From: Elizabeth Kipp <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Book: DNA, Promise and Peril
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:09:13 -0700 (PDT)
You always need to find the paperwork to substantiate it I think. My grandfather knew his Blake line a long way back but I could only remember back to Joseph (Ernest, Samuel (my grandfather), Edward, John, Thomas, Joseph). But I felt the need to prove my way back from my grandfather anyway because he was nearly 80 and I only 8 although I think I would have felt that way even if I had been 28 when he died. The nice thing about being older was I might have written it down and not have to rely on my memory of 54 years ago! I have not been able to remember further back (in chronological order) other than there were Thomases, Johns, Williams and a Nicholas that died at Old House. The Nicholas rather stuck with me and I did find him and he did die at Old House but I am not yet ready to "firmly" claim him. I still would like a little more proof other than parish registers for one link back. Now a descendant of Nicholas not in my line whose DNA matches would be
quite excellent so yes I think that in some ways they have failed to recognize the value of DNA research. On the other hand, how one "grows" in one's own social orbit is also important and I think they are saying that. If we can find our ancestors all the way back then that is great but some people have been adopted, have non paternal events and for them the trail may be very cold but their own social presence in family, etc. is also very important, they are part of the family into which they have been adopted and this should be part of the story as well. I have in my ancestry name changes where a sister's son took on her paternal surname and inherited from an uncle. Definitely that is going to look like a non-paternal event with DNA testing but in reality the fact that he is descended from the female rather than the male line doesn't diminish his ancestry in the family.
Elizabeth (Blake) Kipp, PLCGS
Guild of one-name studies #4600 - LAMBDEN, PINCOMBE and SIDERFIN
Webpage: http://ca.geocities.com/ type="text/javascript">DisplayMail('rogers.com','kippeeb');/
----- Original Message ----
From: Dan D. <>
To:
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 11:08:34 AM
Subject: Re: [DNA] Book: DNA, Promise and Peril
I don't trust too much family lore. It can be indicative, very useful, but never 100% accurate. Sometimes the family tries to hide something or embellish its roots and you end up with misrepresentation.