Of Family Trees, DNA, and Falling Walls

     I've spent many years attempting to establish the birth place of my second great-grandfather James White, the last of his generation I could find no documentation for.  Thanks to clues in old newspapers, church and census records, (none of which said anything more than born in Ireland or Irish Free State), several family trees on Ancestry and more importantly DNA evidence, I've proven to my satisfaction he was born about 1830 in County Laois.  The main problem was a lack of church records for the time period in which he was born, much too early for civil records since he was a Catholic.  That is why I continue seeking details of his life in Ireland; when there are no extant records in the country of birth, circumstantial evidence becomes very important, and the more of it the better.

     In an earlier blog I wrote about discovering the details of a Mary White from Ireland who emigrated to the same area of upstate New York as James White.  A DNA test on Ancestry indicating a "very high" confidence rating linked to a tree with a John White, husband of Mary Ann Prout in it's branches.  While no expert on DNA, it seemed to me that such a strong match with someone born in 1820 must be very close to my direct line. (Don't quote me on that).  Going on that premise I tentatively added John as a brother of my James.  Casting about trying to figure out where Mary White fit in I first thought perhaps a sister of my James and his brother John.  Her birth date of about 1851 didn't make sense for that to be the case however, so I kept looking.  The DNA test that linked to John White had a Mary White born 1851 listed as a daughter of John which seemed a better fit so again, tentatively, I filed her in that spot.  Her marriage record to Dennis Driscoll in Palmyra, New York did give her parents as John and Mary Ann after all, but I needed more.

     Yesterday it occurred to me, Mary White Driscoll had died in Palmyra in 1917 meaning there should be a death certificate on file for her there. I live around five miles from Palmyra so I jumped in the car and set out, hoping whoever supplied the information for the certificate had known the pertinent facts of Mary's life.  That seemed likely since she died at the home of a relative.  The clerk found the certificate meaning I did not have to deal with New York State, which moves with the speed of a giant sloth in matters of vital records, and she made me a copy as I waited.  It seemed to take forever, I was so anxious to see what would be revealed.

     Finally the certificate was in my hands.  Father-- John White, Mother--Mary Prout!  And there it was, Mary White was indeed the daughter of John White, the strong DNA match.  It's significant that when Mary came to America she settled in the same place as my James, so I have another piece of evidence for the James White folder.