Am I Making Incorrect Conclusions?

Have you ever looked at the FamilySearch tree or at personal trees on Ancestry and wondered how and why they made those family connections? I know I have. I hope that others if others have such a question about the research reflected in my Ancestry tree, that they would contact me with their concerns and questions!

This is important to me. I want my tree to accurately reflect family relationships. Since I research siblings and their descendants, some might ask why it is important that I get those relationships right. As Ancestry is providing us with more DNA tools, I'm finding that my ability to interpret my DNA matches is affected by whether I have those family connections correct. This became more apparent to me when I was studying my ThruLines and discovered that I didn't have any DNA matches thru siblings of my ancestor. (See Crawford ThruLines Question)

As I'm researching the James Crawford(1758-1836) who married Rebecca Anderson, I'm finding that what I have in my tree disagrees with what a lot of others have.

I have also been researching Anna Crawford who married Robert Creath. I believe Anna to be the daughter of James and Rebecca (Anderson) Crawford. Again, I'm finding that others do not agree with me.

Many of these trees trace their Crawford line to Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford. Alexander and Mary were killed in 1764. Their descendants are identified in several publications.

Rice, Helen McPheeters. The McPheeters Family. Winter Park, Florida: no pub, 1956. p. 103

Clemens, William M. Crawford Family Records. New York: William M. Clemens, 1914p. 11

Based on the clues in these and other publications, I've identified the James Crawford living in Fayette County, Kentucky as the son of Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford. Find a Grave memorial number 59499985 provides more information on this James Crawford.

This James Crawford had a spouse named Rebecca. However, I believe there is another James Crawford with a wife named Rebecca living along Paint Lick Creek in Garrard County, KY. The book, Maxwell History and Genealogy outlines the family of James and Rebecca Anderson.

Housston, FLorence Wilson, Laura Cowan Blaine and Ella Dunn Mellette. Maxwell History and Genealogy. Indianapolis, IN: Indianaolis Engraving Co., 1916. p. 255.

I've been using the information from this Maxwell history to help research this James Crawford and his family. I have deeds for James Crawford indicating that he migrated from Garrard County, Kentucky to Jefferson County, Indiana. Of the eight children identified in the Maxwell history, I have marriage records for four of them from Garrard County, Kentucky and for three of them from Jefferson County, Indiana. 

Unfortunately, I'm still looking for a will, probate file and/or deed tying James Crawford (1758-1836) to his children. Without this type of documentation, the information in my tree could be wrong. 

Since circumstantial evidence suggests that my ancestor, James Crawford (1772-1854) might be related to the James Crawford (1758-1836) of Garrard County, I'd like to use DNA evidence to both support such a relationship and to connect with other researchers.

Thus, I'd like to be able to search my DNA matches for the surnames of James and Rebecca (Anderson) Crawford's. Finding multiple matches when searching for Creath, Guthrie, or Vawter suggest a possible relationship between my ancestor and James Crawford (1758-1836). But, I also find matches for the surname of McPheeters, which suggests the other trees may be correct. These DNA matches would be helpful IF our paper trees matched. Unfortunately, our trees don't match making it difficult to utilize this DNA data.

For my DNA matches to be helpful, I need my tree to be as accurate as possible. I also need others to have trees as accurate as possible. So, if you find something in my tree that you disagree with, please contact me!

Below are links to my data:

• RootsMagic data
• Rev. James Crawford (1753-1803)
• James Crawford (1758-1836)
• James Crawford (1772-1854)
• Ancestry Tree: Heartland Genealogy