Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 3: Documentary Evidence & Conclusions

Identifying John Wilson's ancestral origins, part 3: Documentary evidence and conclusions

Using both Y-DNA and autosomal DNA (at-DNA) in the previous two blog posts, the ancestral origin of John Wilson (1716-1799) appears to be in an area east of Enniskillen, which is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The purpose of the final blog post is to use documentary evidence to corroborate previous findings … Read more

Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 2: Autosomal DNA Analysis

Identifying John Wilson's ancestral origins, part 2: Autosomal DNA Analysis

Having identified the probable ancestral origin of John Wilson (1716-1799) using Y-DNA in Part 1 of the blog post series, Part 2 uses autosomal DNA (at-DNA). The purpose here is to provide corroborating evidence that John’s ancestral origin is County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland as well as to offer greater geographic specificity within the county. Compared to Y-DNA, … Read more

Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 1: Y-DNA Analysis

Identifying John Wilson's ancestral origins, part 1: Y-DNA Analysis

Have you been fortunate enough to trace one of your American ancestors back to the 1700s but found no records indicating where in Europe they originated? Oh, and what if you are “lucky” enough for this ancestor to have a common or occupationally derived surname, such as Smith or Miller, providing no clues as to … Read more

The Power of Original Records

The power of original records

Have you come across a derivative record transcribed from an original document? Ever wonder if it is worth the time, effort, and expense to obtain a copy of the original? The answer to the last question is a definite YES. Let me explain through a brief example. When reviewing my autosomal DNA matches on Ancestry.com, … Read more