All I want for Christmas
Dear Santa,
The Legal Genealogist is dismayed.
Disappointed.
Distressed, even.
And you know what happens when somebody with a law degree gets distressed, don’t you?
You have heard of the cause of action called intentional infliction of emotional distress, haven’t you?
Even negligent infliction of emotional distress can be actionable.
But Santa, I really don’t want to file suit against you.
I just want you to deliver the goods. I’m sure it was an oversight, but I know you can do better.
So how about we begin with just a few samples of DNA, okay, Santa? Not a whole lot, really. Just from some very specific target families.
One sample — just one! — from one person — just one! — from each of these lines:
• The Faures of Manakin Town, Virginia (YDNA): I’m still trying to nail this one down, Santa, and I sure could use some help here. My third great grandfather Jesse Fore was probably born in South Carolina, and served in the militia there in the War of 1812.1 But I can’t trace him back any farther.
We’ve already YDNA tested, oh, about a kazillion members of the Fore family that I descend from2 and everybody in our group matches each other. But we all run out of paper trail before we reach the immigrant ancestor — whoever he was.
Our theory is that our Fores are related to the Widow Faure and her children who were part of the Huguenot migration to the New World in the very early days of the 18th century.3 She and her children settled in Manakin Town, Virginia, and her sons and grandsons included Daniel, Jean (John) and Pierre (Peter), and later James, Joseph and Archelaus. The surname is recorded as Faure, Foure, Four, Fore and Ford.
What we need, Santa, is one man — just one! — who can document his descent in an unbroken male line (father to son to son) from one of these Manakin Town Faure males. If you can just wrap up his email address and leave it under my tree, I will happily — happily — pick up the tab for his YDNA testing.
• Philip Shew (YDNA): And you also forgot my earliest known Shew ancestor last year, Santa. C’mon… A little help here, okay?
You know we have no idea where my fifth great grandfather Phillip Shew (c1750 – 1832) was born. You know we’re not sure where he was before he showed up on the census in Guilford County, North Carolina, in 1790.4 He was in Wilkes County, North Carolina, by 1810,5 and still there in 18206 and 1830.7 His will was proved in the Wilkes County court in the October term 1832.8
From the name and other evidence of the language spoken at home, we’re pretty sure Philip was German — the last name may well have originally been Schuh — and we need a documented male descendant to YDNA test. I know I’ve got a kazillion Shew cousins out there — so, c’mon, Santa,… wrap me up just one who’s willing to test, okay?
• John Jones (YDNA): And you didn’t deliver a single solitary hint, Santa, that’d help with this one Virginia-and-North-Carolina line, and seriously you can’t let me down here. I mean, seriously… Jones? John Jones? C’mon, Santa, baby… you have to come through for me, all right?
We’re pretty sure John was born in Virginia around 1750, and he married Elizabeth Pettypool in North Carolina (Granville or Rutherford County) in 1771.9 He was kind enough to leave a will naming his daughter, my fourth great grandmother Elizabeth Buchanan, among his children.10 But we don’t know who his parents were, and with a name like John Jones — where do we even start? So how about a nice neatly documented direct male line descendant, huh? That shouldn’t be too much to ask, is it?
I’m willing to pay for it, Santa. Oh, not with good behavior. You know me better than that. But for the testing, okay? Seriously. If you could just find me one person in each of these categories, I’ll pay for the test — all the person has to do is email me.
C’mon, Santa.
I’ve been good.
Well… good enough, right?
I’d really hate to have to trot out those papers for emotional distress…
SOURCES
- Declaration of Soldier, 27 March 1871, Jesse Fore (Fifer, Capt. Gaffney’s South Carolina Militia, War of 1812), soldier’s pension application no. 4553, certificate no. 7041; Case Files of Pension and Bounty Land Applications Based on Service Between 1812 and 1855; Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1960; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C. ↩
- Oh, all right, so eight or nine at any rate. ↩
- See Judy G. Russell, “Wanted: Faure / Fore / Ford DNA,” The Legal Genealogist, posted 28 Jan 2012 (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : accessed 21 Dec 2015). ↩
- 1790 U.S. census, Guilford County, North Carolina, p. 505 (penned), col. 1, line 17, Philip Shoe; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 July 2002); citing National Archive microfilm publication M637, roll 7. ↩
- 1810 U.S. census, Wilkes County, North Carolina, p. 865 (penned), line 10, Phillip Shew; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 July 2002); citing National Archive microfilm publication M252, roll 43. ↩
- 1820 U.S. census, Wilkes County, North Carolina, population schedule, p. 530 (stamped), Phillip Shew; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2002); citing National Archive microfilm publication M33, roll 83. ↩
- 1830 U.S. census, Wilkes County, North Carolina, p. 383 (stamped), Phillip Shew; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 July 2002); citing National Archive microfilm publication M19, roll 125. ↩
- Wilkes County, North Carolina, Will Book 4:159; North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh. ↩
- We’re sure of that since he was kind enough to sell land Elizabeth inherited from her father, creating a document that named John, Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s father. See Granville County, NC, Deed Book W: 89, Examination of Elizabeth Jones (1813); North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh. ↩
- Rutherford County, North Carolina, Record Book C:159, Will of John Jones, 15 September 1819; North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh. ↩
Try having a surname like MOORE if folks want emotional distress. Its similar to Jones or Smith. We had our ONE remaining male in the family Y-DNA tested to the 67 marker. Unfortunately there aren’t any direct line folks with Family Tree Y-DNA who match up exactly. They are all 1 or 2 markers off-whatever that means. All we know is THEY go back to a James Moore who died in 1705 in So. Carolina. Still stuck at my “Moore” great grandfather who skipped out on his young family. And, even harder is finding the WIVES of ancestors. I have lots of folks who share DNA with me on Ancestry but we are unable to know where the matching ancestor is. And, now I have a man named CORN who Ancestry says is an ancestor but I have no idea how. Have never seen that surname before. So even when you test, DNA is still a mystery.
I do have a Moore, Sue! The family history of my Robertsons is that William M. Robertson (b. NC c. 1790, d. MS 1864) married a Moore — and there is a marriage record for a William Robertson and a Delilah Moore in the right part of Mississippi at the right time. DNA is starting to say that is the right Moore family, but there’s more work to be done for sure.
Judy, When I’m back home after Christmas/New Year, I will scan and send to you an article on the ancestry of the South African Faure family — Antoine Alexandre FAURE came to the Cape of Good Hope in 1714, to give religious instruction to the Huguenot families who had come to the Cape. He was born in France in 1685, and his parents were Pierre Faure and Justina Pointy. An extensive article on his roots in Europe was published in our Huguenot Society Magzine during this last year. With a bit of luck, we might be able to find a proven South African male line fellow to do a Y-DNA test. IT would be a magical find for international (and Huguenot) genealogy if we could find some DNA matching through this exercise. One Pierre Faure is a good friend of mine from a long time back. Seasons greetings! Dave Mitchell, Cape Town, South Africa and life member, Huguenot Society of SA.
That’d be terrific, Dave! And oh what a wonderful thing it would be to link those families! I’d be happy to underwrite a YDNA test for a direct male line descendant of that branch too!
Not all people with paper trails are willing to play. There are two probably distant cousins with my surname that have not accepted my hints or invitations to participate in DNA testing. I know of other genealogists in the same position. Folks with paper trails do not have the same drive to run DNA testing.
I understand only too well… but I can hope, can’t I? 🙂
Remember to specify in your list to Santa not to tease you further by having those elusive cousins take DNA tests if they are named “Anonymous” ’cause you know as well as I do that is almost equally or even more frustrating to know they are right there but just beyond your reach!
It’s like getting a Christmas present wrapped beautifully with a shiny bow on top but being told you can never open it..
Couldn’t agree more — I have both a first and a second cousin at 23andMe who don’t respond…
In the meantime, look at
http://faurefamily.yolasite.com/resources/BIOG%20Antoine%20Faure%201685-1736%20APF.pdf
Dave
Also
http://www.faure.co.za/fcpdf/book_7_antoines_story_1685-1736.pdf
Dave
Thanks!
Before my retirement I had a library genealogy patron named Peter Shew. I forget where Shew/Schuh family was from Pennsylvania or Virginia or where, but he is definitely interested in his family history. He is Peter L Shew of Stockport, OH. You can find him on one of the online sites or e-mail me privately for his contact information.
Thanks, Ernie! I’m pretty sure this is the Pete Shew who descends from Godfrey of New York. May be related, but… no paper trail.
I’d love to be able to help you with this but I’m not on the Y line! I descend from various Manakin Hugenots, mainly the Chastain line but also Martin, Soblet, and Faure. Anne Ford/Faure (1737-1810) is my 6th great grandmother. Her grandparents were supposedly the immigrants Pierre Faure and Mary Agee. Of course, I am researching other families so I haven’t done any of the paper chasing on this line(I sort of assumed a bunch of other people are already working on it!) Sounds like we might be cousins though 🙂
I sure hope so, Sara — but I really need a documented male in that line to be sure!!!
Here’s a link to a land title to Hugenot immigrants including Peter Foure granted in 1716.
See
If you have any problems with this link send me a suitable email address and I will send you a copy of the image.
Also, there is an associated statement that say that Pierre Faure changed his name to Peter Ford soon after arrival in the US.
Thanks. The name variations included Faure, Foure, Ford and Fore. Such fun…
You think you have a wish list. For starters, Ancestry after three try’s was not able to complete the test. So I am hoping that Santa will bring a completed Family Finder test from FamilyTreeDNA. It would also be nice if there was a match to my Y DNA test taken years ago. I’d even settle for a long form Haplogroupe match. Hope I’m not asking for to much this Christmas.
A lot of people have trouble with the spit test, Ray. You shouldn’t have any trouble with the swab test.
I love this blog!
Thanks! Happy holidays!
I for one stumbled across my Manakin Town, VA French Huguenots ancestors because I was so puzzled as to why I was getting higher than expected French/German ethnic estimates from my DNA tests. I descend from Magdalena Ford and never suspected for the longest time that her father James Ford was actually Jacques Faure/Foure/Fore until I ran across the Manakin Town, VA French Huguenot Society website. Magdalena’s birth name was Magdeleine Faure. Jacques Faure/James Ford was married to Ann Elizabeth Marie Bondurant if the Huguenot Society’s genealogies are correct. Jacques was apparently the son of John Pierre Faure and Mary/Marie Elizabeth Agee. Magdalena/Magdeleine was apparently born in the Manakin Town area about 1736 and died about 1805 in Stokes County, NC. I am kin, through actual descent or intermarriages to practically everyone in Stokes, NC whose ancestor/ancestors arrived there circa 1800. Endogamy and Pedigree Collapse are rampant in my tree.
Unfortunately, with regards to ydna, Magdalena/Magdeleine was a female, and I have not found any further Manakin Town ancestors in my tree…yet.
Well, you sure know who to contact when you do find one, right? 🙂
You bet! In my DNA matches, especially at Ancestry, I occasionally run across matches whose ancestors were located primarily in South Carolina who have Manakin Town surnames in their trees. You never know…heck, it’s also been a really big surprise to me that Agee’s, Fuqua’s, and others I went to school with, and I share the historic Manakin Town background.
John Jones. I feel your pain. I was on a research trip in Franklin County, MO, looking for information on my maternal grandfather’s line – the Joneses. My gr-gr grandfather was John Jones, and I was looking for clues to his father. I didn’t find anything there, but several months later I did find his father’s 1795 will in Harrison County, KY. He had named one son John and another Jonathan. I’m sure he did that to torment future family researchers….
When I finished up in Franklin County, I headed over to Jersey County, IL where I was meeting a cousin from my maternal grandmother’s side. We were meeting in a cemetery to look for the gravestone of a woman we knew was buried there. As I pulled into the cemetery, I saw a prominent marker with the name JOHN JONES, chuckled to myself, and parked next to it. We didn’t find the stone we were looking for and soon left. It wasn’t until I did some later research that I discovered John Jones was married to the granddaughter of the woman who’s stone we had been seeking.
John Jones. Got ’em on both sides of my mother’s family.
Seriously, how hard would it have been for these guys to name their sons Melchezidek? I mean, really…
My wishlist is entirely about giving the FTDNA folks super powers over the holiday in order to get the kits everyone is ordering done speedily. My order says its expected 1/27-2/10 next year.
It’s my hope that we show something interesting with my one and only match for the Y-DNA kit I have on file with them, in that it shows soundly that we are or are not related (it’s held up through Y-37 and the R1b SNP pack). Because it will be one heck of an interesting year if my project is to figure out how my Italians are related to Croatians just across the Adriatic.
Fingers crossed for you (my brother has NO close matches at all — he’s an E-V13 …).
The new haplogroup numbers are so interesting! My Y kit is an R-Z9.
Yeah, my brother used to be an E1b1 something or other and is now E-V13. MUCH easier to say and remember!
Now all I can think of are the interesting conflict of laws issues this raises. What if Santa doesn’t deliver because he never enters your forum? Will the courts of your state take jurisdiction, or will you have to sue in the courts where Santa resides? If so, whose jurisdiction is that, given the overlapping claims for the North Pole? What’s the the lex causae by which the court will decide the matter? Will there be an anti-suit injunction?
Sorry, I find conflicts of law to be as interesting as genealogy. I’d be as happy working out a scenario for renvoi to apply to this problem as I would be trying to figure out the degrees of separation between Saint Nick and me. 🙂
Merry Christmas, I hope Santa delivers!
You, sir, are as big a geek as I am. Which is sayin’ somethin’! Merry Christmas to you and yours! 🙂
Just in case Santa doesn’t deliver, can you take things into your own hands and stock up on FTDNA Y-DNA test kits to take advantage of their year-end sale + mystery rewards?
I’m hoping to test paternal ancestors in the new year (still wooing them), and have been wondering about whether I could order a kit now and list the name as ‘TBD’ until I have a taker. I assume the kits have a reasonable shelf life. Any reason this wouldn’t work?
OK, now I am going to have to do some more research and documentation. My 4th great grandfather was Jessie Foree (1761-1851), son of Peter Foree or Faure, or Fore, or Ford. He was the father of Sara Elizabeth Fore. The hunt goes on. Let me know if Santa responds. Karen
Ooooh… just one… just ONE direct documented male line descendant!!!