Hello Lura (and group)! This is James Carroll and I'm still alive and
kicking. I have been traveling extensively in the past six months doing some
contract work and out of the country twice, etc., so have seen the DNA group
e-mails but haven't had a chance to respond until now.
First, let me thank you for agreeing to become coordinator and commend you
on the fine job you're doing. I knew you would. We corresponded early on when
this group first started since we both have interest in North Carolina
Carrolls, and I see you always trying to help people on other message boards as well
as this one.
I also want to welcome Peter and others who have joined recently. For those
of you who have been in the group for a while know, I have given testimony in
the past of how the DNA testing has helped in my pursuit and urged the
recruiting of others to participate. I am pasting in an e-mail at the end of this
one that I wrote to the group in February, 2006, that detailed this for those
of you who are new to the group.
Before relating what else DNA testing has revealed in our family, let me
address this e-mail of 10/19, Lura. I am aware of Stephen and Clement Carroll
from Orange County, NC, who settled in McNairy County, TN. They are the sons of
Benjamin Carroll and great grandsons of Stephen Carroll, both who left wills
that have survived. I have been unable to make any connection with my
Michael, but corresponded a few months ago with a woman who is a descendant of this
family and asked her to try to have a male descendant give a DNA sample. She
was contacting a cousin about this, but I need to follow up with her to see
what has transpired.
Now, for the update regarding another use of DNA testing. My fourth great
grandfather, Michael Carroll of Orange County, had a son, Moses, who migrated
to Carroll County, Georgia, and two of Moses' sons migrated on to Arkansas.
One was my great, great grandfather, who came with his wife. The other brother
came with his young son (mother unknown) and eventually married in Arkansas.
But there have been persistent rumors that have been posted on message boards
by a family with a different surname over the years that my gggrandfather's
brother (also named Michael after his grandfather in NC) fathered a child
with a woman that was not his wife and that they are the descendants of this
union. Michael's great, great granddaughter challenged them to produce evidence
on more than one occasion, but they were unable to do so. In the meantime, I
had her submit the DNA of her brother, and he matched me perfectly on 37 of
37 (see first two kits in the first light blue grouping of five). She recently
was able to locate a descendant of the man who was the product of this
alleged illicit union, and asked him to submit a DNA sample. His results are seen
in the fifth (last) column of our light blue section, and as you can see, he
matched us on 35 of 37 markers. Apparently the rumor passed down through the
years is true. But we would probably have never known for sure except for the
DNA test.
My 2006 post is below. We've come a long way as to number of participants
from the first roll call Eric called for three years ago. Let's keep going.
Lura, lead us on.
James
Subject: [CARROLL-DNA] RECENT SUCCESSES/ ENCOURAGEMENT TO RECRUIT
OTHERS Date: 2/28/2006 1:20:41 PM Central Standard Time From: _JWC51(a)aol.com_
(mailto:JWC51@aol.com)
This is James Carroll, Kit # 28645 (first one listed on the Carroll web
site). I joined the project early on. We have been able to go back no
further
than my fourth great-grandfather, Michael Carroll, who lived in Orange
County,
North Carolina, born ca. 1766 (but birthplace and state unknown). A distant
cousin hired a prominent genealogical researcher and publisher in North
Carolina about 15 years ago to do "on-ground" research in North Carolina,
who first
discovered that Michael was the father of my third great grandfather, Moses
Carroll. But he could establish no definitive blood relationship with other
Carrolls in the area with whom Michael was associated.
I came on the scene about three years ago, and discovered these other
researchers, and have now taken the lead in getting past the proverbial
brick wall.
I made two trips to North Carolina, and last fall spent three days in the
NC
State Archives. I found documents proving who Michael's wife was (the widow
of a Tory who was sentenced to death for treason), along with many other
documents that provided some fascinating information about his life and
death,
but nothing to definitively identify his parents.
After having no matches with any Carroll DNA participants, last November I
received notice of a 12 marker match, and encouraged the family member of
the
participant with whom I corresponded to expand it to at least 25. We
subsequently matched on 24 of 25. They had information going back to Texas
in the
late 1800s. After further research, I was able to work back to a Hugh
Carroll,
who lived in Nashville, TN, who was born in North Carolina in 1819, even
locating a great granddaughter who confirmed the information. I'm still
working
to go beyond Hugh to see if I can find a link with Michael.
Then in the past couple of weeks, I was notified of a 36 of 37 match (not
posted yet).This individual is still forwarding me information, but his
earliest
known ancestor is Zedekiah D. Carroll, born in York, SC, in 1802. A census
search indicates his parents were born in Virginia. I have always suspected
Michael or his ancestors migrated to NC from VA. So I am just beginning to
search for a link here.
I say all of that to say this. I believe that DNA will be the tool that
will
enable me to find the ancestors of Michael Carroll, if they are to be found.
We have exhausted the traditional means. I want to encourage everyone to
recruit as many Carrolls as possible to participate in the DNA project for
everyone's benefit. I have studied what some other surname families have
done
through DNA, and the results and the connections they have been able to
make are
amazing. But they have numerous participants. I recently corresponded with a
Carroll that I discovered on a web site who had submitted a sample that was
lost, and upon receiving another kit, lost it during the middle of a crisis.
I
encouraged them to try again, even offering to help pay for it. They have
requested another kit.
My bottom line - let's actively recruit others to participate. I've seen
how
fruitful the results have been for others. We can see that too. If you're
still awake after reading my mini-novel, thanks for your time.
James
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