Success through DNA testing

[Ina]

Hi, MY mother's family the Ferguson's have been my brick wall for many years. I could not get back beyond my gg grandparents. About 10 years ago I asked my mother's only surviving brother if he would do a DNA test for me in the hopes of perhaps getting back a few more generations. I submitted my DNA testing to the Ferguson name group......but unfortunately I have never had a close match with any other Ferguson's.

My great great grandparents John Ferguson and Isabella McDougall had two sons both born in Greenock, my great grandfather John born in 1856 and his brother Fergus born in 1860. I have never been able to find a marriage record for John and Isabella, although it doesn't say "illegitimate" on either of the sons birth records. In 1861 both boys were living in Jura with family.

John my g grandfather eventually moved back to Greenock and Fergus married Lilly McDougall from Jura, had four daughters all born in Glasgow and then immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1907. In 1908 they produced a son and named him Fergus.

I got a great surprise two months ago. The fellow who runs the Ferguson site contacted me and said that he had received an email from an Alexander (I'm hiding his last name) who found my tree on the Ferguson DNA webpage and said that they were his relatives. I contacted this man and sure enough he was the great grandson of my Fergus Ferguson. We shared a lot of info with each other via email and it all sounded great until he contacted his great aunt Gail Ferguson, the daughter of Fergus born in 1908 and she claims that her grandfather Fergus was an only child and didn't have a brother named John. She accused me of trying to steal their identity.

I've given Alexander every bit of information I have on his great grandparents including all BDM's and the 1861 census where he was one year old living with his four year old brother John in Jura with relatives. I even have the border crossing records for my grandfather's sister Flora who lived in Massachusetts visiting her Uncle Fergus in Nova Scotia. Alexander believes that my information is correct, however, he says that Gail is the only Ferguson left in Nova Scotia as the rest of the family moved west. She apparently still lives in the family house which is situated on 200+ acres of land which was granted to Fergus in 1907. Perhaps she thinks I'm after her land. Gail has a brother and Alexander is trying to contact him to see if he would be willing to have a DNA test done, which would prove our relationship.

Alexander told me it was just sheer luck that he found me. He was helping his nephew do a genealogy project for school and he did a google search for Fergus Ferguson born in Scotland and up popped my Ferguson DNA test site. The only way he was able to contact me was through the administrator of the site.

The good news is that Alexander is bringing his family to California next year to visit Disneyland and we are finally going to meet. The sad news is that neither he nor his mother know anything about Fergus's Scottish family, so I still can't get back any further generations.

Still hopeful.

Ina

[paddyscar]

Glad you've had some success with the DNA route, Ina. The pitchforks seem to get fancier, but the haystacks keep growing.

Lovely that you will have new family to meet soon.

Regards,
Frances

[Darrell]

I am keen to do a DNA test in order to get back further along my direct paternal line. My Great Grandfather Robert Frederick Herd 1872, Great Great Grandfather William Herd 1847 were both born in Inverbervie Kincardineshire and my Great Great Great Grandfather Robert Herd 1806 was born in St Cyrus Kincardineshire. From Roberts death certificate I have his parents Alexander Herd and Mary Kerr but have never found any BMD records for them. I am hoping that DNA could show a proven link to someone who has Herd ancestry in Kincadineshire/NE Scotland/anywhere else pre dating mine. Would love to find our where Alexander and previous Herds came from.