Bloodlines, Books, and Bonds

DNA Closeness

Genealogy is an interesting pursuit. In it we chase bits of information about family members in books, census data, land transactions, birth and death certificates, tax records, military records, newspapers, and bits of other things that may have been archived in family heirlooms or in public libraries. These things tell stories of the lives of our ancestors. We reconstruct connections to siblings, children, cousins, parents, and even close friends and neighbors. Once a genealogy bug bites - the genealogical work extends from their own family networks to friends and then to complete strangers.

We do it for different reasons. Some do it because they enjoy the chase. Some do it for a sense of pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors. Some do it because they long for connections to something that feels significant. Some do it in hopes of understanding themselves better. Some do it for the opportunity to be part of a lineage or heritage society such as the Sons of the American Revolution, of Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, The Mayflower Society, The Jamestown Society, or even the National Society Magna Carta Dames and Barons. And some, like me, do it primarily to understand how individuals - who happen to have been traceable relatives - interacted with the world in their place in history.

My father and grandfather were members of the Sons of the American Revolution, but I have never applied. As I have traced the available records I have come to believe that I could also be eligible for Sons of both Union and Confederacy, both the Mayflower and Jamestowne societies, and the Magna Carta society. Though stepping through all the paperwork and society scrutiny to prove it may be too grueling and of little more value to me than just believing it. 

For the Mayflower, for instance, I can confidently link to a 10th great-grandfather, Digory Priest, who sailed on the Mayflower to the New World. And with reasonable confidence (lineage shown in the image) I connect to a twelfth great grandfather and grandmother, William and Mary Brewster.  

Though the Brewsters are my grandparents, I will inherit on average only 0.01% of their DNA and I might inherit 0.02% from Great Grandpa Priest. While I chase their life stories, I can lay claim to their cultural contributions to my life experiences but very little of my genetic tendencies. 

For the prestige of it, maybe I would rather focus on one of my eleventh great grandfathers - John Holles who was an Earl (1st Earl of Clare). I could just as easily look at a much less prestigious ninth great-grandfather, William Covington, who arrived in the Colonies as an indentured servant. Since, his circumstances were more humble - I might mention he only contributed 0.05% of my DNA. My eight great-grandfather, Christopher Robinson, I will brag about since he was quite successful and accomplished. He contributed 0.10% of my DNA. But since he was a slaveholder - I might also note it was ONLY 0.10%. 

I think I'll just skip over Charles Gorsuch, Jr., an 8th great-grandfather who was also a slaveowner, and move to a sixth great-grandfather, Abijah Stephens, who was a righteous Quaker - sacrificing his family farm to the patriotic cause at Valley Forge and releasing his one slave within days of the budding Nation's declaration that "All men are created equal..." 

I could look nostalgically on a fifth great-grandfather, Francis McCown, with whom I share 0.78% of his DNA (and his Y-Chromosome). He came to the frontier of Virginia as a Scotsman from Ireland to settle the west for the country's westward expansion.

I share about 1.6% of any fourth great-grandfather's DNA. What part of the life of my fourth great-grandfather, Oliver Brown, do I want to emphasize?  His heroic participation as an artillery captain in the American Revolution or his leadership in a riot on the Bowling Green in New York City? Maybe, I would rather speak of his entrepreneurial adventures in Concord where, um, he went bankrupt and used the juridical limits of the new Nation's State borders to escape and restart his life in Western Virginia? 

The genetic relationship of us to our prized ancestors diminishes quickly. My connection to William Brewster, for example, may have contributed a little over 0.01% of his DNA to me but he also may have contributed none. He has to share contribution with 8,191 other twelfth great-grandfathers.

A Magna Carta ancestor, though traceable to me by every document I uncover, is unlikely to share any genetic similarity (footnote 1). In fact, I am more likely to share measurable DNA with a stranger I pass in the grocery store who, unknown to both of us, is my fifth cousin thrice removed.

Genealogy remains fun for the thrill of the search. It continues to provide reasons to socialize with others you share interests with. It can provide additional layers to entertainment and clarity when we are able to travel to places our ancestors walked. It certainly provides opportunities to learn where history and humanity interact in the eaches - those small, individual moments - along the way. As such it can provide guidance to us as we walk in our place of history.

But, in the end, the genetics show us that we are all interconnected. Bloodlines are meaningless, books are revealing, but bonds are what we make them.

1. Unless you are a male and he is the Y-line ancestor or you are a female and she is a mitochondrial-line ancestor.