Genealogists' Forum - We have branches everywhere!



Go Back   Genealogists' Forum - We have branches everywhere! > Research > Family History Stories

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-07-19, 09:11
Phoenix's Avatar
Phoenix Phoenix is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,693
Thumbs up Hooray for Ancestry and DNA!

Norfolk has an awful lot of parishes. I mean an AWFUL lot.

In the old days, my research metod was what I refer to as French polishing: going steadily round the neighbouring parishes when I hit brick walls.

John Jarvis, b 1804 in Blakeney was the son of John Jarvis and Susanna Waller. I know this because his eldest sons were helpfully named after his sisters' husbands (who I imagine were godparents)

The received wisdom on Ancestry was that John was the son of a William Jarvis, which I knew to be wrong.

I have gradually been adding my distant tree to DNA sample. Yesterday morning I had two matches with common ancestors. Today I have dozens.

The trees show William as my ancestor (Grrr) but they also show a Richard and Alice Jarvis as grandparents, and the first tree I looked at sneaked up a different line, with a sibling of William (or John)

I had long suspected Richard and Alice as grandparents, as I had found them in several parishes, and the family names given to their children were the same, but never with the baptism of "my" John senior.

Curiously enough, William and John died within days of each other, in 1838. There was about ten years age difference between them.

When I looked at the trees for William, I noticed that there was a distinct gap between baptisms of siblings, so, knowing John was 79 when he died, I searched for his baptism.

And I've found him!!!

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...96?pId=3369747


Please ignore that Horatio baptism at the top of the page: he isn't important.


My John Jarvis is the fourth entry on the page, son of Richard and Alice, baptism at Burnham Thorpe.


He and a few siblings are baptised there, then the family move on.


So, my tree is right, my hunch about Richard and Alice was right, but without a baptism index, I'd never have spotted John - the French polishing method would not have taken me as far as Burnham Thorpe.


(And all those with William as father are genetically at least half right!)



And now I have zillions of new cousins!
__________________
The chestnuts cast their flambeaux

Last edited by Phoenix; 28-12-21 at 21:30.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-07-19, 09:28
ElizabethHerts ElizabethHerts is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 9,329
Default

How wonderful, Phoenix! It's so helpful when new records come online for counties where it is difficult to research.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-07-19, 10:36
Lindsay Lindsay is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 898
Default

It's so satisfying when you make a breakthrough like that - especially if your theory is proved right!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 28-07-19, 20:35
Chris in Sussex's Avatar
Chris in Sussex Chris in Sussex is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 119
Default

Quote:
Please ignore that Horatio baptism at the top of the page: he isn't important
__________________
Avatar..St Peters Church Thundersley Essex

'Take nothing on its looks, take everything on evidence. There is no better rule' Charles Dickens, Great Expectations.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 06:01.


Hosted by Photon IT

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7 PL3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.