Nevertheless, I match with known descendants of John Hawksley from Canada and known descendants of John Hawksley from Ireland, and these two separate groups match with each other. The match with me also effectively proves that he came from Sheffield (which is where my mother's family come from) although my link with him is via a shared ancestor not any direct descent. This is all consistent with the surviving evidence.
Hi Chris, I appreciate your confidence in your conclusions and am, of course, interested in the evidence that you have in addition to the DNA matches. I know we emailed about all of this earlier this year, back in February.
Unfortunately, with only a single very distant match (6 centimorgans) to a known descendant of John Hawksley of Birr, I cannot accept him as the confirmed father of John Goodwin Hawksley, Mary Hawksley, Sarah Brown Hawksley, and Margaret Elizabeth Hawksley. It would be so lovely if my test subject and others matched your list, but it's never that simple, is it?
Since the DNA evidence on my end (with a Hawksley tester - a 3rd great-grandson of John Goodwin Hawksley) isn't sufficient for confirmation, I am seeking A. proof of John Hawksley's military service that shows how long he was stationed in New Brunswick, B. proof that another Hawksley was
not also stationed or residing there simultaneously, and C. additional DNA matches to bolster the genetic evidence.
That said, there are also two other DNA matches that my ex has at Ancestry, one with a Sheffield Hawksley descendant (not of John, but another family), and one with another Hawksley family in Gainsborough, so I cannot rule out the possibility of the Canadian Hawksleys being a descendant of one of the sons of those families, as well. I have not really utilized the FamilyTreeDNA Family Finder matches, simply due to the fact that FTDNA includes small segments in their overall totals and those aren't always reliable.
As you know, the genetic aspect is not the only thing we can rely on here, because it's right on the threshold of what autosomal DNA is capable of. That is, I am looking for the 4th great-grandfather of my ex-husband and his many cousins, and autosomal DNA is hit or miss once you get that many generations back. This is also one of the cautions I always give my DNA students.
DNA is amazing. I
adore DNA testing for genealogy! I took my first test the moment the general public could take any kind of DNA test. But I am careful to respect its limits and combine it with documentary evidence.
Of course, we know there won't be records that specifically state, "I, John Hawksley, decided to cheat on my wife with Mary Goodwin of Saint John whilst stationed in New Brunswick." That would be asking too much. It would make for some spicy reading, though!
I certainly want all of this to be true. When I originally found the book inscription from 1809, it was an exciting discovery and possibility on which to build this hypothesis. Having John Hawksley of Brierley and Birr also be the father of the children born in New Brunswick would simplify everything! This very tired former Mrs. Hawksley could finally take a well-earned rest. Ha ha!
But I also want to ensure I don't give in to confirmation bias, or perpetuate erroneous conclusions that, a hundred years from now, someone else will have to fix. Kind of like so many of us find ourselves doing with those family genealogies published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries!
If you have John and Thomas Hawksley's military records, and are willing to share them, that would be incredibly helpful and so appreciated! There is another soldier I found who was in the same battalion as John, so that gives me a good idea of when and where they would have been stationed. However, of course I would like to see direct primary evidence of John's military service and location between 1809 and 1816.
If you don't have these records, I understand and I have a very kind researcher in England who will be looking into them for me the next time she visits the Archives. I lived in England from 2011 to 2013, and it's too bad John Hawksley of Birr wasn't on anyone's radar at the time. Otherwise, I would have spent many days in Kew.
As I think I mentioned in my emails with you this year, I certainly would be open to collaboration, because perhaps we both have evidence that the other does not. I know you said it would take a great deal of time to write out your research and conclusions, and I understand. My research paper on this family has taken the better part of this year to write, after nearly 30 years of research! But if we could work together, maybe we can come to definitive conclusion.
I would also, as far as Oz/Richard is concerned, be very glad to collaborate, share evidence and resources, and see if we can determine any connection between George Oxley of Shinrone and the Hawksley families in Sheffield. It's always good to get a fresh set of eyes on a challenge, and see what new ideas or directions come of it!
