Knight McKnight Y-DNA along the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road

There are three main DNA tests for genetic genealogy. The yellow the the most popular autosomal DNA and this covers very well through 2nd cousin, well enough, but missing many from 3rd cousin and the farther back missing more each generation. The red is the maternal DNA with relatively zero genealogy use (yes, yes in some cases) and the magic blue line is the y-DNA. With y-DNA you can identify a male ancestor from way back, by testing male line son descendant from each of that ancestor's sons. If the ancestor did not have two sons this cannot be done and work down until you can, or go farther back in time and over and test male cousin.

The Great Philadelphia Wagon Road

Using your own families’ genetic results you can follow the routes they took and use those matches to guide your searches for paper records and documentation. You are welcome to download this map. This is from a 1751 map that is in the public domain. (See Library of Congress website of map free maps, newspapers and records – all online and easily and freely accessible.) Although we know maps must be tweaked and re-tweaked, we must have a public domain map to work from and this is a great place to start.

Its embarrassing, and it illustrates how the ancestral trees can be worthless, no matter what database.

And laziness begat disregard for the truth. Add anyone. Oh it "must" be them. No one can prove it wrong. The dilemma of copying trees. Genealogy is hard work. All research is hard work. Multiple sources are needed for an assertion of any event - birth, marriage, death, date of founding, name, full name, name … Continue reading Its embarrassing, and it illustrates how the ancestral trees can be worthless, no matter what database.