As you will probably have noticed, I have not had much time to write for this blog in recent months. The reason for the silence is that I have been very busy working on my first ever book which, perhaps not unexpectedly, took far longer to write than I had anticipated. I was commissioned to write the book by The History Press. It is part of a new family history series, and I am contributing a volume on the subject of DNA testing and social networking for the family historian. I am very grateful to The History Press for giving me this opportunity and to Penny Law of Family History Monthly, who recommended me to the publishers on the strength of the articles I have contributed to the magazine. The book is due out on 1st October 2011, and is now listed on Amazon. The manuscript is now with the publishers. DNA and social networking have both been somewhat challenging subjects to write about, especially as there are so many new developments to keep up with. I will no doubt have to make changes when I eventually receive the proofs, and there will inevitably be some aspects of the book that will be out of date by the time it is published, though the general principles will still hold. I hope to have more news in due course.
© Debbie Kennett 2011
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Family Tree DNA winter sale
The Family Tree DNA winter sale ends at midnight US time on 31st December 2010. If you are thinking of taking a DNA test it is now a very good time to do so before the prices go back up again in the New Year.
FTDNA's new Family Finder test is included in the current sale and is available at the special price of US $249 (approx £159). The usual price is $289 (approx £184). The Family Finder test looks at 500,000 autosomal SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms), and can help you to find relatives on all your family lines back for about four or five generations. You can read my review of the Family Finder test here. There is also further information in the ISOGG Wiki.
The mitochondrial DNA Plus test is also included in the current sale at the reduced price of $129 (approx £82). The normal price is $159 (approximately £101). The mtDNA Plus test looks at the two hypervariable regions of the mitochondrial genome (HVR1 and HVR2), and will help you find relatives on your direct maternal line.
The sale prices for Family Finder and mtDNA tests apply to all kits whether ordered through a project or not. Both the Family Finder and the mtDNA test can be taken by men or women.
There are two Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) tests included in the current sale, and there is a discount when ordering through a surname project or a geographical project. The project prices are:
- Y-DNA 37-marker test $119 (approx £76) (usual price $149 – approx £95)
- Y-DNA 67-marker test $199 (approx £127) (usual price $239 – approx £152)
The non-project sale price for the 37-marker test is $139 and $219 for the 67-marker test. There are over 6,000 surname projects at FTDNA, representing over 100,000 surnames, so most people will find that their surname is already included in a project. If by any chance no project exists for your surname there will usually be a suitable geographical project. I have provided a list of all the known geographical projects for the British Isles here. There are also projects for most European countries. If you are interested in taking a Y-DNA test and cannot find a suitable project do get in touch and I will see if I can help. This article provides a brief explanation of the testing process and what you might expect from a Y-DNA test. Remember that the Y-DNA test can only be taken by a man. If you are a female you will need to find a male relative with your surname to take a test on your behalf.
© Debbie Kennett 2010
FTDNA's new Family Finder test is included in the current sale and is available at the special price of US $249 (approx £159). The usual price is $289 (approx £184). The Family Finder test looks at 500,000 autosomal SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms), and can help you to find relatives on all your family lines back for about four or five generations. You can read my review of the Family Finder test here. There is also further information in the ISOGG Wiki.
The mitochondrial DNA Plus test is also included in the current sale at the reduced price of $129 (approx £82). The normal price is $159 (approximately £101). The mtDNA Plus test looks at the two hypervariable regions of the mitochondrial genome (HVR1 and HVR2), and will help you find relatives on your direct maternal line.
The sale prices for Family Finder and mtDNA tests apply to all kits whether ordered through a project or not. Both the Family Finder and the mtDNA test can be taken by men or women.
There are two Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) tests included in the current sale, and there is a discount when ordering through a surname project or a geographical project. The project prices are:
- Y-DNA 37-marker test $119 (approx £76) (usual price $149 – approx £95)
- Y-DNA 67-marker test $199 (approx £127) (usual price $239 – approx £152)
The non-project sale price for the 37-marker test is $139 and $219 for the 67-marker test. There are over 6,000 surname projects at FTDNA, representing over 100,000 surnames, so most people will find that their surname is already included in a project. If by any chance no project exists for your surname there will usually be a suitable geographical project. I have provided a list of all the known geographical projects for the British Isles here. There are also projects for most European countries. If you are interested in taking a Y-DNA test and cannot find a suitable project do get in touch and I will see if I can help. This article provides a brief explanation of the testing process and what you might expect from a Y-DNA test. Remember that the Y-DNA test can only be taken by a man. If you are a female you will need to find a male relative with your surname to take a test on your behalf.
© Debbie Kennett 2010
Friday, 22 October 2010
Family Finder offer from Family Tree DNA
Family Tree DNA have announced a special offer on their new autosomal Family Finder test for a limited period only when purchased in combination with a Y-DNA or mtDNA test. The offer is restricted to new customers. The special bundle prices are as follows:
Family Finder + Y-DNA 12 markers Introductory Price: $299 or £190
(Regular Price: $388 or £247)
Family Finder + mtDNA Introductory Price: $299 or £190
(Regular Price: $388 or £247)
The Family Finder test was introduced in February this year. You can read my review of the Family Finder test here.
Please note that if you are interested in taking a Y-DNA test to participate in a surname project you will at some point need to upgrade to the 37-marker test. The basic 12-marker test is sufficient if you are only interested in knowing your haplogroup designation.
The mtDNA test included in the bundle is the basic HVR1 test which will suffice if you wish to learn your base haplogroup.
To qualify for this offer payment must be made by credit card. For further information visit the Family Tree DNA website.
© Debbie Kennett 2010
Family Finder + Y-DNA 12 markers Introductory Price: $299 or £190
(Regular Price: $388 or £247)
Family Finder + mtDNA Introductory Price: $299 or £190
(Regular Price: $388 or £247)
The Family Finder test was introduced in February this year. You can read my review of the Family Finder test here.
Please note that if you are interested in taking a Y-DNA test to participate in a surname project you will at some point need to upgrade to the 37-marker test. The basic 12-marker test is sufficient if you are only interested in knowing your haplogroup designation.
The mtDNA test included in the bundle is the basic HVR1 test which will suffice if you wish to learn your base haplogroup.
To qualify for this offer payment must be made by credit card. For further information visit the Family Tree DNA website.
© Debbie Kennett 2010
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Cruse of Yateley
Anahita Hoose has kindly sent me details of her Cruse ancestors from Yateley in Hampshire. Anahita’s line can be traced back to Jonathan Cruse and Sarah Paice who married on 28th December 1787 in Yateley. Rather unusually Jonathan was described in the marriage register as a 'pauper'. Jonathan and Sarah had three children, two of whom were born prior to their marriage and who retained the Paice surname:
1) Elizabeth Paice was born c.1784 and was baptised on 27th February 1786 in Yateley. She is probably the Elizabeth Paice, aged twenty-seven, who was buried on 10th September 1811 in Yateley.
2) William Paice was born on 22nd September 1786 and baptised on 4th October 1786 in Yateley. He married a Sarah, but no marriage has so far been located. William and Sarah had five children. William’s death was registered in the Farnborough registration district in the March quarter of 1865.
3) Sarah Cruse was born on 13th April 1788 and christened on 13th July 1788 in Yateley. She married James Watts on 15th October 1804 in Yateley and was buried on 9th August 1812, aged twenty-four, in Yateley.
Sarah Cruse née Paice was buried on 14th November 1788 in Yateley, just nine months after the birth of her youngest child Sarah. She was just twenty-nine years old. The parish register records that she died of consumption.
Jonathon subsequently had a relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, which produced another child:
4) Charlotte Taylor was born on 24th March 1793 and baptised on 31 March in Yateley. No record has so far been found of a marriage or burial.
Elizabeth Taylor is probably the one who was buried on 2nd August 1807, aged forty-four, in Yateley.
Jonathon himself was buried on 22nd May 1803 in Yateley, aged seventy-one, his place of residence being given as Sandhurst, Berkshire. His burial record places his year of birth at around 1732. If the age given at burial is correct Jonathan would have been about fifty-five years old when he married Sarah Paice. It seems likely therefore that this was a second marriage. No baptism has yet been located for Jonathan. Jonathan is however a name which appears in the Ogbourne St George tree from Wiltshire. The Ogbourne St George line spread across the county border into Berkshire, and I suspect that Anahita’s Cruses might well be related. To test this hypothesis we would need to find a direct male-line descendant of William and Sarah Paice, who would be expected to have the same Y chromosome as Jonathan Cruse. Anahita is herself descended from William and Sarah Paice but is not aware any Paice cousins. It is of course always possible that this particular male line has now become extinct.
If anyone is researching this tree do get in touch. We would be particularly interested in knowing what happened to baby Charlotte Taylor.
© Debbie Kennett 2010
1) Elizabeth Paice was born c.1784 and was baptised on 27th February 1786 in Yateley. She is probably the Elizabeth Paice, aged twenty-seven, who was buried on 10th September 1811 in Yateley.
2) William Paice was born on 22nd September 1786 and baptised on 4th October 1786 in Yateley. He married a Sarah, but no marriage has so far been located. William and Sarah had five children. William’s death was registered in the Farnborough registration district in the March quarter of 1865.
3) Sarah Cruse was born on 13th April 1788 and christened on 13th July 1788 in Yateley. She married James Watts on 15th October 1804 in Yateley and was buried on 9th August 1812, aged twenty-four, in Yateley.
Sarah Cruse née Paice was buried on 14th November 1788 in Yateley, just nine months after the birth of her youngest child Sarah. She was just twenty-nine years old. The parish register records that she died of consumption.
Jonathon subsequently had a relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, which produced another child:
4) Charlotte Taylor was born on 24th March 1793 and baptised on 31 March in Yateley. No record has so far been found of a marriage or burial.
Elizabeth Taylor is probably the one who was buried on 2nd August 1807, aged forty-four, in Yateley.
Jonathon himself was buried on 22nd May 1803 in Yateley, aged seventy-one, his place of residence being given as Sandhurst, Berkshire. His burial record places his year of birth at around 1732. If the age given at burial is correct Jonathan would have been about fifty-five years old when he married Sarah Paice. It seems likely therefore that this was a second marriage. No baptism has yet been located for Jonathan. Jonathan is however a name which appears in the Ogbourne St George tree from Wiltshire. The Ogbourne St George line spread across the county border into Berkshire, and I suspect that Anahita’s Cruses might well be related. To test this hypothesis we would need to find a direct male-line descendant of William and Sarah Paice, who would be expected to have the same Y chromosome as Jonathan Cruse. Anahita is herself descended from William and Sarah Paice but is not aware any Paice cousins. It is of course always possible that this particular male line has now become extinct.
If anyone is researching this tree do get in touch. We would be particularly interested in knowing what happened to baby Charlotte Taylor.
© Debbie Kennett 2010
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