Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Some Starting Thoughts & a GEDCOM

It's been fun to trace back the Manley line to George Manley who was born about 1624 in Talaton, Devonshire, England. That's nearly 400 years ago! You can see the family tree in GEDCOM form here. (Input an "M', then choose "Manly (2)", look for George, click "Descendency" or "Pedigree".)

I'm one of the "living" Manleys, whose identify is kept private on the web, but you can see my father, Lewis N. Manley, Jr., and his father, and his father, and so on, through eight generations to George of Talaton (whose name is most often spelled without the last "e").

I'm also interested in what DNA evidence can add to the search (especially for the father of George, to this point unknown). There is a Manly/Manley site which is really great. Check it out. Another good site is the Family DNA site where I had my Y-DNA tested. You can get a lot of good information here for free, but if you buy a DNA test (not expensive), then you can trace your ancestors migration over the past 10,000 years. You can also find matches with others who have had their DNA tested.

A really excellent free site is Family Search which uses the Mormon format for genealogical records. You can find George Manly there pretty easily. But start with Lazarus Manley (a memorable name) and put George in as his father. You'll be surprised.

An interesting branch line back about the time of George, is the Maule line. There is a Georgius Maule in Buckinghamshire who was born in the late 1500's. Certainly a different spelling of "Manley", but this branch is closely related to me. The haplotype is extremely close and would indicate direct descent. But how? That is the question.

Look for future posts on DNA, migrations, Charlemagne, possible Roman ancestors, and more.

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