A Major Flaw in My Family Tree? – Part 1

What Flaw?

While I have solid confidence in my family tree on my mother’s Pierpont family tree, I’ve been having increasing concerns about there being a major flaw in my Russell ancestral tree. There are a number of smaller concerns that when added together have been bothering me. Let me list them all.

1.     My DNA shows that I have a major amount of Scottish/Irish/Welsh ancestry (22%). But the only individual in my family tree that might contribute to that is a single individual (my great-great-grandmother) who was reported to have been Irish, but about whom I have not been able to find any documentation. Where is the rest of this part of my DNA coming from?

2.     While I have had a number of individuals linked to me via my DNA on my mother’s side, including many 8^th cousins, there are few such individuals on my father’s side, and all of them are 4^th cousins or closer.

3.     While I have solid confidence on my research back to my great-great-grandfather, Silas Russell (1803-1886) and have a good descendant tree which shows all the individuals linked to me via DNA and others, I had to make an assumption on who Silas’ father was (Caleb) based on searching census records that were prior to 1850 (the 1850 “wall” where the census only listed the head of household and tic marks for others in the house by age range and gender). But I now wonder if that assumption was correct. I likewise made an assumption about Silas’ grandfather (John) based on there being only one significant Russell family in that part of NY at the time.

4.     I relied on the family trees of others in linking John Russell back to his father Robert Russell in Andover, MA. Even though there were a great many trees in ancestry.com that had that same connection, having a majority rule does not count in genealogy research since a single error can be replicated so many times.

5.     When I did my recent research into illiterate ancestors and noted that I had proof (from government issued pension records) that both Silas and John were illiterate, it concerned me as it is not typical for a literate family to have children that are illiterate. But since it appears that the Andover, MA Russell family were literate (based on their ancestry in upper class England), then why are the NY Russell family illiterate?

The combination of all these separate concerns has made me question this part of my family tree. So for the past few weeks (and whenever I’ve had a few moments to do further research), I’ve been looking for any clues that could either support or contradict what I’ve had posted in my family tree for the past several years.

What I’ve Found So Far

I knew that the key would be to find additional information about the three generations of Russell men in my family tree during this period in NY history. They were: Caleb (abt. 1780-?), John (1756-1833), and Robert (abt. 1722-1784). Since I had the most information about John (much of it coming from his Revolutionary War pension application), I decided to start with him.

Research into John Russell

Most of the family trees I found seemed to have the same set of basic, albeit somewhat limited, facts, names of parents and wife, partial list of children’s names, links to some census records between 1790 and 1830, etc. Some had the link to John’s pension application. But the key item was that there were links to his grave in Putnam County, NY. And this grave contains his date of birth in 1756 and his death in November of 1833.

Then, while doing some additional research outside of ancestry.com, I discovered a website that was real “pay dirt” (http://www.ournorthernroots.com/getperson.php?personID=I14969&tree=family001). This website contained not only a complete list of John’s two wives and their children and birthdates, but a transcript of John’s will from October 11, 1833. And what gives it additional authenticity is that it is witnessed by the same two men (Bennet Boyd and James Smalley) who attested to John’s “X” signature on his pension application a year earlier (they must have been close neighbors/friends). A copy of this will and list of family members is given below.

As you can see in these, John left money to twelve of his fifteen children, three of them having pre-deceased him. There are sufficient details in this that I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this work and this fills in a large hole in the family tree.

Unfortunately, there are still questions both about Caleb (who does not appear in John’s will or list of family members), and about John’s father Robert. So I am no closer to resolving my questions above. But this is a good stopping point, so I’ll continue this in part 2.

Will of John Russell

WILL: 11 OCT 1833 Putnam Co., NY

The last will and testament of John Russell of the town of Kent, county of Putnam and State of New York

I, John Russell, considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind & memory, Blessings be Almighty God for the same, do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner & form following that is to say:

First, I give and bequeath unto my wife Anna Russell my household furniture.

Second, I give and bequeath unto my son David Russell to him and to his heirs and assigns forever all my real estate after paying to my children herein after named the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars one year after my decease. And further the said David Russell is to support my wife Anna Russell during her natural life.

First the said David Russell is to pay to my son Levi Russell the sum of eight hundred & fifty dollars and fifty cents.

Second to my son Lee Russell the sum of two hundred and eighty-seven dollars and fifty cents.

Third to my son Abijah Russell the sum of three hundred and fifty-four dollars and fifty cents.

Fourth to my son Robert W. Russell the sum of three hundred and fifty-four dollars and fifty cents.

Fifth to my son Isaac Russell the sum of fifty dollars

Sixth to my son William Russell the sum of fifty dollars

Seventh to my son John Russell the sum of one hundred dollars

Eighth to my daughter Phebe Wixson the wife of John Wixsom the sum of fifty dollars

Ninth to my daughter Abigail Russell the sum of one hundred and thirty-three dollars.

Tenth to my daughter Sophiah Robinson wife of Adnijah C. Robinson the sum of one hundred & thirty-three dollars.

Eleventh to my daughter Naomi Ganong wife of Jesse Ganong the sum of one hundred and thirty-three dollars.

And lastly, I do appoint Robert W. Russell & David Russell executors to this my last will & testament herby revoking all former wills by me made. In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand & seal the eleventh day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.

John Russell

Signed, sealed, published by the above named John Russell to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the testator.

Bennet Boyd, Ken, Putnam County. St. N York

James Smalley, Kent, Putnam County, St. N York

Family of John Russell

Father – Robert Russell, b. abt. 1730, d. Jun 1811, Kent, Putnam Co, NY

Mother – Mary Kip, b. 18 Sep 1734, d. 1808 New Castle, Westchester Co., NY

Married 1754

First wife – Abigail, b. 27 Aug 1754, d. 27 Feb 1798, Kent, Putnam Co., NY

Married abt. 1775

William – 2 Aug 1778 – 7 Feb 1846

Ebenezer – abt. 1781 – bef. 1833

Elizabeth – 7 Oct 1783 – Dec 1819

Phebe – 22 May 1788

Robert W. – 16 Aug 1790 – 3 Feb 1858 (Wisconsin)

Abigail – 4 May 1784 – 19 Mar 1863

Isaac – abt. 1785

Second wife – Anna Wixom, b. 30 Jul 1769, d. 15 Aug 1848

Married aft. 1798

Lee – 7 Jan 1800 – 28 Mar 1888

Abijah – 22 Feb 1801 – 2 May 1881 (Tioga Co. NY)

David – 1803 – 1858

Margaret – 1805 – bef. 1833

John Russell, Jr. – 20 Apr 1808

Sophiah – 1809

Naomi – 5 Jul 1812

Levi – 25 Oct 1813 – 16 Sep 1896