GRAVES FAMILY BULLETIN

Vol. 18, No. 2, March 28, 2016

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 © 2016 by the Graves Family Association and Kenneth V. Graves. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS

** General Comments

** Whole Genome Testing for Less Than $1,000 Now Available

** Updates to the GFA Website

** Latest Announcement From Ancestry About Family Tree Maker

** A British Genealogy TV Show With a Different Twist

** To Submit Material to this Bulletin & Other Things

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GENERAL COMMENTS

This issue is shorter than most, but I thought it would be better to publish what I have rather than wait until I create more articles. These articles are some of the ones I found interesting.

I have been saying for quite a while that I would be getting some volunteers to help with our DNA testing project. That has not yet happened. If you have previously volunteered to help with this project, or if you have technical ability and would like to help, or if you know someone who might like to help, please let me know, and I will take the necessary action.

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WHOLE GENOME TESTING FOR LESS THAN $1,000 NOW AVAILABLE

Veritas Genetics just announced on March 3 that they are introducing the world’s first whole genome test for less than $1,000. See the original announcement on PR Newswire here. Co-founded by Harvard Medical School professor and genetics pioneer Dr. George Church, and CEO Mirza Cifric.

“Veritas myGenome is breaking historic ground by making whole genome sequencing and interpretation broadly accessible. Most commercially available genetic tests offer access to only small portions of the genome through gene panels (i.e., testing specific sets of genes), genotyping (i.e., testing less than 0.1% of DNA positions scattered throughout the genome) or exome sequencing (i.e., sequencing only gene coding regions which cover less than 1.5% of the genome). Research also shows that without sequencing the whole genome, these other genetic testing approaches miss 90% or more of clinically relevant variants, which lie in parts of the genome outside of the gene coding regions.1

"Now that the whole genome is this accessible, it will replace all genetic tests ... because it is all genetic tests, and much, much more," points out Dr. Church.

"The whole genome is the new standard. At this price point, there is no reason to use anything but the whole genome, especially for any tests that are close to or more than the price of our whole genome," adds Mirza Cifric, CEO and co-founder. "The whole genome is the foundation of precision medicine and a lifetime resource to maximize quality of life and longevity."”

This announcement is obviously aimed at medical uses, and the effect on testing for genealogical purposes is unknown at this time.

A follow-up article, published March 28 on the BioIT World blog, titled “How Veritas Genetics Plans to Make Its Whole Genome Stick,” can be seen here. The company has begun taking orders, which can only be placed through a doctor. They are obviously trying to avoid the problems with the FDA that 23andMe has had. Veritas Genetics anticipates that there will be a lifelong relationship with each client. They currently have a partnership with WorldCare International, a network for medical specialists, to offer a free genetic counseling session to each customer and additional sessions for a fee. Some additional information can be seen on Veritas Genetics’ website here.

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UPDATES TO THE GFA WEBSITE

Only a couple of updates have been made to the GFA website since the last GF Bulletin.

Revised genealogies:

• Gen. 270,

• Gen. 778, John W. Graves and Elizabeth ------ of NC, Ross Co., OH & Bell Co., TX

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LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ANCESTRY ABOUT FAMILY TREE MAKER

On March 2, Ancestry posted a blog article titled “Family Tree Maker Is Updated and Shipping Now.” You can read the article here. In it they announce that a company called Software MacKiev has officially begun shipping updated versions of Family Tree Maker for both Windows and Mac. “With this, you will have continued access to Ancestry Hints, Ancestry searches, and are able to continue to save your tree on Ancestry and keep it consistent with your tree in Family Tree Maker.” For more information, click here to go to the FTM page on MacKiev.

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A BRITISH GENEALOGY TV SHOW WITH A DIFFERENT TWIST

The first episode of a fascinating genealogy show unearths the story of a gang of girl pickpockets, and how a descendant turned out to be an eminent judge. The Daily Mail profiled a U.K. TV program, The Secret History of My Family, which airs at 8 p.m., Thursday, on BBC2.

“The amazing story of the Gadbury sisters was unearthed as part of a new BBC genealogy programme. Coming from the Who Do You Think You Are? stable, The Secret History Of My Family eschews celebrities, but instead follows the fortunes of ordinary families. The twist is that while Who Do You Think You Are? starts in the present day and works backwards, the new show starts with pictures or recordings in the archives and tries to work out what became of those individuals - and their descendants. 'With Who Do You Think You Are? you know how the story ends. It ends with Gary Lineker or whoever,' says series producer Joseph Bullman. 'This is the opposite. We had researchers starting off way back and moving forwards, hoping we'd end somewhere interesting. Luckily we did.'

The project yielded some extraordinary stories, none more so than that of the Gadbury sisters. All researchers knew at first was that the three sisters, Caroline, Sarah and Mary Ann, were known troublemakers and that two of them were banished to the penal colonies of Australia - Sarah to New South Wales and Caroline to Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania). The sisters came to light when the researchers were poring over the records of Victorian criminologist William Miles, whose interviews with offenders made for oddly familiar reading. 'One talked of teaching younger kids to pick pockets by treating it like a game,' says Joseph. 'We thought this guy was having a laugh. It was pretty much the plot of Oliver Twist. We thought, "He's just nicked that!" But the prison accounts were written a few years before Oliver Twist. We think Miles and Dickens met, and it's possible Oliver Twist was based on these stories.'”

One of Caroline’s descendants is a Supreme Court judge in Australia, and a descendant of one of her step-sons became premier of Tasmania and another was attorney-general of Tasmania.

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ABOUT THIS BULLETIN:

This bulletin is written and edited by Kenneth V. Graves, ken.graves@gravesfa.org.

TO SUBMIT MATERIAL TO THIS BULLETIN:

Send any material you would like to have included in this bulletin to ken.graves@gravesfa.org. The editor reserves the right to accept, edit or reject any material submitted.

TO JOIN THE GRAVES FAMILY ASSOCIATION:

If you do not already belong to the GFA, you can join by sending $20 per year to Graves Family Association, 20 Binney Circle, Wrentham, MA 02093 (more details on GFA website). Payment may also be sent electronically to gfa@gravesfa.org via PayPal.

COPYRIGHTS:

Although the contents of this bulletin are copyrighted by the Graves Family Association and Kenneth V. Graves, you are hereby granted permission, unless otherwise specified, to re-distribute part or all to other parties for non-commercial purposes only.