Trying to find which string of Clements to Clemons I am... more info in the box below

+4 votes
243 views

I am trying to figure out my family tree, I dna matched with Joshua Allen on here whom says to be related to Robert Clemons Sr. I come from the male string of Clements to Clemons. My Father is Manuel, his father is Walter, then his father is Samuel (married Mable Oliver), and his father is Robert Lee, then his father Moses (would be my 3rd great grandparent) and so on.. I am very confused on my tree, and have been adding piece by piece. Can someone help me make sense of some things. There are all kinds of information out there and hardly anyone to do DNA matches.

in Genealogy Help by Heather Clemons G2G Crew (940 points)
retagged by Dorothy Barry

4 Answers

+7 votes
Piece by piece is all you can do. Is there a specific problem or question you have I can help with? Just check sources and go with the best source, even if it seems to conflict. DNA can be a little misleading sometimes. Or cause people to make assumptions that might not be 100% true.
by Katrina Whitaker G2G6 Mach 4 (40.9k points)
Well, I am trying to go one by one and on little information, I had gotten far but, then stopped to check my tracks on this website. Once I complete an accurate tree I will put it in here. How does DNA matches not provide accurate, please explain because I have been using that to validate with whom I believe are in my family tree. My tree goes... Manuel (father), Walter (grandfather) Robert Lee (great grandfather), and his father moses, and then Benjamin, then Benjamin Sr. I believe, and so on up. I am just having a difficult time making sure I am accurate and DNA testing I thought was helping :( dang it.
+5 votes
How much DNA do you share with Joshua Allen? Knowing that would give you an approximate idea of how far back your relationship to Joshua might be. Is there a profile on WikiTree for Robert Clemons Sr.? How is Joshua related to Robert Clemons Sr.?
by Kay Wilson G2G6 Pilot (219k points)

If this is purely accurate 
Robert is the 11th great grandfather of Joshua
I have updated my tree to what I have. Maybe it does not add up or maybe it does, Honestly this is why I need help. I am trying to establish my tree so then I will have it for my children and theirs, and so on. 
 

 

 

Largest segment = 9.2 cM

Total Half-Match segments (HIR) = 9.2 cM (0.3 Pct)
Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 6.1

1 shared segments found for this comparison.

97993 SNPs used for this comparison.

52.9 Pct SNPs are full identical

I'd like to emphasize what Rob wrote you: If Robert Clemons is Joshua's 11th great grandfather, an auDNA match between you and Joshua Allen will not be useful to prove your connection to Robert Clemons. There's a very good chance that your shared DNA comes from a different shared ancestor.
+3 votes

Each type of DNA testing has its advantages and its disadvantages.  Your autosomal results won't be helpful for someone that's 11 generations back, possible but doubtful for even 6 generations back.  But yDNA will help some with identifying or rejecting males  along your Clemons line.  It's a male-only thing though, so your father or brothers will need to take a yDNA test.  Once you have their result, you can compare with others in any Clemons/Clements study.

Your 23 and Me result comes from their new DNA analysis chip, and as you discovered, required the use of GEDmatch Genesis.  For the future that's great, but it has special disadvantages currently, in that most testers are only in the regular GEDmatch database, not Genesis, so you won't be able to use your DNA to compare with many others, at least not yet, until they combine them all into one database.  Plus, it's so new we don't fully understand its results.  Its algorithms use different parameters, such as SNP's per segment match.  I tested against yours, and at minimum SNP length of 4 have 9 segments between 4 and 5.6, which normally would mean a definite but distant relationship, unknown how distant.  Genesis won't estimate how distant, until you use a minimum of 5 or greater, and for 5 it estimates we're 6.9 generations to MRCA, which is generally too far to figure out.

23 and Me provided you an mtDNA haplogroup, which you entered, but currently WikiTree does not propagate it along your maternal line.  To get it to propagate, add another DNA test result (on the DNA Tests page you already used) for Other mtDNA test, and enter your mtDNA haplogroup there.  Within a day, it should also propagate up all of those maternal ancestors you have added, and may be useful in the future.

Don't forget to add good sources, that document the relationships.  DNA is an important tool, but in general, the paper trail is what will be most useful in discovering and confirming ancestry.

by Rob Jacobson G2G6 Pilot (138k points)
edited by Rob Jacobson
Oh I am wondering why we matched. I am very confused.
I also agree with everything you said!

I think Kay is right, you have a much closer common ancestor to find!

Keep connecting ancestors and checking for other common surnames between you and Joshua.  If you find other DNA matches with known connections, keep a record of the segments you share with them, so that you can possibly identify an unknown DNA match with that segment, and have a good idea which lineage you should find them on.  Perhaps you'll find another DNA match with the same segment you match Joshua on, only it will be someone that you know how they are related to you.  (Sorry for the awkward wording, couldn't think how to get the right thoughts out!)

+3 votes

Do your ancestors go back to New England?  

My "Clement/Clements" ancestry includes Obediah Clement of Warren, New Hampshire, who attended the 2nd Continental Congress and is recognized for his patriotic service. Obediah, Clement-1442, is a descend. of Robert Clements of Warwickshire, England, who emigrated in 1642; Google "Ancestors and Descendants of Robert Clements" (it's in two volumes) and see if you can find your line.

 

by Janine Barber G2G6 Pilot (235k points)
I actually did find out! I got ahold of a long lost relative and fast checked everything... amazing, feels great. I guess Mark Twain is my cousin, we share my 6th grandfather, it is his 3rd great grandparent.

 Anyways, I appreciate everyone's help! I will have my brother take a DNA test so that will help as well, too bad I can't do that. I seriously appreciate all the help thus far!
I am still working on this because the rest is confusing.

Related questions

+5 votes
2 answers
+7 votes
3 answers
+7 votes
2 answers
282 views asked Mar 29, 2018 in Genealogy Help by Heather Clemons G2G Crew (940 points)
+11 votes
0 answers
114 views asked Mar 23, 2023 in The Tree House by Jerry Clemons G2G Crew (460 points)
+8 votes
4 answers
+4 votes
3 answers
+4 votes
0 answers
+3 votes
1 answer

WikiTree  ~  About  ~  Help Help  ~  Search Person Search  ~  Surname:

disclaimer - terms - copyright

...