23andMe is Having a Huge Sale!

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Happy Holidays — We’re Having a Huge Sale!


23andMe Announces Immediate Availability of Upgraded Genotyping Array, Now Testing Approximately One Million SNPs




MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – November 24, 2010 – 23andMe announced today that the company has transitioned to the third version of the company's genotyping array. The new technology will allow the company to test approximately one million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Customers who purchase the 23andMe Personal Genome Service™ on or after Wednesday, November 24th will have their DNA tested on the new version of the array.



“With the introduction of our third generation chip, customers will now be tested on approximately one million SNPs, nearly doubling the number of SNPs tested,” said 23andMe Co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki. “Over time, our customers will be able to get access to enhanced reporting about their DNA results through our Personal Genome Service™.”



23andMe has combined Illumina's HumanOmniExpress array with significant customization to create a more comprehensive testing platform. The new chip has backwards compatibility, ensuring the company can continue to provide reporting that is consistent with what it currently offers as well as improve and develop new reporting for the future. Below are just a few of the genotyping enhancements that are included:



•Increased coverage of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters (DMET) as well as other genes associated with response to various drugs.

•Increased coverage of gene markers associated with Cystic Fibrosis and other Mendelian diseases such as Tay-Sachs.

•Denser coverage of the Human Leukocyte Antigen region, which contains genes related to many autoimmune conditions.

About 23andMe



23andMe, Inc. is a leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome Service™ enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc., was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at www.23andme.com.



Media Contacts:



Rubenstein Communications

1345 Ave of the Americas

New York, NY 10105

Contacts:

Jane Rubinstein, 212-843-8287, jrubinstein@rubenstein.com

Rachel Nagler, 212-843-8017, rnagler@rubenstein.com

Adam Isserlis, 212-843-8024, aisserlis@rubenstein.com

James Nickens,post from facebook with permission

James Nickens
For Freeman Family Descendants - Colvin, Drew, Grigsby, Mann, Nickens,& Tapscott

1840 Affidavit by Jane Collins, 82, of New Kent County, VA
...Molly Holt, Rhody Arnold, Billy Sampson, & Squire Osborn were the heirs of Revolutionary War soldiers John Freeman & Robert Mush. Bounty Land Warrant 2393 issued 1846 to Molly Holt, Thomas Samp...son, & Delphia Sampson, all heirs of Billy Sampson and Squire Osbourn.

Attorney John G. Ashby - "John Freeman was a Soldier of Infantry in the Continental Line and was the brother of Stephen, and in the same service as will be seen by the auditors certificates annexed".
Allowed March 17, 1840 -" The above three cases are allowed as soldiers in the Continental line for a service of three years each"

Throughout these documents the writing clerks have made reference to all persons as free people of color. Attorney Ashby makes clear that the free people of color in question are Indians.
" To the honorable executive of Virginia I beg leave to present on behalf of Squire Osborne, a freeman of color, the following claims for Land Bounty. It is proper to remark, that there were many Indians and free Negroes, and descendants of Indians in the Army of the Revolution, who not only served faithfully, but who have ....... rec'd Land Bounty of the Latter description are the persons now asking relief.".

Being referred to as "descendants of Indians" rather than "Indians" indicates that Squire Osborn was not living on a reservation. He was in fact across the Pamunkey River in New Kent County. The racial convention employed by Virginia was that Indians only lived on reservations. An Indian not residing on a reservation was at best considered to be a free person of color and at worse a mulatto or free Negro. To many whites such distinctions are apparently considered to be irrelevant. In order to construct and accurately interpret Virginia Indian history and genealogy such distinctions can be crucial.

Freeman's Ford across the Rappahannock River links Fauquier and Culpeper Counties. There are many Freemans in both Culpeper and Fauquier after the war. The John Freeman in question is identified as John Hoomes Freeman on the Culpeper side. Stephen Freeman is found in Fauquier.

If you really want to link-up some genealogy delve into the descendants of Indian traders John Freeman and John Arnold who bought land from and intermarried with the Chowanokes in North Carolina. This brings us to the Robbins/Drew area of inquiry. But that's another story.

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Letters concerning murder of Red Bird, John Sevier

Order, 1797 Mar. 19, Tennessee to the sherriff [sic] of Hawkins County, [Tennessee] / John Sevier

author: Sevier, John, 1745-1815 [Tennessee. Governor (1796-1801 : Sevier)]
date: March 19, 1797
extent: 4p
summary: This is an order issued by John Sevier, Governor of Tennessee (1796-1801, 1803-1809) to the sheriff of Hawkins County. Sevier states that he has been informed by the Governor of Kentucky of the murders of two Cherokees committed by Edward Mitchel(l) and John Levingston (also Levinston), both citizens of the state of Tennessee and inhabitants of Hawkins County. In compliance with the demand of Governor Garrard of Kentucky, Sevier commands the sheriff to apprehend the murderers and have them taken to the public jail of Kentucky. He also orders that all civil and military officers aid the sheriff in the capture and transport of the men. This document was signed and sealed on March 19th, 1797.
repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tenn.
collection: Governor Sevier


State of Tennessee
To the Sherriff [Sheriff] of Hawkins County
Sir

I am just [added: now] informed by an express from the Governor of the state of Kentucky, that a Most Cruel daring and unprovoked murder was perpetrated by Edward mitcheland John Levingston, Citizens of this State And inhabitants of Hawkins county, on two indians [Indians] of the Cherokee Nation(one of the name of red Bird) who was hunting in the state of Kentucky, On the waters of Kentucky river.

The perpetration of [deleted: so] [added: Such [deleted: a] ] horrid and unwarranted [deleted: An] [added: an] Act is contrary to the treaties existing between The united Statesand the indian [Indian] tribes, as also All laws human and divine, and Such aggressions Ought to meet examplary [exemplary] and adequate punishment [deleted: According] [added: Suitable] to the demerit of [deleted: the] [added: their] Crimes, agreably [agreeably] to the laws
they have, so flagrantly and wantonly violated.

In conformity to the demand made by his Excellency the Governor of the State of Kentucky, and Agreably [Agreeably] to an act of Congress in such Cases made and provided: I do hereby command you, to take the Aforesaid Edward Mitcheland John Levingston, or either of them if to be found in your County, and them or either of them Safely and Securely to convey Unto the public Jail of Kentucky, then and there, them or either of them, you are to deliver unto the keeper thereof.

In order that you may be the better enabled to apprehend, take, and convey the said Edward mitcheland John Levingston, or either of them as aforesaid, you are hereby impowered [empowered] to apply to, and call upon, Any officer or officers, either Civil or Military Within this State, to furnish you with Such gaurd [guard] or Gaurds [Guards],
 as may be adequate and necessary for the purpose of taking, and Safely conveying them, to the public Jail of Kentuckyas aforesaid. I also command And enjoin that all officers [deleted: both] Civil and military, [deleted: to] be aiding and assisting in having the aforesaid Edward Mitchelland John Levingstonapprehended And taken in order [added: that] they may be dealt with as the law in such Cases may direct.

Given under my hand and seal in Knoxvillethis 19th day of March 1797

Signed By the Governor
[Signed] John Sevier

Order
Sheriff Hawkins county
19th March 1797
Recorded




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Hawkins County, TN Guidebook

Hawkins County Guidebook

The Guidebook is in PDF format and is 30 MB in size. You may view it here or download it and print it out.

http://www.therogersvillereview.com/guidebook

 

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Kids to get schooled on genealogy research

 Michelle Edmonds     2 hrs ago

In celebration of Family History Month during October, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies is offering a kid-friendly basic genealogy course.

Participants will learn how to use online databases, city directories and how to archive family documents.

Led by local history specialist and Butler Center staffer Rhonda Stewart, the sessions will be a fun and creative way to learn about the past.

The course will be today at the Arkansas Studies Institute Research Room (401 President Clinton Ave) from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
It's open for kids ages 10 and up but a parent must be present. To reserve a seat, call 501.320.5754.

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=124020&catid=2

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There is NO UniqueTurkish DNA

by Janet Crain

It is now quoted widely on the Internet that certain groups (American Indians and Melungeons) in the USA have "Turkish DNA". The article below from PubMed does not bear out that possibility. The suggestion is disingenuous at best.

The most important sentence in the article below is this:*The major components (haplogroups E3b, G, J, I, L, N, K2, and R1; 94.1%) are shared with European and neighboring Near Eastern populations* and contrast with only a minor share of haplogroups related to Central Asian (C, Q and O; 3.4%), Indian (H, R2; 1.5%) and African (A, E3*, E3a; 1%) affinity.

In other words, 94.1% of the DNA found in 523 Turkish Y chromosome samples is shared with European and neighboring Near Eastern populations. So there is no special motif or Turkish DNA. And this finding is explained by the closing sentence; "the variety of Turkish haplotypes is witness to Turkey being both an important source and recipient of gene flow".

Genes have flowed out and genes have flowed in for a very long time and cannot now be separated as belonging exclusively to one group or the other. So it is very deceptive to speak of "Turkish DNA" in the context of it being unique.

See Also:

http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/HG_2004_v114_p127-148.pdf


Hum Genet. 2004 Jan;114(2):127-48. Epub 2003 Oct 29. Links

Excavating Y-chromosome haplotype strata in Anatolia.

Cinnioglu C, King R, Kivisild T, Kalfoglu E, Atasoy S, Cavalleri GL, Lillie AS, Roseman CC, Lin AA, Prince K, Oefner PJ, Shen P, Semino O, Cavalli-Sforza LL, Underhill

PA.Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5120, USA

Analysis of 89 biallelic polymorphisms in 523 Turkish Y chromosomes revealed 52 distinct haplotypes with considerable haplogroup substructure, as exemplified by their respective levels of accumulated diversity at ten short tandem repeat (STR) loci. *The major components (haplogroups E3b, G, J, I, L, N, K2, and R1; 94.1%) are shared with European and neighboring Near Eastern populations* and contrast with only a minor share of haplogroups related to Central Asian (C, Q and O; 3.4%), Indian (H, R2; 1.5%) and African (A, E3*, E3a; 1%) affinity. The expansion times for 20 haplogroup assemblages was estimated from associated STR diversity. This comprehensive characterization of Y-chromosome heritage addresses many multifaceted aspects of Anatolian prehistory, including: (1) the most frequent haplogroup, J, splits into two sub-clades, one of which (J2) shows decreasing variances with increasing latitude, compatible with a northward expansion; (2) haplogroups G1 and L show affinitie s with south Caucasus populations in their geographic distribution as well as STR motifs; (3) frequency of haplogroup I, which originated in Europe, declines with increasing longitude, indicating gene flow arriving from Europe; (4) conversely, haplogroup G2 radiates towards Europe; (5) haplogroup E3b3 displays a latitudinal correlation with decreasing frequency northward; (6) haplogroup R1b3 emanates from Turkey towards Southeast Europe and Caucasia and; (7) high resolution SNP analysis provides evidence of a detectable yet weak signal (<9%) href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14586639">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14586639

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_people

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Don't Just Muddle Through; Really Understand those Genealogical Documents

   Those just starting to do genealogy research often feel as if they need a crash course in such subjects as Geography, Law, and History. That is one reason many find Genealogy research so challenging as well as fascinating. Here is a very interesting list of terms one may encounter. 

 Genealogy researchers encounter many terms which are rarely used except in legal documents, or genealogical reports, this list is intended to aid with interpreting those terms.

Abstract - Summary of important points of a given text, especially deeds and wills.
Accordant (with) - Agreeing.
Acre - 43,560 square feet; 4,840 square yards; 160 square rods
Administration (of an estate) - The collection, management and distribution of an estate by proper legal process.
Administrator (of an estate) - Person appointed to manage or divide the estate of a deceased person.
Administratrix - A female administrator.
Ae. - (latin) Aged; Aet, "aetatis suae": at the age of.
Affidavit - A written statement confirmed by oath, for use as evidence in court. 
 

Cont. here:

http://www.genealogy-quest.com/glossaries/terminology.html

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Today Show Shoots Film at the Museum of Appalachia

From the Museum of Appalachia  

 What a great day! The folks from the Today Show came to the Museum this morning with TN Department of Tourism, Susan Whitaker. They filmed the Museum's Moonshine Still along with our porch musicians & Museum grounds for a segment on the Tennessee White Lightning Trail. We'll let you know when it will be aired (we th...ink sometime in Oct. on the weekend)
Also...late this afternoon we confirmed that Alecia Nugent (Hillbilly Godess!) will be performing at Homecoming on Sunday, October 10th!!

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Using a Blog for Genealogy Record Keeping

  From the Dear Myrtle Blog:

Using a blog for research note-taking

"A blog can certainly be used to plan a research project and to document progress. The added benefit when traveling to research facilities is that these blogged research notes can be accessed through any computer with internet access. "

http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2010/09/using-blog-for-research-note-taking.html

 by Janet Crain


There are some very good points here. For one, blogs such as Blogger are so configurable that you can store records for years. You can keep records in draft or make your blog in whole or part private. And you can access these records anywhere you have Internet access.


I am experimenting now with using blogger to host the LEWIS Surname DNA Project website. It can be updated on the fly and used to host static pages of info as well. The Internet is evolving. Genealogy presentation and record keeping will also. 


There are expensive programs to do this with. But Blogger is FREE. And no ads. Check it out.




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Virginia and Old Kentucky Patent Series

This is a great database to search, this Reuben Gibson got his land on Yellow Creek in Harlan County, Kentucky.
Reuben Gibson
Reuben Gibson 

Search the database

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M.R. Buttry, Sheriff Hancock County, Tennessee

This letter was found in South Carolina at the South Caroliniana Library.  It was written in by Sheriff M.R. Buttry, Hancock County TN.

Click here to read the letter

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Find What You're Looking for in Knox County, TN

Knox County Archives

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Knox County Archives is to receive, process, and preserve the non-current, permanent records created by the Knox County, Tennessee government from 1792 to the present. The Knox County Archives provides information on the origins and history of the court systems, court records, genealogy, and history of Knox County, Tennessee. The Archives provides public access to all holdings, with the exception of juvenile records and those restricted by Tennessee laws. It provides local government source material to court officials, genealogists, legal professionals, historians, and the general public.

A long list of records available follows here:

http://knoxrooms.sirsi.net/rooms/portal/page/21590_Knox_County_Archives




History

Knox County was created on June 11, 1792 by Governor William Blount from parts of Greene and Hawkins counties, and has the distinction of being one of only eight counties created during territorial administration. It is one of nine United States counties named for Revolutionary War general and first United States Secretary of War Henry Knox. Parts of Knox County later became Blount (1795), Anderson (1801), Roane (1801), and Union (1850) counties.

In 1786 James White built a fort five miles below the junction of the French Broad and Holston Rivers on the southernmost edge of frontier settlement in present-day East Tennessee. William Blount, governor of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio, selected the site of James White's Fort as the territorial capital in 1791. He gave it the name Knoxville in honor of his direct superior as territorial governor, Revolutionary War hero General Henry Knox (1750-1806), who served as the first U.S. Secretary of War from 1785 to 1794.

Governor Blount designated Knoxville as the capital of the Territory South of the River Ohio from 1791 to 1796. Knoxville also served as the capital of the State of Tennessee from 1796 to 1812, with the exception of one day in 1807, when the legislature met in Kingston to fulfill a treaty obligation with the Cherokee, and briefly again in 1817-18. Frontier leader General John Sevier, a resident of Knox County, served as governor of Tennessee from 1796 to 1801 and 1803 to 1809, most of Knoxville's years as the state capital. Since no state capitol building was constructed until 1845, when work began on the capitol building in Nashville, the general assembly met in taverns and public buildings. The William Blount Mansion (1792), the home of Territorial Governor Blount, is the most historically significant dwelling surviving in Knox County from the pre-statehood era. It is the only National Historic Landmark in the county.

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knox_County,_Tennessee

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A Review of Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder – Part I

July 19th, 2010

Since late 2007, several “direct-to-consumer” or “DTC” genetic testing products have entered the marketplace, many of which offered some degree of autosomal ancestry analysis (including 23andMe, deCODEme, and Pathway Genomics, among others).

In early 2010, genetic ancestry testing company Family Tree DNA announced that it would begin offering a new genetic genealogy product (see “Announcing Family Finder – An Autosomal Test From Family Tree DNA”). The new product, called “Family Finder,” is one of only a very few autosomal genetic genealogy tests available to consumers.

Continued here:

http://www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/2010/07/19/a-review-of-family-tree-dnas-family-finder-part-i/


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Follow Newsweek Reporter as She Tries Out the Autosomal DNA Tests

You can even keep up with Mary Carmichael on Twitter if you want to.

DNA Dilemma: The FAQs

Some guidelines and details for my week-long project.

I’m trying to choose whether or not I want to take a direct-to-consumer genetic scan of hundreds of thousands of variants in my genome. Before we get started with the big questions, here are some basic queries that many consumers may have, as well as some information about myself and this project.

So how will this work, anyway?

I'm currently in possession of a direct-to-consumer genetic test—I just haven't decided if I'll use it. For three days this week, I'll pose a question a day to a variety of sources about the value of these tests. I'll post their answers on this site, along with my reaction. I'll also be soliciting opinions from commenters and people following me on Twitter. On Friday, Aug. 6, I'll evaluate everything I've learned and reveal whether I've decided to take the test.

Which DTC genetic testing kit did you buy?

Currently, there are two large, reputable companies offering scans of hundreds of thousands of genetic markers directly to consumers, the same ones that introduced the tests to the public, launching within a day of each other in 2007: 23andMe and deCODE. I don’t plan to reveal here which company’s kit I bought, because I don’t want to become a de facto ad for either company if I take the test. However, it’s worth noting that there are some differences between the firms. 23andMe charges a lot less, for instance—$499 for a health and ancestry scan, compared to the $2,000 price of the deCODEme complete scan—and tests for about half as many genetic variants, 550,000 compared to deCODE’s 1 million. Aside from the occasional embarrassing slip-up, 23andMe does a fine job of quality control in identifying genes. So does deCODE, which isn’t a testing company so much as a lab that happens to sell tests while producing a near-unrivalled body of genetics research. Both companies have also put a lot of effort into conveying their findings in innovative (if not always fully transparent) ways. They try to interpret their data with a lengthy report and continuous updates on the Web; deCODE’s service even links to the original research that underlies the test.

Continued here:

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/02/dna-dilemma-the-faqs.html




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