Buchans of Borthwick

Our DNA match lists reveal people amongst the various testing companies who have identical segments of DNA to us, such that we can infer that we have a common ancestor. The higher the cM amount, the closer the relationship, at least up until 2nd cousins. Thereafter the randomness of inheritance means that we WILL NOT match some of our 3rd-lower cousins and associated removed cousins. A 'removed' relationship means that we are not on the same generational line as our match or known cousin (if not talking DNA). Once removed can mean EITHER an earlier generation = ideal for answering DNA questions, or a later generation such as your cousin's child who is your 1C1R. Your cousin's grandchild is your 1C2R. The 'earlier removed' have much more DNA from any common ancestor compared to 'later removeds'. In the beginning I was extremely lucky to have access to the DNA match list of my father's 1C (since he had already died.) Pat is my 1C1R, but she is an '...

Robert had three separate families, and the distancing of time has led to two of his children being 'lost'. To the world of 2022 there had been knowledge of only the last, legally sanctioned and documented one.  DNA discovered the earlier two children, importantly because these children went onto have large families, and over time, descendants of these large families tested their DNA with Ancestry. Robert's place in the family Robert was the sixth child and fifth son of George Buchan and Jean Johnston born in about 1813 based mostly on his age at death in early January. He is my x3 great grandfather. No-one has yet found a baptism record for him. He lived in close proximity to his Buchan family all his life, with the likely exception of a few years in Edinburgh in the mid 1830s. Most of his life was lived in Borthwick Parish, till about 1860 when his second youngest child Jemima was born in Newbattle Parish. Newbattle is immediately to the north of Borthwick Parish, and was...

Why could I never find the Scottish roots of this man who went on to marry, have 10 children, invest in several gold mines and finally die in his own gold mine? His descendant Australian family historians knew of him, recording all his steps on Australian soil. We even had a picture. Robert was about 18 years of age when he left Scotland in 1852, clearly drawn by the possibilities of wealth in the Victorian Gold Rush that began in 1851. On 22 September 1860 he married Margaret Hannah Bain in the Minister's residence, officiated by Alexander Minson. Margaret was from Rosshire, the Highlands of Scotland and Robert was from Edinburgh, the Lowlands, according to this marriage certificate. Both declared they 'held commission' with the Independant Denomination. His parents were Robert Buchan, Brick Tile Maker, and Janet McCray (almost certainly the more Scottish spelling of McRae or McCrae). He said he was a 25 year old labourer from the area of Melbourne called Hawthorne. He sig...