Relatives at RootsTech

On By mcphilbrickIn Crawford, Duggins, RootsTech

Have you registered for RootsTech 2023? While many will be attending in person, I will be participating virtually. One of the fun things to do at RootsTech is to connect with other attendees who are cousins.

While RootsTech is over 10 days away, it is possible to begin making those connections thru Relatives at RootsTech. A Facebook admin of a Facebook DNA group posted a link to Relatives at RootsTech with the comment, “Let the Fun Begin.”

So, I decided to check out this years version and as of Feb. 15th, I have 15,763 relatives who are registered for RootsTech2023. Knowing that I will never be able to study my relationship with all of these relatives, I often use the tools to filter those relatives. My favorite filter is the ‘By Ancestor’ filter.

When I click on that filter, it displays the closest common ancestor I share with another attendee: Horatio Hammond.

To the right of Horatio Hammond’s name is a downward carrot that opens the list of common ancestors I share with other attendees.

Of course, I’m looking for connections to my CRAWFORD line! While my Crawford ancestors (Washington Marion, Nelson G. or James) do not appear on the list, James’ wife Sarah Smith Duggins Crawford does appear. Since Sarah was married to Alexander Duggins prior to her marriage to James Crawford, I figured I would be finding attendees with connections to my DUGGINS research. Instead, I discovered that another daughter, Mary Crawford was connected to Sarah but not to James.

While it is highly likely that James and Sarah Crawford have a child that I’m unaware of, I’m not sure it is this Mary Polly Crawford.

  • According to the FamilySearch tree, Mary Polly Crawford McGown was married in 1809 in Warren County, Kentucky.
    • James and Sally were married in 1799 in Garrard County, KY. For Mary to be their daughter, she would have been born at least a few years prior to that marriage in 1799.
    • While Warren County, Kentucky is next to Barren County, I have yet to be able to verify that James (and Sally) resided in Barren County, Kentucky prior to moving to Ohio.
  • James and Sally have a daughter named Mary Polly Crawford who married John Nelson Stoner in Preble County, Ohio in 1821.
    • James’ will does not identify any daughters. However, it does identify two granddaughters: Mary Ann Wikle and Martha Jane Stoner
    • Ancestry DNA supports a relationship to STONER descendants.
  • Sarah Smith Duggins Crawford does have children by her first marriage to Alexander Duggins: William and Henry Duggins.
    • Records exist connecting James’ son, Nelson, to his step-brother, William Duggins
    • Ancestry DNA supports a relationship to these DUGGINS stepbrothers.

When I first saw this possible relationship, my initial thought was to merge the two Mary Polly Crawfords. Fortunately, I realized that these are not the same person. My second thought was to disconnect Mary Crawford McGown from Sally Smith Duggins Crawford. I also have not done this. Instead I posted an ‘Alert Note’ on Mary Polly Crawford McGown.

I will also be contacting these RootsTech attendees to begin a discussion about Sarah Crawford to see if it is possible that she had a marriage sometime between the death of Alexander Duggins and her marriage to James Crawford. I will also need to research Mary Crawford McGown looking for ties to any of my Crawford research in Kentucky.

While I may not be related to these attendees, this may lead to information that pokes a small hole in my Crawford brick wall.