Sunday, January 17, 2016

DNA gleanings on the Hardy family - a working theory

Five members of the family, all descendants of Gardner and Harriet Hardy are among the people I have access to the DNA results. I have also contacted and messaged other relatives who have tested. What we know is that every member has DNA linking them to the Bobo family. Additional data shows that everyone also has DNA matches to the descendants of Ephraim King.

My father has some of the larger matches to the Bobo family. All of his matches are direct descendants of Spencer Bobo and his wife Beulah Yarborough. The other four folks have matches to descendants of several Bobo's, with Spencer prevalent among them. What this means to me is that any connection we have is from the Bobo family directly.

Because all of the descendants are from Gardner and Harriet (through Shep Sr, Ephraim and Robert Hardy), the connection has to come from either Gardner Hardy's mother or Harriet. I suspect that the connection is through the mother of Gardner. Like the Hardy or Hardee family, the Bobo's are in nearby South Carolina around this time. Descendants of Thomas Edward Hardee are also showing matches to the Bobo's, but I can't prove this isn't just a coincidence. I can't yet figure out where this connection is, but it is certainly a starting point.

As for Ephraim King, we know he was born in North Carolina, moved to Georgia and died in Coffee County, Alabama in 1855. In 1850 he does have a child Harriet in his home, but the 1840 census does not include a child her age, and I think she is not a child but a grandchild, contrary to the researchers of this family. We know that Ephraim and his family lived about 5 miles from Gardner Hardy based on the land records for everyone. We know that in 1850 Gardner Hardy and Harriet are living with a John S. King in Santa Rosa county, Florida. We know that Gardner Hardy and Harriet name their youngest son Ephraim.

I think that Harriet is definitely a relative of Ephraim King, and I wish I could find them in 1830 to prove my theory that she is his daughter.

6 comments:

  1. My mother was a Hardee. I have tested on FTNDA and my mother has tested on ancestry. Would be interested to know your Hardy line. My Hardee line is posted on ancestry under knitternut99 as the Hardee Family Tree. I go back to John Ziba Hardee.

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    1. I have three cousins i tested on Ancestry and two I transfered to FTDNA.

      We are Gardner Hardy b 1814, Robert Hardy/Hardee and then Isaac Hardy (Pitts county NC) and a daughter of Major Thomas Williams

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    2. Hi Jennifer,
      I am still researching the Hardee/Hardy line and have add many new names to my program. What are the dates of Isaac Hardy and his spouse. I believe my line goes back to Pitt Co also. Had YDNA done and it matches with the Pitt Co. Hardees.

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    3. Sorry for the delay. I was just working on them the other day. My tree is on Ancestry. Here is the link to Isaac. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/10302211/person/24899987172/facts

      I found some documents I haven't had time to upload yet.

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  2. Hi Jennifer, I found your website searching for Stapletonss on my father's site, and now I've found this article about Bobo's which I'm related to on my mother's side. The Spencer Bobo I have was born in 1767 Virginia, and died 1816 in South Carolina. Is this the same as yours? I have a different wife for him.

    His grandfather, Francis Spencer Bobo is my 7th GG.

    I'm looking for Pleasant Stapleton 1815-1880 who was married to Minerva Davis.

    I have a suspicion that generation wasn't very close. They seem to have scattered to the 4 winds. Is that something you've noticed?
    Cindy Boatner
    seadboat on Ancestry. I've DNA test on FTDNA, 23andMe and Ancestry

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    1. That's the same family. proble is we are matching people from several of the lines (spencer's siblings). I suspect the link on my Hardy's may be from the mother of Gardner Hardy, as all of the Hardy's are matching the Bobo's. It could be his wife Harriet, but I think she's a daughter of Ephraim King who was born in NC and died in Coffee county.

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