On This Day: February 3

In 1708/09, my maternal 6^th great-grandparents, Ephraim Cary and Hannah Waldo, were married in Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. [Source: New England Historic Genealogical Society, editor, Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. Online database, American Ancestors (www.americanancestors.org : accessed 5 Feb 2011), 379.]

I am descended from their son Ezra Cary.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: February 2

In 1724/25, Elizabeth (Lore) Gandy, my maternal 6^th great-grandmother, was born. [Hezekiah Lore Bible Record as uploaded by Ancestry member SaraHoffman505 on 24 December 2010, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com, accessed 2 February 2011]. She died in 1798. [Source: Joiner, Rev. Darrell and Sallyann (carver@ime.net), Cary Family History.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: January 27

In 1602/03, my maternal 8^th great-grandfather John Holman, was born in Swyre, Dorsetshire, England. He emigrated to America about 1635 and died in Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts between 10 June 1652 (the date of his will) and 18 March 1652/53 (the date his will was proved). [Source: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1630, Volumes I-III (N.p.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society 2010), II: 974.]

In 1748, my maternal 5^th great-grandparents Caleb Leonard and Jemima Minthorn were married in Morristown, Middlesex County, New Jersey. [Source: Ancestry, "History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J.," database and images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 Jan 2011); entry for marriage of Caleb Leonard and Jemima Minthorn.] Caleb and Jemima had nine children: Caleb, Jr., Isaac, Silas, Rhoda (my 4^th great-grandmother), Abner, William, Jemima, Sarah, and Hannah.

In 1816, my paternal 2^nd great-grandmother Sarah A. (Parker) Forshee was born, probably in Tennessee. She died in Washington County, Missouri, on 26 March 1896. [Source: findagrave.com, digital images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 10 Mar 2010), entry for Sarah Belle Parker Forshee, Find A Grave Memorial# 5269008.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: January 26

In 1878, my maternal grandmother Myrtle Arminta (Snider) Yawman was born in Ohio. She died 20 June 1958 in Clarkston, Asotin County, Washington. [Source: Yawman, Myrtle A., death certificate (Washington State Department of Health, State File No. 10617).] I only have a couple pictures of Grandma Yawman. This one of me with her was taken in December 1957:

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

Oh Dear....My Son is My Cousin

One of the curiosities of genealogy is that, as you go back in time, the world population decreases even as the number of your own ancestors increases. For example,  you have

• 2 grandparents
• 4 great-grandparents
• 8 2nd-great-grandparents
• 16 3rd-great-grandparents
• 32 4th-great-grandparents

and so on with each generation adding twice as many ancestors as the prior generation. At some point, you will have more ancestors than are represented in the entire world population!

A recent article in Family Tree Magazine discussed this phenomena called "pedigree collapse." It happens to the best of us.

Here's a video from YouTube which presents a hypothetical (and hilarious!) example:

Now that you've wiped the tears of laughter from your eyes, let's look at the only example I've found in our family tree (so far....I'm sure there are more).

My son's father is a descendant of Abraham and Mary Eaton through their son William; I am a descendant of the same couple through their son Absolem. As a result, my ex-husband is my fifth cousin, making my son my fifth cousin once removed, and my grandchildren my fifth cousins twice removed! Freaky!

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: January 21

In 1583, my maternal 9^th great-grandfather Henry Adams was born. He died 8 August 1646. [Source: Joiner, Rev. Darrell and Sallyann (carver@ime.net), Cary Family History.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock

On This Day: January 20

In 1781, my maternal 4^th great-grandparents Thomas Cook and Ann Clayton were married in Rowan County, North Carolina. [Brent H. Holcomb, Marriages of Rowan County, North Carolina 1753-1868 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2001), 83.]

Thomas and Ann had eleven children: Elizabeth, Mary, John, Anne, Martha, Lucy, Thomas, William, Allen, Richard, and Amelia (from whom I descend). In his will dated 25 March 1819, Thomas listed his children from this, his first marriage. Here is a copy of that portion of his will:

[Source:  Wilkes County, North Carolina, Wills, 3:195-198, Thomas Cook; Family History Library microfilm 393,950, Salt Lake City, Utah.]

© 2011 Denise Spurlock