Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Lacking definitive proof yet.

Details slowly come to light.  From these, I have attempted to construct a working hypothesis.  I am trying to find proof that the hypothesis is correct.  The info I have shows "Possible."

I need someone to do a DNA test.  But how does one reach out "ACROSS THE POND" to complete strangers (family or not!) and ask them to do a test?  The suspected mother is gone.  There's a sibling to her, but it's not quite the same.  Best bet is one of the children, IF they can be proven.  One of them, anyway, is on Facebook, but hasn't logged in at any time over the last 3 years.

There's a potential 1st cousin.  If she's done DNA, it's not public -- or it's the wrong line.  She, fortunately for us,  lives in the US.  I have not contacted personally, I've been letting an intermediary do the work...a search angel.  And he was the one who got the contact with our 2nd cousin lead, who has given us the names with which we work.  But at Great-Grandparents level there are still 2 options (or six if you include the individuals as options)

I've taken a look at some of those cousins of hers who are not related to Trish.  Many can be described as "Definite African Heritage."  That's fine.  I think that's proof of what everyone should know:  We're all human, one species!  (We might make exceptions for politicians, but that's not the point!)

Thing is, I don't want to scare anyone away.  And I certainly don't want to be too pushy.  I'm hoping for a break, but I'm going to make some inroads myself.

Interestingly enough:  Many cousins are still over in the "Motherland."  Unfortunately, there is no land bridge to Britain.  The US is isolated in such a manner.  We can't walk or drive to the area to visit.  Fortunately, we can be seen, thanks to technology as we have it.  Maybe, someday, we'll have that Matter-Energy-Matter transporter imagined in Trek.


Stay tuned...


Saturday, May 14, 2016

such is life...

You begin to think you can handle the curves life tosses at you.  And then it throws a fastball.

A surprise connection with family is resulting in a happy reunion...even if we don't have the exact connection pinned down yet.

Another cousin in Ireland.  And this one is a sister of the closest match we have on Maternal side.  I am dumbfounded, and a bit shell-shocked.  Nothing like some good, old-fashioned excitement to make the day!

The possibility of pictures exists.  and this is great, too, because we have a chance to see WHO our line contains.  I assume it might be like running for office and winning a very close race.

I don't have a heck of a lot to say... except WOW!

Friday, May 13, 2016

Lost in Space?

I've connected our probable tree to Trisha's alleged mom.  And, as of yet, not a single hint to verify that this line is right.  NOT ONE!

If "FROBIN" is fitting where he's supposed to be fitting, then why isn't he showing up?  How is it that our closest maternal match is not connecting there?

I was directed to some pictures of the alleged line.  They do look very much like Trish.  But why aren't these connections doing anything?  is it a marriage connection?  Or is there an NPE we don't yet see?

I can't say it's the wrong line, at least not yet.  But, where's the McNulty line?  Where's the McNealy line?  Is this Gallagher line correct?  I'm assuming the Cafferty (Or is it Cafferkey?) line is right, but then where's the Kilbane line?

Of course, Ancestry's recent changes are possibly behind the slow results...or not.  We just don't know!

We continue watching the sites.  23andme has really gotten screwed up!  At one time, there were almost 1800 matches.  Now it is barely 1600!  And that's with "new matches" of at least 70 people!
Something is gumming up the works.  What?

On of our connections seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth, but it could just be the time frame.

However, we DID learn the side of one person who I always thought was on Trisha's mom's side.  Nope.  Dad's.  And one line vanished, and we're unsure who this feller was who wasn't ready for fatherhood and left his pregnant bride behind.

Is the answer here?  Or are we just chasing our own tails?

Time will tell.  And I hope it's not been a waste.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Zeroing in?

I have contact with 3,4, 5 people... not sure how many... all of them are on the case here.

Is it the maternal line of the maternal line?  Or is it the paternal line of the maternal line?  This question is being evaluated by a half-dozen methods.

We've learned, however, that one of the offspring of a sibling of that Great-grandparent set had, or may have had, 2 children that were placed for adoption.  Was Trish one of them?

There's a large (but speculative) Tree, and DNA is attached...but no hints on the maternal side.  It's all paternal.  The whole thing.

Does this mean it's on the Paternal Branch (which is not entered, yet?)  No.  It DOES mean that maybe nobody has tested yet that's close enough to show on a hint.  But some names in the tree HAVE shown, and I can't help wondering if those are the same people who are tested.  They don't have the DNA at Ancestry.  They have it elsewhere.

All eyes are currently on one possibility, but this doesn't mean the others are being ignored.  I need more data!

Working together:  Me, Joe, Mike, Dawn, Ann...  plus others...something is going to break.  I just hope it ain't my sanity!

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Anomalous DNA inheritances cause confusion

DNA may be a science, but inheritance is not.  We have quite a few unexplained matches at levels that confound  the novice and baffle the experts.  I'm constantly told that, "There's an unreported NPE" or "There's endogamy."  But no explanation is proven -- it's all speculation, hypothesis.

This is just a start, and there are likely to be more found.

E_H.  2nd cousin.  470 cM, high for a second.  but it's not 1/2 first.  And it's not 1st. And it doesn't fit at 1C1R.

P_L_S.  1st cousin to E_H.  shares 146 cM with Trish.  that could be 2C1R, but not in this case.  Really too low for a 2nd.

KHL.  Shares 128 or 121, depending upon tests checked.  Likely 2C1R.  But the paper trail gives 3C1R.  Once again, very odd.

JC:  Uncle to KL.  3C to Trish, even though 2.34% is shared.  Once again, just strange.

BW, DW, JW, and KW:

This is a baffling one.  I keep getting told that it's "Probably an undocumented NPE".  Yet I find the matches on both sides, and more distant to the side where the match is.

BW shares 255, JW  shares 186, DW shares 188, KW shares 96.
BW is the father to the others, KW and DW are full sibs, brother and sister, JW is a half-brother.
But the paper trail shows matches to KHL and EH, more distant to KHL, even though our path shows the connection on that side.
BW shows as 5C1R, The others show 6C!

CR-  Spotted this morning.  56 CM on 2 segments.  Predicted 4th cousin.  But when you run it through the course, it's not that.  It's 6th.

Are there this many NPE?  Could there have been this many affairs or adoptions?  And all hidden?  It seems unlikely, but I can't explain the readings.  The answer I get from researchers, Genealogists and the like:  "There's something going on."  To that, I can say "DUH!" LOL.

Whatever is going on, the answer is a mystery.  Where's Sherlock Holmes when you need him?

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Continuing the path

Today is Trisha's B-day.  That's another year without knowing FOR SURE who everyone is and where they fit.

But the funnel is narrowing slightly.  We're trying to find siblings of 2 people--but Irish lines are so convoluted and tangled that they rival a Gordian Knot.  Problem:  The lines and info just doesn't seem to exist in normal channels.  Nothing at Family Search.  Nothing at Ancestry.  Nothing at Geni.  Nothing at FTDna.  And nothing at 23andme or DNAland.  NOTHING.

At least we know something.  But I just checked one Irish family at starting point of 1799 and 1808.  And do you know what I get?  8 CERTAIN children, plus one who is less certain because his mother would have been over 50.  This isn't impossible, but it IS unlikely!

Somewhere along this line of 8 or 9 kids, (probably well over 400 people when brought into the 20th Century (And THIS, I know, is 21st!) fits that closest cousin...  Is a a Goggins sibling?  Or a White?  Or is that Goggin and Whyte?  Believe me, the spellings are enough to confuse anyone.
And then there's possibility of falsifying info and human error.

I still am hopeful that something even closer will show.  But hope doesn't catch the prize.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Ancestry update leads to surprises.

Ancestry did an "upgrade."  Seriously, I debate that term.  In many cases, I have found "upgrades" to be less functional, less accurate.

Trisha's closest maternal-side relative hasn't been responsive and had no "Shared matches."  Then we get a McNulty who does match.  Case, unsolved.  no ideas, yet.

Last night, after the upgrade, I found a name that has been on the cousin list for some time.  But it hasn't been a match.  But now?  Yes, now it is!  Nice.  No tree.  Sad, but somewhat expected.  Then a new match, a MARYPAT.  Again, no tree.

I sent out a couple of introductions.  I hoped to see responses this morning.  I logged in, and there is a reply.  But it's not from either of the two emailed the day before.  It's our closest match, Maternal.
Some disappointment when I learn she's an "A-syndrome" baby-- ie, adopted.  BUT she's got contact with her mom, a decade long.  Since this is likely a second cousin, that means Great-grands for a match.  But she has little info.

I'm still happy!

So, I'm looking at a line back one from Goggin-White.  Go two, for good measure.  But who are the parents of Teresa White?  Who are the parents of James Goggin?

Also, learned more about the previously unconnected line.  Could be Scottish, but not too likely.  4th cousin.  Still no reply from the other.  Not yet.

Really, a baby-step forward.  Closer to solved, but no closer to solved.  

Now, it's a waiting game, again.  Information...  that last clue, maybe, to finding this last dot to connect.
But as Yogi Berra would say, "It ain't over till it's over."

I wanted this solved by Trisha's b-day.  Not yet.  But unless there is an absolute miracle the extent of parting the Red Sea, it won't happen.  Her Birthday is tomorrow.

Next target date is November.  6 months.  Anything can happen.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Frustration reigns

3 days in a row, at ancestry, I have mirrored a tree.  Just copied everything I could get up to a point (Usually where the line runs out)

3 days in a row, I connected DNA to the target person to see what I could get.

3 days in a row, I get NOTHING.

Day one:  a tree of someone named South, 4th or 5th cousin, including X-DNA.  And I got ... Nothing.  Not even a "Shared" leaf.  Something must be wrong there, but right now I can't figure it out unless it's the damned upgrade.  I get nothing.  NOTHING.

Day 2.  A DAW tree.  4th or 5th cousin.  no shared matches.  Only leaf is the parents.  Nothing else.  I mean, REALLY.  No matches anywhere!

Day 3.  A tree which contains the name FINK.  4th cousin, according to ancestry.  I get 3 matches, but... Only one shaky leaf at a parent level.
3 matches, but one has no tree, so that's out.  One says 40 people.  Jackpot?  Not even close.  ONE person listed in the tree.  That's it.  Without more info, there is nothing I can do.  I MIGHT be able to find the name, but it seems hopeless.  I may try anyway.
The last match, well... the level contains the whole damn tree.  That's not even useful.

3 days of work.  Three days of disappointment.  I wonder if this is how the Minnesota Tlosers feel...