Wheat Descendants of Southeast US

Date: Aug 2021 to Jun 2023
Location: Southeast United States
Surname/tag: Wheat

Goals

The goal of this project was to help Wheat descendants of the southeastern United States find information about their family lines and fill in gaps.

History

From Aug 2021 to Jun 2023 six dedicated genealogists combined talents to lead the atDNA Wheat Family DNA Study which was hosted on Gedmatch.com. Among the study leaders were researchers, analysts, historians and software developers. We had 130 participants, a number bolstered by support provided to their children and grandchildren. The study produced major Wheat Family atDNA reports showing matches and segment triangulations which were only available to the participants.

Our services included DNA testing guidance; education about DNA-related issues; Gedmatch, WikiTree and DNA Painter support; researching and sourcing lineages with records; lineage validation; mentoring; progenitor alignment and realignment based on DNA results; analysis and interpretation of DNA comparison results; and advanced genetic genealogy advice. We used lineages sourced with primary records coupled with atDNA results to discover linkages among Wheat progenitors; solve genealogical roadblocks; DNA-verify lines; and extend ancestral lines.

The culmination of this work was in the summer of 2023 when we added the final atDNA segment triangulations to WikiTree to DNA-verify lineages.

Study Details

Over two years the Wheat Family atDNA Study evolved to focus on John Wheat (about1675 - before 1712) of Maryland and his wife Sarah Wheat Perdue.

Significant connections we made based on atDNA triangulations were adding ancestors for:

• Benjamin Wheat (1742 MD - 1798 Henry County, Virginia)
• John Wheat (1775 MD - 1845 Russell County, Kentucky)
• Josiah Wheat (1779 VA - 1850 Tyler County, Texas)
• Benjamin Wheat (1785 VA - 1850 Lamar County, Texas)
• Samuel Wheat (1787 VA - 1866 Grayson County, Texas)
• William Wheat (1790 KY - 1850 Red River County, Texas)
• Reason P. Wheat (1796 VA - ater 1830 Hempstead, Arkansas)
• Sion Wheat (1805 SC - 1879 Gordon County, Georgia)

Despite having common names, our DNA comparisons showed our lines are unrelated to the line of Moses Wheat of England (abt. 1616 - abt. 1700 MA) & Thomasine Fox.

During our study we worked closely with two other atDNA Wheat Study efforts focused on the unrelated Wheat lines of:
• John Wheat of Wales (1765 - 1834 TN) & Dicy Barton
• Conrad Wheat of Germany (1712 - 1781 VA) & Margaret

In the process of untangling, adding and connecting Wheat WikiTree profiles for the 1700s and 1800s we found many errors made because of the proliferation of Wheats with the same given names, especially if they were living at the same time in the same county or the same state. During the course of our research, we added disambiguation sections to the WikiTree profiles to avoid connection of incorrect parents, wives and children. After untangling these lines, we had some of these profiles for the oldest progenitors protected under the US Southern Colonies Project.

During the course of our research, we proved the book "Wheat Genealogy: A History of the Wheat Family in America" (Brooklyn, New York, 1903)] by Silas C. Wheat and Helen Love Scranton includes numerous mistakes for our lines; Silas’s book is useful as a starting point but not as a primary source.

The Wheat Descendants List linked on the right provides part of the culmination of our two years of work with the remainder found on WikiTree profiles. Each descendant who participated in the study is listed under their first identified Wheat progenitor. Under each main progenitor, each separate group consists of people who are third cousins or closer to each other. Each third cousin group was assigned a group number and a color to facilitate finding DNA triangulations.

Creating third cousin groups helps when building triangulations to DNA-verify lineages because the requirements specify 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. The Wheat triangulation statements are posted on the participants' WikiTree lineages up to their in-common progenitors as described in Help:Triangulation

The Wheat DNA Study Descendants linked on the right contains this information described above. Links to WikiTree profiles of the lead researchers, participants, and primary progenitor can be found in the document. Use those links to send WikiTree messages as needed while you continue your DNA ancestry quest.

To see a copy of the Descendants List, RIGHT CLICK HERE.

If you are interested in using DNA to help with your Wheat genealogy research, how can the work we did help you?

• Do your records-based research.
• Add your lineage to WikiTree.
• If possible connect to a Wheat line already on WikiTree being careful to note that innumerable men were named John Wheat.
• Make sure you have documented primary sources for each parent/child relationship and for each marriage relationship in your lineage on WikiTree.
• Perform an atDNA test using one or more of the majortesting companies. In every case 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 same chromosome.
• If you find any triangulations where you meet that criteria, draft and 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 Wheat surname, you can add your yDNA TIP results to WikiTree if you find a close match on the FTDNA yDNA Wheat Study.

Moving forward

Key for this Wheat Study research to move ahead in the future is collaboration!