I have an ancestor whose age in various records varies dramatically, which made finding his parentage quite difficult.
Marriage in 1810
1841 - Benjamin Brigden, M, 45, Cow Keeper, Y - born c 1792 - 1796
1851 - Benjamin Brigden, Head, Mar, M, 43, Dairy Man, Kent, Hadlow - born c 1808
1861 - Benjm Brigden, Head, Wid, M, 73, Retired Cowkeeper, Kent, Hadlow - born c 1788
Death - 14 Jan 1871, aged 89 - born c 1782
Disregarding 1851 census as an obvious error, these records give an estimated birth year anywhere between c 1782 and 1796.
Since there were at least 2 possible baptisms in this time frame it is hardly surprising to see him allocated to different parents in Ancestry family trees.
I discarded the baptism in 1796 as being perhaps unlikely, he would have just about been of marriable age by 1810, most other records indicate an earlier year of birth. Some tree owners have plumped for this one.
That left one in 1786, though he could have been baptised in a neighbouring village, or not baptised at all. Most ancestry trees have plumped for this one, son of Solomon Brigden and Elizabeth Welch. A sticking point was, and still is, that he as the eldest son was left nothing in this supposed father's will in 1826.
Along comes DNA testing. I had a lot of matches in this line, some from earlier generations. Most if not all Brigdens of Hadlow originated from the same couple, Benjamin Brigden who married Ann Mansur in 1716 in Hadlow, my 7G grandparents, at the furthest limits of DNA testing.
Not all that helpful deciding Benjamin's parentage initially. However, using the place search for Hadlow, Kent I came across a predicted 4th to 6th cousin with no Brigdens in her family at all. But she did have the Welch family. A quick check appeared to confirm that Elizabeth Welch above and her Welch were brother and sister.
Eureka!! 1786 baptism appears correct, this would make us 6th cousins.
That is until I decided to trace my matches' family a bit further back. Guess what, she was also descended from Benjamin Brigden and Ann Mansur, 8th cousins from this descent!
However, as she shares 26 cMs with me I think it perhaps more likely that we are more closely related than some of the 8th cousins, who share less than 10 cMs.
Only one has uploaded elsewhere, a sticking point as usual.
For proof positive I need to find a Welch match that has no Brigden ancestry, hopefully the New Year will bring some more matches!
Regards Margaret
