DNA Leads to Breakthrough

Every genealogist encounters difficult brick walls, those family connections that just can’t be found or firmly established. I have several in my family tree that have been puzzling me for over a decade.

This week brought clarity to one dead end I have been struggling with since 2007. My 4th-Great-Grandfather is John Farr (1771-1858) of Wilkes/Warren Counties, Georgia. I document that he is certainly my ancestor. In and around the time he lived as an adult in Warren County (1791-1823), several other people can be found in documents from Warren and surrounding counties. I have either connected them to my family, or discounted our relationship. One of the people that I have never been able to connect is Insel Farr (1781-1857). That is, until now.

As a participant in the DNA plans with both Ancestry.com and FamilyTreeDNA.com, I have been searching and waiting for connections to my “dead ends” and that search came to fruition with Ancestry.com‘s ThruLines™. When searching for relatives using analysis of centimorgan distance on DNA strands, the analysis can only reveal if two people are related, and the suggested distance of relationship. This analysis will not tell you that your 3rd cousin twice removed is Jane Doe.

I spent a number of hours scouring through Ancestry.com records that were showing on my ThruLines™ when I came across 14 people alive today whose DNA is close enough to mine to suggest some relationship. Each DNA connection revealed common ancestor probability was 5 to 8 generations in the past, putting the common ancestor (CA) around the same time as my 4th-Great-Grandfather, John Farr. This was exciting!

Now, the work gets a little more tedious. I opened the first person who matched my DNA at this level and combed through their family tree. Ancestry.com makes this process easy by showing all the people we share in common, and by highlighting same surnames in green. The first name on this list of matches in both trees was Insel Farr and his wife Catherine Smith! Now, I’m really excited!

But nothing has been proven, yet, because I have to go through this person’s family tree to see if we might share another common ancestor. Remember, DNA can only reveal that a familial connection exists somewhere in time. DNA cannot tell us that connection is. Searching through the tree revealed that we don’t share any other CA’s! If their tree is as complete as mine, then this is a very strong indicator that Insel Farr could be a brother to John Farr.

Next, I followed the same process with the second match to my DNA. Same results! This tree produced only Insel Farr as common between our two trees. So did the third, and fourth, all the way down to the 14th.

As further validation, I checked each of these other trees to see when they branched off from Insel Farr and Catherine Smith. I discovered that these fourteen people descend from three different children of Insel Farr and Catherine Smith!

What this all means is that I can validate that I am related to all the descendants of Insel Farr and Catherine Smith of Warren County, Georgia. Furthermore, since Insel Farr is only 10 years younger than John Farr and that no other Farr old enough to be their parents can be documented in this area at that time, I can presume that they are likely brothers. Can I prove this? No. But after 12+ years of searching to connect John Farr and Insel Farr, I can celebrate that the connection exists. I am still seeking that one document or family Bible or something that will cast light on this shadow of brotherhood, to prove or disprove once for all, that Insel Farr is John Farr’s brother. Until that time, I am presuming that they are brothers.