her youngest daughter - grandaunt Cecile.

And so she decided to go on a trip.

To be continued in Part 3...

Enjoy,

Jim

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June 12, 2009 - New Hard-Drive and Great-Grandmother Marie - Part 1

Evening,

The PC is back. A new hard drive and cleaned... and polished, and ready to go. And the change was seamless! All I had to do was plug all my components in to the correct sockets and up-up-and-away. Thank-you to Bella for trying to be so involved in what I was doing.I shooed her away.

Bella, in the back, decided to join Tinker, in the front, sunbathing on the porch. (Thanks Ray for the touch-up.)

I did find a relatively new Trojan on my old hard-drive last week, "Trojan-pws-daonol". This Trojan had nothing to do with my hard-drive giving up it's ghost, so-to-speak. But it did do exactly what the numerous postings I read about it said it would do. On the day it arrived, it shut down and screwed up my PC audio system. The next part of the Trojan issue is that the dastardly spammer can remotely access a PC and copy out IDs and passwords. It is so new that a number of people in-the-know didn't even know about it. Don't know how it got in... I don't open strange emails or attachments and I have various levels of up-to-date firewalls... but it got in and did a number on my audio system... I was able to quarantine and eliminate the Trojan using Spy Sweeper. I ran Spy Sweeper a second time and Norton as a backup check, and both showed a follow-up non-existence and non-presence of the pain. I got rid of the Trojan and was able to reset my audio, which is now working better than ever.

And on to my genealogy. Why did great-grandmother Marie Abraham leave British Guiana and move to California?

When did she leave? How did she travel the approximate 4200 miles, 6730 kilometers or 3630 nautical miles? From Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana) to San Diego, California, USA? Why did she take her youngest daughter, grandaunt Cecile with her? And again, why did she go? Was there someone there waiting for her?

Cousins Toni and Zoë had gathered a number of letters, photographs and a few documents that they had received from their Mother, my aunt Cecile. All-things-being-equal Aunt Cecile (née Smith) Olton may have been named for grandaunt Cecile (née Abraham) Ham. (Thanks David and Toni, to date I have not found another ancestor named Cecile, in my research.)


Taking the initial information that I was able to amass, I put together a descendant chart of my great-grandmother Marie (née July) Abraham. Bits and pieces of the puzzle began to take shape in the recreation of this family. Click on the descendant chart to see an enlarged depiction of the initial family information. Please note that this descendant chart will continue to evolve during the course of this research project.

An obituary from The Argosy, a Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana) newspaper, dated 13 July 1901 stated that great-grandfather Fred Abraham "is survived by a widow and five children, the eldest of whom is a boy aged fourteen and the youngest is aged seven."

This information determined that great-grandmother Marie's eldest child, granduncle Frederick Henry, (aka, at times, Frederic Henri), was born about 1887. Her youngest and fifth child, probably grandaunt Cecile, may have been born according to the obituary around 1894.

Beginning with this information I then began the trek to get to know my great-grandmother Marie, the great-grandmother who passed away about 11 years before I was born. One thing that is almost definite is that my great-grandparents, Fred and Marie Abraham had five children, living in 1901; a son and four daughters. I noticed that The Argosy article does not mention the name of my great-grandmother or the five children... Curious?

Part 2 to follow,

Enjoy,

Jim

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May 23, 2009 - A Memorial - 2nd Lieut. Frederick Henry Abraham - Part 1

Good day,

And the question was, "Where is the final resting place of my granduncle Frederick Henry Abraham?" He was killed in World War I on the 2nd of October, 1918, and I wanted to find his final and exact resting place.

I had been told that granduncle Frederick Henry's grave was someplace in France, somewhere near the northern border in a place called Joncourt... and that's almost halfway between Brussels and Paris. I had gathered some bits of information, data, and photographs from family and friends. (Thanks Toni and Zoe.) These pieces most certainly held the keys to where granduncle Frederick Henry was laid to rest.

Granduncle 2nd Lieutenant Frederick Henry Abraham, pictured at the left, was born on the 4th of July, 1886 at Soesdyke, Demerara, British Guiana, which is now the country of Guyana.

His parents were Frederick and Catherine Marie Antoinette (née July) Abraham. Frederick Henry was the only son of five children. His sisters were: René Marie Hyde (née Abraham) Brebner, Edmée Blanche Émeline (née Abraham) Salmon, Jeanne Lucie Ernestine (née Abraham) Smith Mann (my Grandmother), and Cécile Blanche (née Abraham) Ham. He was my father's uncle.

Grandmother Jeanne had in her possession a letter dated the 30th of November, 1918. The letter is addressed to a Mr. Rénier and was written by a Lt. Col. Compton Smith of the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers. The letter is a letter of condolences to one Mr. Rénier on the death of his nephew, Frederick Henry Abraham. And no one had any idea who was this Mr. Rénier.

After much discussion and research I finally discovered that Mr. Rénier was married to one of my great grandmother Catherine Marie Antoinette's sisters, great-grandaunt Marie Eugénie Berthe (née July) Rénier Clergeau. And that would make Mr. Rénier, the husband of great-grandaunt Marie Eugénie Berthe, my great-grandaunt Marie Eugénie Berthe, my Great-granduncle. I had discovered this marriage from a notation added in the margin of her 1868 Birth Register from Cayenne, French Guiana, known today as Guyanne.

Transcribing great-granduncle Valentin Aimé Rénier's letter I understand a brief but detailed account of granduncle Frederick Henry's passing on the 2nd of October in 1918.

"Dear Monsieur Rénier

Your nephew 2nd Lieut Fred Abraham was killed on October 2nd, just South of JONCOURT, RAMICOURT road about 9.15 am.

The Battalion was attacking RAMICOURT, and your nephew was in command of the left front company (D). This company was checked by machine gun fire from the direction of WAINCOURT, and your nephew very gallantly endeavoured to bring a Lewis gun into position to fire on the hostile machine-gun. He was shot in the head while so doing, and passed away at once without pain.

He is buried just EAST of a sunken road, about 1000 meters EAST of JONCOURT. The cemetery where he lies contains about 130 graves of those who fell on the same day. The cemetery is marked by a cross on a mound, but the actual grave is only marked by a stick with a time disc bearing number 453. This number is, however, registered, and a cross with his name will be put up in due course by the British Graves Registration Commissioners.

I enclose a map on which I have marked by means of arrows the position of his grave, the place where he fell, & the position (approximately) of the machine gun which killed him. I hope this will enable you to identify the localities.

Your nephew was exceedingly popular with both the men & officers of this regiment, and much respected in account of his character & gallantry.

If there is any further assistance that I can give you in any way, I shall be most happy to do so, if you will let me know.



Yours sincerely,
Gd Compton: Smith Lt. Col.
16th Lancashire Fusiliers"

And no one has a copy, that I am aware, of Lt. Col. Smith's map. But today's technology, especially Google Earth, is a tremendous tool which helps in mapping directions and points of interest. And that's just what I did... I took the points as outlined in the letter and was able to find the location were granduncle Frederick Henry was shot by the enemy, and from what direction.

Check out the map. It was constructed with Google Earth and CorelDraw 4... It's a wonder of what we can visualize through today's modern technological innovations. My family history comes alive and at my personal computer I can feel the moments of my granduncle Frederick Henry.


Enjoy,

Jim

To be continued... Check back.

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