yDNA - BIG News!

In your genealogy research, have you ever suspected a relationship but never could find evidence to support your suspicions?

Well that's been the case with my James Crawford research and I now have yDNA evidence to support that suspicion!

My brothers yDNA has been placed in the R-Y88686 haplogroup. My first match was to descendants of Edward Crawford of Tennessee. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to verify that our two lines resided in the same area at the same time let alone discover a family connection.

With today's notice of a new Big Y match, I now have a match with a familiar line. The new match is a descendant of James and Rebecca (Anderson) Crawford.


The James and Rebecca Crawford family is one of several Crawford families in the Garrard County area of Kentucky prior to 1800 that I've been researching. Although I have been able to piece together a lot of information on these various Crawford families, I've never been able to find anything connecting my James Crawford who married Sally Duggins in 1799 in Garrard County, KY to any of these other families.

These DNA results not only support my suspicions but give me incentive to continue researching these various Crawford families in hopes of someday figuring out how my Crawford line connects.

These families include:

• My line: James and Sally (Smith Duggins) Crawford who migrated from Kentucky to Preble County, Ohio. Their son, Nelson Crawford, migrated from Ohio to Warren County, Indiana around 1830. Most of Nelson Crawford's children, including my ancestor, Washington Marion Crawford, migrated from Indiana to Dodge City, Kansas.
• James Crawford and Martha Knight - James and Martha were married in 1791 in Lincoln County, KY. They owned land in Barren County, KY before migrating to Preble County, Ohio. Around 1830, James and Martha and their children migrated to Warren County, Indiana. Their grandson, Harvey Harrison Crawford, migrated to Ford County, Kansas and eventually settled in Dodge City, Kansas.
• James Crawford and Rebecca Anderson were married in 1779 in Montgomery County, Virginia. James purchased land from Thomas Kennedy along Paint Lick Creek in what was Lincoln County, Kentucky at the time. By 1811, James and Rebecca along with most of their children and families had migrated to Jefferson County in Indiana Territory. THIS IS THE LINE WITH A yDNA MATCH.
• Rebekah Crawford purchased 100 acres of land on the headwaters of Sugar and Boons Creek in 1786. She is listed as a widow on the Lincoln County tax records in 1787. Rebekah is believed to be the mother of the James Crawford who married Martha Knight along with Mary Crawford who married James Sellers and Sarah Crawford who married William Sellers. It is also believed that Rebekah was the sister of George Douglas and widow of John Crawford. More evidence is needed to prove all of these relationships.
• Mary Crawford is listed as 'exempt' on various tax records in Madison County, Kentucky prior to 1800. In 1791, Mary purchased 100 acres of land on Sugar Creek in what became Garrard County, Kentucky. In 1793, Mary married Alexander Moore in Madison County, KY. Alexander and Mary Moore migrated to Fleming County, Kentucky, which is where it is believed that Mary died.

Perhaps with the help of the Crawford yDNA project and other Crawford researchers, we will be able to figure out this branch of the Crawford family!