Hi,
Whilst trying to further my Family History research I thought I would have my yDNA tested. The subsequent results for the 37 marker test show I am R1b1a2, but my matches have undoubtedly “thrown a spanner in the works”.
Let me explain. As previously posted my great x2 grandfather was William McIntosh born 1812 in Edinburgh. In the 1841 Census he was a Baker living with, and working for, James Haig at Slateford and later Colinton, both villages in those days near Edinburgh.
In 1842 William married Janet Hunter whose address, at the time of her marriage, was given as 4 Lyndoch Place, Edinburgh. It is assumed she was in service there.
However, previously in 1841 Janet had given birth to twins, David and John, who initially lived with her parents; William and Christina Hunter at 50, Causewayside Edinburgh (Census Record 1841). I have not been able to find their birth record.
In a later census (1851) William and Janet were living at Simon Square, Edinburgh with children David (b. 1841) and Christina (b. 1846). In this Census record Christina is said to have been born at Colinton which indicates that William spent more time in the vicinity of Colinton after his entry in the 1841 Census.
I find it strange that John, actually named Hunter like David in the 1841 census continued to live with his Grandparents after William and Janet had settled down at Simon Square. Perhaps he was ill at the time, as he sadly died on the 9th December 1851. He was buried at East Preston Road Cemetery in what appeared to be an unmarked Family Plot. This is because both William Hunter (John and David’s grandfather) and William McIntosh (their supposed father ) are both buried there also. The former on 29th March 1844 and the latter on the 30th July 1859. It is worth pointing out that William Hunter was 56 when John and David were born, so he was unlikely to have been their father.
Note also that John died at 2 Home Street where in the 1851 Census he was living with his widowed grandmother Christina Hunter who was a lodging house keeper aged 60 years. She would have been 50 when the twins were born!
So enter my yDNA results into the equation. Having uploaded my results to y Search I find that at a Genetic distance of 1 my closest match, with 25 markers compared, rather unexpectedly was with the Hayes family in the USA. There were no McIntoshs named on the list apart from myself.
So what can be the explanation for the lack of McIntosh matches. As I am undoubtedly descended from David it leads me to consider that the twins, David and John, were not William’s children.
Whilst I could not find Janet Hunter in the 1841 Census at 4 Lyndoch Place, or anywhere else for that matter, ironically I did find an Edward Hay and a William Hayes in a list of 100 soldiers at Canongate. (presumably Edinburgh Castle) ,or is this far too much of a coincidence?
So the search continues, were my ancestors named McIntosh or Hayes?
Any help or suggestions would be gratefully accepted.
G. McIntosh
