NYDUTCHE-L Archives

Archiver > NYDUTCHE > 2002-02 > 1012897191


From:
Subject: [NYDUTCHE] Re: Genetic testing in genealogy?
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 03:19:51 EST


I'm wondering about something about something that I've not seen mentioned in
any of the articles and letters, etc., that I've read about genetic test as
it concerns genealogy: If, for example, I wanted to get genetic proof that I
really am descended from Joseph the Miller SMITH, who was b ca 1595, how
would these scientists and labs come up with some DNA against which to test
my DNA?? Would they go try to find where the body of Joseph is buried??
How, after so many years could they be absolutely positive that, no matter
what the gravestone has engraved on it, assuming that there's still one after
more than 400 years, that the body in that hole really is/was Joseph Smith??

Or say I'd wanted to find out if I was descended from Daniel Boone, (a
popular personage in this neck of the woods). (I'm not descended from him.)
His wife, Rachel, died before Daniel, and was buried in a local cemetery.

Later, when Daniel died, he was to be buried in the same cemetery, but when
they went to dig a grave for the body of Daniel next to Rachel's, they found
that space already occupied. I think it was the body of a favored slave who
had been buried there. Not wanting to disturb and move this body, they
simply dug a different grave for Rebecca, at the feet of Daniel.

Sometime later, the State of Kentucky, who had never paid Boone a dime for
all his exploring, services, etc., decided, in their wisdom, that since he'd
been born in Kentucky,that Daniel's body should be brought back to Kentucky
for burial there. A large disagreement ensued, and eventually some folks
from Kentucky, without permission, took it upon themselves to sneak out to
the cemetery, and dig up what they assumed was the body of Daniel, and
proceeded to take it back to KY, where it was reburied, and I guess is now
pointed out to the tourists.

Several years after this body-napping, another long-time worker or slave,
also very dear to the family, was on his deathbed. While talking to a member
of the family or a friend (I forget exactly who it was), he's said to have
chuckled, and said, "They never did get ol' Dan'l", and then explained about
the placement of Rachel's grave.

SO, how could anyone be proven to be a direct descendant of Daniel Boone's??

And we all know how few of the really old gravestones in cemeteries, even in
this country, which is so much younger than the countried from which our
ancestors came, are either missing, defaced, unreadable. HOW is the original
DNA of the ancestor obtained??

If I rememeber correctly, the burial spots of all of the Pilgrims is unknown
except for one. Well, like many other people, I'm descended from three of
the Mayflower passengers...but could I prove that by DNA testing??

Sorry...stuff like that bothers me! I'm nosy, and I ask too many questions,
but I do like to know how things work!




This thread: