Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 19:13:31 -0230 (NDT)
From: David Pike 
To: pike-dna-l@rootsweb.com
Subject: reunion following, plus a new result



Hi everybody.

I had the pleasure of attending a Pike family reunion at/near Salisbury, 
Massachusetts a few weeks ago, at which I enjoyed being able to meet with 
several of the participants of our DNA project.  While at the reunion I 
spoke to an audience about various aspects of genealogical DNA testing. 
One thing that I realised during this presentation was the need for a 
better understanding of some of the basics of genetic genealogy.  So to 
try to help build a more solid foundation, let me point out a number of 
online resources which I think will be helpful.

I'll start with the online webinars that Elise Friedman presents about 
once a month.  In addition to an introductory webinar (which is free) she 
also has some webinars on more focussed topics.  More information about 
her webinars can be found here:
    http://www.relativeroots.net/webinars/

There are a number of bloggers who concentrate on topics pertaining to 
genealogical DNA testing.  One that I think is particularly educational is 
the "DNA Explained" blog by Roberta Estes, and which can be found online 
at:
   http://dna-explained.com/
Roberta recently wrote a series of posts for the National Genealogical 
Society about DNA Basics:
    http://dna-explained.com/2013/08/10/ngs-series-on-dna-basics-all-4-parts/

Two other blogs that are also worth following are by Emily Aulicino:
   http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.ca/
and the "Your Genetic Genealogist" blog by CeCe Moore:
    http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/

A number of genealogy conferences regularly feature DNA presentations in 
their programmes.  Each year in February, the "Who Do You Think You Are - 
Live" event held in London features a three-day DNA workshop with a roster 
of speakers that includes representatives from Family Tree DNA:
   http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com/
The annual Jamboree of the Southern California Genealogy Society has also 
had a significant DNA component in recent years.  In 2013 it took the form 
of a full day dedicated to genealogical DNA testing:
   http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/Jamboree/2013/DNAday.htm
Motivated by the success of the 2013 event held in conjuction with the 
SCGS Jamboree, plans are being made to hold a similar event in the eastern 
USA in 2014 (exact details have not yet been announced).

I encourage anybody who is able to attend one of these events to take 
advantage of the opportunity to do so.  In the meantime, two other online 
resources that people may find helpful are the Wiki of the International 
Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG):
   http://www.isogg.org/wiki/
as well as ISOGG's online "DNA-NEWBIE" forum:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DNA-NEWBIE/?yguid=387183024




Okay, now let's talk about a new result within our DNA project.  John (kit 
279933) joined our project and tested 37 markers.  In terms of his Pike 
genealogy, we've been able to trace John's lineage back to a Philip P. 
Pike who was born in 1807 in South Carolina but who lived most of his life 
in Alabama, where he died in 1884 in Walker County.  The 1830 census 
enumerated Philip P. Pike at Fayette County, Alabama, which was also home 
to a Joseph Pike at the time.  The 1840 census lists Phillip Pike in 
Fayette County, as well as a William Pike.  Whether Joseph or William 
might have been Philip's father is not yet known to us.

In terms of DNA, John was revealed to be a perfect 37-marker match with 
several members of our project's "Group 8", many of whom trace their Pike 
lines back to South Carolina, and to Edgefield County in particular, where 
a William Pike settled in the mid 1700s.  The earlier origins of this Pike 
group are a puzzle that remains to be solved.  Something that might hold 
some clues is the book "Descendants of William Pyke / Pike and related 
families" written by Wilma Garrett McCutcheon (244 pages, published in 
1999), but locating a copy of this book is proving difficult.


- David.