DNA Testing: Old Peter Skaggs and Rachel Skaggs Lester

Two documented descendants of Old Peter have matched each other and a descendant of the Rachel Skaggs who married William Lester on the same segment of DNA.  This means that it is very likely (90%) that all three testing participants share the same ancestor.  All three participants have extensive genealogies that show the common ancestor was an ancestor of both Old Peter and Rachel, likely their parents John and Ruth Skaggs.

More Tools for DNA Genealogy

I've found a couple of useful tools out there for DNA research.

• GEDMatch has a tool that provides the family tree for your DNA matches so you can compare their tree to yours to find the connections
• The 23andMe testing service has a new tool that triangulates your DNA matches, i.e. you select a DNA match and 23andMe provides a list of third parties that match both you and the person you selected.  The benefit of triangulation is that if three persons match on the same segment of DNA there's over a 90% chance they have the same common ancestor.  Less false positives and wild goose chases.

It would be great if several Skaggs descendants on GEDMatch and 23andMe would use these tools to match other descendants and trace back to a common ancestor.  We might be able to find out from the DNA of current descendants how old Skaggs ancestors were related.

Famous Skaggs: Skaggs...Texas Ranger

A long-lost Skaggs played a role in the Texas Revolution and the beginning of the Republic of Texas.  He was involved in the initial defeat of Mexico by the Army of Texas and later joined the Texas Rangers to patrol the frontiers of the new Republic of Texas and fight the Mexicans at the Battle of San Jacinto.

The Elkins Family of Halifax County, Virginia

Some Skaggs, Elkins and Bishop researchers believe that the Ruth Bishop who married John Bishop in Montgomery County, Virginia c. 1780 was previously married to a John Scaggs and had the maiden name Elkins.  Many of these researchers believe that this Ruth Elkins Scaggs Bishop was the daughter of a Ralph Elkins and Frances Brown who lived in Halifax County, Virginia prior to the formation of Pittsylvania County from Halifax in 1767.

Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Skaggs researchers who are interested in Old Peter’s parents should spend some time investigating the Skaggs of Pittsylvania County, Virginia.  Pittsylvania was formed from Halifax County in 1767 and they did an initial tax census of the new Pittsylvania in 1767.  A lot of interesting information for Skaggs researchers comes from that 1767 tax list.