DNA NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE


Re: Fw: Volusia County Florida GenWeb Project
Date: 6/23/2007 6:36:49 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: WSMORGANV
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], CSMORGAN49,
[email protected], [email protected]

Hey, Bill, it was ironic to get your email this evening, as I was just
thinking of you and the other members of our little Morgan DNA group.

But, first, to answer your question on the Fort Reed Cemetery, the
Museum of Seminole County History web site states that no markers
survive and only gives the location as being in Section 31, Township
19 South, Range 31 East. It's #12 on the list at this page:

http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/lls/museum/articles/index.asp?id=63

Now, back to the DNA. I can't remember who in the group claims descent
from Wiley Alexander Morgan (1819-1875) of Trenton, TN. But, I
started hunting North Carolina marriage records to see if I could
locate his parents. The lineage submitted with the original sample
claimed Wiley was born in North Carolina and that his father may
have been named James. Well, I got a little excited when I found
the following record:

James Morgan married 22 March 1815 in Wilkes County, NC, to Martha
Martin.

Correct state, right time frame. But, then I made the mistake of
visiting familysearch.org to see if I could find out more about this
couple. Ancestral File #95-110267 submitted by one Howard A. Cooper
of El Paso, Texas, linked this James to Wiley as father/son. But,
this cannot be true. A trip to the genealogy department at the
downtown library today helped disprove this link.

A self-published work by one Millard Bruce Murdock identifies the James
Morgan in question as one of the 8 children of John and Elizabeth
Morgan, and a grandchild of a Joshua and Anne Morgan of Wilkes
County. I was quickly able to find a copy of Joshua's will in the
Wilkes County records (dated 20 Oct 1801, recorded July 1811).

I really thought I was making some headway, perhaps at last picking-up
the paper trail that has eluded us all for so long. But, the trip
to the library proved to be for naught. When I got back home this
afternoon, I found that a descendant of Joshua Morgan had submitted
a sample to the DNA project already (#M21851). Lineage details at
this page:

http://www.small-stuff.com/MORGAN/tre21851.htm

Unfortunately, the markers do not come close to being a match our bunch
of Morgans.

So, long story longer: Wiley Alexander Morgan was NOT the son of James
Morgan and Martha Martin of Wilkes County, NC.

Back to the old drawing board, I guess . . .

Any luck tracing back on your William J. Morgan?!?