Location: Southeast United States
Surnames/tags: Weathers Withers
Goals
The goal of this project is to help Weathers and Withers descendants of the southeastern United States find information about their family lines and fill in gaps they may have.
History
From 2019 to 2021 four dedicated genealogists combined talents to lead the atDNA Weathers - Withers Family DNA Study which was hosted on Gedmatch.com. Our services included DNA testing guidance, Gedmatch and WikiTree support, lineage validation, mentoring, progenitor alignment based on yDNA results, analysis and interpretation of atDNA comparison results and advanced genetic genealogy advice. We used sourced lineages coupled with atDNA and yDNA results to discover linkages among progenitors; solve genealogical roadblocks; DNA-verify lines; and extend ancestral lines.
We had 80 participants, but that number is misleading because we also supported their children and grandchildren. Over the years we had at least another 25 people in the study at times whose ancestors we could not connect to our main progenitor lines or whose needs we could not accommodate. Then there were others with whom we worked long and hard but could not verify their Weathers/Withers ancestor, so along the way we assisted but had to turn down for the study many more. When you add that up we have supported about 150 people:
- Helping set up Gedmatch/WikiTree/DNA Painter accounts,
- Offering a variety of genealogical research advice,
- Untangling lineages,
- Helping research and source lineages with records,
- Educating about DNA-related issues,
- Preparing detailed project guidance,
- Producing five major Weathers - Withers Family atDNA reports showing matches and segment triangulations which were only available to the participants .
Study Details
Over a period of years the Weathers - Withers atDNA Study evolved to focus on the ancestors and descendants of John Withers/Weathers born about 1725 in Virginia and died in North Carolina after 1800. Other key progenitors researched included:
- Mary Weathers Ray (abt.1800- 1845) and Wilson Ray;
- Stephen T. Weathers (1815 TN - 1892 TX) & Sarah Ward;
- William Weathers (born 1842)]] & Susan Byrd;
- Benjamin Weathers (1788 TN 1881 IN) & Mary Bullington;
- Thomas Weathers (c. 1698 VA - 1744)
- Do your records-based research.
- Add your lineage to WikiTree.
- If possible, connect to a Weathers or Withers line already on WikiTree.
- Make sure you have documented primary sources for each parent/child relationship and for each marriage relationship in your lineage.
- Perform an atDNA test using one or more of the many testing companies. The DNA results of the oldest generation will have the strongest DNA results. Thus it is best if you use your parent's DNA results rather than yours to accomplish your DNA analysis and verification.
- Download your DNA results and upload the results to Gedmatch.com to get your gedmatch number.
- Add your Gedmatch number to your WikiTree profile.
- Look at the Descendants List and find participants descended from your ancestor. Note their name and Gedmatch number.
- Check on Gedmatch to see if you actually match any of those descendants.
- If you do match, contact them on WikiTree and check to see if any of your matches already have a DNA triangulation statement posted on their WikiTree profiles.
- If your match's profile has a triangulation statement, review your match to all kits in the triangulation statement on Gedmatch to see if you also match on the same segment of the chromosome.
- If you find any triangulations where you meet that criteria, you can draft / add triangulation statements to WikiTree using the WikiTree Help functions for DNA. Help Triangulation
- Use the extensive Help functions on WikiTree and read Autosomal DNA Statistics and key websites, blogs and youtube videos focused on genetic genealogy.
- If you are a male of the Weathers-Withers surname, you can add your yDNA TIP results to WikiTree if you find a close match on the FTDNA yDNA Weathers Study.
- Should any Weathers - Withers researcher want to assume administering this study on Gedmatch, contact the Profile Managers above.
By the middle of 2021 we were no longer getting new applicants to the study whose DNA results helped us create connections among the studied ancestors, so we discontinued the study.
The Weathers - Withers Descendants List linked on the right provides the culmination of our three years of work. Each descendant is listed under the main Weathers progenitor. Under each main progenitor, you will see several groups - each separate group consists of people who are 3rd cousin or closer to each other. Each 3rd cousin group is assigned a group number and a color to facilitate finding DNA triangulations.
This helps when building triangulations to DNA-verify lineages because the rules specify that a valid triangulation has at least three people who are greater than third cousins to each other whose DNA all match on exactly the same area of the same chromosome. These triangulation statements are posted on the participants' WikiTree lineages up to their in-common progenitors as described in Help:Triangulation
Above left corner and to the right is a link to the Weathers - Withers DNA Study Descendants List which contains this information described above. Links to WikiTree profiles of participants and primary progenitor/ancestors can be found in the document. Use those links to send WikiTree messages as needed while you continue your DNA ancestry quest.
To access the Weathers - Withers Descendants List CLICK HERE.
If you are interested in using DNA to help with your Weathers - Withers genealogy research, how can the work we did help you?
Moving forward
- Login to request to the join the Trusted List so that you can edit and add images.
- Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Kate Schmidt and Virginia Winslett. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)
- Public Q&A: These will appear above and in the Genealogist-to-Genealogist (G2G) Forum. (Best for anything directed to the wider genealogy community.)