Friday, August 27, 2010

Devon Family Historian and the Devon DNA Project

The Devon Family Historian
and the Devon DNA Project

August, 2010




Debbie Kennett has just published an article entitled "DNA Testing And The Devon DNA Project" in the August, 2010 issue of the Devon Family Historian. In the article, she mentions that partial sponsorship is available for the HAM DNA Project, among others.


Debbie tells me that the Devon Family Historian is circulated to all members of the Devon Family History Society. They are one of the largest family history societies in the UK with around 5000 members. She believes that only the Cornish Family History Society is larger. Debbie says that she hopes the article will at least raise awareness of the possibilities of DNA testing and perhaps encourage a few more people to test.


I've already had a new inquiry about the DNA testing as a result of the article. She descends from Walter Ham, who married Margery Minkings on 26/03/1758 in Maker, County Devon.

In the article, Debbie provides a review of the development of DNA testing over the past 10 years. She gives a good description of the Y-chromosome tests, the Mitochondrial DNA tests, and the Autosomal DNA tests. She then follows with general information about the surname DNA Projects and the (geographical) Devon DNA Project.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a little perspective on what I have for Devon, I will include here a summary of occurrences in our book. County Devon (HAM surname) FREQUENCIES from "A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC"

----------------------------------------------
Devon in the 1500's total references: 29

Devon in the 1600's total references: 34

Devon in the 1700's total references: 23
----------------------------------------------

The 1700's saw the most significant migration of the HAM surname moving from Colyton, but it would appear that there were also evacuations in lesser quantities from Ashwater, Halberton, Hemyock, Oakford, Plymouth, Shute, Tiverton, and Uplowman.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marvin Hamm (of the HAM DNA Project) has written me with Census information that has:

Devon with 161 Ham's listed for the 1861 Census.


For reference, Marvin found about 18 HAM's in Plymouth in 1861. And, indeed, Marvin tells me that the 1861 Census shows no HAM families in the towns of Ashwater, Halberton, Hemyock, Oakford, Shute, Tiverton, and Uplowman. This agrees with the differences in our book, and may be an indication of migration, although the destination is not yet clear. We have not yet determined if these HAM families could have moved to Cornwall, or whether or not they could have migrated to America.



The best evidence we have to date for migration is for one of the first progenitors of the HAM surname in the U.S., William HAM of Maine. Originally contracted to fish, he was part of the Trelawney expedition. The Trelawney expedition originated from Plymouth. The Maine HAM lines have done some research in the area of Devon, but to date, neither the Maine HAM lines nor the Devon HAM lines have tested for Y-DNA.

There is a little town called "Ham" (now called Ham Ward) near the city of Plymouth. There have been several Mayors of Plymouth named Trelawny, but near the time frame of 1635 there were Mayors:

1626-27 Thomas Sherwill 1627-28 Robert Trelawney
1628-29 Nicholas Sherwill and Abraham Colmer 1629-30 William Hele
1630-31 John Bownd
1631-32 John Waddon Jnr 1632-33 Philip Andrews
1633-34 Rob Trelawney Jnr 1634-35 John Martyn Jnr
1635-36 Thomas Crampporn 1636-37 John Cawse

Having a small town named Ham near Plymouth, and associated with the Trelawney Expedition does provide a clue that this HAM line may have originated from this small town of Ham, near Plymouth in County Devon.

Copies of some of the Trelawney documents can be ordered from the UK National Archives.

Hopefully, the article in this month's Devon Family Historian will encourage a few more people to test for DNA.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some internet links that might be useful:
---------------------------------------------
Searching the UK National Archives at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=28
---------------------------------------------
Plymouth City Council
List of Mayors from 1600 to 1700

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/councilanddemocracy/lordmayoralty/mayors/mayors1600-1700.htm
---------------------------------------------
A map of the area shows the area known as Ham, near Plymouth:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=248899&y=54192&z=5&sv=248899,54192&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&dn=795&ax=248899&ay=54192
---------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are a member of the Devon Family History Society, you can download the Devon Family Historian article in Adobe PDF format.

Devon Family History Society
PO Box 9
Exeter, EX2 6YP, UNITED KINGDOM


http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/index.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Devon DNA Project: www.familytreedna/public/Devon

A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC










Friday, April 9, 2010

Lost Gold of the Dark Ages - Staffordshire Hoard



Lost Gold of the Dark Ages


The Staffordshire Hoard

Largest stash of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found

April, 2010

The "Lost Gold of the Dark Ages" will premier on the National Geographic channel Sunday April 18th at 9 PM.






From the National Geographic Channel web site:

"Lost Gold of the Dark Ages chronicles the amazing story of how an amateur metal-detecting enthusiast discovered a gold hoard of more than 1,500 artifacts dating back a millenium, and valued at over $5 million.... To solve the mystery of where the gold came from, to whom it belonged and why it was buried, historians take us on a journey back into the Dark Ages."

The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.

Discovered near Watling Street, Staffordshire. (One of the major thoroughfares of Roman Britain. The thoroughfare ran from for about 250 miles from Dover past Wroxeter.) The first pieces of the Staffordshire Hoard were found in early July 2009 by Mr Terry Herbert while he was metal detecting in a field in southern Staffordshire.
Finds included sword fittings, part of a helmet and three gold Christian crosses. Most of the complete objects are made of gold. Some are decorated with pieces of garnet, a deep red semi-precious stone, others with fine filigree work or patterns made up of animals with interlaced bodies. The red garnet gems are thought to be from as far away as India or Sri Lanka.
Current thinking dates the hoard to the later 600s or earlier 700s AD.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
There's nothing like seeing some news about possible ancestors of a HAM DNA Project participant. I ran a Y-Search in 2007, and found some evidence of a match for DNA participant Josh Ham to Staffordshire, England.

There is probably more data collected from Y-Search today, but this is what I found for HAM DNA Group #7 from the Y-Search of 2007:
-----------------------------------------------------------
ENGLAND:

From the totals that I have for England, and without going to very much trouble of attempting to determine the name of the County for the cities, I get a rough account of the results that look something like this:

Staffordshire (3)
Kingstone, Staffordshire 1
Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire 1
Bedfordshire (2)
Stanbridge, Bedfordshire 1
Middlesex 2

others (less than 4 each): 18

I might want to repeat here that this haplotype is also known as "I1b2a," but here the search is for "I1c."
It is apparent that from the locations in England, the most likely locations of origin should be closely matched by Staffordshire, followed next by Bedfordshire and Middlesex.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Josh is actually haplotype I2b, renamed by FTDNA in 2007 from haplotype I1c. This Y-Search is now out of date, and there should be more DNA data available today. Josh descends from Stephen HAM of Culpeper County, Virginia. This Stephen is believed to be the son of Edward HAM, and possibly descends from Samuel HAM of Orange County, Virginia. This is still to be confirmed, as we are still waiting for more direct descendants of the Orange County or Culpeper County Ham line to participate in the DNA Project. I believe some descendants of Samuel Ham may still be living in Orange County today.

The HAM DNA Y-Search that I did gives an indication that Josh may be from County Stafford. As we know, the Ham surname is a place name, taken from local towns of the name when surnames were adopted. Staffordshire is located in Western England, between Lancashire and Worcestershire. I am not currently aware of a town called "Ham" in Staffordshire. However, research for our book does indicate the HAM surname to be in use in Middlesex.

From the Y-Search (above), Kingstone is about 15 miles from Stoke upon Trent.

From that Y-Search, Stanbridge, Bedfordshire would be about 100 miles away from the locations in Staffordshire.
In County Stafford, parishes in the vicinity would include St. Chad and St. Mary.

In County Middlesex, parishes would include Clerkenwell (or Clarkenwell) and would be about 135 miles (or 217 km) away from Staffordshire. London would be about 135 miles away from Staffordshire, but London is only about 35 miles away from Bedfordshire.


The only mention in our book of County Bedford is in the will of Adam FRIDAY, dated 1412 (mentions Richard HALM'). That would be in the vicinity of Weston, Multon, and Holbech.


I don't have much about this haplotype group "I2b," but the Y-Search also showed matches in Northern Ireland and Scotland. If not a variant of the Vikings or Danes, then I would suspect "I2b" could be either Saxon or Roman. (It would appear that most native peoples of England were R1b.)

Although I am overdue on updating the Y-Search, participants in the DNA Project are helping us to recognize the possible origins of the HAM surname.

further information:
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Staffordshire Hoard web site, images, & Information page:

(has village reconstruction, news, pictures of artifacts, etc.)

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Lost Gold of the Dark Ages (the Staffordshire hoard video)

from the National Geographic channel:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1636814/
---------------------------------------------------------------------

The British Museum exhibit (the hoard on display November 3, 2009 through Apr 17, 2010 )

http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/all_current_exhibitions/the_staffordshire_hoard.aspx
British Museum press release:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/news_and_press_releases/press_releases/2009/staffordshire_hoard_valuation.aspx

Book on sale at the British Museum:

http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/invt/cmc23288
---------------------------------------------------------------------

HAM DNA Project Group # 7 Y-Search
GENUKI County map of Britain








Monday, March 29, 2010

Ancestry of Mary OLIVER

Ancestry of Mary OLIVER

Great Granddaughter-in-Law of Jerome HAM from Bristol



Last month on the HAM Country blog, we found a record of the date that Elizabeth married to Jerome HAM (1599). We can try to gather what is known about Jerome HAM of Bristol by examination of another book, this time published in 1867 on Mary OLIVER.



Following last month's article on the Will of Elizabeth OLYVER, I wanted to pass along a bit more information about the wife of Jerome HAM of Bristol. In the previous NEHGS article, it suggested that we also view the document "
Ancestry of Mary OLIVER," by William S. Appleton, privately published by John Wilson and Son in Cambridge in 1867.


Mary OLIVER was born in Massachusetts in 1640 and is listed as the great granddaughter to John OLIVER and wife Elizabeth ROWLAND. This is the Elizabeth OLIVER that married 2nd) Jerome HAM in 1599.
(see the 1867 book, page 45 of this PDF, listed as page 6 of the chapter on "Pedigrees" - about page 30 of the document).



The work was an attempt by William Appleton to track some documentation of the line of his ancestor John OLIVER of Newbury, MA. The document begins in this country with John OLIVER, born in Bristol in 1613. John was apprenticed to his uncle in 1629, when his father James OLIVER died. James OLIVER was the son of John OLIVER and wife Elizabeth ROWLAND.
This John OLIVER (b. 1613) of Newbury, MA was the grandson of Elizabeth OLIVER and father to Mary OLIVER born in 1640. Pedigree of Mary OLIVER


[ click on image to enlarge ]


That should mean Mary OLIVER (born 1640) was the great granddaughter-in-law to Jerome HAM of Bristol.


This document also includes other information, such as the pertinent material copied from the Apprentice Book of Bristol and from the Registry of Deeds in Boston (pages 22-23 of the document, or pages 34-35 of the PDF file).


Marriage of Jerome HAM and Elizabeth OLIVER is given on page 7 of the document, or page 19 of the PDF file.


From the chapter entitled "Documents" and subtitled:


"Extracts From Parish Registers of Bristol, England"


it has (OLIVER surname marriages and baptisms) for St. Stephen's Parish: St. Stephen's Parish records



[ click on image to enlarge ]


"1577. John OLIVER and Elizabeth ROWLAND were married the 28th of August."

"1599. Mr. Jerome HAM and Elizabeth OLIVER widow the 18th of February."

births:

1578. Robert sonne to John OLIVER was Ba. the 28th of June.

1579. Margret dtr to John OLIVER was Ba. the 26th of September.

1580-81. Marie dtr to John OLIVER was Ba. the 2nd ("iith") of Marche.

1582. Thomas sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 14th of April.

1584. Edward sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 24th of October.

1585. John sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 11th of November.

1586. James sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 3rd of December.

1587-88. Tobie sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 26 of January.

1589. William sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 5th of April.

1591. William sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 3rd of May.

1592. Henry sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 23rd of April.

1593. Frauncis sonne of John OLIVER was Ba. the 22nd of August.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will of John OLIVER is given on pages 12-15 of the document, or pages 24-27 of the PDF file.


Will of Elizabeth OLIVER is given on pages 15-18 of the document, or pages 27-30 of the PDF file.

Other wills also included are those of Thomas OLIVER, James OLIVER, Francis OLIVER.

When searching for more documentation on Jerome HAM, it might be useful to note the Parishes mentioned here (St. Peter, St. Thomas, St. Stephen, St. Werburgh, and others mentioned in the wills).


If you are doing research in Bristol, it might be useful note that you might want to look for the burial of Jerome HAM in the records of St. Stephen's parish some time after 1628.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further reading:



The book "
Ancestry of Mary OLIVER," by William S. Appleton, privately published by John Wilson and Son in Cambridge in 1867.
(from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin)

on Google Books:


http://books.google.com/books/download/Ancestry_of_Mary_Oliver__who_lived_1640_.pdf?id=j1BBAAAAMAAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U3h2gUTdDSSN_QvObHtsiWsIsl9lg

The
State Historical Society of Wisconsin

The
New England Historical and Genealogical Register

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1893 volume XLVII on Google Books:


http://books.google.com/books/pdf/The_New_England_Historical_and_Genealogi.pdf?id=2rkEg7BFm3YC&output=pdf&sig=8zHZpXgm1y6nAMeFKYwYScJl1-s

The HAM Branches by Donna Ham

A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC