Last night I spotted that I had a new “Common Ancestor” DNA match in Ancestry, where I share DNA, and the Ancestry system works out the likely connection. These workings out aren’t always reliable, depending on the linked tree and other research, but in this case I think the other line back is solid, and because of where the person’s other lines are primarily (England) and that they don’t match my English dad, this looks solidly to be on my Scottish side. And probably right, as inferred on the site.
The common ancestors are my 5xg-grandparents John Usher last laird of Toftfield near Melrose and his second wife Agnes Blaikie. I descend from their daughter Jessie Usher, Mrs Somner, and through her son John Usher Somner. The new cousin descends from Jessie Usher’s sister Mary Usher, Mrs Menzies, who lived in Leith, but has English descendants down the line concerned.
This is a particularly important match for me because John Usher Somner’s line – father and mother sides – is very much a gateway ancestral line, opening up lots of fascinating ancestors, as well as my deep Melrose connections. Also the very first certificate I ever looked at in the General Register Office for Scotland – way back in 1984 or so, as a not yet teenager up for the day from Hawick! – was the 1865 Melrose marriage certificate of my gg-grandparents Alexander Burnett Dodds and Catherine Irvine. It was a bit of a surprise to see Catherine was recorded as illegitimate and her father was recorded as John Usher Somner, brewer. Who?!? Luckily I was able to trace that line back, even if her mother’s side is still somewhat mysterious! The kirk session minutes around her birth were also helpful. It does look like she had contact with her father John Usher Somner, but when she died her son John Dodds, my great granddad, didn’t know the name of the grandfather he was probably named after. I’ve never doubted the historical records re her parentage. However given that John Usher Somner was just newly 15 when his daughter was born it is rather nice still to see likely DNA confirmation of the link …
Nicely we also know what the Usher sisters look like, because there is a surviving photograph from circa 1883 of the then four surviving elderly Usher sisters and their brother John. Notes on the back indicate which were which, including Jessie (middle) and Mary (far right). And now I have a confident DNA link as well, which is nice.
