Both Roger and Darren have now tested positive for Isles Scottish Clade I2b1a1 M284 L126. M284 probably originated in the British Isles around 2000 years ago. The L126 SNP is most frequent in South West Scotland and probably originated there over one thousand years ago.
These tests also confirm the Forgey/ Forgys were originally Ferguson. The name Ferguson in Gaelic, and not Norman, so I had always figured the family was not Norman.
My uncles, Charles Linn Forgey's, 25 markers have also come back. I was thrilled yesterday to find out that he matched Roger with no mismatches. Exact match so far!
Serendipity It was seven years ago this month ( December 23, 2004 to be exact) when Roger Forgey first contacted me by email. This is what he wrote:
"Annette, I am beginning the search to figure out my Forgey line and go back as far as I can. My name is Roger Forgey ..... There are several of our family members in Cleveland, Tennessee and Harrison Tennessee. These are about 70 south of Knoxville Tennessee. My father's name was John Milburn Forgey and grandfather's name was John Melborne Forgey and his father was Dave Forgey. I don't have a lot of information but am trying to start. I would appreciate all the advice you might give me...
I am so glad he decided to contact me :)! That was a stroke of good luck for me. I was not able to answer his question right away, and it actually took me several years to figure out which line he belonged to. I worked out which line he belonged to in 2010. I was going through Carla Rotmans's pedigrees online and noticed John Milburn Forgey, and the fact the family lived in McMinn, TN (apparently Lucille Wallace had them as descendants of James Forgey and Fidelia Alderson, which can be disproven using the 1850 Census.). So I began doing some research on the Forgeys of McMinn, TN. I found a Nancy Forgey, daughter of an Armstrong, in some online McMinn County, TN records. There were references to Hawkins County, TN. Apparently her father died there and she was from there.
So bingo; we now had a connection to the Forgey family of Hawkins County, TN. From there I took a brief detour, and put the family in the wrong line. I found an Andrew Forgey listed on some of the 1829+ taxlists. I also found a John listed later. So I thought Andrew son of Margaret Reynolds migrated there with his son John. Later I discovered my error when I found out Andrew died in Hawkins County, TN and John was still in Hawkins County, TN in 1840. So I eliminated that possibility.
I went back to the drawing board. I could not figure out the connection immediately. I did remember something about Nancy Forgey I photo copied years before. I could never place her with a particular Forgey male, and all the marriage records had been lost for that time period. By 2010 I had been able to find the wives of all the Forgey males in eastern TN except John Forgey (uncle of the John I mentioned previously). So he became my focus. I believed John Forgey, or Forga as listed on the 1820 Census for Maury County, TN, was the same man I was looking for. He did not appear on any Census's after 1820. Apparently he died after the 1820 Census. I did later find Nancy Forgey with her children living near Armstrong siblings in McMinn, TN. When I compared the number of children in John and Nancy's households they seemed to match very well. With that plus the fact that the name John was used in the family for generations I felt I was on the right track. I then remembered a letter that Hugh Crawford had written in the 1830's about John Forgey's son Andrew dying; this clinched the likelihood I had the right person. An Andrew Forgey was on taxlists in 1829+ in McMinn, TN and did not appear after 1834 when Hugh Crawford said he had died. I feel the circumstantial case is very good. Now we also have DNA on that line backing up our assumptions.
So bingo; we now had a connection to the Forgey family of Hawkins County, TN. From there I took a brief detour, and put the family in the wrong line. I found an Andrew Forgey listed on some of the 1829+ taxlists. I also found a John listed later. So I thought Andrew son of Margaret Reynolds migrated there with his son John. Later I discovered my error when I found out Andrew died in Hawkins County, TN and John was still in Hawkins County, TN in 1840. So I eliminated that possibility.
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| From "Tennessee Cousins" Book |
I went back to the drawing board. I could not figure out the connection immediately. I did remember something about Nancy Forgey I photo copied years before. I could never place her with a particular Forgey male, and all the marriage records had been lost for that time period. By 2010 I had been able to find the wives of all the Forgey males in eastern TN except John Forgey (uncle of the John I mentioned previously). So he became my focus. I believed John Forgey, or Forga as listed on the 1820 Census for Maury County, TN, was the same man I was looking for. He did not appear on any Census's after 1820. Apparently he died after the 1820 Census. I did later find Nancy Forgey with her children living near Armstrong siblings in McMinn, TN. When I compared the number of children in John and Nancy's households they seemed to match very well. With that plus the fact that the name John was used in the family for generations I felt I was on the right track. I then remembered a letter that Hugh Crawford had written in the 1830's about John Forgey's son Andrew dying; this clinched the likelihood I had the right person. An Andrew Forgey was on taxlists in 1829+ in McMinn, TN and did not appear after 1834 when Hugh Crawford said he had died. I feel the circumstantial case is very good. Now we also have DNA on that line backing up our assumptions.
By collaborating we have been able to further all our lines, and become acquainted with some new cousins. It's been a very rewarding in so many ways :)!
1 comment:
I ran across your blog trying to do some research on your Archibald Fisher. My ancestor Arthur Galbraith from Hawkins County was subpoenaed to testify in the case of Archibald Fisher vs. James Armstrong in Nov 1804-Jan 1805 in Superior Court in the Hamilton District of TN (all NE TN cases were tried in this court I believe.) My Arthur did not make it to court and he had to answer as to his reasons or he would be charged $125. I was wondering if you knew anything about this case as it involves a Fisher and an Armstrong (both tied into your family?)
It is the first time I have run across your Archibald in all my years researching Arthur but it turns out he lived amongst my family in Augusta, Washington, Scott, Wythe, Russell, Sullivan and Hawkins County all along. It is also interesting that he married an Elizabeth Sharp as his last wife. I am curious whether this was a maiden name or married name? My Arthur's wife was Mary Sharp(e) and her family lived in the same areas. I would love to find out if Elizabeth is indeed related to my Sharp's. I have a long list of Fishers in my tree from multiple lines as well as some DNA matches so this could get interesting.
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