An over-sized envelope arrived this week from Mississippi. Its content – photocopies of deeds recorded in Old Tishomingo County between 1845 and 1857. I am on the trail of my Goodger ancestors who lived in Old Tishomingo before it was divided into the counties of Alcorn, Prentiss and (new) Tishomingo. I had hopes that one of these deeds might reveal a familial relationship… More →
Month: August 2016
Liar, Liar, DNA on Fire
DNA doesn’t lie but I’ve learned that it doesn’t always tell the complete truth. In last year’s DNA testing frenzy, I uploaded my autosomal DNA results onto several websites including one called Gedmatch.com. One of their cool tools tells you whether or not your parents are related. According to this tool, my parents are not related. LIAR! They may not have DNA in common… More →
The Other Martin and Elizabeth
Martin Trentham, Jr. and Elizabeth Martinleer Eppinger, my 6th great grandparents, have been the subject of many posts on this blog – with good reason. A rascally couple, they show up in documents found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi for more than 80 years They were on the move and mischievous for sure – stealing horses, claiming land they never… More →
The Hudson Bait
About once a month I’m contacted by a DNA-matched distant cousin who, like me, is trying to connect the DNA dots and figure out how we’re related. This month one of my Y-DNA “matches” made contact. I haven’t heard from many of these men-folk and there’s a good reason for that. You’ll recall that only men carry a Y chromosome and… More →
Raider of the Lost Archives
As crusades go, this may be a lost cause. I am determined to find historical evidence proving that the Martin “Frentham” who arrived in Natchez, Mississippi in 1788 was Martin Trantham, Jr., my 6th great grandfather. And that the Robert “Trentham”, who not only appeared but stayed, was Martin’s son. The “Holy Grail” of evidence is an affidavit filed by… More →
Lettow Low Down
Great news. My application to join The American Society of Die Söhne der Napoleonischen Kriege (also known as Die ZöNK) has been accepted! Loosely translated, the Sons of the Napoleonic Wars is made up of people like me who can trace their ancestral lineage to German soldiers who fought against Napoleon’s armies in the early 19th century. Not to be outdone by its… More →