Introduction

In the last ten years, genetic genealogy (DNA for genealogy) has provided the family historian and genealogist with another tool in which to find and make connections with previously unknown ‘cousins’.  This tool can help prove the paper trail and  lead one’s research off in directions not previously considered. The task of the genetic genealogist is to figure out where and when two individuals share a common ancestor.

This post begins a series of posts sharing our genetic genealogy process and findings to date.  I do this for three reasons – one, to bring all the information together in one place;  two to share with the world in the hope that others will find the process useful and finally to make more cousin connections.

Background

Members of our family have tested at two genetic genealogy companies located in the USA.  These are 23andme.com and Family Tree DNA.  Not surprisingly we’ve had the most success with my husband’s side of the family.

Why?  Because my husband’s ancestral background is predominately American and presumably more Americans have tested at these two American companies thus making it more likely we will find matches, which certainly seems to be the case.  Secondly, we have more family tree information on his side of the family and can more easily match the paper trail to sort out the DNA connections we receive.

Our HILLMAN DNA Match

One of the most exciting matches was found in June of this year through the RELATIVE FINDER autosomal DNA testing at 23andme.   Relative Finder identifies regions of DNA in common on the 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and the X chromosome.  One typically shares 50% DNA with each parent, 25% with each grandparent and 50% with siblings.  Cousins, depending on the degree of relationship share lesser amounts of DNA.

We received notification that my husband RWM matched at the second to third cousin level with a person with initials of CW.

The match was 1.80% shared DNA in 9 different segments and a total of 135 centiMorgans (cM)*. 

This is a significant match.

*A centiMorgan (cM) is a unit of genetic distance along a chromosome that takes into account how often recombination occurs in that region. A region with few cM undergoes relatively less recombination. Closer relationships tend to have longer segments because there have been fewer opportunities for recombination to occur.

Here is what I do STEP by STEP when we get a match at 23andme.com

1. I take a quick glance at the person’s profile to determine if we both share surnames and geographic interests in common.   Unfortunately not everyone will have this information in their profile. 

2.  I then send a message to the match with our surnames and geographic interests along with a request to share genomes at the BASIC LEVEL ONLY.  Basic level shares only genetic genealogy information and not health information. Messages can be sent via the internal message system in 23andme.  Email addresses are not shared unless you give your email to the other person in a message.

Some individuals will share basic genomes right away and others will want more information.  Messaging back and forth can establish a common bond to proceed to sharing at the basic level.  It helps to point out that no health information is shared at this level. 

Note – don’t be discouraged if the match never answers.  Many people test for health reasons only and are not interested in genealogy…Imagine!

I will also note the person’s haplogroup more for interest’s sake although this knowledge can be useful in some cases.  (More on this in another post).

3.  Once we are sharing genomes at the basic level I go to ANCESTRY LABS/FAMILY INHERITANCE ADVANCED in the 23andme dashboard and compare just where on the chromosomes we have a match.   There are drop down menus that allow you to choose the individuals you wish to compare, in this case CW vs RWM.

Screenshot of the Family Inheritance Tool (23andme.com)

The results appear in two forms – a schematic as below and  numerical values in a table which you can view or download as an excel spreadsheet.

Autosomal DNA match CW vs RWM 9 segments 135cM - Source 23andme.com

Reading the schematic

Take a look at the blue section shown on the chromosome 5 near the top of the picture.   The blue section is a DNA segment that both my husband and CW share in common.  This means they both have exactly the same DNA sequence in that region which indicates a DNA match.  Another example – A smaller blue piece is seen on chromosome 7 and  a slightly larger one on chromosome 8 and so on.  Every blue piece is another match between CW and RWM. 

NINE segments in all for a total of 135 cM!  This means CW and RWM share a common ancestor and this ancestor was probably in the not so distant past.  Our daughter HM also matched CW on a 16 cM segment located on chromosome 9.

Below is the table of the data which shows the numeric position of the matches on each chromosome, the start and end points, how large the segment is (genetic distance) and how many SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).

Comparison Chromosome Start point End point Genetic distance # SNPs
CW vs. RWM 5 115000000 126000000 13.0 cM 2425
CW  vs. RWM 7 101000000 105000000 5.0 cM 932
CW vs. RWM 8 1 8000000 19.5 cM 3708
CW vs. RWM 9 70000000 81000000 14.0 cM 2573
CW vs. RWM 10 19000000 34000000 18.0 cM 3251
CW vs. RWM 13 72000000 99000000 25.5 cM 5535
CW vs. RWM 17 21000000 32000000 12.0 cM 1750
CW vs. RWM 18 13000000 36000000 20.0 cM 4080
CW vs. RWM 18 42000000 46000000 5.5 cM 1017

UPDATE – CW vs our daughter HM.

CW vs. HM 9 70000000 81000000 15.5 cM 2648  (only one segment in common)

CW and I were excitedly messaging back and forth comparing family trees. We quickly found a name in common (HILLMAN) and noted that the geographical region matched my husband’s father’s side of the family  – New Brunswick.

My Family Tree database showed the following HILLMANS:

Edmond Hillman married to Jerusha Dow (my husband’s great grandparents).  Their children were:

• Mary Ann “Annie” Hillman
• Isabella Belle Hillman
• George Nelson Hillman
• Moses Hillman
• Horace Greeley Hillman
• Cora J Hillman married to Ward Beecher Miller of Royalton, New Brunswick (my husband’s grandparents)
• Elsie Hillman
• Jasper Hillman
• Judson Hillman
• Sylvia B Hillman

CW had a Thelma Hillman in her direct lineage.  No Thelma in our list, but as we discussed this further CW thought that the name “Judson” rang a bell.  She hurried off to consult with other family members. A day later we had our answer.

BINGO!

Judson Hillman is CW’s great grandfather!  Judson and his wife had a daughter Thelma who married Clarence Rideout (CW’s grandparents)

(RIDEOUT rings a bell for me.  My mother in law has letters in the old trunk from “Rideout cousins” of my father in law. Note to self – check out those letters! )

Summary

 Hubby’s grandmother Cora Hillman was the sister of CW’s great grandfather Judson Hillman.  RWM and CW’s most recent common ancestors (TMRCA) were Cora and Judson’s parents -  Edmond Hillman and Jerusha DOW.

From the paper trail we have this:

Jerusha Dow was born the 08 March 1843 in Dowville,York County, New Brunswick. She married Edmond HILLMAN on the 19 Jul 1863 in Southhampton, York County, New Brunswick. She died on the 21 April 1922. Her husband Edmond HILLMAN (1831 – 1914) was born on the 10 Nov 1831 in Canterbury, NB. He died the 30 March 1914** in Greenbush, NB  (Source – The Book of Dow, more information here.) 

[**UPDATE - Edmond HILLMAN died 23 March 1914 as noted on an online tombstone transcription - research of Calvin Miller.  Edmond Hillman was the son of George HILLMAN and Mary "Polly" MILLER.]

Degree of Relationship

The software at 23andme predicted my husband RWM and his DNA match CW were second to third cousins which indeed is the case.  According to my family tree program RWM and CW are second cousins twice removed.

[UPDATE - the relationship is second cousin once removed (not twice as my family tree program indicated).   The actual percentage 1.80% matches the predicted (1.563%) confirming that this match is probably second cousin once removed.  Thanks CeCe Moore for catching that.]

 Here is a picture of Cora Hillman Miller who was my husband’s grandmother and CW’s great grand-aunt. I’m on a mission to find photos of her parents Edmond Hillman and Jerusha DOW.   If you can help please leave a comment below.

Cora Hillman b. 1874 New Brunswick. This is my husband's grandmother. (Copy of a photo originally obtained by Crawford cousins from Dorothy Hillman. Received in 1992. Reference - Scan0231.jpg. )

So there you have it.   We determined our connection based on DNA evidence and the paper trail in only 2 days!

How’s that for a good Genealogy DNA match?

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Connections, photos?  Please comment below.

Map of Carleton County, New Brunswick, 1876. Photo credit: Joan Miller

Royalton Wesleyan Church – home of 1876 map

We were at a Homecoming in Royalton, New Brunswick in August 2007 and were privileged to see an old map of Carleton County, for 1876.

The information on the Map reads:  “Map of Carleton County New Brunswick.  Compiled and Drawn From Official Plans and Actual Surveys.  Published by ROE & COLBY, St. John N.B. 1876.  Scale  1 1/4 inches to a Mile”

Our Millers are in Wicklow Parish, along the Maine – New Brunswick Border.

Wicklow Parish, New Brunswick 1876. Photo Credit: Gail Miller

You can see Tracey Mills near the bottom of the map. Our Ira MILLER (1835 -1909) (Royalton area)  is circled on the photo above.

Other names mentioned:

Hartley, Wade, Wiggins, Cronkhite, Peterson, Warrington, Mills, Weade, Simmonds, Warrington, Tracey, White, Barrett, Chandler, Fitzherbert, Estabrook, Harris, among others.

Leave a message below if you wish to see a higher resolution version of the picture.

Births

Marriages

Deaths

The  entry page for the Provincial Archives New Brunswick is here: http://archives.gnb.ca

The link to the Vital Statistics (Birth, Marriages, Deaths) search page is here.

Search American based Obituaries here

Royalton Wesleyan Cemetery New Brunswick, located along the Maine – NB border

Wicklow Parish, Carleton County, New Brunswick

The Burial Location of IRA MILLER and Lucy TURNER

Ira MILLER was born on 05 Jul 1835 in New Brunswick. He married Lucy
Ann TURNER. They were married on 13 Jan 1861 in Simonds Parish, Carleton
Co., NB by Rev. C.E. Bell, East Florenceville, N.B.  He died on 27 Oct 1909 in
New Brunswick (Family Bible Records).

Gravestone of Ira Miller (1835 - 1909) and Lucy Turner (1840 - 1907)

Lucy Ann TURNER was the daughter of W.D. Turner and Elizabeth S. [Unknown]. She was born
on 25 Apr 1840 in New Brunswick. She died on 29 Nov 1907 in New Brunswick.

Ira Miller gave 2 acres off the farm to the Royalton Church in 1889.  It is now called Royalton Wesleyan
Church.  (Previous name was Reformed Baptist.).  We Millers visited this church in 2007.

Inscription reads: IRA MILLER Died Oct 27 1900 Aged 74 years. LUCY A. His Wife Died Nov 20 1907 Aged 67 years

Ira and Lucy had six children:  Albert, Hubert, Isadore, Ward (my husband’s gg-grandfather), Ira, Isabella.

Connections?  Please comment below.

References:

1. Family Bible Records

2. Marriage Certificate: Ira Miller of Wicklow Parish, Carleton County married a Lucy Ann Turner of
Simonds Parish on the 13th day of January 1861 by Rev. C.E. Bell. Witnesses were Charles
Miller and Amanda Jane Turner.

Photo credits:  Joan Miller (c) 2009

Find your Canadian ancestors

A list of the Canadian Genealogy Societies:

(click on the names for more information)

Alberta Family Histories Society

British Columbia Genealogical Society

Manitoba Genealogical Society

New Brunswick Genealogical Society

Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia Genealogical Network Association – list of several societies

Ontario Genealogical Society

Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society

Quebec Family History Society

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society

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Additions, changes?  Please add your comments and links below.

Royalton New Brunswick located along the Maine - NB border

It was August of 2007 when we Millers made the Pilgrimage to the ‘homeland’.

This was a trip my mother in law had always wanted all of us to make together.

We had intended to do it sooner, then my father in law BEECHER MILLER got ill and life got in the way.  You know how it goes.

You see…Beech had grown up on a farm in New Brunswick, near a tiny place called Royalton which was no more than a church located on a narrow road along the Maine – New Brunswick border.  His parents were WARD MILLER (1872 -1953) and CORA HILLMAN (1874 – 1965).

We were going ‘home’ to where he had grown up.

Former Miller House Royalton New Brunswick, Photo Credit: Joan Miller, 2007

There were seven of us in our little group; my mother in law, her three sons and their wives.  We had been invited back for a homecoming.

In 1889 Beech’s Grandfather, Ira MILLER (1835 – 1909)  had donated 2 acres of his farm to build a church – The Royalton Wesleyan Church (previously called the Reformed Baptist). The first meeting of the church had been at the kitchen table in the farm house.

We were invited to the Homecoming of the Royalton Wesleyan Church.

Royalton Wesleyan Church, New Brunswick, looking towards Maine. Photo credit: Joan Miller

And what a homecoming!  The people were so friendly and welcoming.   We met distant cousins and neighbours of Beech’s family.

There were two days of music; we heard moving services and had a wonderful dinner in the church basement.

Cousin Alton McCrae told the story of how he used to spend summers (when he was age 8 or s0) at his Uncle Ward’s and Aunt Cora’s farm (Beech’s parents).  Beech was already grown up by then but would come home once in awhile.  Alton remembered him from those visits.

Alton recalled how Uncle Ward slurped and said “Stay out of the well house, boys.” And how Aunt Cora would knuckle him on the head when he misbehaved

What a story teller, that Alton!

It was a special, special visit.  Thank you friends and family of New Brunswick!

The Miller Men had come home to their roots.

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Our Miller Ancestry in New Brunswick

Our MILLER family has a New Brunswick connection that we can trace back to Ira MILLER in 1796. The names of individuals that married into the family are HARTLEY, TURNER on my father in law’s paternal side of the family and HILLMAN, DOW and CUMMING on the maternal side.

Connections?  Please contact us by leaving a comment below.

Check out the  New Brunwick Genweb Project web pages for more info about genealogy in this area.