WILKINSON and ROBERTSHAW ANCESTRY

WILKINSON ANCESTRY

The Wilkinson surname was widespread in West Yorkshire by the 1379 poll tax, & is multi-origin. Our line of interest looks to be solid down from my 5th greats Robert Wilkinson Sr. (m. Mary Lonsdale), & this couple show up on AncestryDNA’s Thru Lines autosomal DNA analyses. Robert Wilkinson Jr. (m. Rose Robertshaw, Nov. 6, 1769, Halifax) were Most Recent Common Ancestors for descendants of our Martha Wilkinson (b. 1784; m. William Jagger) versus descendants of these sibs of Martha: James Wilkinson (m. Hannah Mitchell); & Mally Wilkinson (m. David Brier). Mally’s descendant Blanche Peel (b. 1889) married Reginald Akroyd, & their descendants account for some (or all?) Akroyd autosomal DNA matches with our Wilkinson line. G.A., descendant of my 5th cousin Harry Akroyd, has with me 19 centiMorgans of shared chromosomal segment at AncestryDNA. Unknown person Willie Akroyd (b. 1893, Bradford) has a grand-daughter who has with me a 26 cM shared segment, but conclusions are not yet possible as to common ancestry.

In the 1841 census of Southowram, my 3rd great grandfather William Jagger (b. 1781) was a wool-comber. Other kin in the area were weavers. Some may have been employed by John Wilkinson Hoyle Wheelwright: http://www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/mmw585.html#1171 This man had Wilkinson ancestry, as did his son-in-law Wilkinson Crossley, who was associated with Broad Carr House & estate. http://www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/mmc133.html#1049 and

http://www.calderdalecompanion.co.uk/b.html#b1398

John Wilkinson Hoyle Wheelwright’s parents were John Hoyle (Wheelwright) & Sarah Wilkinson, married 28 Aug. 1806, St. John, Halifax.

On 23 February 1746/47, St. John, Halifax this couple were married: Moses Wilkinson & Ruth Hoyle. These are ancestors of Gratia, one of my closest Wilkinson autosomal DNA cousins. GEDmatch Kit # T949417. Gratia has a sizable shared segment with me on Chromosome 16, & this segment triangulates with several other people, indicating a common ancestor for all in this group. Dale (Kit # A162065) is part of the Chromo 16 triangulation with Gratia & others. The Most Recent Common Ancestors for Dale & me: Robert Wilkinson & Rose Robertshaw, parents of my Martha Wilkinson Jagger.

The GEDmatch Multi-Kit analyzer in 2019 has the Chromosome 16 shared segment straddling the centromere (the part holding together 2 parts of the chromosome & the junction of the chromosome’s P Arm versus Q Arm). Currently, the P Arm & Q Arm are treated as 2 segments, but in 2018 the Multi-Kit analyzer showed 1 segment, with P & Q portions. Family Tree DNA still shows the 1-segment solution. My local DNA Working Group’s Ph.D. geneticist favors the 1-segment solution. Cousin T949417 has with me 14.5 cM on the P Arm & 16.6 cM on the Q Arm, for a total of 31.1 cM. This might seem to be the relevant figure for estimation of number of generations back to Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA). AncestryDNA calls her my 4th cousin, i.e. MRCA = 3rd greats. That cannot be quite right. Blaine Bettinger’s data finds an average of 36 cM for MRCA = 3rd greats, but with a considerable range of variation. If we could identify the parents of Moses & of our Robert Wilkinson Sr., we might be close to a solution. Possibly Wilkinson kin living in the early 1700s in the immediate Halifax vicinity.

On December 26, 1804, my 3rd great-grandparents Martha Wilkinson & William Jagger (son of William Walker & Mary Jagger), both of Southowram, were married in Halifax. At that time, the Square Chapel Independent (Congregational) church was in existence. Martha & William later christened their kids there. Martha’s older sister Mally Wilkinson had married David Brier in Halifax in 1798. Mally appears in Square Chapel records. Martha’s & Mally’s brother James Wilkinson married Hannah Mitchell, July 28, 1811. James’ & Hannah’s daughter Ruth married John Yates, & this is a line which migrated to Australia. See tree of NelsonD93, my 5th cousin, whose atDNA triangulates on Chromosome 16 with Gratia & several others.

Martha Wilkinson & William Jagger were the Most Recent Common Ancestors for Chris & myself. His very helpful tree: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/40571300/person/19552560289/facts

ROBERTSHAW ANCESTRY

Rose Robertshaw (m. Robert Wilkinson Jr., 1769, Halifax) was my 4th great-grandmother. Her parents were Jonathan Robertshaw & Mary Pearson, who were married in Bradford Dec. 27, 1739. Fifth greats are as far removed as AncestryDNA’s Thru Lines will venture. The DNA picture for Robertshaw might be simpler than for Wilkinson. My atDNA cousins listing Robertshaw ancestries are a smaller group than are the Wilkinson-ancestry cousins. At AncestryDNA in 2019, there are only a handful, besides known close cousins, of atDNA cousins listing Robertshaw ancestries. Even less at Family Tree DNA.

At AncestryDNA & GEDmatch, I have a sizable Chromosome 2 shared chromosomal segment with Ian (Kit # NT8334534), a reported descendant of Rachel Robertshaw (christened 27 March 1780, Birstall). She married Isaac Ovenden, 1799, Birstall. This Chromosome 2 shared segment is triangulated with several other people, indicating common ancestry for all. GEDmatch kits QL1971207, TG8034224, A258870, & M592465.

At www.GEDmatch.com Kit # T746958 from FTDNA belongs to Gail, a descendant of Elkanah Robertshaw (b. 1712) of Bradford. Her Chromosome 19 shared segment with me is also shared with Cousin Chris. My Most Recent Common Ancestor with Chris was Martha Wilkinson (m. William Jagger), daughter of Rose Robertshaw Wilkinson.

West Yorkshire Robertshaw yDNA falls into 2 main groups (1) Haplogroup I1-P109; & (2) Haplogroup R1b-P312-DF27-ZZ12-Rox 2 STR Cluster-Terminal SNP BY65304 or BY49975. Identification of which yDNA group (if either) corresponds to our autosomal DNA Robertshaw line may be helpful. The geographic distribution of the two types has a large overlap, & ranges from Heptonstall in the west, eastward to Dewsbury.

In the Robertshaw yDNA Project, Kit 376643 in the Haplo R1b Rox2 group reports descent from William Robertshaw, b. 1804 Heptonstall. An online tree https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/114520269/family/pedigree reports that the father & grandfather of this William lived in Birstall. This Grandpa William Robertshaw Sr. (b. 1745) reportedly died in 1812 in Birstall. At the moment it seems possible that my Robertshaw atDNA might correspond to the yDNA Haplogroup R1b Rox2 & a Birstall connection. Birstall lies southeast of Bradford, scene of the 1739 wedding of Jonathan Robertshaw & Mary Pearson, my 5th greats.

At this URL https://www.ytree.net/DisplayTree.php?blockID=29 Terminal SNP = BY65304 is currently focal to the same Robertshaw R1b-P312-DF27-ZZ12-Rox2Cluster-BY49975-BY65304 group appearing in the Robertshaw yDNA Project. At https://sites.google.com/site/rox2cluster/ find the sentence “…old West Riding of Yorkshire families….” & “Big Tree leads this branch with BY49857 and seven equivalents. See the FTDNA Robertshaw DNA Project.” And “The Rox2 common ancestor lived only 1000-1500 years ago and that means that the STR haplotypes of his descendants remain similar enough to be clearly identified today. Identification is made using the key STR markers of the Rox2 signature pattern.” I have corresponded with Ollie, whose yDNA falls into this group.