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Archiver > PIATT > 2004-11 > 1099771082


From: "Sharolynn Pyeatt" <>
Subject: DNA study
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2004 12:58:09 -0700


As I mentioned in my last posting, not all of us who have participated
in the DNA study for the PIATT-PYATT-PYEATT family match with the other
participants.



As I recall, when Laverne PIATT presented the findings based upon about
19 participants at the 2003 PIATT researchers conference, there were 2
or 3 of us who did not match the main group, but who were closer to each
other and may constitute a second grouping. My family was one of those
who did not match the main group.



In our case, we knew that there was some question about the parentage of
my father. My grandmother was married twice and my father was born 13
months after her first marriage and two years before her divorce was
granted. But, when it finally came to light that the surname on my
father's birth certificate was HAMILTON, not PYEATT, she claimed that
his birth father was truly George PYEATT. My father was 29 years old at
the time. Even his PYEATT aunts and uncles were unaware that my dad's
parents hadn't married until my father was 2 years old-but Grandpa
PYEATT was in the merchant marine, so his contact with his brothers and
sisters was limited at that time. It is possible that Nana was just
telling my father what she thought he wanted to hear since the only
father he had ever known was George.



If we were the only DNA strain that didn't match, our family could
assume that our blood line followed the HAMILTON surname. But, we can't
prove that either. Although not an exact match, our DNA was closer to
another participant who spells our surname PYATT and which has very
definite ties to Virginia/West Virginia.



One of the greatest advantages of having a large sample of participants
in the PIATT-PYATT-PYEATT DNA study is that it give us clues as to
whether our research assumptions are accurate. If, in building our
family tree, we come across someone whose DNA does not match-then we
need to determine if it was just a single case of mistaken parentage or
if this presents a different family line, who just happens to settle
down in the vicinity of an older, more firmly established line.



To my knowledge, we have no participants who have a firmly established
tie to the Arkansas and Texas PYEATT's. If we could build a database
with participants who can show at least 4 generations of PIATT (and all
its variant spellings) ancestry, we could more clearly determine just
how we relate to one another. Or, we may show that there are two or
three separate and distinct PIATT family groups in the U.S.



If we could find more individuals who were willing to participate, it
would really be helpful in solving some of our genealogical questions.



Thanks again to you all!!



Sharolynn


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