We're Related app

I downloaded Ancestry's 'We're Related' app on my ipad2. The app uses 70+ million user trees private and public. It's such an exciting tool which could be a useful tool or it could wreck havoc on an already twilight zone of inaccurate trees. So one must not take the app as the gospel truth, but instead use it as a possible guide to do their own research to prove or disprove the line. Sure it's exciting to say you're related to a famous person but it's better to have a correct detailed bountiful tree full of records and documentation to prove your claims. What's great about the app is not only does it search it's data base to find famous relatives but you can always invite your friends off Facebook to download the app and see if you're related to your dearest friends! (I did family history several years back for my best friend. I found out her and I share our 3rd great-grandparents, Daniel Hartzog and Susannah Zorn, as common ancestors. So putting more friends in my tree is exciting for me.)

So, I used my Facebook login and Ancestry login to sign in. I used my main tree 'Southern Roots' which is a few relatives short of saying 19,000 strong and set myself as home person. I immediately received several matches such as Donald Trump, Obama, Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears. So now it's time to check out the trees.

That's what my screen looks like. It has a family tree icon to view the celeb's tree to see how you're related. The heart to favorite the celeb. And a share feature so you can share with all your Facebook friends.








Below is my line on the left, Donald Trump's line on the right.

Wow. My ancestor Finley McCaskill in Scotland's father being an 8 year old father and grandfather's name as MacSweyrn. Talk about someone not paying attention. Of course it was wrong. Luckily, in the app at the bottom it as a thumbs up and thumbs down you can click on to say if it was a correct line or not. That way ancestry knows that line is incorrect and not to use it again.

Over the next couple days, I saw new matches to Michael Jackson, Jessica Simpson, Johnny Depp, Walt Disney, Christina Aguilera and Carrie Fisher. I saw immediately Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson's lines were incorrect. It had used most of my tree for my line up to Robert Coleman. I know the line is incorrect because the app confused my Robert Coleman (line from England) to the Robert Coleman (line from Scottish General.)

On the 3rd day, I had 2 new matches from my Facebook friends. I was able to quickly confirm both lines to be correct. Thanks to the 'We're Related' app it has gotten many people talking about their ancestors. I've been able to say "me too" when someone mentions that Mayflower ancestor such as Edward Doty, Edward Fuller and Stephen Hopkins to name a few. I've gotten friends who were not interested in family history to download the app and try it out.

The app has inspired me to track down other famous relatives such as Gov. Sarah Palin and Norman Rockwell who shares Stephen Hopkins (the Mayflower passenger) to add to my tree on my father's side.

The app is fun and exciting, but one must use common sense.

John B. Sandifer and Ellen "Jane" Hanberry

John B. Sandifer and Ellen "Jane" Hanberry

John B. Sandifer, son of Peter Sandifer and Matilda, b. 15 Apr 1820 in Barnwell Co., SC, USA d. 04 Jan 1855 in Barnwell Co., SC, USA married Ellen "Jane" Hanberry, daughter of John Hanberry and Eleanor "Nellie" Dowling, b. 11 Apr 1824 in Barnwell Co., SC, USA d. 12 Jun 1912 in Barnwell Co., SC, USA. Children included are Ellen Reba Sandifer (Allen Edward Simmons), Emma Sandifer (Thomas C. Tant), Decania Sandifer, Ida Sandifer (Samuel Ayers Hand) Elizabeth "Lizzie" Sandifer (Aaron Ratcliff), Johnny Frances "Fanny" Sandifer (Charles Henry Hartzog).

Their daughter, Johnny Frances "Fanny" (Sandifer) Hartzog, is my direct line.

Ellen "Jane" (Hanberry) Sandifer, "Grandma Sandifer" 

Today I discovered the burials on findagrave .com for my 3rd Great-Grandparents John B. Sandifer and Jane Hanberry in Springtown Baptist Church Cemetery in Springtown, Bamberg Co., SC, USA.


Inscription: Erected by; her devoted children.; We trust in God to; meet thee again.

John B. Sandifer's headstone

I have recently discovered a family book, "A Dowling Family of the South" by R. A. Dowling which you can find online.

Color Coding Location Family Tree

Color Coding Location Family Tree. 

I made these earlier in the year after seeing a 4 generation maternal side posted in a genealogy Facebook group. I made the charts easily in Excel. It's a fun way of seeing where your ancestors lived in which State/Country. As you can see, some ancestors just like playing "hide and seek!"

My maternal grandmother's southern tree.  (click image to make larger.)

My maternal grandfather's northern tree. (click image to make larger.)

My father's southern tree. (click image to make larger.)

My husband's American&French-Canadian tree. (click image to make larger.)

John Morgan's DNA journey

Dear John, I know you like keeping the family's secrets to yourself but how about you tell me who your parents are and where y'all came from? What does the "T." initial mean? Would you help me out just a little? That would be nice wouldn't it? Love, Your extremely frustrated Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter.

 

Morgan Cemetery in Escambia Co., FL, USA

My earliest known MORGAN ancestor:

John T. "Jack" Morgan b. 1802 in GA, USA d. 27 Feb 1854 in Escambia Co., FL, USA. On 06 Oct 1832 in Conecuh Co., AL, USA he married Sarah Simmons b. 1816 (SC, TN or GA going off census, but using daughter Margaret' Tennant Morgan Shepard's Family Bible, lists birth location as SC.) d. 11 Oct 1891 in Escambia Co., FL, USA.  

John's only known sibling is Delilah Morgan b. 1795 (SC, TN or NC various census records) d. 24 Nov 1864 in Pensacola, Escambia Co., FL, USA. She first married Thomas Grubbs in 1814 in GA, USA.

Sources
1795 SC - Delilah Morgan is born.
1800 Harris Co., GA lists a Thomas Grubbs.
1802 GA - John Morgan is born.
1814 GA - Thomas Grubbs and Delilah Morgan marry.
1820 Conecuh Co., AL census - Thomas Grubbs, Delilah and John Morgan and another male under age 21. Who is the other male?
1830 Conecuh Co., AL census - John Morgan
1832 Conecuh Co., AL - John marries Sarah Simmons
1838 Escambia Co., FL - John has land surveyed, 400 acres
1840 Escambia Co., FL census - John Morgan
1850 Escambia Co., FL census - John Morgan
1854 Escambia Co., FL - John is buried, becomes known as Morgan Cemetery


After Thomas Grubbs died, she remarried to a Lawyer named John A. Lawson who abandoned her and their child. 

The above family was researched by Dorothy "Jane" Morgan Noa. I had the pleasure of working with her before her death. She recalled her father, Thomas Gillis Morgan, saying the family was from NC. Which my father's DNA is proof he was right. 

DNA

My father has completed a 2005 ancestry.com Y-DNA 46 marker test as well as a 2012 ancestryDNA autosomal test. His closest match is to, Ron, who's ancestor is Henry H. Morgan b. 1806 in White Co., NC married to Millie Ann Guffey separated by 5 generations which would mean John and Henry are either brothers or first cousins. 

After Henry, his closest matches are to descendants of James Pleasant Morgan, who also recycled the name John and Delilah along his lines. As well as, descendants of John Morgan who died 1799 in Moore Co., NC, USA. Other matches are to those who share John Dorian Morgan as an ancestor. The first Morgan to the New World. 

I have his DNA results on Y-Search #CSB6C; GEDmatch #A543997; FTDNA and ancestry. com. Go head and compare your DNA with his and see if we are a match. 

My father's ancestryDNA results:

 
I expected Great Britain, but the others were a little surprise. I've made contact with Heather, on the Bulgaria side 2 years ago. As for India side, I've made contact with Ellahonda, who's ancestor was a slave in Georgia from India in the early 1800s. It is quite possible the India side could be on the Sandifer/Hanberry side. As that's where the Bulgaria blood is from. I recall my father's eldest sister June, mentioning the family had "black-blood." I've made wonderful connections with others sharing my father's DNA, however the Morgan line is what I want to prove.