Confirming Ancestors Through DNA

DNA Results

                I completed an Ancestry DNA test a year ago, and thought it might be worthwhile  to share some of my results here.

                Ancestry DNA does an estimate of your ethnicity, which they explain can be from thousands of years ago.  I expected my ethnicity to show a high percentage of Great Britain, Ireland, French and German based on my paper research.  It showed 26% Scandinavia; 26% Ireland, Scotland, Wales; 17% Iberian Peninsula, and 9% Great Britain. 

                I was more interested in seeing if DNA matches would confirm my paper research.  I was excited to match with a descendant of F. E. Goldsberry, because that was further proof that he was the father of the illegitimate Clarence F. Goldsberry. 

                The other most exciting match for me was sharing DNA with descendants of Nehemiah Sprague and Isaac Sprague through another one of Isaac’s sons, Enos.  This is important to me because Enos has been approved as a patriot line in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  Harmon has not yet been approved because there is no paper documentation of Harmon being the son of Isaac.  The DAR will not yet accept the type of DNA testing that Ancestry does.  They will accept only the type of DNA that traces the Y chromosome from male to male in subsequent generations.  (That is difficult for a female descendant of a female ancestor, i. e. Phoebe Sprague). 

                Ancestry groups matching DNA with multiple people into what they call “DNA Circles.”  I have matched enough other people with a high enough percentage of the same DNA to be included in the following DNA circles in my Goldsberry line (hopefully you will recognize these names from previous posts):

·         Almira Bobo

·         John Van Buren Goldsberry

·         Phoebe Lovett

·         William Lovett

·         Elizabeth Parsons

·         John Smith

·         Mary Ann Smith

·         Harmon Sprague

·         Nehemiah Sprague

I have many other matches to our Goldsberry ancestors, even though they are not included in DNA Circles.  This may be due to a smaller amount of DNA shared, or not enough people in the database to establish a circle.  Many people who do DNA testing do not choose to make their family trees public for various reasons, so they are not included in DNA Circles.  Here are Goldsberry ancestors (with posts on this blog) with whom I match DNA with at least one person:

·         John Ashworth

·         Caroline Pennybacker

·         Mark Smith

·         Mary Pence

·         Edward Hartley

·         Charles Parsons

·         Elizabeth Chestnut

·         Roger Hartley III

·         Richard Parsons

·         Lydia Briggs

·         Peter Dirck Keyser

·         Benjamin Wilbore

·         Elizabeth Garner

·         Dirck Pennbacker

·         Hannah Dehaven

·         Henry Bobo

·         Sarah Black

·         Philip Packer

·         Rebecca Jones

·         Mary Alkire (Isaac Pennybacker’s wife)

·         Hendrick Pannebecker

·         Eve Umstat

·         Richard Parsons

·         Daniel Fish

·         Abigail Mumford

·         Gabriel Baubeau (Bobo)

·         Elizabeth Spencer

·         Owen Lovett

·         Mercy Stackhouse

                There are also individuals who match my DNA for Hull, Peck, Griffin, and Clark lines which I have not yet written about because the paper trail is not as strong as the other lines I have researched.

                In summary, most of the ancestors I have written about in this blog have been confirmed by DNA.  Those of whom I have written and do not have DNA shared with descendants are: Souplis, Pawling, Roosa, Op den Graeff, Bills, and Brown.  As I learn more about analyzing DNA, I am hoping to confirm them.

                Eric Hovemeyer, who has been researching the various Goldsberry lines for years, has been analyzing DNA and sees some relationship (though distant) with some other Goldsberry lines in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.  You can read his DNA reports on the Goldsberry Family Facebook page.  My hope is to eventually be able to find some confirmation on the father of John Van Buren Goldsberry. 

                I encourage other members of the Goldsberry family to consider doing DNA testing.  Male DNA would be especially helpful to tracing back John Van Buren Goldsberry. I personally prefer the method Ancestry presents their results.  The DNA test involves spitting into a test tube.  Family Tree DNA test involves swiping a cotton swab against the inside of the cheek.  23 and Me and My Heritage also do DNA testing.  Ancestry has the largest database of people by a large margin, and I know there are other Goldsberry members in the Ancestry database.  Ancestry’s regular price is $99, but they often have sales, especially around Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas.  The best price I have ever seen is $59 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  If you have Amazon Prime, it is possible to order Ancestry DNA through them and get free shipping.  Otherwise, shipping is $9.99 I believe.