DNA in My Family Genealogy... The Grandparents

So here is a update from my previous post DNA in My Family Genealogy I love the fact that I get the opportunity to talk with other members of the NWMGS about discoveries, concerns, and questions about genealogy. While talking about DNA a member commented about thier results just confirmed many, many years of research, and so I thought I would share my maternal grandparents results as it completely changed mine. So the Story begins...

Few months back, without going into details, in fear of losing my only set of living grandparents, I was able to talk to them and get thier test submitted. Excited it only took three weeks to get the results back and then things really started to get interesting.

If you remember back with my Genetic Ethnicity results came back with 78% Centeral Europe, 18% Scandinavian, and 4% uncertian. This all seemed wierd to me as I have been able to document, with traditional research, a large amount of branches tracing back to the British Isles. Then the grandparents enter the picture. My Grandfather showed up with 70% Central European, 27% British Isles, and 3% uncertain. OK well I would stay thats pretty close to what I have researched without crunching the numbers. Grandma's was a shocker when compaired to mine. She had 74% British Isles, 16% Eastern European, 7% Central European, and 3% uncertain. Well especally with results like that, where did my British Isles go??? I can only guess, not being a genetisist, that my father must have some strong Scandinavian blood that dominated my British roots while still being born a red head.

Well let me mention a few things that I havn't liked about AncestryDNA or hope to see explained in furture updates. First off I have my grandparents linked to the same tree I am using, and while I can somewhat understand why I dont have some of the same genetic hintsto cousins my grandparents have. Why do they not show up as a hint when we are 99% confinent you're related, but can't identify how, within thier hint feature? Yes I know how we are related but seem it likes a hickup in thier system. The second is I am sure they are trying to keep it broken down to the lowest common dinominator but there is no advanced features to AncestryDNA like a Chromosome Browser. Especally in my grandfathers results there are quite a few hints that come from the same branch within a few generations of each other. This all being said they are supposed to come out with a new Ethnicity breakdown any day now. While there seems to be a few bugs in thier system, looking at all three results niether my mom or I where adopted.

It has been a great experience even though I don't understand it all. I have meet many more, lets call them genetic cousins, and many more I have yet to contact. Some are beating me to the chase and contacting me way before I have compiled my thoughts to contact them. Especally through my grandfathers side I am even starting to get connection hint, where the common ancestor is Revolutionary War time period, which is very exciting. And while the hints make it easy to make a connection. Having both maternal grandparents tested helps out too because if I can't see another user on thier results then that kinda narrows it down that you must come from my fathers side of the family.

I am going to sign off now, as just a few hours ago they released the new ethnicity results. It may take a few to get an updated blog post. I have already checked and the rest of the AncestryDNA community must be equally excited because the site is bogged down.

Connecting the Dots... Scituate MA

I really like collaborating my genealogy.  You never know what you will find, maybe someone has a photo that’s been passed down their side of a tree, or just a different interpretation of the facts.  Well with my Uncle Tim Sutlief recently going to Massachusetts, I dove into my files to check for any notes to answers I might have while he was in the area.   One of those questions was were did the Sutlief's live in Scituate, MA which by most researches is the first American home of the Sutlief's, Abraham Sutcliffe to be exact around 1623.

One resource I had that I hadn’t looked into very deep was "History of Scituate, Massachusetts from Its First Settlement to 1831" By Samuel Deane.  It talks about early selling of land owned by Abraham Sutcliffe and then with a map from the Scituate Historical Society call the "Map of Settlement of Men of Kent Scituate 1633," I was able to start connecting the dots.

The book references a John Stockbridge, " He had also a considerable tract of land, by purchase of Abraham Sutliffe, near Stockbridge's mill pond on the north and east."  It also talks about a Thomas Ingham, "He bought lands on the south side of Stockbridge's mill pond, of Abraham Sutliffe, 1640.   It also says that Abraham had a house north of Stockbridge's.

While I don’t know if anyone has ever made this connection or if it's just the digital age where things can be more accessible, but if you look at the bottom right of the map you will see mention of John Stockbridge.  I think with some certainty that this is the area that Abraham lived during that time.  

A little more history from that book also have a sketch of Abraham Sutliffe saying that "He was living in 1659 when "Abraham Sutliffe and Sarah his wife were ordered to make retraction for defaming John Sutton, in saying he was basely born." from Colony Records. 

If you see something different please contact me or leave a comment below.  I would love to discuss and collaborate more.