DNA Matching
Both Dai and Angela have taken autosomal DNA (Family Finder) tests. Matches to either of us have been used to identify relatives. Where the relationship had already been determined by a document trail, the DNA linkage was used to validate the relationship. Where the relationship was previously unknown, the family trees were compared to try to find a common ancestor. In some cases it has been possible to postulate probable linkages when no document trail has been found. It should be remembered that all these linkages are predicted, it is possible that there are alternative pathways, as yet uncovered.
The smaller the matching length the more unreliable the prediction. These matches are documented by descent from the most recent common ancestor (MRCA). As names of living individuals are not published here, identities of all matches are given as a code.
Dai has also taken a Y-DNA test with the aim of establishing more relatives on his male line. These may be (a) BEVANs descended from John Bevans, the current earliest known direct male ancestor; or (b) relatives from the time when patronymics were in use, and lead to connections with other surnames. As yet no clear relatives have been found by this test.
Bevan from Pembrokeshire
John Bevans and wife Elizabeth, maiden name unknown, baptised six children at Rudbaxton between 1777 and 1794. Nothing else is known of the parents for certain but they are possibly the John buried in Rudbaxton 12 February 1800, and/or the Elizabeth buried at Rudbaxton 25 April 1833, aged 85 and abode Poiston Water.
All but one of the links identified to date relate to their son Thomas, who was baptised in 1779 and married Elizabeth Griffith at New Moat 20 February 1800. The other link is via his sister Mary, baptised in 1781. Links to Thomas Bevan are confused by the parish records recording the mother of two of his children as Mary, whereas earlier and later children have the mother as Elizabeth (see details here.)
A number of other matches have been identified, where the link is possibly via Bevan from Pembrokeshire. Work continues to try to find the link to these families. Of particular interest is John Bevans who married Anne Prosser in St. Lawrence 24 September 1833. He was born about 1809, in New moat according to census records, but there is no record of his baptism in that parish. Thomas Bevan however is known to have another son, Thomas, for whom no baptism has been found.
Descendants of George Bageridge and Mary Hains
Gearge and Mary were both born in Gloucestershire, in the parishes of Siston and Bitton respectively, but moved to Skewen, Glamorgan after the birth of their first child. Only two DNA matches have found, one in Wales and one in the United States.
Descendants of John Griffiths and Margaret Thomas of Penbryn, Cardiganshire
John Griffiths was baptised in Penbryn, Cardiganshire, 30 September 1792, the son of Griffith Josiah and Sarah, maiden name unknown. He married Margaret Thomas of Tremain, Cardiganshire, 18 March 1813 in Tremain. They baptised ten children in Penbryn between 1813 and 1833. All except one of the DNA matches identified to date descend from their daughter Catherine, who was baptised 30 December 1821. The other match descends from Catherine's sister, Hannah, the youngest of the children, baptised 17 March 1833. Details
Descendants of John Jones and Mary of Bettws Evan
John Jones and his wife Mary baptised five children at Bettws Evan (or Betws Ifan), Cardiganshire, between 1825 and 1836. Two of the children died in infancy, and a third remained unmarried. DNA matches have been found for both remaining children - daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Details are here.Gilbourne from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Robert Gylborn was baptised in Ellastone, Staffordshire, 1 April 1739. He married Elizabeth Phillips 17 January 1764 in Muggington, Derbyshire. Elizabeth had been baptised in Duffield, Derbyshire31 May 1741, the daughter of Samuel Phillips. Robert & Elizabeth baptised seven children in Duffield, but descendants have been found for only one of those - Samuel, baptised 25 February 1779. The next we know of him is 1805, when he married Elizabeth Burrows in Greasley St. Mary Church in Nottinghamshire. Elizabeth had been baptised in Greasley 14 November 1781, the daughter of William Burrows and his wife Sarah, nee Higdon. They had nine children, and these pages contain an extensive family tree. DNA matches disovered to date all link to just one son of Samuel and Elizabeth - Robert, who was baptised at Greasley 10 April 1810, and married Martha Brown 8 June 1835 in neighbouring Eastwood.
Descendants of Joseph Wardle and Mary Matthews of Greasley, Nottinghamshire.
Joseph Wardle was born about 1791 in Old Radford, Nottinghamshire. He married Mary Ma(t)thews 5 February 1817 at Greasley St. Mary and the couple had eight children. DNA matches have been identified with descendants of three of those children and are summarised here.
Saxton from Greasley, Nottinghamshire
Twenty two matches have been found to descendants of Francis Saxton and Martha Hours, who married in Greasley St. Mary 18 June 1787. This couple does not figure in my family tree, but comparison of family trees indicates the likely match is via the Gregory family. One of my great great grandparents was William Gregory, who was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire about 1813. No baptism has been found in the Eastwood parish registers, nor in any other parish.
The family trees of the seventeen DNA matches all link to children of Francis and Martha Saxton. One of these children, Ann, married John Gregory 5 August 1806 at Greasley St. Mary. Greasley is a neighbouring parish of Eastwood. They raised at least nine children in Greasley,but baptisms have been found for only the first four: Hannah (1806), Samuel (1808), another Hannah (1813), John (1816). Was William Gregory a fifth child? Clearly he would not have been born in 1813 as censuses indicate (unless he was a twin), but there is a long gap between Samuel in 1808 and Hannah in 1813. We can never be sure, but is seems very likely that William was in some way related to John Gregory, if not a son then possibly a cousin, or nephew. Details of the DNA matches are shown here.
Descendants of Edward Reeve and Elizabeth Wright of Ilkeston, Derbyshire.
Edward Reeve was born in Nuttall, Nottinghamshire, in 1740. He married Elizabeth Wright just across the county border in Ikeston, Derbyshire, in 1760. They had six children who were all baptised in Ilkeston. At least four of those children returned to Nottinghamshire before they died. They lived in Awsworth and neighbouring parishes. DNA results for these families are particularly revealing, as the parish records for Awsworth between1776 and 1813 have been lost, and it is only DNA that can confirm family links. DNA matches recorded to date are shown here.Descendants of William Adamson and Sarah Corden of Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
William Adamson was baptised 20 March 1765 at Southwell St Mary the Virgin, the son of William Adamson and Isabella Davidson. He married Sarah Corden 30 August 1788 at Radcliffe on Trent St. Mary. Sarah was born about 1761. They baptised eight children at Radcliffe between 1789 and 1804. DNA matches have been identified with descendants of three of those children and are summarised here.
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