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From: "Ed and Mary Yonan" <>
Subject: [DNA] A DNA genealogical mystery
Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 17:21:42 -0500


I have an intriguing DNA-related genealogical mystery involving
Allisons and
Leightons who lived in the Barrington, NH area in the last quarter of
the 1700's. It involves DNA analysis results and I'm wondering if some
of the members of this mailing list who are so much more knowledgeable
about DNA research than I would be willing to make a speculation about
whether an Allison/Leighton connection occurred 220 years ago or at some
other unknown earlier time in history.

A male cousin of mine whose last name is Allison and a man whose last
name is Leighton recently had their Y-chromosome DNA tested for
genealogical purposes by the same DNA testing company (Family Tree DNA).
They don't know each other, but they have been informed by FTDNA that
their DNA matches
perfectly, which means that they have a common male ancestor. Normally
two people with a perfect match would have the same surname, of course.
However,
Mr. Leighton sent this interesting "family story" which may explain how
his DNA matches my cousin's DNA:
************
"In 1780 an infant boy was left on someone's porch, probably in
Barrington, NH. One family story is that as it was "late on" in the
evening, he was given the name Robert Laton. Another story was that he
was left on the doorstep of a Deacon Leighton and his barren wife.
Other rumors were that the old deacon was his biological dad!"
************
My theory is that the baby's biological father was an Allison who
descended from the same male Allison ancestor that my cousin and I
descend from. The baby was accepted and raised (adopted?) by the
Leightons and was given their surname which would account for the two
men with different surnames having the same DNA markers.

I'm assuming that the baby was born to an unwed woman. Mr. Allison was
probably "out of the picture" by the time the baby was left on the
Leighton's doorstep. An out-of-wedlock birth in the 1700s would have
been a great social stigma for the young woman. She couldn't raise the
child herself. She probably thought the deacon and his wife could make
a good home for the baby.

In order to determine if my theory has any validity, I needed to find
out if any Allisons lived in or around Barrington, NH. in 1779 and
1780. An Abraham Allis signed The Association Test for Barrington, NH
in 1776. I have learned that there was an Abraham Allison listed in
the 1790 Barrington census. This could have been the same person. I
have also been informed by a Barrington researcher that there were
several Ellis and Ellison families in Barrington at that time. Ellison
is a common variant spelling of Allison in early records.

The Allison/Leighton connection could have occurred in NH in 1780. Of
course, it could have occurred at a much earlier time in history also.

I will appreciate all comments. Does a 100% match indicate the
likelihood of a fairly "recent" nonpaternity event (i.e. 1780)? Could
the nonpaternity event have occurred much earlier than that and still
both men could have a perfect match?

Sincerely,
Mary Allison Yonan
<>



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