Thursday, November 23, 2017

Family Tree DNA Sale with Coupons

DNA tests for genealogy are on sale at Family Tree DNA.

Buy some for family you have not tested yet (a gift for both of you).

Buy a few to have on hand in case you bump into a relative whose DNA would be helpful to your family history research.

Below are additional discount codes. They expire November 26, 2017.

Discount
Code   EXPIRES NOVEMBER 26, 2017


$20 off Y37, Y67, or Y11
R24CIXVXQ8G3
$20 off Y37, Y67, or Y11
R24YTASC0VQJ
$20 off Y37, Y67, or Y11
R24MWOSQ5HBN
$20 off Y37, Y67, or Y11
R24S9LWCDWTZ
$20 off Y37, Y67, or Y11
R24AX4IP6IQT
$20 off Y-DNA 67
R24GQ8U9C4QA
$30 off Y-DNA 67
R24RDGX9QF3C
$30 off Y-DNA 67
R248Z177MUSY
$40 off Y-DNA 67
R2478S310W7T
$40 off Y-DNA 67
R24CXQ2XWPDI
$40 off Y-DNA 67
R24AC9SXGJHI
$40 off Y-DNA 67
R24QXOYYY1EH
$40 off Y-DNA 67
R24T5UYIBIML
$40 off Y-DNA 67
R24G7A8VXS14
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R242KZA1F8E6
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R24Y5X617VPR
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R24FZNPQMHEV
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R24GI5LYG8N6
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R2461OOA6XTV
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R24D5025V71H
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R2499V76O72Z
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R24LNSQ6B02R
$40 off Y-DNA 111
R24WNNMHTSYA
$25 off Big Y
R24FDO2E01WX
$50 off Big Y
R24EA62WRI2M
$30 off mt full sequence
R24E0THI6IFI
$40 off mt full sequence
R24CS6J01VPG
$40 off mt full sequence
R24E9O280E0V


Tuesday, October 31, 2017

DNA of Preston Sheehy Descendants at 23andMe

Another Preston/Sheehy cousin tested his DNA at 23andMe.com. K.J. is the father of D.J., who tested four years ago. D.J. was the first relative I identified from my DNA pursuits.


Below is the family tree of the descendants of John Preston (1857-1928) and Bridget Sheehy (1857-1916) who tested at 23andMe.





Below is the chromosome browser view of the shared DNA between K.J. and his three second cousins. Note the wide variation in the amount shared from 195 centimorgans (cM) to 364.




Also important is that the amount of shared DNA drops when we shift from father to son. The amount was not halved; it was quartered. (This is why it is best to test members of the oldest living generation whenever possible.)



23andMe has an "In Common With" feature. This list shows DNA testers who match you and a target person. In the scenario below, I looked for relatives in common with my mother and K.J. Sharing the same DNA indicates that the DNA tester is likely from their shared Preston/Sheehy lines. One DNA tester, R.S., could be a viable lead.




R.S. shares a segment of DNA with the oldest generation of Preston/Sheehy descendants. The chromosome browser reveals that my mother shares the longest segment and this segment broke in the middle. My uncle received one piece while K.J. and my mother's first cousin received the other piece.


R.S. has no family tree offered through 23andMe. This is a common problem with matches at 23andMe- the lack of genealogical information and interest.


The other observation to garnish from this information is that the amount of shared DNA skews greatly beyond the parent - child relationship. In groups on FaceBook, I often see people trying to determine generations or half relationships based on the amount of shared DNA of people well beyond a sibling relationship. You simply cannot do this based on shared DNA alone.

Please see the latest Shared Centimorgan Project by Blaine Bettinger for the ranges of DNA shared by relatives up to a fourth cousin. The numbers found in my cousin comparisons fall within these expected amounts.





Tuesday, October 24, 2017

The Baptism of Bridget Sheehy in 1857 in Limerick, Ireland

Someone from Ireland (possibly a cousin) wrote to me about my Sheehy and Frawley ancestors of County Limerick. He had seen my blog post about trying to connect my second great grandmother, Bridget Sheehey (1857-1916), to a Sheehy family living in Dutchess County, New York, USA.

He had located the baptism record of Bridget, daughter of Edmund Sheehy and Bridget Frawley, on the microfilm for Lurriga (also called Patrickswell), in Limerick. The date was January 4, 1857. According to the death certificate of my Bridget, her parents were Edmund (or Edward?) Sheehey and Bridget Frawley of Ireland.


Bridget, daughter of Edmund Sheehy and Bridget Frawley, baptized January 4, 1857.
Sponsors were Timothy Sheehy and Bridget Flannery (more possible relatives).

You can view these church records for free through the National Library of Ireland. The site is also an excellent resource for detailed maps of divisions within the counties.


Can I finally fit Bridget into this family?
Created in Family Tree Maker 2017

Bridget Sheehy does not show up in Ancestry.com's index for this microfilm. However, Margaret and Ellen, possible sisters of Bridget, do show up in the index. But Ancestry.com calls this place "Clarina," not Lurriga or Patrickswell.

So I continued forward on the roll (online) from Bridget in the year 1857 to the year 1864 and found the entry for Margaret. Same place, Lurriga, same name, Sheehy. Another clue that there is a connection.


Margaret Sheehy baptized November 13, 1864 in Lurriga, Limerick, Ireland.
Sponsors were John Galvey (?) and Margaret Cosgrove.



Clarina is not listed as an alternate name for Lurriga. It could be. (Researching old New Jersey place names is hard enough.) But I was looking for Bridget in Clarina and not finding either when Bridget was indeed baptized in the same location as her supposed sisters near the birth date I have for her.


Neighboring parishes may also have records on the family, if the records still exist (another roadblock in Irish research).



Note: "Sheehy" and "Sheehey" are used interchangeably here.