Deep Origins

 Deep Origins

For this week’s prompt, I’m going way back in time. I’ve always been fascinated by deep ancestry and human migrations, so following my maternal mtDNA, I wanted to know where my mother’s “clan” originated. My first foray into deep ancestry started way back before DNA tests became popular. I took the National Genographic Project 1.0 and 2.0 tests, which revealed that my maternal haplogroup was U5b1c.

 

The Genographic Project told me that my maternal ancestors settled in in southeastern Europe and then expanded north into Europe. Her clan were essentially hunter/gatherers, with the main trunk, haplogroup U, originating about 47,000 years ago and U5 originating in a major split about 30,000 years ago. One branch of U5 heading out to Scandinavia, particularly Finland and the Saami people, and another branch towards the Iberian peninsula and western Europe. The next split, U5b, ending up in Ireland and other European location.

 

My Mom’s maternal genealogy is Irish. So, when new DNA tools came out and testing became more ubiquitous, I took the LivingDNA test, which gave me an basic mtDNA haplogroup, essentially matching what National Genographic had.  Mom was a U5b1c with deep roots in Europe before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Her clan eventually made it to Ireland.

 

When Family Tree DNA (ftDNA) came out with the mtDNA Full Sequence, I had to take that one and find out more. Since the early Genographic tests, DNA analyses had made enormous strides in accuracy and details. The ftDNA tests further refined my mtDNA to be U5b1c2b.  Pretty much still confirming my maternal U5b1c origins.

 

ftDNA’s analysis has U5 origins at between 24,900 and 35,600 years ago, likely originating in Asia. When the last ice age came to an end (Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), about 26,000-20,000 years ago,  those U5’s in Europe ended up hiding out in refugia. Mom had an ancient haplogroup, originating before the last ice age, survived the ice age, and was eventually pushed further into western Europe by more recent farmers from the Asian steppes. The U5b1c2b subclade was formed about 6733.2 years ago +/- 2804.7 (Malyarchuk, et al., 2010).

 

My maternal genealogy lineage extends at least 4 generations to Ireland. My mom was the daughter of Gertrude E. McDonough (1891-1979) and Asa Clark Rogers, Jr. 

• My grandmother was born in the U.S. in Greenwich, Connecticut.
• Her parents were Frank McDonough and Mary Doris/Dooris (1860-1951), both of Clonbroney Parish, Co. Longford, Ireland.
• My g.grandmother’s parents were Catherine Lackey (1828-1898) and James Doris/Dooris, both of Co. Longford. 
• My g.g.grandmother’s parents were Isabella Wallace (1784?-1864) and William Lackey, both of Co. Longford.

 

How far back does my mom’s U5b1c2b lineage go back in Ireland? Who knows? It is estimated that about 13% of the Irish population today belongs to haplogroup U5 (Mallory, 2013). And archaeological discoveries has that haplogroup in Ireland probably well before builders of Newgrange (7,300 years [Mallory, 2013]), so it could be that mom’s origins in Ireland are very deep indeed.

 

Sources:

Behar, et al. ‘A “Copernican” Reassessment of the Human Mitochondrial DNA Tree from its Root,’ Journal of Human Genetics, v. 90 (4), 6 April 2012.

 

Malyarchuk, et al. “The Peopling of Europe from the Mitochondrial Haplogroup U5 Persepective,” PLOS One, V. 5 (4) April 2010.

 

Mallory, J.P. (2013) The Origins of the Irish, (Thames & Hudson, London, 2013), 215-242.

 

Estes, Roberta. (2013) What is a Haplogroup? ‘Online.’ Available at: https://dna-explained.com/2013/01/24/what-is-a-haplogroup/

 

Estes, Roberta (2019) Mitochondrial DNA Resources – Everything You Need to Know ‘Online.’ Available at: https://dna-explained.com/2019/09/04/mitochondrial-dna-resources-everything-you-need-to-know/

 

Family Tree DNA, Description of mtDNA Haplogroup U5 (https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/u-5b/about/results.

 

 

Family Lore and the Apple Orchard

 Family Lore and the Apple Orchard

Family tradition had said that my 2nd (maternal) g. grandfather, Hezekiah Rogers (1815-1904), owned an apple orchard in Saratoga County, New York before he and his family relocated to Frederica, Kent Co., Delaware about 1867.

That he owned a farm in Clifton Park, Saratoga Co., NY is undisputed. But what kind of farm?
In 1850, he had a considerable farm worth $4400.00. The 1850 Agriculture Census for Saratoga Co. [Ref 1], says he had 100 acres improved farm land and 16 acres of unimproved land. He had:
3 Horses
3 Milk Cows
11 sheep
12 swine
280 bushels of rye
300 bushels Indian corn
360 bushels of oats
100 bushels Irish potatoes
30 bushels buckwheat
400 lbs butter
20 tons Hay
Value of animals slaughtered: $100

No apples. Not to say he didn’t have an apple orchard, but the agriculture census shows he had grains and animals.

On 1 April 1867, he and his wife Harriet Clark Rogers, sold their 116 acres of land in Clifton Park, for $4500 [Ref 2]. By the 1870 census for Frederica, Kent Co., Delaware, he had real estate property valued at $10,000. [Ref 3] According to the Frederica Directory, he was a successful phosphate manufacturer. [Ref 4] But no apples.

But, there was his son, Cyrus P. Rogers! Born 11 May 1840 in Clifton Park, Saratoga Co., NY [Ref 5], he was a successful farmer in his own right. In the 1865 NY State Agriculture Census, he had 116 acres of land in Clifton Park values at $4500. He had animals and grains and 60 apple trees producing 250 bushels of apples and a bushel of apple cider. [Ref 6]

So, there was an apple orchard after all, just that it wasn’t the patriarch, Hezekiah Rogers, but his son, Cyrus P. Rogers.  Cyrus sold his land and moved with the family to Frederica, Kent Co., Delaware where he owned over 300 acres over land and he became a very successful and prosperous fruit canner. In 1880 he had 100 employees and produced 300,000 cans of fruit every year from his factory, which had 3 buildings. [Ref 7]

Sources:
[Ref 1] 1850 U.S. Census, Saratoga County, New York, agricultural schedule, p. 829, Hezekiah Rogers; New York State Library Archive A7, Roll 7.

[Ref 2] Saratoga Co., N.Y. Deeds 107:190, 1 April 1867 [FHL 556615].

[Ref 3] 1870 U.S. census, Kent County, Delaware, population schedule, South Murderkill Hundred, 13, dwelling 100, family 100, Hezekiah Rogers; image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7163/ : accessed 4 June 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 119.

[Ref 4] U.S. City Directories 1822-1995, database w/images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/ : accessed 1 January 2023) > Delaware > Dover > 1879> The Kent County Directory (Wilmington, Delaware: James & Webb, Printers, 1879-1880), Hezekiah Rogers, 115.

[Ref 5] Mary Helen Alexander Rogers. Family Bible Records, 1815-1984, The Holy Bible (Troy, New York: Merriam, Moore & Co., 1848), Births; privately held by Mary Helen Alexander Rogers, Milton, Kent Co., Delaware, 1987.

[Ref 6] 1865 New York State Census, Saratoga Co., agricultural schedule, Clifton Park, p. 49, Cyrus P.  Rogers; N.Y.State Archives, Albany. N.Y. State Census, 1865, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7218/ : accessed 8 June 2023).

[Ref 7] Richard Edwards, ed., "City of Frederica,” Industries of Delaware, Historical and Descriptive Review, Cities Towns and Business Interests, Institutions, Manufacturing, and Commercial Advantages (Wilmington: Richard Edwards, 1880), 149-151.