Family Legend proved correct

[cliffsheets]

The story passed down from generation to generation was that the Richarson Husband and Wife had a son and daughter but wanted to have more children but he couldn't (I guess he was too old or something) so their church leader suggested he divorce his wife, she marry someone else, have a couple more kids, then divorce the other guy and re-marry her first husband. (Sounds like a soap opera 'eh?) The first child of the "second marriage" would be my great great grand father although he kept the Richardson Surname. The man my great great great grandmother married so she could have more children was named Cox.

I was researching the Richardson surname (my great grandmother's maden name). I got the DNA markers of a living male Richarson and used the SMGF.org database and discovered that they match 37/37 with a surname Cox--so, the legend was true. I guess the population of Mesa Arizona would have much fewer Richarsons and more Cox, if he kept his biological father's surname.

So the DNA results confirmed the family legend.

[vineviz]

The story passed down from generation to generation was that the Richarson Husband and Wife had a son and daughter but wanted to have more children but he couldn't (I guess he was too old or something) so their church leader suggested he divorce his wife, she marry someone else, have a couple more kids, then divorce the other guy and re-marry her first husband. (Sounds like a soap opera 'eh?) The first child of the "second marriage" would be my great great grand father although he kept the Richardson Surname. The man my great great great grandmother married so she could have more children was named Cox.

I was researching the Richardson surname (my great grandmother's maden name). I got the DNA markers of a living male Richarson and used the SMGF.org database and discovered that they match 37/37 with a surname Cox--so, the legend was true. I guess the population of Mesa Arizona would have much fewer Richarsons and more Cox, if he kept his biological father's surname.

So the DNA results confirmed the family legend.

Congratulations!

I guess the only unresolved question is whether the church leader had the Cox surname . . . .

[Jim Barrett]

Congratulations Cliff. It is nice to have a success story in the "Success Story" section.

[Pleroma]

Congratulations! What a great, (and really funny), story!

It'll remind me that no matter how bizarre, sometimes those stranger-than-fiction family history tales hold water.

[Bovon]

That was very interesting.

Personally, I have to wonder what kind of church would tell a couple to do such a thing. Every Christian Church I am aware of, teach against divorce.

[Pleroma]

A very common scenerio that could also account for YDNA anomalies is that when a young unmarried woman was pregnant, (who knows the real story behind most of it), she was usually married off to an old widower with children young enough to need a mother's care. Her child would then take on the old man's name and be raised as one of his own.

[jfitzpat]

I guess that happened when populating the earth was a top priority. I would have a hard time giving up my wife like that. But I guess if population the earth was a high priority, people make sacrifices. Good thing we have in vitro fertilazation now.

[Deirwha]

At English common law

the child born to a married couple during cohabitation (translated before divorce) was conclusively presumed to be the husband's. In other words, no other evidence could be introduced (even DNA had it existed). Sometimes these old judges knew what they were doing. Hey, among all the other reasons offered above, there was no TV nor Radio nor IPODS nor computers. What else were people do do? They popped em out every 14 months in good times, 6-7 years in bad. Someone had to be the father. Why not the husband?

[PDHOTLEN]

RE family legend

When I was little (1940's, etc), I heard, usually from my mother, that her maternal grandfather was Pennsylvania Dutch. But now that I've assembled the family tree, I only find that a grandmother of his was the only PA Dutch on his side (as far as I can tell).

OOPS! I see that was his mother - not his grandmother (who was born in PA).

[Deirwha]

Any chance

we could leave this point behind without further necessity of defense or critique? There is plenty of stuff to discuss and even on that which is most relevant to the forum, I think everyone has the potential to say something or another that opens them to endless critique and defense. That's when conversations start having us instead of us conversations. I would be just as happy to see this one die in its tracks, respecting Rainbow whether or not I agree with her on any specific point. This one just is not the fight for this forum for my two cents.

[rainbow]

we could leave this point behind without further necessity of defense or critique? There is plenty of stuff to discuss and even on that which is most relevant to the forum, I think everyone has the potential to say something or another that opens them to endless critique and defense. That's when conversations start having us instead of us conversations. I would be just as happy to see this one die in its tracks, respecting Rainbow whether or not I agree with her on any specific point. This one just is not the fight for this forum for my two cents.

I guess I must have missed something.
Thanks Deirwha.

[Deirwha]

I guess I must have missed something.
Thanks Deirwha.

Welcome. Fortunately we have all decided to move on. This is a good thing.