For years I have been on the hunt for members of my third great-grandmother's family. Her name was Britta Ann Green. She was born in AL in 1834. First she married John L. McGuire and had three surviving children: Ellen Nora, Mary Drucilla, and Stephen Arnold Douglas. After John L. died during the Civil War, she married Mike Flynn and had Margaret Ann (Maggie). She died in 1919 and is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Jefferson County, AL.
Curiously, no one has ever been able to prove who her parents were, other than that they were consistently listed in U.S. Censuses as having come from SC or NC (various U.S. Censuses). In the 1850 Census Britta is listed with the family of John P. McKinnie (McKinney) in Shelby County.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4191539-00661/16778620?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1850usfedcenancestry%26gsfn%3dbeauty%2bAnn%26gsln%3dmckinnie%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26msrdy_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp%3dalabama%252c%2busa%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn%3d3%26msrpn_x%3d1%26hc%3d50%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26redir%3dfalse%26uidh%3dwy5&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults
Nor has anyone been able to prove Britta's relationship to John P. McKinnie's wife, maiden name Mary Ann Green/e; or to the other older female in the household, Nancy Greene, 56, born NC. Mary Ann could be Britta's sister, aunt, cousin, friend, or mother. Nancy could be Britta's mother, stepmother, aunt, cousin, or friend. The most logical explanation is that Nancy Greene, born NC in 1794, is mother to Mary Ann, born NC 1822, and to Britta, born AL 1834. Good theory, but no proof.
I certainly hadn't found any proof of extended family member, after searching over 15 years...
...Until two nights ago.
DNA proof. Just one clue to Britta's family members, but it's solid.
Short version:
My aunt and my Ancestry DNA kits match two fifth-to-eighth cousins with Graphen Holt Green/Greene in their lines. When I click on Shared Matches for both kits, matches that I can prove are descended from Britta show up. Proof via DNA triangulation.
Graphen Holt Green is related to Britta Ann Green.
Tah-dah!!!
Cue the fireworks!!!!!
Stop here, or read further for how I found them.
Long version (you have been warned):
I first started looking at Graphen Green because of a bunch of facts that seemed coincidental. As I looked further, the connections grew.
First, he married in Shelby County, AL, during the same time period (1840 - 1850) that Mary Ann Green married J. P. McKinney. Siblings often married in the same place at different times.
On October 11, 1846, H. Buzby, J.P. , married Graffee Green to Martha J. Lawery/Lowery/Lawrey/Lowry in Shelby County.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9HV-WZYL?i=204&cc=1743384
Note:
• Graffee Green in the same place as about the same time as Mary Ann Green.
Second:
While I don't yet know where they are in 1850, G. H. Green and Martha are in TX by 1860.
In the 1860 US Census for TX, GH Green is in Garden Valley, Smith County, TX. He is 36, a farmer, $500, $400, born NC. Also in the household are Martha, 27, Nancy, 11, both born AL; Susan, 8, Jasper 5, Newton, 3, Jeremiah, 2, Alcisty, 8/12, all born TX; Calvin Lowry, 27, and Thomas Lowry, both born AL, farmhands.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7667/4297447_00065/35346374?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/799424/person/1401584714/facts/citation/4638977217/edit/record
Note:
• GH Green born NC about 1824, Martha & Nancy born AL
• Thomas and Calvin Lowry, born AL, probably siblings to Martha
Third:
By 1870 Graffen and Martha are in Arkansas but have divorced. This researcher lists their divorce in Clark County, AR, on April 23, 1869, and Graphen's remarriage on April 25, 1869, same place.
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/799424/person/1401584714/facts?ssrc=
How's that for a how-de-do??? Bet Martha wasn't too happy.
Martha is living separately from G.H. in Barraque, Jefferson County, AR, with Jeremiah, 13, born TX, and Mary (Alcisty), 11, born TX, in the household of A. K. Kelly.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4259271_00198?pid=12750532&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db%3D1870usfedcen%26h%3D12750532%26indiv%3Dtry%26o_cvc%3DImage:OtherRecord&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true
Graphen now lives in Cedar, Clark County, AR, in a household with new wife Caroline (Matilda Bray); her siblings W.L. and Mary C.; and a baby daughter of three months named "Brittan."
Fourth:
In the 1880 US Census for AR, Graffen Greene is Hartford, Sebastian County, AR, with wife Carline and son Jeremiah, Britanna, 10, Laura L., 6, Matilda A., Dovie, 4, Rhoda D., 2, and Mary Williams, 17, keeping house. He is a doctor, born NC, father born SC, mother born NC.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6742/4239969-00111/6747032?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/799424/person/1403203526/facts/citation/4638976244/edit/record#?imageId=4239969-00112
Note new information:
• Same son, Jeremiah, listed in both households
• GHG now listed as a medical doctor
• New daughter Britanna
How many coincidences there??? A lot!!!!! Still no solid proof.
Two nights ago, I decided to check Ancestry's Graphen Holt Green family trees to see if there was any new information. I discovered that by clicking on the tree owner's name, I could compare their DNA kits results to the results of kits I am connected to. Bingo! One manager's (let's call him "Joe") two kits matched my aunt's and my kits. When I clicked on shared kits that matched Joe's kits, up gushed results from people I can prove are descended from Britta.
Tah-dah!!!
Cue the fireworks again!!!!!
Britta Ann Green's brick wall is still standing, but at least I've kicked some holes in the mortar and can peek through.
More breakthroughs as I take a big hammer to the sucker. Britta Ann Green, tear down that wall!
