RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Aberdeenshire => Topic started by: janicejo on Saturday 23 May 15 22:57 BST (UK)
-
Anyone else use Ancestry DNA to confirm or eliminate an ancestor? Does "4th to 6th" cousin really translate to that on your family tree? Sorry but I'm just obsessed with this. I thought I had identified my 2g grandfather as James, the son of William Johnston, farmer at Baldyquash Farm Fyvie, and I have done a pretty good family tree on him. Now I get a note from a 2nd cousin that our great-grandfather Peter Johnston's baptism (1855, Old Medlrum) record states that his father is "James Johnston, farm servant in Inverurie".
So I find that a James Johnston had a boy baptized in Inverurie 18 Feb 1856. He is listed as a farm servant. I can't find this James' baptism or death record, but on the censuses his birth is given as 1818-1820, in King Edward Parish. I have his census records from 1851 to 1881. I have baptisms of 2 other kids. One kid, Mary Ann, is in several family trees on Ancestry, but nobody knows James' parents names.
Now I do the Ancestry DNA test, and I get two 4th to 6th cousin hits for Aberdeenshire, that don't match up to any of my other Aberdeen lines. Their ancestors are 1)John Gordon, b. 1788 King Edward, Margaret Robertson, Margaret Walker b. 1782, James Mackie 1788, and 2) Peter Mc Hattie b. 1792 Banff, Isabel Fraser b. 1802 Banff, Peter Duff b. 1798 Banff, and Janet Milne b. 1813 Banff. Peter Duff's mother is an Elizabeth Gordon.
I have checked the baptisms an marriage records of these names with Johnston, and I got some names, but how to I assess them? No obvious smoking guns. How much weight should I put on these DNA results? Any insights appreciated.
-
Hi Janicejo
A whole board here on RC dedicated to DNA. Not sure if you have seen it here www.rootschat.com/forum/ancestral-family-tree-dna-testing/
Monica :)
-
Janice, about to ask a few further questions but found some older posts on Peter and family that answered these questions, including:
I FOUND HELLEN BOOTH THRU ROOTSCHAT!!!! Awesome, huh? I was googling Thomas Rennie, and found a post about him from a poster here. We are distant cousins by marriage. She found the death record for Hellen. Looks like she left my g grandfather Peter Johnston with her widowed, impoverished mother Elspet Sangster Booth, and didn't come back. Peter never named a child after Hellen, but he did name them after his grandparents, and the Rennies. Peter had a rich, long life, thanks to them, and perhaps also from his birthdad's family. That's my next family research project. Janice, proud a daughter of the Johnston family.
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=644034.0
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=659895.0
So, back to your original question here as to who was Peter's reputed father, James Johnston...
Monica :)
-
Thank you Monica, for taking the time to read my whole story. Where I'm at now: I have found Peter's maternal family, the Booths. I have even taken the Booth line back a few generations to Patrick Booth, b.1742 Daviot to another Patrick Booth. As for the elusive James Johnston, I have a good candidate for him in James from Baldyquash farm, in Fyvie. In fact I was pretty sure of him, until I found out about the Baptismal record. Now I have a new candidate, James Johnston b.1820 in King Edward. Hoping DNA will help me figure out which one it was. I'm going to check out that DNA board, thanks again. Janice
-
Janice, have you got the James, son of William, from Baldyquash farm in Fyvie, in censuses from 1861 onwards?
Sometimes farmers' sons had to go off and make their own living if there was no direct inheritance to be arrived at from their fathers' farms.
Monica
-
Just following up on the point as to who go what...!
You will have all this as you have researched it all up, but just for comments here to set dates and events. Father William died 1870? A Testament for him on Scotlands People:
William JOHNSTON, 6 July /1870 - FARMER AT BALDYQUASH IN THE PARISH OF FYVIE T. (normally indicates a testament document) 06/07/1870 (Ref. SC1/37/66/P39) at ABERDEEN SHERIFF COURT INVENTORIES, ref. SC1/36/67
Adam took over farm?
Adam JOHNSTON, 26 Feb 1901 - FARMER, BALDYQUASH, PARISH OF FYVIE, D. 23/11/1900 AT BALDYQUASH, TESTATE, SPOUSE OF ISABELLA ANDERSON OR JOHNSTON. EXTRACT INVENTORY at ABERDEEN SHERIFF COURT INVENTORIES - Ref. SC1/36/142
Monica
-
Janice, I keep on coming on and off your posts! Can I add some census info here? Don't think I have seen any in the other posts on the Johnston family overall....whether the correct Johnston family is obviously in question!
1841:
William Johnstone 40 farmer
Jean Gray Johnstone 30
William Johnstone 8
James Johnstone 6
Margret Johnstone 4
Jean Johnstone 2
Lillias Johnstone 6 Months
Jean Johnstone 45
Jean Blyth 18
James Mutch 5 Months
Jean Mutch 5 Months
James Cooper 17 agr lab
George Brown 12 agr lab
Jean Troup 21 F S (female servant)
Ann Mutch 14 F S (female servant)
Address: Baldyquash, Fyvie
Have seen your posts on the Blyth/Mutch surname connections elsewhere.
1851:
William Johnston 52 Farmer Of 100 Acres Emp 3 Lab, b. Daviot, Aberdeen
Isabella Johnston 48 b. Daviot, Aberdeen
James Johnston 16 b. Rayne, Aberdeen
Adam Johnston 8 b. Fyvie, Aberdeen
Isabella Johnston 5 b. Fyvie, Aberdeen
...and 4 servants
Address: Baldyquash, Fyvie
Monica
-
1861:
William Johnston 62 Farmer Of 165 Acres
Isabella Johnston 58
James Johnston 26
Adam Johnston 18
Jane Johnston 22
Isabella Johnston 15
...and servants
Address: Baldyquash Farm, Fyvie
By 1871, fitting a likely death for father William c. 1870, we have:
Adam Johnstone 28
Margaret Johnstone 7 daughter
Isabella Johnstone 68 mother
Jane Johnstone 42
Isabella Johnstone 24
...and servants
Address: Baldyquash Farm, Fyvie
So Adam, not surprisingly from what I saw already took over the farm.
Isabella was Adam's mother but not James'? His mother from 1841 shows likely as Jane Gray?
How have you followed up James, son of William in your research? Can't tell from 1861 what his marital status was. Just trying to link up to what you already have, Janice.
Wondering too why Adam took over the farm of Baldyquash rather than eldest born James :-\
Monica :)
-
Wondering too why Adam took over the farm of Baldyquash rather than eldest born James :-\
Likely because James was on to other matters...such as running Nether Darley farm ;)
1871:
James Johnston 36 Farmer Of 172 Acres All Arable Employing 4 Men b. Rayne, Aberdeenshire
Barlam (Barbara) Johnston 35
Bedella Barnett Johnston 8
Jose Ann Hall Johnston 5
Barbora Johnston 9 Months
....and servants
Address: Nerther Darley, Auchterless, Aberdeenshire
Monica
Added: ~Sorry Janice, don't think I have added anything new that you do not have... :'(
-
Quite a family, huh? Thanks for checking it out. I have spent a few years on them, and have some of the lineage back to the 1696 Poll tax. And, last summer I rented out the microfilm of the Daviot parish, and found that the Johnston/Gray family were often both represented as witnesses to baptisms of their neighbor's children. I am positive the families knew each other. And, maybe young James was sent off to someone else's farm around the time of Peter's conception. I still haven't given up on him as the father. I just wish there was some DNA confirmation. I even pulled a copy of James' father's will, to see if Peter was mentioned, no luck.