Wild Goose Chase? Revisit Old Research
Revisit Old Research
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Why Rake Up Old Research?
There are lots of reasons to revisit old research. Perhaps:
- New DNA match
- New record
- Questions from connections
Or maybe questions you ask yourself based on new education, more experience and newly-found connections. No matter the reason, I have found that revisiting is more useful than a "do over." We all learn as we gain experience, both in methodology and as we deepen our understanding of our families and their stories, migrations, and the places where they lived.
DNA Tools Give a Reason for a Fresh Look
Recently I asked my cousin to generate a DNA cluster report for my McBee uncle, because he is one generation closer to our ancestors than any of us cousins are. If you have never seen an autocluster, see one here: https://education.myheritage.com/article/autoclusters-for-dna-matches/. It is fun to see the report take shape, and the groups are very useful. I share DNA with some of my uncle's matches, but not all. However, we are related to common ancestors, whether or not we share DNA segments. You can generate these at MyHeritage, Gedmatch, and Genetic Affairs.
Strategies for Success
I set off on my latest "wild goose chase" with the top little group in this recent report, to see what common ancestor we might all have. The key for success, I've found, is to begin the research with a match with an unusual name; it is far easier to find someone with the surname "Dandurant" for instance, than it is one named Willis. That top group turned out to be a Willis one, but this match's close relatives were not already in my tree. The more distant ancestors were in the tree, and were Harrison & Mercer County, Missouri pioneers. I've I've done years of research there because my mother's McBee father was born there, as were both his parents.
Collaborate
Naturally, finding one answer raises more questions. As I dug in, this case became an obvious family to study in our newest Research Study Group, where we're following Elizabeth Shown Mills' webinar "Dissection & Analysis of Research Problems: 10 Steps to a Solution." The webinar can be seen at Legacy Family Tree Webinars ($). I will also be messaging new-found connections and checking for more DNA matches along the way.
A Mystery
Seth Willis is my problem fellow; he seems to disappear after about 1897. His wife and children are in the 1900 census, and his wife is marked as married—but there is no Seth. What happened? Every little thing makes the local newspapers, but they are silent about Seth after 1897.
Research reveals that Seth's mother is probably Lucinda Smith, a niece of my second-great-grandmother Louisa Smith McBee. Lucy's family lived next-door to her aunt Louisa's family in 1860, according to the US Census.
Deeper Analysis
Created as part of my analysis of Lucinda's family, below is a table of them in the US census 1850-1880.
Making this table answered lots of questions I had about the family history but not all of them! For instance, where was Lucinda in 1860? Not with her family, although "everybody says" she was there. Perhaps she was visiting more distant relatives before marrying Seth's father. Lucy named her one child Seth after her father Seth Steel Smith, and died when Seth Willis was little; he was raised by his stepmother. Many years later, Seth is mentioned in the obituary for his half-sister. This obit is one of those gems discussing the whole family history; but is silent about his disappearance or death.
It's a good thing that Seth is mentioned in the obit, because he is NOT mentioned in his father's obit along with the rest of the children living and dead. I am left to wonder what his crime was which left this profound silence. Court records might solve this mystery.
On-Going Research & Research Plan
So my reason for research and main question was answered, which was finding the common ancestor, but am left with silence around Seth's death. I hope by the end of the study group I'll have an excellent research plan and be ready for a visit to the Harrison County courthouse. I have not yet finished all the descendancies brought to light by following all the FANs (Family Friends Associates Neighbors) through time, but so far, no Seth! Many other questions have been answered, and another Smith-Willis marriage has been unearthed, so the table above has been well worth the work.
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