Discovering Perew in DNA

Autosomal DNA – that which identifies cousins – has proved particularly useful to me in adding verification of family members that I have researched based on records, family stories and more. Since there is always a possibility that a child listed in the census or baptized is not actually the child of the recorded parents, it does seem to add a level of certainty to the mythic past.

But I have also made forays into finding parents of dead-end ancestors. This is, I believe, dangerous because one relies on the accuracy of other family trees and it is always possible that any conclusions are incorrect. That said as a disclaimer. I am relatively confident that I have identified the family of Felix Perew — for whom I have very few records and mostly the word of his children.

Felix Perew and his wife lived in the Plattsburgh region of New York. Both died before their son Frank was 16 years old, leaving young children who stayed in the region. Census records capture them later on as does the will of Frank Perew. They are, however, hard to find in the 1800 through 1840 censuses that, of course, only list heads of families. Frank Perew became a steamship captain and even launched a ship called the Mary Elizabeth Perew. The ship could have been named after his sister Mary E Perew who married William McNalley, also a steamship captain. Or it could have been named after his mother — I think more likely and so I have suggested that Felix Perew’s wife was likely a Mary Elizabeth.

Now here is where DNA becomes interesting. I have recorded 29 DNA tests that point to the family of Jean-Baptiste Seguin dit Laderoute and Marie Marguerite Leduc. This raises the probability that Felix Perew’s wife was from this family, and, hence, with the name Marie Elisabeth Seguin (Perew). At the same time, 24 DNA tests suggest a strong link to the family of Jean-Baptiste Proulx and his wife Marie Felicite Lecompte dite Lafleur. I believe these are probably parents of Felix Perew – Proulx.

In each of these cases, DNA tests identify cousins with all the intermarried families. In the numbers listed above, some are descendants each generation back. While it does seem that there is significant inter-marrying among the French Canadians, the DNA seems to converge in a way that is highly suggestive. But, a caveat, not proof. Here are the Generations and linking tests (identifying cousins among the descendants of each family. I start with Mary Elizabeth Seguin.

Mary Elizabeth Seguin – b about 1797 in Quebec province.

Gen 1

Jean Baptiste Sequin dit Laderoute and Marie Marguerite Leduc

• Matches to descendants of 4 children: Jean Baptiste, Josephte Robillard, Thomas Seguin, Joseph Seguin.
  • M1 – 5th- 8th Cousin (15cm) – is a 5th Cousin Once Removed (of test taker)
  • M2 – 5th-8th Cousin (11cm) – is a 5th Cousin Twice Removed
  • M3 – 4 associated tests: 1 – a 5th cousin (27cm), 2 – a 5th cousin (28cm), 3 – a 5th cousin (30cm), 4 – a 5th cousin (26cm)
  • M4 – 2 associated tests: 1 – a 4th cousin once removed (32cm), 2 – a 5th cousin twice removed (30cm)

Gen 2

Jean Baptistie Seguin dit Laderoute and Marie Josephte Lemadeleine

• Matches to descendants of 1 child: Therese Seguin dit Laderoute Bray. 6th Cousin once removed (14cm)

Joseph Leduc and Marguerite Brigitte Lalonde

• Matches to descendants of once child: Marie Josephte Leduc Pilon: 6th Cousin (34cm)

In fact, matches continue going back two more generations and more, albeit becoming weaker as one would expect. Full ancestor chart for Mary Elizabeth Seguin Perew is shown here – https://adupree.com/wp/g/verticalchart.php?personID=I386895&tree=adupree&generations=

I have found no baptism record or any other mention that clearly places Mary Elizabeth in this family. But I have discounted other Mary Elizabeth Seguin’s born around that time. Although they are related, they do not continue to relate going back. The only baptismal record for a Marie Elizabeth Seguin I have found is the child of Hyacinthe Seguin and Mary Louise Roulou. See link. While many ancestors of this Marie Elizabeth Seguin are the same – there is much less to point to this family. Still, since there is evidence of a Marie Elizabeth… I will keep looking.

Felix Perew/Proulx b 1780/1790 Quebec

Gen 1

Jean Baptiste Proulx and Marie Felicite Lafleur (and his first wife)

• Matches to descendants of 4 siblings: Jean Baptiste, Michel, Joseph and Antoine
  • M1 2 tests: 5th cousin twice removed (18cm), 5th cousin 3 times removed (17cm)
  • M2 1 test: 5th cousin twice removed (14cm)
  • M3 1 test: 5th cousin once removed (22cm)
  • M4 1 test: (I haven’t recorded it yet)

Gen 2

Joseph Proulx and Marie Charlotte Clement Lariviere

• Matches to descendants of 2 siblings Augustine and Marie Agathe Proulx Brabant
  • M1 2 tests: 6th cousin once removed (18cm), 6th cousin once removed (24cm)
  • M2 2 tests: 6th cousin twice removed (33cm), 6th cousin once removed (20cm)

Joseph Lecompte dit Lafleur and Marie Ursula Louise Chevalier dit Marquet dit Perigord

• Matches to descendants of 2 siblings
• M1 1 test: 6th cousin once removed (9cm)
• M2 1 test: 6th cousin once removed (8cm)

***

Because there were so many matches I choose to not record the second matches to the same families. So there is at least double what is listed here. There are a few descendants who can also be tracked to upstate New York, such as Jean-Baptiste Seguin (son of Thomas, son of the Jean Baptiste Sequin above), who died in Ogdensberg, New York in 1906. But besides the happenstance inferences, I can find no paper trail to PROVE this DNA line. Nevertheless, I think it is highly probable.