Does anyone know of a female-only descendant of Catharina van Paliacatta who had their DNA tested?
The mtDNA project explains how to use the History Link graph to identify geni users who might share her mtDNA: http://www.geni.com/projects/South-African-mtDNA-Progenitors/17863.
This is of great interest as there is still some debate on the origins of the Snyman lineage, with suggestions of male progenitors from at least Germany, Bengal and France, and female progenitors from at least Bengal (Catharina) or France.
According to Mansell G. Upham's book: "In hewigen woede" Catharina van Paliacatta is the progenitor of all Snymans, so Catharina forms part and parcel of the question (or of the answer!).
Such Mitochondrial DNA information would be available if a child (male or female) of a daughter of a daughter ... (back up through females only) of a daughter of Catharina van Paliacatta had his/her Mitochondrial DNA tested to determine the Mitochondrial haplogroup of this lineage.
Only the last child can be a male, as Mitochondrial DNA is only carried further by mothers (not by fathers). Both sons and daughters inherit Mitochondrial DNA from their mothers though.
For more on this please see: http://www.geni.com/discussions/135349
Only for mtDNA testing - which is not really anything special, but much easier to track with DNA tests because it passes - without combining with the sexual partner's DNA - from mother to daughter to daughter etc
The Y chromosone also doesn't recombine, but passes from father to son to son etc.
All the other chromosomes combine with those of the sexual partner in every generation, so DNA tracking of them is much more difficult - and more expensive.
Well depends what you mean - 'help you find'
if the grandmom you are talking about is you maternal granny - then, yes - you will have the same mtDNA as her. But matching the name records of a person to that mtDNA relies on thousands of South Africans having themselves tested, and also having developed a family tree record.
In other words, if you were to stumble upon a living cousin match with your mtDNA result, and they were to have your mutual granny on their tree - then it would have helped you find her. That's part of what this project is about: http://www.geni.com/projects/South-African-mtDNA-Female-Progenitors... but, it's really a long shot. :-)
Thanks Sharon Doubell for running the History Link graph for her. I got the same results earlier (not surprisingly..).
Hopefully discussions such as these will encourage more people to research their maternal ancestors and to get their mtDNA tested.
Willa Potgieter x Huang xx Truter: If you are referring to your mother's mother's mom, then mtDNA is relevant. Will an mtDNA test help you to find your maternal great grandmother? It could potentially help to narrow down the search, but I doubt if there is enough DNA test results out there to pin-point a great-grandmother at this stage.
Sharon Doubell, after scrutinising the results of History Link Graph again, I found a female only descendant of Catharina "Groote Catrijn" van Paliacatta, SM/PROG on geni that lived till 1950. I've contacted her profile manager in the hope that we can find a female-only descendant prepared to get his/her mtDNA tested.
I am her direct descendant through multiple lines. She was also known as Catrijn van Malabar, which is what she is called in our family tree. I am her 11th ggranddaughter through my female only line.
My mtDNA haplogroup is U2c, which is most common in India. That makes sense as Paliacatte is on the Coromandel (south eastern) coast of India.
Yaaaay Beth Hawkins! Welcome to Geni - Much sought after descendant!
Kornelius Snyman - you will be pleased to meet her.
Elizabeth - can I help you get your line to Catrijn onto Geni? It will be so much appreciated by the rest of us.
Hi all, I didn't expect responses so quickly! I posted my info just before going out for the evening, hence my delayed reply.
I uploaded my family tree to MyHeritage.com yesterday, but MyHeritage is connected to Geni, i think(?)
I haven't actually got a paid membership to either at this point, so I'm not sure how much I can do at this point. Let me do some investigation to see if I can find out how it all works.
I'm very happy to help wherever I can, though.
Cheers,
Beth
Beth Hawkins if you add a little more info to your tree, some dates etc.. Geni will find a match to your MyHeritage tree, then I can help you import the data across...
:-) Beth - do you know who Mary Cecilia Williams mother was? I don't see her on your or on the MH tree.