28th: Continuing in update mode

My main web pages have been fully reloaded, others will follow as time permits.

Full set of BAIN dna results now in. Too early to tell if we have an accurate DNA signature for the line of John BAIN (married Catherine GRAY) as there are no matches to other tested BAIN families (see full BAIN dna project).
We only have one representative for our BAIN line and would very much like a second line to be represented to confirm this dna signature.

23rd: Devon DAWEs

Brief flurry of activity on some of the Devon DAWE families, prompted by emails to/from Val and a long overdue filing session.

Main family to benefit from the attention was one of the many Isaac DAWEs as I tried to find the family in 1911, not always successfully.
It makes sense that the Isaac married to Amy FOLLETT, and Thirza STEVENS, is the 64 yr old whose death is registered Dartmouth 1917. But if so, where on earth was he in 1911? Found several of the children, but as yet, no Isaac.
NB Val provided the information that Amy didn't die in childbirth as I'd thought was likely, but was kicked by a cow, his narrative has been updated.

The DAWE/DAW Surname dna project would very much like to recruit a representative of (m)any of the Devon DAWE/DAW families to see how they may inter-relate, and whether or not those in Newfoundland are our (distant) relations.
All you have to be is a direct male line descendant of any of the Devon DAWE families, the more the merrier.

Read all about dna testing, and see the existing Newfoundland family at the Summary pages on the WorldFamilies network, and supplementary information on the DNA Projects Portal pages.
(Other projects have had great success in both proving and dis-proving relationships not able to be determined by paper trails).

8th: Wouldn't you know it...

As soon as I decide there's a lull on updates to the visible, published, data, along comes a bunch more, just after I've updated the online databases!

Thanks Bobby, the GRAY updates will appear in due course.

Bobby saw my posting (page down to my one) on the Caithness.org forum asking for GRAY descendants who might be interested in proving a theory about two GRAY families in Watten, Caithness, by joining the GRAY DNA project.

He then acted on a hunch about a BRUCE in his tree, and sure enough, found an additional daughter for the family of William GRAY and Margaret SUTHERLAND.
There's a Margaret who married a William MURRAY and lived at Olgrinmore, Halkirk (1851).

Behind the scenes however, Harry and I have been having fun sorting out his STEPHENSON family of Edinburgh, formerly Kelso, Ancrum, Gifford, and as he's just found out, Cumberland, thanks to Sonia in Mississippi. I'm just tagging along for the ride as there's a WIGHT connection in there that one day we may prove is related to the other STEPHENSON/WIGHT connection that makes us distant cousins.

7th: Update time

Don't seem to be keeping very good track of just what updates have been done for reporting them here, but regardless of whether they've been noted or not, all updated data will now be included in the full update of all the BDM data I've just run for my:

World Connect databases

• LornaHenderson
and

• LornaPotential

and the last three months of updates have been updated to OneGreatFamily where they will automatically be merged with any existing families there (and any differences with either my earlier data, or that from any other researcher for the same person, highlighted for further investigation, I do so love that feature).
My submissions to OGF only include the same data for those of my database that I publish online somewhere else, eg my web pages, the WorldConnect databases above, and some of the data from the Patriarch pages on the summary dna pages on the World Families Network dna projects (generally only the earlier generations in this case, and where I've checked off the data first as best I can, and they belong to linked families I'm particularly interested in), but there they get combined with other researchers' data and inter-connected families show up easily.
There were 685 of these in the last 3 months it appears.
To make sure that every "family" that had been updated had enough information to enable the matching logic on OGF to slot them into their rightful places rather than leave them as orphans never to be found again, I made sure that all families had two generations with spice/parents as applicable included. This resulted in about 830 people being sent to OGF this run.

2nd: DNA results

The results from the recent FamilyTree DNA discount promotions are starting to trickle through (some from batch 309 and 312 have both arrived, but a particular result I'm waiting for in batch 311 is still not evident).
Check the assorted dna project diaries (listed on the DNA Projects Portal blog) to see what has changed, eg our first McADIE result has started coming in, one of the FAIRBAIRN results has shown quite a close connection between two families not linked by a paper trail.

14th: More Canadians

Betsy has made contact with a branch of our FAIRBAIRNs (descendants of David F. and Jane HERD) in British Columbia. This prompted me to review what records I hadn't yet checked for this line.
Missing was the now available 1916 census for Saskatchewan, so I've finally found the names of the 3 in the family I knew I was missing.
The FAIRBAIRN chart from Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN has therefore now been updated.

FamilyTree DNA have advertised an upgrade promotion. Those eligible should receive an email with more details and a link to order at a discounted price (I've yet to see such an email, but the flier I received as an admin says that is what will happen). The promotion runs for a week and should be a good chance to upgrade where we would very much like to see what happens in some specific markers.

Check out the FAIRBAIRN DNA Blog for more results for the New York connection, which is looking good!

6th: Full Big Brother update

What with the number of changes of late, the exciting developments out of the Fairbairn DNA Project etc it is time I did a full site update.
The newly released version of Second Site, allows me to easily include some additional information on people not included on the site with a page of their own. The main change as a result of this is that below each person's page, if they have family, lifespan dates (mth/year only) now show.
Big Brother has therefore had a full refresh. If I've missed some links somewhere, please let me know.

Apart from a general tidy-up the main changes that I can remember are:

• Archibald FAIRBAIRN (marr. to Janet SCOTT) has had a revamp,


• John FAIRBAIRN (marr. to Elisabeth MILLER) of New York has been brought in from the cold and been incorporated into my FAIRBAIRN family and will now show up in the FAIRBAIRN descendant charts in due course (he's not yet online and linked)


• the neverending story
.

I see that there's a clutch of "Recent changes" shown for the LOCKIE/RUNCIMAN family, but they can be ignored, I was simply attaching a source document and tidying up some source citations, no new information involved.

17th: A match - and theory proven

More Fairbairns of course.
Today I received the preliminary dna results for Doug, a descendant of the miller Robert FAIRBAIRN of Vegreville, Alberta, son of an Archibald of Scotland and Jane of England. 12/12 with the presumed descendant of my Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN via their son Archibald.
This latter Archibald had a son Archibald baptised in St Boswells in 1813, whom I had assumed, until recently, to have died prior to 1841.
However I had been researching more Ontario and Alberta FAIRBAIRNs and one lot led back to an Archibald and Jane (BLAKEY) whom I thought just might be the couple marrying in Tynemouth in 1841. That marriage cert showed Archibald as son of a gardener, Archibald. Age fitted, occupation of father possible, but not previously known.
Only 12 markers so far, but a perfect match with the representative of the line of Archibald and Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN, which Archibald I believe is the son of my Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN.
Oh it would be so good to find a known, proven representative of Archibald and Alison to truly confirm this, but for now, I'll rest on my laurels for a while at having proven another theory, and placed the Ontario/Alberta family in the overall tree.

Descendant chart for Archibald and Alison updated, more to follow, particularly on the DNA Projects Portal site (check the dna blogs for further data when it is available, there's a list of them on the overall DNA Projects Portal Blog).

16th: How remote can you go?

This comment being prompted by publishing the ROW data for a new member of the ROW(E) DNA project. As he had roots in Devon, I've incorporated him into the ROWE related pages of the DNA Projects Portal. There's absolutely no way we'll ever find a paper trail to prove any connection, which connection is most likely pre-genealogical timeframes, but nonetheless, on the markers so far, there is indication of a (very distant) connection.

Have been re-examining info I have on the family of Ralph Archibald & Helen (CROW) FAIRBAIRN, and the WIGHTs of Longformacus, both families being forbears of David RICHARDSON (no relation). In due course his data will be included on their respective dna projects (FAIRBAIRN, WIGHT) in the hope of finding participants, but again, I keep getting sidetracked.

12th: Real mixture today

Seem to have covered a fair breadth of the forest today: McADIEs from Caithness *2, one lot the potential London descendants, the other the Australian connection, including a link (I think) to a separate FAIRBAIRN family, that of George FAIRBAIRN and Virignia ARMYTAGE, yet to be explored; a newfound twig of my FAIRBAIRNs in Pennsylvania; more of the NY FAIRBAIRNs;

I can feel some updates coming on, but there's a few loose ends to tie up before it is worth republishing both WorldConnect databases: LornaPotential and LornaHenderson

In addition a pedigree was received, and posted, for the ROWE dna project, yet another family originating in Devon, and although only some of his results are in, there does appear to be a (very) distant match to my Devon ROWE family.

Great grannie's web page didn't get a look in.

4th: Our ancestors didn't move around much !!!

Received a surprising email last night, from Lyall in Westport whose grandfather had land next to land called "Crebers" locally.
He was wondering what I could tell him about Harry son of John A CREBER and Adelaide DOIDGE, original owner of said land.
Given that I had him born in Victoria (1863), and his father dying in Victoria (1886) I'd simply assumed they'd stayed put in Australia. Which turns out to be far from the case.
An immigration record on the "Claud Hamilton" showed the family moving from Melbourne to Hokitika in 1866, yet his two known siblings were born in the 1870s, back in Victoria.
Mum Adelaide shows up in the 1893 electoral rolls as a Matron at Larrikins, Westland and a death of the right age is recorded in 1914.
Harry married a Mary Elizabeth KING at Westport in his mother's house in 1901.
Papers Past has turned up some delightful little snippets, including that H Creber, assumed to be Harry, was coming third in an egg laying contest (!) with his silver wyandottes in 1905 (15 eggs that week 109 year to date).
Mary Elizabeth looks like she died 1937; Harry's brother John Ambrose looks like the 1899 death of the right age; but as yet, Harry eludes us, not being obvious in either NZ or Victorian death indexes.
Also in the area, gold mining at Kanieri, is an Ambrose CREBER, who may, or may not, be Harry's uncle. This family had both a John Ambrose, and an Ambrose, in the same family, both baptised Whitchurch, Devon.

So, never believe anyone saying our ancestors never moved around very much.

Also made time to review the earliest WIGHTs. Bye bye Janet SWORD, hello Margaret HOUD.

More updates in the FAIRBAIRN DNA Project - check out the Project Diary.

3rd: WIGHT updates

Given my WIGHT activity at the moment, I thought it was time to publish what I had on the supposed earliest WIGHT in my tree, James, marr. to Jennat SWORD.
However, as I say on the page, reviewing them after a number of years, I have to admit I need to recheck the links given I have them as having two sons named James, and the youngest looks rather unlikely to be the parents of James who married Issobel THOMSON.

Also published, on the WIGHT Surname DNA Project, is an abbreviated chart of their descendants in the hope a representative may be found.

Looking at the gaps in my knowledge, I started trying to find what happened to Robert the son of Robert WIGHT and Janet SCOTT. And quickly realised why I appear not to have progressed far with that line. Can't find them after 1881 in England or Scotland, and as yet, nor in USA or Canada. All I managed to advance was to finally find his marriage to Mary, despite Scotland's People having indexed Robert as WRIGHT, instead of the WIGHT his certificate states (correction lodged), and changed her from UnknownSurname into Mary BOYD.

Web pages updated to include an introductory page for The Wights.

1st: New dna project

The passing of Sinton WIGHT, mentioned on the 26th, made me realise that if I want to find dna representatives of most of my main families to find more links by using the science now available, I'd better make sure I find participants. But for WIGHTs, firstly a project was needed as none currently existed.
A WIGHT Surname DNA project now exists, and even has its first participant, not one of mine, but a transfer from the National Geographic Genographic Project, with very early Massachusetts WIGHTs from England (and an unusual haplotype).

Check the FAIRBAIRN DNA Project diary for some exciting updates. In a few weeks time we may finally find out whether or not Ed's and my theory about the John in New York whose father was a Walter FAIRBAIRN of Roxburghshire, is or isn't, a son of Walter and Agnes (ROBISON) FAIRBAIRN.
Depending on the degree of (mis)match, we may yet need another participant from the NY line, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, as it has taken so long to find a willing taker. Fingers crossed.

And yet more Caithness BAINs. Stuart has contacted me, presumably having seen the blog entries about the Manitoba BAINs the other day. His relations, although he's in England.
Must be something in the spring air over the other side of the world at the moment, waking everyone up.

28th: Catherine found, family rumour solved

Some years ago I unravelled some discrepancies about a couple of Catherine BAINs, one the dtr of James BAIN and Helen SUTHERLAND, the other the dtr of Donald BAIN and Maggie TAYLOR.
The latter died 1904, the former couldn't be found in Scotland.
I think I've found her.

While checking off some of the British Guianian FAIRBAIRNs who had emigrated to Manitoba, I strayed off into checking off what else I hadn't already checked against the Manitoba BDMs, and against the 1916 Canadian Census, available again now. (Interesting indexing on the FAIRBAIRNs, they were indexed as FAUBARIN, with a birthplace that clearly read British Guiana, but was indexed as British Columbia, took me a while to find them!).

In checking off the Manitoba BDMs, I re-discovered the family of James and Catherine Isabella MANSON in Brandon, whose 1891 marriage was indexed with Katherine as BARIE.
However, today's checking of a son's birth clearly showed her as Catherine Isabella BAIN, and a census showed her as born Jul 1866.
This just happens to match the data for Catherine, dtr of James and Helen (SUTHERLAND) BAIN. Her husband James MANSON's sister Elizabeth married Donald BAIN, Catherine's brother, and descendants of Donald and Elizabeth (MANSON) BAIN had family letters that indicated a connection between the families, but didn't know what it was.
QED, a successful conclusion to the day.

Decided to branch out in my DNA studies, and add in another of my main research lines. I've applied to set up a WIGHT project. The pages are rather preliminary, as FamilyTree DNA haven't yet approved it as a project, but none currently exists, and it doesn't seem to be claimed by WHITE or WIGHTMAN as an alternate name.

17th: At least John was a DAVIDSON

Another set of DNA results just in, the representative for my DAVIDSON line of John DAVIDSON of Chirnside, whom I've suspected of being illegitimate given that his 1900 death cert merely gives a mother's name (Ann COLLINS), and no father at all.
At least it does look like he was a DAVIDSON as there a couple of low level matches. Nothing to get excited about unless the matches' upgrade to 67 markers shows a great match, or a paper trail can be worked out to link an 1841 Earsdon, Northumberland DAVISON with presumed Scottish forbears, to my brick wall, John, born abt 1817 Chirnside, Berwickshire.
The DAVIDSON DNA project chap pointed out that our non-Davidson surname matches had a lot of Chisholm's, adding that this would suggest a ancient connection before the advent of surnames. The Chisholm's according to legend saved the life of one of the Scottish kings in the 14th century and were granted land in Inverness-shire. This area in Scotland was also the home of the Davidson Clan or Clan Dhai or MacDaibheid.

John has been my brickwall for many years, and some years ago I decided to see if the story that Nana told her little boy (my Dad Les), that the people living on Conroy's Gully on the back road into Alexandra, with the huge old walnut tree, were our DAVIDSON cousins.
The first part of the story was indeed true, yes a family by the name of DAVIDSON used to live there. Memory has played false with me however, in that I remember that my research led me back to an Aberdeen family, but no, it looks like they were of Muthill, Perthshire instead, with absolutely no obvious connection to John, so Nana was telling porkies.

Looking at the family again today reminded me that the research turned up another connection to the Bounty in that both this DAVIDSON family, and my Great Aunt's husband, Doug FLETCHER, were descendants of the THOMSON family, early settlers in Port Chalmers, Otago, NZ. This THOMSON family leading back to the HEYWOOD family of H.M.S. Bounty fame.

16th: New York RICHARDSONs?

Ralph's dna results arrived at last, and show a 34/37 match with a descendant of and Adam RICHARDSON, born 1835 New York of Scottish parents (ie rather distant, but definitely worth investigating).
Hardly a conclusive match, and certainly no immediate candidates spring to mind, but given Adam had a middle name of BROWN, just possibly he's a descendant of this family in my LornaPotential database: Adam and Margaret (BROWN) RICHARDSON, married 1788 Hawick, ROX.
I had researched them for possible connections to "our" RICHARDSONs because both families were from the Borders, and had ended up in Edinburgh, one in Lauriston Gardens, the other in Lauriston Terrace (I've not found out how close these streets are).
If there are any male RICHARDSON descendants of Adam and Margaret out there willing to test this theory out further, we'd love to hear from you.

Also decided to help out by joining the indexing project at FamilySearch.
Least I can do for all the help they've given the genealogical community over the years with their filming of original records.
I'd been holding off in that I thought I might not be able to commit enough time to make it worthwhile, but a "batch" is a very manageable size, easily done in a few minutes (or at least it was for the two initial batches of Cheshire records I've contributed so far).

13th: DNA Match, Hoquiam triangle

Updated John A FAIRBAIRN's page to reflect the latest findings from the DNA project - check the project diary - which is showing a good match between John's descendant and that of his uncle William. So it looks like my theory that John, despite all the varying ages and birth places, and two misleading certificates (marriage and death), that he really is the son of David and Jane (WILLIAMSON) FAIRBAIRN.
So, that's the relationship between the Hoquiam triangle proven, even if we don't know how the Sunderland side fits in.
Also updated the Neverending story, including changing the 11 years to 13, given it's been there a couple of years now.

28th: Another Archibald, or is he?

The marriage cert. for Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Jane BLAKEY turned up today.
It shows Archibald's father as yet another Archibald FAIRBAIRN, a gardener.
There's an Archibald of exactly the right age, son of Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Janet SCOTT, born St Boswells, 1813.
I don't have father Archibald's occupation as a gardener however, more normally he shows up as the ubiquitous ag. lab., occasionally farm steward, and in 1841 when the presumed son Archibald married, the father shows as an ag lab at Greenwells Glenburney at Melrose.
As a descendant of Archibald and Jane FAIRBAIRN is in the dna project, if this hunch is correct, Doug (F-14) should be a very good match to Martin (F-1) our first project participant.
If he isn't, then I guess we need to keep digging to find distant cousins of both Martin and Doug to confirm their line's dna signature, or find another Archibald of the right age and place.
Anyone have any other Archibald/Archibald father/son pairs where the son was born Scotland around 1813?

24th: Back to Melrose FAIRBAIRNs

Again, check the FAIRBAIRN DNA Project Diary for the latest pedigree loaded, and the theory behind how they might connect to the lineage of Robert and Agnes (LANDRETH) FAIRBAIRN.
Would be good to prove that connection.

23rd: Another FAIRBAIRN blacksmith; ANDREWS sidetrack

Check the Fairbairn DNA project diary for the links/details re the newly loaded pedigree - that of the family of Archibald and Jane (BLAKEY) FAIRBAIRN who emigrated from Northumberland to Ontario. One son, Archibald, moved to Parry Sound, another lived Orangeville, Wellington Co/Dufferin Co. Another, Robert, a miller, moved to Vegreville, Alberta, with descendants moving back to Ontario.

Archibald was a blacksmith, and the majority of the few available records, say he was born Scotland;
Probably complete coincidence, but the family of one other of the DNA project members were also in Orangeville, Dufferin Co at one stage.

I have now absolutely no idea where I was researching during the digging on the above, or who I was looking at, that led me to check for some updated details for the family of Abraham ANDREWS of Martock (then St Lukes, Middlesex), but next WorldConnect update there should be some more confirmed dates and places for the family.

31st: Deepest Africa, well Golden anyway

Forgot to mention the African connection.
With the 1911 English census now being available, I decided to see who I could find.
Having found one of the FAIRBAIRN families, I then thought I'd see what else I could find about their son Stanley Leonard FAIRBAIRN, in the hopes of finding a descendant to represent my line of Walter FAIRBAIRN and Agnes ROBISON in the FAIRBAIRN DNA project.
Found several immigration/emigration entries that indicated he lived somewhere on the West Coast of Africa, the last I found being his departure in 1930 from Southampton for Takoradi, intending permanent residence on the Gold Coast. UK address was Norfolk House Rd, Streatham, London S.W. 16. Anyone know if there are any sons down this line?
There must be some male FAIRBAIRN descendants of Walter and Agnes out there somewhere.

30th: Further results in for one of the "cousins"

Further results in for the Sunderland/Hoquiam side of the FAIRBAIRN "cousins" triangle.
Still a good match with the rest of Lineage 1. It will be interesting to see if Bill matches Roy more closely than Joe does, given their families, over time, have all stated relationships to each other.
Keep checking the Fairbairn Surname DNA Project Diary for breaking news, and send along any likely candidates to join the project. All welcome.

17th : There was a (SINTON) Irishman and a Scotsman

Check the SINTON DNA project diary for updates to that project. The Irish contingent are also a match!

9th: FAIRBAIRNs published

Published the updated John & Helen (ANDERSON) FAIRBAIRN dna oriented patriarchs chart in the hope of finding willing participants to represent their respective lines.
Also check the FAIRBAIRN DNA project diary.

8th: Marriage found; dna*2 day

Ross's hunch, back in 2003, from the 1841/2 Grenville census, that David, son of David and Jane (WILLIAMSON) FAIRBAIRN was married earlier than to Charity, looks accurate. At that time the census merely showed how many people of what sex, age and marital status were in the household, and it implied that David and a young wife were in the house, although David and Charity didn't marry until 1845, and her age didn't match that of the other married female in the house besides Jane, David's mother.
While looking for something else, as so often happens, I stumbled upon a marriage in 1841 of a David FAIRBAIRN and Prudential ARNOLD in the Presbyterian Church records in the Drouin colleciton showing they were married at "Grenville, Ottawa" by William MAIR, Minister of Grenville & Chatham, witnesses were John BLAIR and John TOPLAND.
In the same set of records were David and Charity's marriage, and the baptism of their son David.

The FAIRBAIRN DNA project is looking set to examine more closely the "cousin" relationships that have so taxed my brain and genealogical inventiveness. William has joined as a rep. of the line of John A FAIRBAIRN Snr of Stillwater, whose son John A of Hoquiam is the one these relationships were all reported to: Angus s/o the above David and Charity (WALKER) F.; Albert who emigrated from Sunderland to Hoquiam, an unlikely choice about 100 years after John Snr's parents had left Scotland; and Walter to Clarissa.
How I currently see these relationships can probably best be viewed starting at the dna oriented descendant chart for David and Jane (WILLIAMSON) FAIRBAIRN, and from the charts listed on William's dna page, not that his results are in yet, as the kit has only just been ordered, patience (not one of my strong points)!

It is obviously a dna day today. We now have a DAVIDSON representative who has been enrolled in the DAVIDSON project (not one of mine), that just might help us break thru the brick wall of finding more about John DAVIDSON. Although I strongly suspect he was the illegitimate son of the mother Ann COLLINS shown on his death cert, his father was more as like a DAVIDSON given the naming conventions of the time.

6th: ANDREWS gets a look-in, (and DAW)

Brief flurry of corrections on the RUNDLE/FOREMAN portion of the ANDREWS tree (not online so the error has presumably not been propagated), thanks David and Brenda.

The DAW(E) DNA project now has a representative of the family of Isaac enrolled, but at the risk of never being thought satisfied, another is still sought, on a different line, to confirm whatever dna signatures result.

4th: Looking for FAIRBAIRNs

Began checking off descendants of John FAIRBAIRN and Helen ANDERSON from Burkes Peerage against OPRs, BDMs, Census data and The Times in preparation to publishing an abbreviated patriarch's entry on the DNA pages oriented towards lines that may have a living FAIRBAIRN representative at the end of the chain who just might be persuaded to join the project and provide a dna signature for the family in order to test the many claims by assorted trees that "we are related to Sir William FAIRBAIRN", often without any proof. Representatives from eg the Rev Adam Henderson FAIRBAIRN's, schoolmaster William's and Sir William's line would be wonderful.

3rd: FINLAYSON dna

Updated the FINLAYSON DNA results page, and linked David and Donald on the patriarchs page back to the dna projects portal site for additional info.

2nd: Rogues gallery

Added a (small) rogues gallery of FAIRBAIRN photos to the FAIRBAIRN family page. It only includes those already on their respective person pages, but does include one new one, that of Mary Joan LAWLESS nee FAIRCHILD's from Jim in Florida (5th cousin once removed).
Thanks Jim, I'll get round to adding the rest of the LAWLESS line in some year, but I did make a start from your data, and some that I had from census data etc. already, but not added to the db.

See FAIRBAIRNDNA project diary for some changes there from early records trying to figure out if there are any clues to be found on how to link the dna matched families (not a lot was the answer).

29th: When NOT to believe certificates?

Seem mostly to be dna-ing of late, trying to figure out how on earth the matched FAIRBAIRN families are likely to connect.
As a result of a lot more digging around in the OPRs, earlier parts of trees, and old mysteries. On the latter, I have bitten the bullet and decided that despite what two certificates say, the John FAIRBAIRN of Stillwater just has to be the son of David and Jane (WILLIAMSON) FAIRBAIRN.
This John is the chap whose descendant Walter claimed to be a cousin to his wife Clarissa, a descendant of David and Charity FAIRBAIRN, His marriage cert stated his father was Johnathan, and his death cert. gave his parents as John and Agnes (WILLIAMSON) FAIRBAIRN, and he was most unhelpful in that I don't think any two records over his life gave consistent birth years and places, with his birth year ranging from c 1833 thru to 1841. I've documented my conclusions and reasoning on his newly created web page.
The FAIRBAIRN introductory page has had a bit of a revamp, reorder, and some more charts included (some descendants of the dna matched families).
Check the FAIRBAIRN DNA Project Diary for what changed as far as dna pages go.

28th: "Newfound" dna match

The DAWE DNA project has had its first set of results in, and a match with another person tested with FamilyTree DNA.
Didn't take long for him to reply and tell us where he fitted. Another Newfoundland branch - so we're still looking for representatives of the Devon branches.
Follow the DAWE DNA project diary for what all changed, where/when.

12th: Mostly dna - SINTON match, HENDERSON lineage confirmed

Mostly a DNA day or two as a heap of results came pouring in.
SINTON and HENDERSON data in the DNA Projects Portal Lineages section have been updated to reflect the latest findings, namely that yes, there is indeed a relationship between the Jedburgh SINTON family of William and Isabella (SCOTT) SINTON and the Southdean SINTONs
As William's page shows, we'd love to find a distant cousin of the current representative of this line to help determine whether the differences in the dna signatures crept into the lineage before or after William.

The HENDERSON result is just a confirmation that we're working with the correct dna signature for Archibald - not that it helps us thru the brick wall, as there aren't any matches anywhere in the dna tested community as yet.

25th: Remember to review your data!

Always good practice to review your data. One thing all these DNA studies have done is cause me to look at a heap of relations that I've not re-examined evidence for their assorted events in a long time.
The latest has resulted in a webpage comment being added about the James WIGHT/Isabella HALL couple, as working back the estimated ages/dates you get to a potentially rather young Mum for Isabella. They aren't outrageously out, just a bit tight, and do assume that Jane STEVENSON did get her correct age on her headstone.

More FAIRBAIRN DNA Results in, still showing a good match between the James & Helen (GOODFELLOW) and the Trotter & Jane (FAIRBAIRN) FAIRBAIRN lines of Spencerville, Ontario and Sunderland, Durham, respectively, and still a match, although less strong, to the others assumed to be down from John & Bessie (FFLINT) FAIRBAIRN.

18th: Check originals!

It really does pays to check originals! In my SINTON data review I've been checking what original baptisms I can find on the OPRs, and as a result, corrected a couple of the Southdean places. Margaret, bless her cotton socks, had transcribed a couple of places as ending in ...head, eg Strangeburnfoothead etc. The actual entries, in both cases found, were headless, eg Strangeburnfoot (as in x at y had a son baptized).

Rash of new DNA results in today:
Further markers in for Doug, the representative of the James and Helen (GOODFELLOW) FAIRBAIRN line - see the FAIRBAIRN DNA Project and the blog for details on the matches (yes he matches Lineage 1, that of John FAIRBAIRN and Bessie FLINT et al, but it looks like things might get a bit complicated with different markers involved).
Also results starting to come in for the Peruvian contingent of the RUNCIMAN DNA Project. Again, see the both the project files, and the blog for more details, but basically, even at 12 markers, yes he matches the James & Agnes (HERIOT) RUNCIMAN lineage.
(And yes, I know that Google have put warnings on both of the blogs above that they are potentially spam, I have applied to get that designation lifted - yet again!)

Can anyone claim a James SINTON of Woodfield? William, son of James was buried Southdean 1814.
Still trying to get my updated webpages out there, with all the new SINTON connections documented.
This update will bring several lines into the SINTON charts shown on my web pages (eg the outline one on the Research logs portion of my site, and the fuller one under Big Brother, anyone interested in them needs to be aware that although I've done some work on the other lines, there are likely to be huge gaps in the families.
Even if someone is shown on a descendant chart on my web pages, they wont necessarily appear in my WorldConnect databases, as I only gradually add people to that as I check off BDM data where I can and set them to "publish".

15th: Southdean SINTONs

Nearly finished a fairly major review of the early Southdean SINTON portions of the tree.
My personal web pages haven't yet been updated, but I have updated the SINTON Surname DNA Project Patriarch's page with my current thoughts.
Can anyone place Clesleepeel on a map?

Nov 10, 2008: DNA Projects Portal/DAWEs

Prototype version of my DNA Projects Portal now in place. Many more lineages to be added. Anyone researching the surnames is welcome to contact me to get their webpages included in the Web Links section. Or even have their dna project included.
Currently working on new info from a DAWE descendant (in Michigan) of Isaac DAWE and Thirza STEPHENS.
Will update the pages when I've caught my breath from the TMG Conference and fought the mail backlog, and then get back to the exciting new results from the FAIRBAIRN and SINTON DNA projects.

Oct 21, 2008: SINTON dna match

21st: The SINTON Surname DNA project has come up trumps. It has proved a relationship between two Southdean families unable to be proven by other means. At 12 markers only, it is rather hard to determine just exactly how the families relate: those of John SINTON (marr. Alison HALL 1829, Southdean) and Peter SINTON (marr. Janet DONALDSON) d. Bairnkin, Southdean 1811, but relate they do, somehow.

Oct 10, 2008: Do these names ring a BELL?

FAIRBAIRNs and BELL/THOMSON families. Wondering if it is complete coincidence that there are two FAIRBAIRN families connected to the same BELL/THOMSON family, or whether there just might be a link between them.
One family is that of the latest participant in the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project, the other the subject of a Borders Family History Society Journal way back in Feb 1998 about Granny FAIRBAIRN the Bone-setter of Kelso - "Isabella (ROBERTSON) FAIRBAIRN 1859-1940".
The possible connection being made by adding 2 and 2 and probably getting 5.

Robert FAIRBAIRN, Isabella ROBERTSON's husband's lineage works back to a Robert FAIRBAIRN and Agnes JEFFREY, via a Robert FAIRBAIRN, writer in Duns (reputed father) and Ellen BELL.

Robert FAIRBAIRN and mother Ellen BELL are in the 1881 census with Ellen's sister Janet and her (2nd) husband John THOMSON at Kelso.

In 1901 Janet THOMSON nee BELL is at Kelso with a boarder, John FAIRBAIRN, 25 (he later married an Ellen THOMSON).

John's pedigree is now on the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project Patriarchs page, with no known connection to Duns or Robert above.

Anyone actively researching Robert's family? Found part of it on OneGreatFamily
but the email address of the researcher (dtr of John M FAIRBAIRN, a journalist who emigrated to Australia) bounced.

Back to Meavy for a break. ANDREWS this time. I'd not taken the family of Henry Willcocks & Lydia (HELYER) ANDREWS beyond 1871 until contacted by Pauline, who has a family connection with them.
Merrily checking them off in census and BDMs and finally realised I was duplicating data. Dtr Mary Willcocks ANDREWS firstly married John SHILLIBEER, then remarried a Richard Henry BICKLE (I calculate they were 5th cousins once removed, or at least I did once I realised he was the son of John Creber BICKELL and Susanna HELYER).

Pedigree, and latest results, added to the ROWE Surname DNA project.

Sep 29, 2008: Bit of this, lot of that

Main changes of late:
Meavy DAWE families had a bit of a looksee for a reason which now escapes me. I can now see why I couldn't find a lot of them in the UK census records - a lot of them emigrated to America!
My main interest is how they may or may not inter-connect with the Buckland Monachorum DAWE families and assorted WILLCOCKS.
Some of those connected to people already showing up on my LornaHenderson db on Rootsweb will be added there next update to try and illustrate some inter-connections.

Forgot to mention a SCAIFE update a wee while ago.
Geoff contacted me via Curious Fox with info on the GRAHAM/SCAIFE connections from his SCAIFE perspective. This enabled me to merge two previously separate people in my db, one the son of Jane GRAHAM (whose husband I now know was called John), and the other the William who married Frances GRAHAM, Jane's niece.

Continued working on the family of John and Elisabeth(MILLER) FAIRBAIRN, where this John's father Walter may, or may not, be my Walter FAIRBAIRN. Would really love to find a representative of this line for the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project, particularly before the great discounts run out at the end of Sept (or one each from different branches in case there isn't a match first off)!
The other FAIRBAIRN sidetrack mentioned on the 21st (Bowmanville Robert F.)has been slotted into his rightful place as one of the John FAIRBAIRN/Elizabeth YULE line. I'll update the FAIRBAIRN DNA project Patriarch's page accordingly sometime soon.

Sep 12, 2008: "theory" ruined!

Several more twigs and branches on the assorted Canadian FAIRBAIRN lines have been tidied up a bit, some of whom will now appear on the FAIRBAIRN descendant chart, a lot more on the Rootsweb databases when I next publish them.

I'm getting a bit tied up and puzzled with the families around Hull, Quebec. Lose one, pick up another, can't make up my mind if they're the same David FAIRBAIRN or not.

My rather specious theory that all the FAIRBAIRN families on the Borders are related (well it was only based on a sample of 3 up till now), has been ruined as new results in for the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project show the 4th participant is from a different line - pages yet to be updated to show this.

Sep 6, 2008: ROWE DNA updates

Prompted by another candidate joining the ROWE Surname DNA project I tidied up the pages a bit further. Should be a few less awol links now.

Aug 31, 2008: DNA sale extended

Family Tree DNA have extended their summer sale to the end of September, with very good discounts, so if you are at all interested, get in quick. To get the discounts, orders have to be via an appropriate project, so make sure you find the project and use the Join link for it.
I'd love to see a few more FAIRBAIRN lineages represented, not to mention all my other projects: SINTON, ROWE, RUNCIMAN, DAWE or FINLAYSON.

Back to Lennox & Addington, Ontario FAIRBAIRNs.
Does anyone know anything about the family of a William Albert FAIRBAIRN and Grace Helena LONG? They were around Camden & Centreville, Lennox & Addington, Ontario. Lost two sons in WWI, Bruce Wellington and Howard. I've found dtr Ruth married a Victor King William EDGAR, and son John Albert FAIRBAIRN married Henrietta Susannah BALSDON in the 1910s.
William Albert's 1905 death cert shows him to be the son of a Robert and Jane FAIRBAIRN whom I've not yet identified, but would love too.

Aug 26, 2008: Identifying John CREBERs

When working on Devon families around Walkhampton, Buckland Monachorum, Whitchurch etc, you just cannot avoid CREBERs. I've convinced myself that the Joan CREBER who married Henry TOOP is the one at Dotterbrook in Tavistock in 1841, with what looks like her father John. And that this John is the one who married Margaret GILES. John buried Walkhampton 1845, Henry and Joan (CREBER) TOOP buried Buckland Monachorum, 1844 and 1850 respectively.
Does anyone agree, or disagree, and if the latter, have you more evidence than I on where he belongs?

Family Tree DNA are offering good discounts for their tests until the end of August. Anyone interested in joining the FAIRBAIRN, SINTON, ROWE, RUNCIMAN, DAWE or FINLAYSON projects should get in quick.
If you do so, make sure you find the right surname project and use that to order the test or else the discounts wont be applied, eg a 37 marker test is $119 US, and a 67 marker includes the mt dna test for only slightly more than the usual 67 marker Y-DNA test, at $289 US.

Aug 21, 2008: All those buses coming along at once

Updates from contacts on several fronts in the last few days. Just like buses, nothing for ages on a branch, then along come several contacts all at once.
David & I have been talking FINLAYSON dna (a FINLAYSON Surname DNA project has now been set up if anyone is interested).
Then along comes Jocelyn asking about my William TAYLOR/Isabella FINLAYSON. We were last in contact in 1999. This time I got more serious, and although I still haven't quite convinced myself that her Henderson TAYLOR is the son of William and Isabella, it does look quite likely.
However, in the process, I reviewed what else I had on William, and finally convinced myself that yes, he was the son of William TAYLOR and Janet SMITH of Wester Watten, AND that Jean (who married David McBEATH), was indeed his sister. TAYLOR chart updated.

Then today there were two separate contacts with regard to Devon CREBER connections.
Katherine pointed out that Mary TOOP, dtr of Robert John Newcombe TOOP and Mary Ann SPRY, had married Philip BLOWEY, son of Frederick BLOWEY and his cousin Laura Marina BLOWEY. Two of Philip's brothers married two of my SPRY relations, and Robert TOOP's uncle married one of my DAWE relations.
In the process of checking around this info I also found that Mary's step sister Margaret King TOOP had married a John C W ROWE (1919, registered Tavistock). Wonder if he'll turn out to be another rellie?
Whatever of the many charts all this was on have been updated too.

Jul 22, 2008: Ontario FAIRBAIRNs; DNA updates

Anyone know anything about a Robert FAIRBAIRN in Ontario from about 1828?
Scott sent me an extract from the Scots in Canada pre Confederation which showed a Robert born abt 1786 emig 1828, settled nr Selby, Lennox & Addington Co, with children including: William, James, Robert, Elizabeth, Jane, Alison (marr. David FITCHETT, lived Huntingdon Twp, Hastings Co)
Alison and Robert look like they were born Scotland, still trying to trace the rest of them, but the 1851 census shows Robert Snr and Jnr enumerated with a 22 yr old Esther, all born Scotland, along with an 11 yr old Robert born USA and yet another Archibald, aged 9 born Canada West (Ontario).
Sounds promising for a connection to my lot.

Newfoundland DAWEs are now represented on the DAW/DAWE DNA project. There must be some proven descendants on the Devon lines out there somewhere who'd like to take part!
Also progress on the FAIRBAIRN DNA project, the line of Robert FAIRBAIRN and Janet HOGARTH, whose son William married Isabella SINTON.
And another on the SINTON project. I'd been trying to find a suitable candidate down the line of John SINTON and Alison HALL, but in the end one found the project and saved me some effort.
Thank you Steve, I do so hope we get a match with the other Southdean SINTONs.

NB the WorldFamilies DNA pages are undergoing a revamp outside my control, so some links may not work at the moment, and some info is missing, will remedy soon.

Jun 23, 2008: FAIRBAIRN to RUNCIMAN

Interesting journey today. Checked off a marriage cert for one chap, looked at the other one on the page and realised it was one of the FAIRBAIRN/CLAPPERTON lot. So off I went checking what I did and didn't have for the family from assorted census data. Decided to cross check one census against a marriage, so got the cert, and realised that I already had the groom in my database down my RUNCIMAN tree. James WALLACE, descendant of William MERCER and Janet RUNCIMAN, married Janet CLAPPERTON, descendant of George FAIRBAIRN and Janet PURDIE. No, they weren't related, but both are distant relations of mine.
The FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project is growing - a descendant of the family of William FAIRBAIRN and May CARTER (married Greenlaw 1792) has joined, so that should be an interesting addition given where all the family lived - Greenlaw, Eccles, Earlston, Jedburgh, Bedrule, Ednam (with Dumfries, and Kirkcudbright thrown in for good measure).

May 14, 2008: Jasmine

The Original documents subsite has had the rest of the 1894 Tasmanian letter images included, as are all the people referenced, implicitly or explicitly. Would still love to track down present day DAW descendants of this lot (and any other lines for that matter).
DNA testing of a matrilineal descendant of Jane ANDREWS nee GIBSON has shown her to belong to "Jasmine" of the "Seven Daughters of Eve, as the descendant was haplotype J1a. There are some links at the bottom of Jane's page about this.

Apr 25, 2008: Matching FAIRBAIRNs

Full 67 marker results for all three participants have now been received for the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project.
Earl and Roy match 67/67, with Martin a genetic distance (GD) of 3 away. Check out the Discussion page for how I currently interpret this.

Had a chat to the newfound (Australian) 5th cousin down the Caithness TAYLOR line. Should be able to fill in those gaps very soon.

Apr 18, 2008: ROWE dna matches

Thankfully, the preliminary results from the two ROWE Surname DNA project participants (Max & Ernest) do show a match. No need to throw out years of research.

Would love to get the DAWE Surname DNA project kick started by finding some eligible (male, still DAW(E) surname) modern day DAWE descendants to participate.

Apr 9, 2008: RUNCIMAN dna update

Several DNA results have come in over the weekend, the most exciting isn't one of mine, but the RUNCIMAN Surname DNA project has now shown a 36/37 marker match between a family in the States and one in New Zealand, which looks to have solved what happened to a branch of the family of James RUNCIMAN and Agnes HERRIOT.

Mar 8, 2008: FAIRBAIRN DNA

FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project pages updated to reflect the new results.
In particular, I've split Roy's supplied pedigree into two, the first being the definite lineage back to William who married Jean WANLESS, with his brother David, and the second being Sir William's line.
I've expanded the latter to show a few more salient connections in the hope that a participant may come forward for the project to help resolve whether or not Reby (Johnston) DODDS claim of a relationship in her book Who's Which (1970) is based in fact.
I confess to needing more proof, as the schoolmaster Reby refers too as the connection would appear NOT to be a William married to Elsie ELLIOT, but the one married to Margaret SCOTT.
How I'd love a time machine to go back and ask Reby why she has William and David's parents as William and Elise (ELLIOT) FAIRBAIRN, when indications are that their father is an Archibald.

Feb 16, 2008: DAWE DNA Project

DAWE Surname DNA Project Patriarchs page updated to include Isaac DAWE's family.
Any takers to join the project?
Would welcome any descendants of Devon or Cornwall DAW(E) families.

Feb 5, 2008: Elementary my dear ROWE

A foray back into the ROWE family reminded me that I hadn't replied to an email from quite some time ago from Ernest, a descendant of the ROWE family who owned/ran the Duchy hotel in Princetown. He had found out that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had written some of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" while staying at the hotel. Web searches show Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had checked into a hotel in Princetown. The book was beginning to be published by 1901, and there were two hotels in Princetown, both with ROWE family connections, the Duchy from at least 1851. In 1901 Aaron ROWE was recorded at the Duchy House Hotel, which Kelly's 1914 directory for Devonshire shows as a Private Hotel, with Aaron still there.
More Australian relations down this ROWE line have shown up, thanks to Ernest pointing me to a connection in GenesReunited.

Being a tiger for punishment, I've extended my DNA interests to the ROWE family, taking on co-ordination of the Family Tree DNA Surname project for that one too. Interested parties should check out the ROWE Surname DNA Project website at the World Famlies Network to see results for some who have already been tested, doesn't look like any Devonshire ones there yet, which will hopefully change soon.
I've not yet added "our" pedigree lines or done any changes to the web site I've just inherited, that will come.

Jan 28, 2008: DNA success story

The RUINCIMAN Surname DNA project now shows that the respective descendants of the Michigan and Wanton Walls RUNCIMAN families are a very good match, at 37 out of 37 markers. Now I'm trying to work out whether or not it is worth upgrading the tests to get a better idea of how closely related, or just to fit William in where he probably belongs anyway. I reckon his grandfather is probably a son of John and Betsy(FAMILTON) RUNCIMAN, so along with this assumption, and that the Michigan James and William are cousins, not brothers, that's where I've placed them in the RUNCIMAN family tree. If anyone has a convincing argument of where better to place them, speak up.

Still looking for a willing descendant of James & Isabella (CARTER) RUNCIMAN to join the project - which is growing. There's been some interest from a descendant of William of Crail whose descendants seemed determined to set foot in a fair few countries and Counties: Fife, Dunbar, Ireland, Canada, NZ, Australia... and hopefully Don will eventually get some evidence of a connection between his James and Janet (HOG) RUNCIMAN of Selkirk then Canada, and the James & Agnes (HERIOT) RUNCIMAN of Ayton/Dunbar whose descendants went to Selkirk, Ohio, and NZ.

Jan 24, 2008: Lots of updates, incl. dna matches

Both databases on WorldConnect updated, so the links on the lhs of most of my web pages to "BMD Data on all rellies" and "Likely Rellies" will take you to the latest and greatest, including all the newfound twigs down the SINTON and FAIRBAIRN families.
You'll have to use those links to get to the newer names for a couple of days though as it will take a while for the indexing on WorldConnect to catch up.

On the basis of predicting children's names, I think there also has to be a Peter ROBSON somewhere around Roxburghshire, son of Richard ROBSON and Isabella SINTON.
Finally also managed to update the web pages. The newfound Isabella SINTON and Alison FAIRBAIRN are both included, and all charts now contain the current versions of the trees.

Exciting news on the RUNCIMAN Surname DNA project as well, yes, there's a match (admittedly only 12/12 markers at this stage) between the Wanton Walls RUNCIMAN family, as represented by David in Spain, and the Michigan family of William and Mary (BROWN) RUNCIMAN, as represented by Jerry.
Still looking for a representative of the family of William's cousin (or brother) James & Isabella (CARTER) RUNCIMAN.

And the accidentally newfound FAIRBAIRN relation in Dunedin lives directly opposite the couple who lived in front of my first "home" post University in Dunedin.

Jan 11, 2008: A DNA day

Another preliminary set of results came in for SINTON Surname DNA project, and thankfully had a 12/12 match with the earlier set. Which tells me that the two sons of Peter SINTON and Janet DONALDSON, and their sons in turn etc, were faithful, and thankfully also confirms everyone's research. So we have a good set of comparisons for when I finally track down other lines.
Also the preliminary 12 marker results on a HENDERSON (2nd)cousin. No exact matches on any HENDERSONs, but I note that scratching around in the ySearch database seeing what I could find that the closest matches did indeed appear to be Perthshire based, but at 10/12 markers, that's all fairly airey fairey, and definitely not conclusive. A Shetland one wasn't even in the running, so theory A that he may have come from the Caithness area may well prove to be only that, theory.

Dec 19, 2007: Fun with FAIRBAIRNs

Given the developments in the FAIRBAIRN tree (yes the dtr of Earl Millard FAIRBURN has been in touch, I had the right family), I've done a wholesale set of updates:
The Rootsweb pages have had a rather overdue update, seeing it's at least 2 months since that was done. The FAIRBAIRN chart at that site now includes a descendant chart from the theoretical Archibald? that links the two lines together.
My domain pages have had assorted FAIRBAIRN bits and bobs updated, including a write up on the theoretical grandfather of the two Archibalds, and their relationship.

Dec 18, 2007: Matching Archibalds

The final FAIRBAIRN dna results came in on our match, which added to the sum of knowledge in that although they were an exact match at 12 and 25 markers, by the 37 marker test there was 1 difference. I concluded, probably rather unscientifically, that they shared a grandfather and that their respective fathers were probably brothers named Walter and Archibald.
I'll expand on this on Archibald's write-up at a later date.

Updated the Patriarchs page of the FAIRBAIRN DNA project to include the line of the 2nd Berwickshire Archibald FAIRBAIRN.

Also included a chart for Archibald and Mary GRIERSON/GIESSEN on my FAIRBAIRNs page.

Dec 17, 2007: Win some? Lose some?

Well, I'm not sure if this DNA result is going to add or subtract people from the family tree!
The final link to Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Alison CROSSER from one side of the test results is an unproven link, based purely on date/place proximity and naming patterns of the children of Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Janet SCOTT. I've reviewed this in light of subsequent research on the chap I believe to be the DNA match. On balance I still think it looks and feels right in the absence of any evidence to the contrary.
Any other FAIRBAIRN descendants out there to help confirm this? I've not traced any of the other lines from Archibald and Alison down to present day, so am short of candidates at the moment, but it would be fantastic if someone else would participate in the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project to aid these conclusions.
A male FAIRBAIRN descendant of Walter FAIRBAIRN and Agnes ROBERTSON would be great, or if anyone has a James, John or David born mid/late 1790s around Morebattle....
My research to date peters out before living people, the nearest candidates I currently know of would be children of:
Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Charlesina PHIMISTER, or their son Archibald (born Glasgow, died Jersey) who married Agnes Watt Gladstone FYFE.
Henry FAIRBAIRN and Emma Maud HANNEY, living Hampstead in 1901, with a 1 yr old son Stanley.
Walter Edward FAIRBAIRN and Davina Oswald MacDONALD: son Henry Edward F. was living in Edinburgh in 1930 when father died.
Walter FAIRBAIRN and Elizabeth ROY: two sons still alive in 1901 (Haltwhistle, Northumberland), a Walter and a John

If the other side of the match is who I think he might be, his email didn't bounce, BUT I think he died back in March.
However, researching this chap's family took me back from California to Melrose, and to Whitsome and Hilton, Berwickshire, and another Archibald FAIRRBAIRN, the one married to Mary GIESSEN. The two Archibalds are of an age, and having simultaneous families, so cannot be one and the same people. Both have sons named Archibald, one is my Walter's younger brother, so at least 2nd son in my family's case, but likely to be the first son in the other family.
My current theory is therefore that these two Archibalds share a grandfather via brothers Walter and Archibald, who will likely never be found, more's the pity.

Wonder what the rest of the results of the DNA testing will show up? All very exciting to find a match so quickly, and with only one participant!
I will update the Patriarchs page of the DNA project with a lineage of the second Archibald shortly, and possibly include some notes on my site's FAIRBAIRN page.

Dec 13, 2007: A DNA match! And a hunch confirmed

This DNA testing lark has already proved interesting. The first (partial) results are in, and already there's an exact 12/12 match. My sole FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project testee matches with another Family Tree DNA testee by the surname of FAIRBURN. I await with baited breath to find out more about him. Hope his email address is still current.
And I would love to find more FAIRBAIRN descendants interested in this process to volounteer, particularly the Delaware lot down from John FAIRBAIRN and Elizabeth MILLER, who may be descendants of my Walter, and the William & Jean (WANLESS) FAIRBAIRN & David & Jane (WILLIAMSON) FAIRBAIRN lot.

Another hunch proved correct. When told about James Percy SINTON being in the same orphanage as a Frederick Walter SINTON in 1891, Helen had ordered the latter's birth cert. She advises that he was indeed his elder brother (children of David and Mary Ann SINTON, descendants of William SINTON & Isobel BLACK). Neither of us have been able to find Frederick after this census, anywhere as yet. Sightings welcome.

Dec 5, 2007: Luck(ock)s in

Yes, as suspected, Joseph LUCOCK married sisters Annie and Agnes Gair HENDERSON, dtrs of Archibald. The latter was a witness to her sister's marriage, as was what looks like a maternal uncle, Thomas WHITE, and Joseph's brother Reay LUCOCK Junr.
Another DNA kit has reached the lab, one of the RUNCIMAN Surname DNA Project ones.

Nov 21, 2007: Red or blue?

Continued tracking the JOHNSTON/RANKIN family up to 1901. Chuckled over one chap's change of birthplace between 1861 and 1901, so popped him out on the web (Oliver JOHNSTON).
Each of the Surname DNA projects I administer have spare $15 US vouchers available for the 25 marker and mtDNA tests, check out the FAIRBAIN, SINTON and RUNCIMAN recruitment pages for more details on how to join and request to use them.
Also sorted out a few more of the Michigan RUNCIMeN with help from Michigan.

Nov 20, 2007: FAMILTON descendants anywhere?

With some mtDNA test vouchers available until 31st Dec, I mused over how many female descendants of Bessie RUNCIMAN nee FAMILTON might still be around that they would be of use too. Which of course led me into updating a few more branches of the tree. Mainly JOHNSTONs, the family of David Stewart Erskin JOHNSTON and Elizabeth RANKIN, the latter being the dtr of Margaret WIGHT, grddtr of Margaret RUNCHAMAN.

The newly contacted descendants of William RUNCIMAN in Michigan floored me slightly. When I asked what they did, I certainly didn't expect "we used to farm emus (for a couple of years)". It wouldn't have been top of my list of guesses as to occupation for anyone.

Nov 19, 2007: One more down, one to go

Yes, the Michigan RUNCIMAN contact did indeed agree to participate in the RUNCIMAN Surname DNA project, so that's a representative from the William side. They also had a 3 yr old mobile number for one of the James' descendants I'd been chasing around the available records. And it still worked. Had a very interesting chat to the chap at the other end, a brother of the one I'd been tracking.

Nov 8, 2007: RUNCIMAN dna project

RUNCIMAN DNA project Patriarchs page has been updated with the three lines I'm particularly interested in proving a connection to/between. And if anyone knows the whereabouts of any of the descendants of the Michigan families who might be willing to participate I'd love to hear from them. There's a discount going for some of the tests for the next couple of months (some details on the Recruitment pages).

Oct 27, 2007: RUNCIMAN, FAIRBAIRN & SINTON family pages

Set up a FAIRBAIRN page along the lines of the RUNCI(Wo)MeN page, and updated the SINTON pages to include the other Southdean lines, and started tidying up links on the familytree and World Families Network DNA Surname pages.

Oct 24, 2007: And a FAIRBAIRN DNA surname project

When I start something I do tend to jump in boots and all. Check out a new page under Lornaslinks.
As you will see, there's also now a FAIRBAIRN surname dna project and when I've finished the admin involved, all 3 projects should have a related forum for result discussion etc at Forum pages of World Families.

It seems very unfair to me that the more immutable, incontrovertible mitochondrial dna doesn't lend itself to easy organisation into Surname projects. I am going to expand on my Tara, Oxford Ancestors test, but haven't figured out which group to best join, although I am rather tempted to join a CLINTON one, I suspect there's more affinity and likelihood of matches with a ROWE project.
All of which has rather sidetracked me from keeping up with the constant flow of wonderful emails from relations. Promise I'll get back to them soon.
Which I did. The summary DAWE chart has been updated.

Oct 17, 2007: Bringing science to genealogy

DNA results here we come. I've set up a RUNCIMAN surname dna project, and the first kit is on order. All I need now are participants from the other two branches I'm trying to link but they're proving a bit elusive to trace.

Oct 10, 2007: Matching Michigan and Borders RUNCIMEN?

Next lornahen webpage update will include a link to the geograph picture of Wanton Walls on the place pages. Which activity was prompted by an early morning phone call from George RUNCIMAN ex of Wanton Walls in response to a letter I'd written him. (It was a welcome call, but it was 5:30am, I hope I sounded coherent). I was trying to find out if there was any further information to be had about the Michigan link and the current whereabouts, if any, of the letters between the Michigan and the Wanton Walls RUNCIMEN back in the 1850s-1870s(?). George was convinced that they were related, and added a snippet, to be verified somehow, that the original Michigan lot had been transported following deer poaching in the Edgarhope forest (appears on maps as Edgarhope Wood, just north of Lauder).

Given my current interest in DNA testing and genealogy, wonder if any of the US lot and the Scottish lot would be interesting in comparing dna to "prove" this? A 37 marker test comparing 2 male line surname descendants showing identical or close dna matches apparently have a 50% chance of sharing common male ancestors within 2 generations, and 95% chance within 7 generations, this latter would cover current day family back to known ancestors on the Scottish side, and likely ancestors on the American side. I can spot several Scottish candidates, but Michigan line descendants look a bit thin on the ground unless I do some more research. The last known male descendant of William (still a RUNCIMAN) that I have records of died in 1981, and the last I have down from James isn't at the address I had for him any more.