The William Strother Society, Inc.
The William Strother Society, Inc.

Genealogy

The Society's Genealogist is responsible for maintenance of genealogical records and for helping to coordinate genealogical investigations. Initially a computer database of family members was established from the extensive files of Lloyd Oliver. Additions and corrections have been made over the years, so that the database now includes information on thousands of Strother descendants.

Society members and the Genealogist are involved in a variety of ongoing projects including:

  • Providing assistance to individuals working on their family lineage.
  • Responding to inquiries.
  • Continuing search for data to prove identity of English ancestors.
  • Publishing family histories in books and newsletter articles.
  • Accumulating primary evidence to validate family lineages.
Strother Surname Project
 
Genetic genealogy is an exciting and quickly evolving tool that, when combined with traditional genealogy, can be a game changer in breaking through brick walls that have stood for generations.  There are four types of DNA tests: Y-DNA, Mitochondrial DNA, Autosomal DNA, and X-Chromosome DNA. Since only males carry the Y chromosome and surnames generally follow paternal lines, Y-DNA is the most useful DNA test for surname research. 
 
The Strother Surname Project is one of the many surname projects online at Family Tree DNA. The project is currently in the process of upgrading member kits to the most advanced Y-DNA testing available called BIG Y-500.  Several upgrades are still out, but the results received so far are promising.  The field of genetic genealogy, using DNA analysis as a genealogical tool, is very complicated and still emerging.  With that in mind, the Strother Surname Project has two main goals:
  • to shed light on William the Immigrant's European origins, and 
  • to identify genetic variants unique to the lineages of William's sons and their descendants.  
All upgrade results are due by the end of March of 2019.  Michael Cooley, one of our project administrators, is working tirelessly to analyze the data from the BIG Y-500 upgrades.  So far Michael has discovered some unique genetic variations, called novel SNPs, which are helping to define the lineages of William’s sons and some of their descendants.  Michael has also made some progress in narrowing down the time frame for when the surname shift in William's line (Struthers to Strother) may have occurred. 
 
Look for updates on the Strother Surname Project in upcoming Houses of Strother Newsletters. For a complete history of the Strother Surname Project, see the EAC Reports under the English Ancestry tab on this website. 
 
Also, check out Michael Cooley’s explanation of the Y Chromosome and its benefits in genealogical research by clicking on the following link:
 
Resources

A few popular Internet sites, some free and some not, for Strother researchers:

  1. Ancestry.com: http://www.ancestry.com/
  2. Atlanta History Center (Strother family papers): http://ahc.galileo.usg.edu/ahc/view?docId=ead/ahc.MSS941-ead.xml;query=strother;brand=default
  3. Cyndi’s List of genealogical sites: http://www.cyndislist.com/
  4. DNA explained: https://dna-explained.com/2012/10/01/4-kinds-of-dna-for-genetic-genealogy/
  5. DNA Testing Guide:  https://www.dnatestingguides.com
  6. Find A Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/
  7. Family Search: https://www.familysearch.org/
  8. Family Tree DNA: http://www.familytreedna.com/
  9. Gen Forum, presented by Genealogy.com:
        a. Strother: http://genforum.genealogy.com/strother/
        b. Struthers: http://genforum.genealogy.com/struthers/
  10. Georgia State Archives: http://www.georgiaarchives.org/
  11. Library of Virginia: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
  12. Michael Cooley's Genetic Genealogy Blog: http://blog.ancestraldata.com/
  13. Mocavo: http://www.mocavo.com/
  14. Roots Web: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
  15. South Carolina Department of Archives & History: http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/
  16. State Archives of North Carolina: http://www.archives.ncdcr.gov/
  17. The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Genealogy: https://www.dnatestingguides.com/blogs/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-genealogy/
  18. U.S. Gen Web Archives: http://usgwarchives.org/
  19. The 25 Best Genealogy Sites - The Definitive Guide: https://www.ireviews.com/best-genealogy-sites/
  20. A good, curated collection of genealogy resources:  https://crossword-solver.io/genealogy-resources
  21. An introduction to building a family tree:  https://www.aaastateofplay.com/genealogy-for-kids-building-a-family-tree/
  22. A source for youth services family research:  https://everpresent.com/a-guide-to-genealogy-and-family-history-research/
  23. A guide for tracing your European roots, with resources for each country:  https://ourpublicrecords.org/europe-family-records/
 
 
        Fran Kirkpatrick - Genealogist
 E-mail: genealogy@wmstrother.org
          Cell phone:  615-390-4740