Genealogy Project

Tiffany McCarter Evans has a bold vision. She heads the genealogy faction of Clan Colquhoun International Society. Her vision is to use DNA (BigY, YDNA, and Autosomal DNA) as well as documentation to determine what is truth in our Colquhoun trees. This is a work in progress and by no means is a finished project. The great news is – her vision is becoming reality. You will see just by checking out the conclusions of what we have learned so far using these methods.

Before genetic genealogy, one would have to learn about one’s ancestors by visiting court houses, cemeteries, and libraries as well as by writing possible cousins. Via FTDNA (Family Tree DNA), genetic genealogy was born which gives all its participants information about their YDNA (the inherited DNA from father to son only), their autosomal DNA (the inherited DNA all of us receive), and their mitochondrial DNA (the inherited DNA from one’s mother’s, mother’s side.) Of course, the information you receive depends upon the tests you order.

Clan Colquhoun has a team of genealogy administrators that use YDNA and autosomal DNA to help verify or correct our family trees beyond what documentation can tell us. In the process of receiving DNA results back for the Clan Colquhoun project members, it was quickly apparent that there are many misconceptions of how our trees descend back in time. This is particularly true in the early American colonies and their connections to Europe. We know a branch is traced incorrectly when two expected cousins get different BigY (700 points of YDNA), YDNA (up to 111 points of DNA) or autosomal triangulation results. In fact, so many incongruities have come in, it is safer to assume that histories of early American lines are incorrect and to stop following the traditional line of thought. This is particularly true when it comes to Reverend Alexander, b 1662.

It is better to trace your line back and STOP where first-hand documents no longer support your tree. First-hand documents are ones that were created at the time of the event. These are birth, baptismal, marriage, death, burial, wills, administrations, court docs, newspaper articles, land, and census records. Then we will use DNA to hopefully get your lines further back in time correctly.
Wouldn’t you like to know who your ancestors really are? This is a very time-consuming undertaking, but progress is being made already. Our Admin, Tiffany McCarter, and our DNA analyst, Linda Coate, are spending upwards of 40 hours a week volunteering to make this happen. The BigY test as it is called, is by far the most valuable tool in discerning how people fit into the Clan Colquhoun tree. Our next most important tool is autosomal DNA. It helps us solve ancestry we have as far back as the 1600’s. Cousins and their common ancestors can be proved through a technique called AUTOSOMAL TRIANGULATION. This is where at least 3 cousins are found that have inherited the same segments of DNA on the same chromosome from their most recent common ancestors. BigY, YDNA, and autosomal triangulations are extremely important in correcting the common lines of thought, when they need corrected.

What have we learned so far using these methods?

1. William Cahoone, The Scottish Prisoner, does have many descendants in the U.S. His supported sons so far via autosomal triangulations, are Joseph, b. abt. 1665; William, b. abt. 1669; and
James, b. abt. 1673. His wife, Deliverance (Unproven surname), had a child (Samuel b abt. 1663 of R.I. and Nansemond) who is related as a stepbrother to the other sons of William again supported by many autosomal triangulations. In other words, there is only one Samuel, the shoemaker, of Nansemond, Virginia. He has stepbrothers, who were the sons of William, the Scottish Prisoner, and his wife Deliverance. William, the Scottish Prisoner, doesn’t yet have any proven paternal ancestry and is NOT related to the Colquhoun line. (Source: Autosomal Triangulations)

2. Rev. Alexander is the son of William Campbell Colquhoun and grandson of Robert Colquhoun as proven through various triangulations that include one first-hand documented descendant of Rev. Alexander. His proven descendant line is through Isabel Colquhoun Barclay. We have not verified ANY male descendants of Rev. Alexander Colhoun b 1662 even after over 600+ lines of comparisons with his possible descendants via Gedmatch. We know from firsthand documents that Rev. Alex. is the father of William d. 1756, a James b. before 1694 (NOT James Patrick), and Alexander Jr. b. abt. 1705. Rev. Alex could also be the father of Humphrey who died before the will of William proving Rev. Alexander’s living sons at the time. We know from this that he had one verified son, Alexander Jr. who had male offspring. We also know that Crosh House (one of his land holdings) eventually was inherited by a gr….granddaughter. Both findings suggest he might NOT HAVE ANY current day living male descendants. (Source: Autosomal triangulations)

3. James Patrick and Hugh Calhoun do appear to be brothers. They are NOT the sons of Rev. Alexander but are related to him further back in time via a common ancestor. Our groups’ BigY testers indicate they are an E-M35 haplogroup, not an R-269 haplogroup as thought by some persons tracing their lineage through them elsewhere. That incongruity still needs to be studied via documentation and autosomal triangulations to determine which kits represent people descended from James Patrick and Hugh Calhoun. In either scenario, none of the testers would be descended from Rev. Alex. (Source: BigY and autosomal triangulations)

4. Adley/Audley Calhoon’s line is coming up with E-FT350465 as its haplogroup. His ancestry has not been proven between 1687 when he was born and 1443 when Humphrey Colquhoun was born. He likely descends through Humphrey’s son, Sir John b 1475, but DNA is still determining that. (Source: BigY)

5. Samuel Calhoon, b 1721 of Lancaster Co., PA; James Calhoon d. 1795 in Guilford, NC; William Calhoon 1727-1801 of Pennsylvania; and Mary, 1732-1822 (d. Abbeville, SC and m. George Morrow) are all closely related and likely siblings. They are not children of Hugh Calhoun. They are descendants of William Campbell Colhoun and Robert Colquhoun b 1622 of Luss, Scotland. Specifically, they are Robert Colquhoun’s great, great grandchildren. (Source: Autosomal triangulations and BigY.)

6. James Calhoon who d. 1795 in Guilford, NC is NOT related to the Big Sam or Burwell Calhoon line of Georgia. (Source: BigY)

7. The Colquhouns from Camstradden, are an E-M35 haplogroup. (Source: YDNA)

8. The Colquhouns from Appin Scotland are an R-M269 group and are NOT related to the E-M35 haplogroup at all in any genealogical time frame. (Source: YDNA)

9. The descendants of Moses McCarter are testing in the E-M35 haplogroup and are NOT related to the McCarter’s testing in the R-M269 haplogroup paternally in any genealogical time frame. Through autosomal DNA we have detected descendants DNA matching through a female line to the York County South Carolina and Spartanburg McCarter female lines that are both R-M269 and E-M35 suggesting a maternal genetic connection between all 3 McCarter families. (Source: YDNA & Autosomal)

10. Clan Keith has separated into two unrelated groups currently. (Source: YDNA)

This is an ongoing project that will continue to be refined. Each time we receive any incongruous firsthand documentation, YDNA (particularly BigY DNA results), or autosomal DNA triangulations, that is our clue to rethink the conclusions for that line to determine our actual ancestors. That has always been true even when family historians only had documentation to work with. With DNA, we will get there, one participant at a time. Therefore, a big thanks goes to all those who are or wish to become a part of the Clan Colquhoun YDNA project. A saliva sample is all that is needed to participate in the Clan Colquhoun International Society DNA project. Here’s the link if you are interested in joining. Every tester helps so very much with this bold vision.

https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/clansof-loch-lomond/about/

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Coate, DNA analyst for C.C.I.S.