GRAVES FAMILY BULLETIN
Vol. 16, No. 11, Dec. 27,
2014
A
Free, Occasional, Online Summary of Items of Interest to Descendants of all
Families of Graves, Greaves, Grieves, Grave, and other spelling variations
Worldwide
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Copyright
© 2014 by the Graves Family Association and Kenneth V. Graves. All rights reserved.
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CONTENTS
**
General Comments
**
Follow-up Suggestion for Researching Ancestry of Capt. Thomas Graves
**
Upload All Autosomal DNA Test Results to GEDmatch, Especially Those From
Ancestry.com
**
Updates to the GFA Website
**
23andMe Launches DNA Health-Screening Test in UK
**
New DNA Software from Los Alamos National Laboratory
**
Surnames and Social Mobility
**
Preserve and Share Your Family Information, DonÕt Lose It
**
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery in the Northern States of the U.S.
**
Bombing England in World War II
**
To Submit Material to this Bulletin & Other Things
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GENERAL
COMMENTS
Happy
New Year to everyone! This is the
last GF Bulletin for 2014. I hope
some of the articles this year have been helpful and interesting.
===============================================================
FOLLOW-UP
SUGGESTION FOR RESEARCHING ANCESTRY OF CAPT. THOMAS GRAVES
Nicholas
(ÒNickÓ) Greaves, descended from genealogy 336 sent the following comment
regarding the article in the Nov. 28 GF Bulletin about Capt. Thomas Graves of
VA (genealogy 169). That article
mentioned the often stated though never proven claim that Capt. Thomas Graves
of VA was a son of Thomas Graves and Joan Blagrove of Lambourn, Berkshire,
England. Perhaps someone would
like to follow-up on this.
ÒThis
might be nothing but for 15 years I worked in Reading, Berkshire in partnership
in a firm of commercial chartered surveyors, and from memory I was involved in
an office scheme in Blagrave Street (not Blagrove but they were not fussy about
exact spelling in ShakespeareÕs time) and the name of Blagrave was well know in
that town, but for what I could not recall so I looked them up on
Wikipedia. John Blagrave was a
famous mathematician and a member of the wealthy land-owning Blagrave family
who owned most of the town and occupied a manor in Southcote, now a suburb of
that town. Reading itself is on
the Thames, and had a large and ancient monastery until it was demolished by
Henry VIII, and if you look up on Wikipedia under Southcote, Berkshire you will
see that the Blagraves were a family of consequence and one of them, Daniel, signed
the execution warrant of Charles I, which could not have done the family much
good on the restoration of Charles II later on, although Joan Blagrave mother
of Thomas Graves was obviously from an earlier generation. The history of the Blagrave family is
described in that web site although I dare say there will be much more detail
elsewhere that you could find without too much effort.
If
Thomas Graves was son of Joan Blagrove, I wonder whether she was of this same
Blagrave family. It would seem likely enough. Lambourn is about 25 miles west
of Reading on the Berkshire downs and is now well known for its horse racing
stables, and is now a very pleasant area in which to live with wonderful views
and a fair number of elegant manor houses dotted about. I have to say I know nothing
about the Langbourn ward of the city of London. It might be worth your while to
research the Blagrave family to find about more about Joan of that name.Ó
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UPLOAD ALL
AUTOSOMAL DNA TEST RESULTS TO GEDMATCH, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM ANCESTRY.COM
Earlier
this year, David Morgan, Aneita Allen, and others on the GFA Facebook page
commented on the many errors in submitted genealogies on Ancestry. For example, David commented in
reference to a submitted genealogy: ÒHe has one of his ancestors as 12 years
old when her daughter was born, and he has this daughter as having a daughter
WITH HER HUSBAND eight years before they got married. Possible, yes, but not
very likely.Ó Aneita said about to
one submission: ÒOne of my ancestors married at 10, died at 13, then had a
bunch of children!Ó
My
comments were that Ancestry is great for finding possible ancestral connections
because they have so many submitted genealogies. But, as the preceding examples
show, many of those genealogies have many errors and they should just be used
as clues to be investigated. The other major problem with Ancestry is that they
provide no way to tell whether a connection you find on a family tree is the
one causing a DNA match. The only practical way to do that is to download your
DNA raw data from Ancestry, upload it to gedmatch.com, and then use the
analytical tools on gedmatch (something that I strongly recommend doing).
Tim
Janzen commented: ÒEveryone
needs to keep in mind that there are two processes here, the second being
dependent on the successful completion of the first. The first process is
the successful uploading of your data to GEDmatch. That process typically
takes about 5 to 10 minutes or so. When that process has been completed
you are assigned a GEDmatch number. Once the GEDmatch number has been
assigned you should be able to do one-to-one comparisons immediately. The
second process takes much longer to complete. The process used to take
several days, but as Jim mentioned there is currently a backlog, which means
that it is taking about 4 to 10 days to process the results. You won't be
able to see all of your matches in the one-to-many report until your data has
successfully completed the second process. So, people need to make sure
that both processes are successfully completed. I have data for about 25
relatives on GEDmatch and I only had to reload one person's data. In that
case, it somehow failed in the first process.Ó It is also important to be sure both the autosomal files and
the X-chromosome files are uploaded.
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UPDATES TO THE
GFA WEBSITE
Some
of the genealogies that have been updated recently are the following:
¥
Genealogy 492, William Graves of VA
¥
Genealogy 549, Parents of Larkin Graves and Narcissa Hazelwood of TN
& IL
¥
Genealogy 903, Jorge Grave/Greve and Catherine ------ Oldenburg,
Germany and Dayton, Montgomery Co., OH
The
following new genealogy has been created:
¥
Genealogy 432
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23ANDME
LAUNCHES DNA HEALTH-SCREENING TEST IN UK
23andMe
recently launched a DNA health-screening service in the UK, after it was banned
by the FDA in the U.S. The story
is in The Guardian newspaper here. According to the story, ÒThe service allows people to send their saliva
in a testing kit to have their DNA screened for genes associated with certain
inherited conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anaemia, and other
genetic markers relating to parts of their lives and ancestry.Ó ÒThe spit kits cost £125 and are sent
to the Netherlands before testing in the US. The results, which take
approximately six to eight weeks, allow users to both browse the raw code of
their genome and use tools to investigate their genetic makeup.Ó
In the UK, 23andMe is not the first to launch
genetic testing. The NHSÕs (BritainÕs National Health Service) 100,000 genome project conducts full genome sequencing as opposed to genotyping, which compares common differences in known genes. The
NHSÕs project, which is set to complete its pilot stage by 2017 as part of analyzing how best to use genomic data in
health care, is Òworld leadingÓ, according to Dr.
Ewan Birney, associate director of the European Bioinformatics Institute in
Cambridge, England. (See more
about the 100,000 genome project here.)
There
is more information about 23andMeÕs product launch in the article, as well as
links to related earlier articles.
Additional articles are here and here. Debbie KennettÕs Cruwys News blog has an article here.
===============================================================
NEW DNA
SOFTWARE FROM LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
An
interesting news article was posted to the ISOGG list by Marianne Granoff of
Albuquerque, NM. This news, like
the mention of the Ò100,000 genome projectÓ in the preceding article shows how
quickly DNA testing and analysis is advancing. This is very encouraging for the future of genetic
genealogy. The article by Andy
Beale is from Albuquerque Business First. It states:
Los
Alamos National Laboratory announced it has released a new version of Sequedex, a powerful
bioinformatics software.
The
new version of Sequedex is capable of identifying DNA sequences from any type
of organism, including fungi, bacteria and viruses. LANL said in a press release
that the software works "in a similar fashion to doing a search in a web
browser," allowing researchers to quickly find DNA sequences in samples.
The
potential applications for this technology are wide-ranging, from selecting
therapeutic targets for cancer treatment to optimizing yields of algae farms.
The software can also identify diseases, but LANL says in the current version
it is only usable for research.
Sequedex
is able to classify DNA fragments 250,000 times faster than conventional
methods, according to LANL. "As part of our testing, we used Sequedex to
identify virus sequences in a collaborator's clinical blood sample from
Africa," said Ben McMahon, a scientist in Los Alamos's Theoretical Biology
and Biophysics group. "In the course of an afternoon, the software had
identified a deadly rabies virus, something that would have taken weeks of work
using conventional methods. Sequedex software can now identify sequences from
viruses and fungi at parts-per-million levels in a sequenced sample."
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SURNAMES AND
SOCIAL MOBILITY
A
study by Gregory Clark and Neil Cummins called ÒSurnames
and Social Mobility in England, 1170-2012 was recently published in the
November 2014 issue of Human Nature.Ó The abstract of the paper states:
ÒUsing educational status in England from 1170 to 2012, we show that the rate
of social mobility in any society can be estimated from knowledge of just two
facts: the distribution over time of surnames in the society and the
distribution of surnames among an elite or underclass.Ó
The
results of this study was reported in an article titled ÒHow
EnglandÕs 1% remained the same since 1066.Ó The article states, ÒIf your surname reveals that you
descended from the ÒinÓ crowd in the England of 1066 – the Norman Conquerors
– then even now you are more likely than the average Brit to be upper
class.Ó They found that social
status is even more strongly inherited than height.
However,
as Peter Alefounder on the GOONS (Guild of One-Name Studies) list said, ÒThe
original paper, cited by Rennison Vayro, isn't quite so surprising. Assortative mating, the result of which
is what appears to have been observed here, is nothing new. Is it really a
great revelation that it's been going on for centuries? People with similar
backgrounds tend to marry each other. The social status of families is
therefore maintained, to a greater extent than if people married at random.Ó
This
might help us better understand why we are dependent to some degree on our
ancestors. However, like all
generalizations, there are many exceptions.
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PRESERVE AND
SHARE YOUR FAMILY INFORMATION, DONÕT LOSE IT
I
received a note from Barbara Lewandowski a couple of months ago, as well as a
copy of a book compiled and published in 2005 by her and two of her cousins,
Ann Carroll and Jean Lucas. The
113-page book is titled A. Moses Graves
and Florence P. Stephens of Shongo, NY, and is about that couple and their
descendants (part of genealogy 166).
In the Introduction they wrote:
ÒIn the course of settling the estate of Maxine
Graves [their aunt], we discovered a box of photographs, letters and other
documents collected by Maxine and her parents over the years. This was a total surprise, and as we
read the letters we experienced again, through joy and tears, the old feeling
of family ties. Then came the
realization we had also inherited an obligation. The obligation was not only to preserve these documents, but
also to preserve a sense of family for future generations. The result is this historical
record. We have included all the
genealogy information to the present time we could assemble.Ó
My
reason for mentioning this book and quoting part of the Introduction is that
this kind of family information will be lost if not assembled and published by
those who understand it. Even if
most of your family members arenÕt especially interested, many future
descendants will treasure this record and thank you for it. I strongly urge all of us (including
myself) to gather and publish the records and photographs of our immediate
family members before they are discarded by someone cleaning up the mess we
leave behind. And once they are
published, be sure that all family members who might have an interest in them
receive a copy, as well as any libraries or other repositories that might be
interested.
A
good reminder of the importance of preserving and sharing family information is
a short YouTube video
from Family Search, where other related videos can also be found.
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WHAT TO DO
WITH YOUR FAMILY HEIRLOOMS
The
Toronto Star newspaper published an article about an interesting subject on
Dec. 10 that you can see here. It is titled ÒI donÕt have any heirs.
So what do I do with my stuff?Ó
The author, Bill Taylor, doesnÕt really provide an answer to this
problem, but it is somewhat related to the preceding article on preserving and
sharing your family information.
The heirlooms could include genealogical information and pictures, and
when you have no heirs, or you do but they arenÕt interested, what can you do?
Googling
a term such as Òwhat to do with family history and heirloomsÓ gives some
articles that may be helpful regarding this subject. These include:
¥
ÒTreasure
TalesÓ in Family Tree Magazine.
This tells about keeping your heirloomsÕ legacies from getting lost by
writing the stories of their pasts.
¥
ÒWhat
Do You Plan to Do with Your Old Family Heirlooms?Ó by Thomas Jay Kemp.
¥
ÒThe
Top Ten Ways to Declutter HeirloomsÓ by Miss Minimalist.
¥
ÒFamily
History HeirloomsÓ by Scott M. Haskins.
Do
you have anything to add to this subject?
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THE
TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AND SLAVERY IN THE NORTHERN STATES OF THE U.S.
The
Dec. 3, 2014 issue of The Weekly Genealogist (Vol. 17, No. 49, publication of
the New England Historic Genealogical Society, viewable here
or here), has two references to
slavery that may be of interest to those seeking slave ancestors or wanting to
learn more about the history of slavery in America.
An
article titled ÒUS
cathedral may become museum to the slave tradeÓ discusses a plan to open in
Providence, RI, what would be the nationÕs only museum centered on the
trans-Atlantic slave trade. It
would focus on the Episcopal ChurchÕs role in its history and the
sometimes-buried legacy of slavery in northern states like Rhode Island.
A
second article is in the ÒAsk A GenealogistÓ section of the newsletter, and
discusses slavery in the North, especially in Connecticut. One of the references given can be seen
here.
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BOMBING
ENGLAND IN WORLD WAR II
For those either
not old enough to remember or not living in the UK, the air raids on England in
World War II may be unknown.
However, for those with history and ancestors involved in WW2 especially
relating to London, this information may be useful. There is a website called Bomb Sight that pinpoints
bomb drops in the London blitz during 7 Oct. 1940 to 6 June 1941. It starts with a map of London, dotted
with bomb locations throughout the city. You can zoom in on a street, or
for something really scary, zoom out to see southeast England blanketed by red
pins. When you zoom in, you can click on a bomb icon for further details.
There is usually a "read more" link in the popup, which leads
to 1940 photo images from the area, contributed people's stories relating to
this area and more.
Although it may
not apply to this map, one commentator on the GOONS (Guild of One-Name Studies)
website wrote: ÒI know from trying to research bombing in the area where I now
live that much of the available evidence comes almost into the category of Urban
Legends and is very unreliable. Newspaper reports were not to be trusted
because many incidents were censored or altered. For instance, I now live near
a Starfish Decoy site that simulated a railway junction and attracted some
bombs which killed several people, but the fact that bombs were falling on
farms rather than the railways was suppressed for obvious reasons.Ó
There are many
more maps and summaries of World War II bombing of England. One is discussed in a BBC News article,
ÒWorld War Two
Norwich Ôbomb mapÕ restoredÓ.
More information is available in the National Archives as ÒBomb
Census survey, 1940-1945.Ó
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ABOUT
THIS BULLETIN:
This
bulletin is written and edited by Kenneth V. Graves, ken.graves@gravesfa.org.
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BULLETIN:
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