Don DNA Report ForJanuary 2011

As of JANUARY 1, 2011, the PFAS DNA Project has 89 members after two persons were dropped after not following through with an ordered test several months ago.

I would like to find a coadministrator of the Peacock DNA Project so the PFAS will have a backup should I not be able to continue.

The Group Administrator follows up on all PFAS testers and seeing how their matches could benefit our project. The Family Tree DNA has recently changed the GAP home page that allows much better graphics and details to help guide work on a project by comparing the information on each tester. The GAP also has access to other administrators in the FTDNA overall projects that now have over 500,000 DNA tests completed. The co administrator would need some understanding of the DNA process and that can be improved by using the various videos, websites and help links provided by FTDNA.

If you are interested in helping with the Peacock DNA Project, please contact me at: donpeacock@aol.com.

Many of us have met up with stonewalls in trying to determine our female ancestors because the maiden name was never found. In my case it was even harder as I could not find a parent for my male Peacock ancestor, let alone his spouse who was just listed as “Sinthy” in the various census records.

I have made an effort to try and turn up a possible connection to my great great grandmother, Sinthy, by finding a female distant cousin, my third cousin once removed, who goes back to Sinthy in a direct female line. This cousin is Minnie Merle Till Garrett of Alabama, and her direct female line from her mother, Carrie Edna Waite Till, then Minnie Lee Ward Waite, Caroline Boutwell Ward, Mary Elizabeth “Mattie” Peacock Boutwell, Cynthia “Sinthy” ____?, who married Arnold Peacock after 1820 in the Barnwell area of S.C. So far Minnie has 48 possible matches with other testers in the FTDNA system, and some are from the SC area.

While there is nothing solid to proceed on at this time, there is hope that sometime in the future, as DNA testing gets more people involved and the science is further developed, a better match can be found for our ancestors. I may not be around when found, but at least I was able to get a direct connection tested while she was still alive and well in Alabama.

The results on our latest yDNA tester, Roger O’Neil Peacock, a descendant of Rev. Levi Peacock, are in and he is a closer match to the “Commoners” than the previous two Levi testers have been, but he does match his known cousin, Raymond Edward Peacock, and they are a perfect match at the 37 marker level. They also match most of the Commoners * up to the 25 markers, then drop to 37/36 at the 37 marker level. Two other known Levi descendants are off by just one marker at the 12 and 25 level, then by 2 at the 37 marker level. That mutation can help match some of Levi’s descendants to a particular line of Levi Peacock.

The Family Tree DNA system is getting many more people involved in the Family Finder test where both male and female DNA can be tested and compared. I now have 107 overall matches with other project testers, and some with names common in my ancestral lines. In the closer connections I have 20 matches in the 3rd to 4th cousin range.

Some I know must be kin, but I haven’t found the missing ancestor between them and me. If you are in a dilemma about some of your ancestral connections the Family Finder test may be a good option for you.

The test is priced at $289 by FTDNA.

FTDNA just had another special pricing until 12/31/10, in the upgrading of your test from 12 markers to the 25, 27, and 67 marker levels. If you may be interested in upgrading your DNA test to a higher level, please contact me so I can notify you when a special opens up. FTDNA is offering a reduced price to test and convert DNA tests performed by different companies to the FTDNA marker systems in case any of you may have done a DNA test through theses companies: Relative Genetics, DNAHeritage, Ancestry, Oxford Ancestors, Genebase. The popular TV show, “Who Do You Think You Are” returns for another season and that Ancestry sponsored program has really stirred interest in genealogy all over the US and the UK. I wish they could find my missing ancestors!

Note from Editor: *Commoners are direct decedents of Samuel Peacock I … the g.g.g.g.g grand Daddy of most of us Peacocks.

This is the Peacock Project site where you can view our results: http://www.familytreedna.com/public/PeacockPFAS/default.aspx