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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2003-09 > 1062435472


From: "David Willis" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Discussion of surname DNA projects not universally welcomed by list...
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 09:58:01 -0700


The internet is just a tool, just as DNA testing is just a tool. But any genealogy researcher who resists using these tools is handicapped.

The case of my Willis line is a specific example. Without an internet search, no one could have found a list of the four sons of a York County PA family, who were listed on some internet sites, who matched four Willis men with the same names living in three different counties in western Virginia.

The intenet findings provided focus for the paper research. Paper links in Virginia between these brothers were tenuous. Marriage records, land sale records, court records, , tax records, scrutiny of the juxtaposition of signatures on Virginia petitions, matching marks for two of the men on Pennsylania documents with the marks of the same men on Virginia documents (in one case even a mark on a tree), a vague family recollection, an 1880 census record in Virginia that mentioned "Penn," consistency of VA and PA names and timelines, provided tantalizing evidence of links between these four men. Some descendants considered this paper evidence to be proof of the link, but many others did not. It was DNA testing that proved these men were brothers.


----- Original Message -----
From: "ernest hurst" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 8:21 AM
Subject: Re: [DNA] Discussion of surname DNA projects not universally
welcomed by list...


> We're probably getting into something that Ann will "whack" us for if it
> continues, but I just want to add one thing, sort of disagreeing with
Gary.
> Most info you find on the Internet is a transcription, or maybe a
> mis-transcription, of something that was itself a transcription or
> compilation, such as a book on a family, county, etc. I'm not saying that
> ALL transcriptions are wrong - I'm in the process of transcribing a bunch
> of "stuff" to the HURST list, myself, but I have mostly original documents
> or letters & if I think it is a transcription or compilation, I say so. I
> am certain, since I do not have anybody else proofreading my work, that I
> have made typographical errors, hopefully not in any area that will
matter.
> A lot of the transcriptions, indexes, etc. on the net were done by people
> who were doing a "job" rather than someone who was really interested in
> what they were doing.
>
> There - I've said my piece & I'll shut up now.
>
> Ernie Hurst
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: Bob KNOTTS <>
> > To: <>
> > Date: 9/1/2003 10:47:06 AM
> > Subject: Re: [DNA] Discussion of surname DNA projects not universally
> welcomed by list...
> >
> > I remember reading in a genealogy book when I first started into
> genealogy,
> > it said "Don't believe anything you read until you have read it in 4 or
5
> > different sources, and then remain skeptical". Bob K in PHX, AZ.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Gary Rea" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2003 9:54 PM
> > Subject: Re: [DNA] Discussion of surname DNA projects not universally
> > welcomed by list...
> >
> >
> > > This is most unfortunate, yes. The ironic thing is that, while many
> people
> > > don't trust data found online, because they have heard that data found
> > > online is riddled with errors, it is a fact that every scrap of
> genealogy
> > > data found online has been dervived from offline sources, so how are
> > offline
> > > sources any more trustworthy?
> > >
> > >
> > > Gary Rea
> > > Project Administrator
> > > Rea Surname DNA Project
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "LJCrain" <>
> > > To: <>
> > > Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2003 4:45 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [DNA] Discussion of surname DNA projects not universally
> > > welcomed by list...
> > >
> > >
> > > > Don't you think this is the same kind of mindset that many had a few
> > years
> > > > back about going on the Internet to do genealogy research? I knew
of
> a
> > > lady
> > > > who spent many, many hours in libraries doing research on one of my
> > lines
> > > > and would not share it with anyone for fear it might end up on the
> > > Internet
> > > > and someone else might benefit from her labors. She died one day and
I
> > > > suppose someone threw it all out.
> > > >
> > > > I have another third cousin who will not learn to use a computer.
She
> > did
> > > > genealogy research for 30 years onsite and I owe her an enormous
> amount
> > of
> > > > gratitude. Some people, for whatever their reasons, fear new methods
> and
> > > > technologies.
> > > >
> > > > I am happy to say I have not encountered the resistance to DNA
> > discussions
> > > > reported by some.
> > > >
> > > > Janet Crain
> > > >

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