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Author: S_Sylva
Surnames: Silvy Silvey Silva Silvia Sylva Sylvia Crawford Drake Gash O'Bryant
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
Invitation to join a DNA study for surnames: SILVY, SILVEY, SILVA, SYLVA, SYLVIA
Greetings Fellow Amateur Genealogists:
Have you hit a brick wall in your research like we have? If so, have you considered
joining a DNA surname study?
My husband recently sent for a Y-DNA37 marker DNA kit from Family Tree DNA to have his
Y-chromosome DNA compared with other males in the SILVEY surname study. Unfortunately
there are only two (2) other participants in this study at the present time so that is why
I am trying to recruit more participants. By no means, am I endorsing Family Tree DNA,
but through investigating other DNA companies for surname projects, I found that Family
Tree DNA had a DNA surname project that most closely matched with our SYLVA surname. It
is this researcher's speculation that our surname has been misspelled through the
years and only DNA can positively determine this.
A Surname Project traces members of a family who share a common surname. Since surnames
are passed down from father to son (like the Y-chromosome), the test would be for males
taking a Y-DNA test. Females do not carry their father's Y-DNA because they acquire a
new surname when they marry, so the tested individual must be a male who wants to check
his direct paternal line (father's father's father's...) with a Y-DNA marker
test. There are several tests available: Y-DNA12, Y-DNA37, or Y-DNA67
If you are not familiar with how DNA works in genealogy, I would suggest that you visit
Family Tree DNA's website at:
http://www.familytreedna.com for more information.
Now, I would like to share a little of our SYLVA family information:
My husband's family is as follows:
Father: Charles Marion Sylva, son of James Sylva and Amanda Barker. Charles was born Jan
12, 1912 in Lafayette County MO (Odessa) and died in Johnson County KS (Olathe). Mother:
Charles married Nellie M. Barker, daughter of Lonnie Lee Barker and Hattie Irene Kimrey.
Nellie was born Sept 2, 1921 in Vernon County MO, and died Jul 28, 1966, Wyandotte County
KS.
Grandfather: James Sylva, born in Lafayette County MO about 1879 and died Mar 31, 1938 in
Johnson County MO (Warrensburg). Grandmother: James married Amanda (Mandy) Barker about
1905. James' siblings were: Cassie, Leroy (Roy), Rosa, Ernest, Novella and Lena Belle
(who died at the age of 10 months).
Great-Grandfather: Thomas W. Sylva, born about 1834 in KY (possibly Lewis/Mason county).
He died Feb 17, 1894 Pittsburg KS. His first marriage was to Harriett Gash, who died in
Bracken county KY giving birth to their first child (who also died). Harriett and child
are buried in Bracken county KY near the town of Germantown. Great-Grandmother:
Thomas' second marriage was to Sarah O'Bryant on July 12, 1859 in Fulton County IL
(Lewistown). Their children were: Serepta (aka Sarah), Nathaniel T, Harriett, Amanda,
Mary, Charles, Matilda, Caroline, James, Rachael, and Lucy.
Thomas W. Sylva served in the Civil War as a Private in Company I, 51st Regiment, Illinois
infantry. His widow Sarah received a Widow's Pension.
(Probable) Great-Great Grandfather: Nathaniel (aka Nathan) Silvy (also spelled
Silvey/Sylva in census records). From census records I have found I believe that
Nathaniel was born between 1801 and 1810 in KY, (possibly in Lewis/Mason) county.
Great-Great Grandmother: Nathaniel's wife's name was Rachael. I am not sure but
an Internet message board gives her maiden name as CRAWFORD and marriage date of 1826 in
Lewis county KY. Their children taken from 1850, 1860 and 1870 census records in Lewis
and Mason county KY were as follows: James (born about 1829), Elizabeth (born about 1830),
Aquilla (born about 1833), Thomas W. (born about 1834), Robert (born about 1836), David
(born about 1837), Louisa (born about 1839), and Melville (aka Melvin) (born about 1845).
All the children were born in KY.
1860/1870 census records for Clay county MO may indicate that Elizabeth (Silvy/Silvey)
possibly married Thomas M. Gash.
From Thomas W. Sylva's Civil War Pension file, James Silvy/Silvey
states that he was the brother of Thomas Sylva and that he (James) was married to Sarah
Gash, the full sister of Harriett Gash, wife of Thomas Sylva. This researcher also
believes that Thomas Gash, husband of Elizabeth Silvy/Silvey may have been the brother of
Harriett Gash who was married to her brother Thomas, and Sarah Gash who was married to her
brother James Silvy/Silvey.
1860/1870/1880 census records for Mason county KY may indicate that Louisa (Silvy/Silvey)
possibly married Levi Drake.
If any of you have connections to this family I would like to hear back from you.
Especially if you are a direct male descendant of any of the following surnames:
SILVY/SILVEY/SILVA/SYLVA/SYLVIA and would like to join in the DNA surname project.
Thank you for your time.
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