family tree dna + web searches
Most of the work done in the last few weeks is to continue on the individual biographies for each individual in the tree, a lot of work as a web page for each individual needs to be created. There are over 2600 people now in my database, I won't do all of these but it is pretty daunting what has to be done. While doing this, the family tree maker program has a "web search" feature that does a web search (on ancestry.com) for each individual requested, a lot of what is up on ancestry.com are posted family trees from others; census records, and sometimes some misc. other records. The family trees from others are very useful, as they many times have more information about the individual than what exists in my database.
Mark Hill of Pocahontas County had contacted me a few weeks ago and suggested I join the ftdna (family tree dna) project. So took the plunge last week, ordered the kit, took the samples, and sent them off to ftdna for analysis. (see http://www.ftdna.com). The kit I received was interesting, it came with three scrapers and three vials, you have to scrape each one on the inside of your mouth for one minute, then wait 3 hours, then do the next one, etc. The tips of the scrapers are dropped into the vials which contain a soapy liquid. Then send all of that back to ftdna for analysis.
ftdna has currently about 120,000 people in their database who have been tested. The basic idea is that they come up with markers for your dna, and then genetically match them with other individuals in their database. So you can find out other people that you may be related to, even if they do not have the same last name, etc. When you genetically match other people in the database, you grant permission for those people to contact you (and you, them).
What do I hope to prove? One big mystery is where the Beard's came from and how were they all related. For example, four Beards are known to have settled or passed through Staunton (Thomas, Hugh, Edwin, Edward) at about the same time. There were also a number of Beards that came from Ireland to Massachusetts about the same time. The records are pretty clear back to the early 1700's, but there is no way to go any further with the records; perhaps ftdna will shed some light on it. One record said that Edwin (Thomas's brother) moved on to Georgia, but did this really happen? There are Beards around Rome, GA, but are they related?
So by matching perhaps other Beards we can prove whether the Beards that came over were indeed related and possibly how they were related.
Mark Hill of Pocahontas County had contacted me a few weeks ago and suggested I join the ftdna (family tree dna) project. So took the plunge last week, ordered the kit, took the samples, and sent them off to ftdna for analysis. (see http://www.ftdna.com). The kit I received was interesting, it came with three scrapers and three vials, you have to scrape each one on the inside of your mouth for one minute, then wait 3 hours, then do the next one, etc. The tips of the scrapers are dropped into the vials which contain a soapy liquid. Then send all of that back to ftdna for analysis.
ftdna has currently about 120,000 people in their database who have been tested. The basic idea is that they come up with markers for your dna, and then genetically match them with other individuals in their database. So you can find out other people that you may be related to, even if they do not have the same last name, etc. When you genetically match other people in the database, you grant permission for those people to contact you (and you, them).
What do I hope to prove? One big mystery is where the Beard's came from and how were they all related. For example, four Beards are known to have settled or passed through Staunton (Thomas, Hugh, Edwin, Edward) at about the same time. There were also a number of Beards that came from Ireland to Massachusetts about the same time. The records are pretty clear back to the early 1700's, but there is no way to go any further with the records; perhaps ftdna will shed some light on it. One record said that Edwin (Thomas's brother) moved on to Georgia, but did this really happen? There are Beards around Rome, GA, but are they related?
So by matching perhaps other Beards we can prove whether the Beards that came over were indeed related and possibly how they were related.
posted by Alan Beard at 2:19 AM
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