07.07.08
Posted in Daily Journal, Niedzialkowski, DNA, Niedzialkowski Surname Study at 11:00 pm by Administrator
INTRODUCTION
A Y-DNA study of three men was conducted in order to either support or disprove the proposed relationship between two Worcester County, Massachusetts families, one with the surname Niedzialkowski and the other with the surname Niedzialkoski.
The families of Franciszek Niedzialkoski and Kostanty Niedzialkowski have both lived in Worcester County, Massachusetts since the beginning of the 20th Century when both men immigrated from the Łomza Gubernia of the Congress Kingdom of Poland. Kostanty Niedzialkowski stated on his Immigrant Passenger Manifest that Franciszek Niedzialkoski was his uncle. However, the Polish baptismal, marriage, and death records necessary to confirm this relationship have not been located.
METHODS
Direct male descendants of both family lines agreed to participate in a Y-DNA study in order to test the proposed relationships. Two descendants of Franciszek (Participants A and B) and one descendant of Kostanty (Participant C) submitted DNA samples to Family Tree DNA for analysis of 67 Y-DNA markers.
Participants A and B are known to be first cousins. Participant C is thought to be a second cousin once removed of the other two. If the proposed relationships between the families are correct, the Y-DNA among the three should match very closely.
RESULTS
The results of the analysis of 67 markers on the Y chromosome show that Participants A and B each have a unique result at one marker. Participant A carries a one-step mutation at DYS 390, and Participant B carries a one-step mutation at DYS 444. Two differences out of sixty-seven for first cousins is a bit higher than usual, but not unexpected.
Participant C, however, shows four unique mutations: a one-step mutation at DYS 459b, a two-step mutation at DYS 464a, a one-step mutation at DYS 464c, and a three-step mutation at DYS CDYb. Considering all the differences between Particpant C and either Participant A or B, Family Tree DNA calculates the genetic difference between the two families as seven!
Kostanty’s family is clearly related to Franciszek’s family, but the relationship appears to be much more distant than previously thought. Based on these results, the probability that the two families share a common ancestor within 4 generations is only 3.3%.
Discussion of these results with representatives of Family Tree DNA at the recent Southern California Genealogy Jamboree revealed that all the mutations in the DNA of Participant C were at palindromic markers and that the mutations seemed to duplicate the number of repeats in homologous markers.
Analysis of the palindromic markers on the Y chromosome of the three participants is shown in Table 1. The variant results of Participant C are highlighted in red. The eight markers shown actually represent duplications of only three distinguishable markers, DYS 459, DYS 464, and DYS CDY. DYS 459 appears twice (DYS 459a and DYS 459b), DYS 464 appears four times (DYS 464a, DYS 464b, DYS 464c, and DYS 464d), and DYS CDY appears twice on the Y chromosome (DYS CDYa and DYS CDYb) in these participants.
All these markers appear on a Y chromosome palindromic region. Just as the bases A and T and the bases C and G form pairs in double-stranded DNA, the same bases form pairs in the palindromic regions of single-stranded DNA and consequently form structures that resemble hairpins.
An event called recombinational loss of heterozygosity (recLOH) can occur in these hairpin regions. If, during DNA replication, a section of DNA is accidentally deleted on one side of the hairpin, the cell will attempt to repair the deletion by copying the remaining side of the hairpin. Thus, half of the existing markers will be deleted and replaced with an exact duplicate of the remaining markers.
And that’s just what happened in the Y-DNA of Participant C. What appear at first glance to be mutations at four markers, for a total genetic distance of seven, is actually a single mutation with a genetic distance of one.
DISCUSSION
Because of the recLOH event in the Y chromosome of Participant C, it is now clear that all three participants are very closely related. Each participant demonstrates a single unique mutation that, in the future, can accurately identify which of these three branches of the Niedzialkowski/Niedzialkoski families a descendant belongs.
These results provide evidence that the proposed relationships between the families of Franciszek Niedzialkoski and Kostanty Niedzialkowski are correct, even in the absence of traditional genealogical evidence.
REFERENCES
Rosen, S., Skaletsky, H., Marszalek, J. D., Minx, P. J., Cordum, H. S., Waterstron, R. H., Wilson, R. K. & Page, D. C. Abundant gene conversion between arms of palindromes in human and ape Y chromosomes. Nature 423, 873-876 (2003).
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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07.06.08
Posted in Daily Journal, Danko, Niedzialkowski, Chmielewski/Meleski, Dziurzynski, DNA at 11:30 pm by Administrator
As I mentioned in the two previous posts, I’ve begun DNA studies on my Danko and Niedzialkowski lines. Not all the results are in yet, but the results so far have provided good start on understanding my genetic ancestry. At the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, I was able to meet with two of the folks from Family Tree DNA (the company who is conducting the tests on my family) who were kind enough to help explain the results obtained so far.
Max Blankfeld and Associate from Family Tree DNA
SOURCE: Max Blankfeld and Associate from Family Tree DNA (Burbank, Los Angeles Co., California). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 Jun 2008.
Because of the way DNA is inherited, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tests provide information on a strictly maternal line (my mother’s mother’s mother’s mother …) and the Y-Chromosomal (Y-DNA) tests provide information on a strictly paternal line (my father’s father’s father’s father …). For this reason, each of these tests provides information on only a small portion of my genetic makeup.
On my own DNA, I have had three tests performed:
- A 67 marker Y-DNA test for short tandem repeats (SNPs)
- A Y-DNA single nucleotide polymorphism test (SNP)
- A mtDNA test that sequenced my entire mitochondrial genome
Three of my Niedzialkowski/Niedzialkoski cousins also had a 67 marker Y-DNA test.
My father recently sent in a DNA sample for a mtDNA test that will sequence his entire mitochondrial genome.
The results indicate that:
- based on the STR analysis of my Y-DNA, my strictly paternal line belongs to haplogroup R1b;
- based on the SNP analysis of my Y-DNA, my strictly paternal line haplogroup can be refined to R1b1b2g, otherwise known as R1b-U106;
- based on the STR analysis of my Niedzialkowski cousins’ Y-DNA, my mother’s paternal line belongs to haplogroup R1a; and
- based on the sequence of my mtDNA, my strictly maternal line belongs to haplogroup W.
When my father’s mtDNA analysis is complete, I will also know the haplogroup to which my father’s maternal line belongs.
Thus, when my father’s results are in, I will have genetic information on my ancestry from all four of my grandparents. I know of relatives who can provide mtDNA from my father’s father’s mother’s line, and I hope one of those relatives will be willing to participate in this study.
Using the Sosa-Stradonitz Method for numbering ancestors, I have highlighted in bold those ancestors whose mtDNA (women) or Y-DNA (men) will be covered by the tests I’ve already conducted, and I have highlighted in italics those ancestors whose genetic signatures will be covered by the tests in progress or which I hope to conduct:
- Subject
- Father
- Mother
- Father’s father
- Father’s mother
- Mother’s father
- Mother’s mother
- Father’s father’s father
- Father’s father’s mother
- Father’s mother’s father
- Father’s mother’s mother
- Mother’s father’s father
- Mother’s father’s mother
- Mother’s mother’s father
- Mother’s mother’s mother
So, what’s the point of all this? Through these DNA studies, I hope to provide genetic evidence for the information I obtain through traditional genealogical methods, I hope to confirm or disprove some tenuous linkages, and I hope to find missing cousins.
In a larger context, I hope to discover if the various Niedzialkowski families come from the same genetic stock, and I also hope to learn if any of the many Danko families in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Hungary have a common genetic ancestry.
Wish me luck!
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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07.05.08
Posted in Daily Journal, DNA, Danko Surname Study at 11:00 pm by Administrator
I am pleased to announce the launch of the Danko Surname Study.
The Danko Surname Study is designed to study the relationships among those with the surname Danko and its variants.
The study is comprised of two projects:
The Danko Genealogy Project: a one-name study to document the genealogy of those with Danko ancestors; and
The Danko DNA Project: a Y-DNA study to analyze the genetic relationships of men with the Danko surname.
According to Kazimierz Rymut (Rymut, Kazimierz. 2003. Dictionary of surnames in current use in Poland at the beginning of the 21st century. Chicago, IL: Polish Genealogical Society of America.), in Poland at the beginning of the 21st century, the distribution of the Dańko surname and its variants included:
- Danco - 1
- Danko - 75
- Dańka - 16
- Dańko - 998
The surname distribution in Poland is shown on the following maps:
Distribution of the Danko Surname in Poland
SOURCE: Mojkrewni, “Mapa nazwisk”, database, Mojkrewni.pl (http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/danko.html : accessed 05 Jul 2008), user-defined report for “Danko”.
The Danko surname is most frequently found in the following locations in Poland:
- Warszawa - 14
- Sulęcin - 11
- Słubice - 7
- Sucha Beskidzka - 7
- City of Kraków - 5
- City of Wałbrzych - 5
- Jelenia Góra - 5
- Żywiec - 4
- Strzelce Opolskie - 4
- City of Bielsko-Biała - 4
Distribution of the Dańko Surname in Poland
SOURCE: Mojkrewni, “Mapa nazwisk”, database, Mojkrewni.pl (http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/da%25C5%2584ko.html : accessed 05 Jul 2008), user-defined report for “Dańko”.
The Dańko surname is most frequently found in the following locations in Poland:
- Przemyśl - 115
- Sucha Beskidzka - 36
- Brzozów - 36
- City of Białystok - 35
- City of Przemyśl - 33
- Świdnik - 31
- Sokółka - 28
- City of Lublin - 27
- Białystok - 26
- City of Kraków - 26
My own Dańko ancestors were from Przemyśl, the area of Poland with the largest number of individuals with the Dańko surname. Przemyśl is the red are in the lower right corner of the map, above.
In addition to Poland, the Danko surname occurs in significant numbers in Hungary. A total of 1300 individuals in Hungary bear the Danko surname or a related surname. Together, the following surnames represent the 185th most common in Hungary:
- Danka
- Danko
- Dankó
- Donka
- Donko
- Donkó
The surname also occurs frequently in countries bordering Poland and Hungary:
- Czech Republic
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Ukraine
The US Federal Census shows that, in 1930, individuals with the Danko surname resided in:
- California
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
The US Federal Census for the year 2000 shows that 3422 individuals with the Danko surname were residing in the United States.
To participate in the Danko Genealogy Project, please contact me by email at stephen@stephendanko.com .
Danko DNA Project, please go to the Danko DNA Project webpage or contact me directly by email at stephen@stephendanko.com . Those who participate in the Danko DNA Project are entitled to discounted rates for DNA tests at Family Tree DNA.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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07.04.08
Posted in Daily Journal, DNA, Niedzialkowski Surname Study at 11:30 pm by Administrator
I am pleased to announce the launch of the Niedzialkowski Surname Study.
The Niedzialkowski Surname Study is designed to study the relationships among those with the surname Niedzialkowski and its variants.
The study is comprised of two projects:
- The Niedzialkowski Genealogy Project: a one-name study to document the genealogy of those with Niedzialkowski ancestors; and
- The Niedzialkowski DNA Project: a Y-DNA study to analyze the genetic relationships of men with the Niedzialkowski surname.
According to Kazimierz Rymut (Rymut, Kazimierz. 2003. Dictionary of surnames in current use in Poland at the beginning of the 21st century. Chicago, IL: Polish Genealogical Society of America.), in Poland at the beginning of the 21st century, the distribution of the Niedziałkowski surname and its variants included:
- Niedzialkowska - 3
- Niedzialkowski - 2
- Niedziałkowska - 809
- Niedziałkowski - 786
The surname distribution in Poland is shown on the following maps:
Distribution of the Niedziałkowska Surname in Poland
SOURCE: Mojkrewni, “Mapa nazwisk”, database, Mojkrewni.pl (http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/niedzia%25C5%2582kowska.html : accessed 04 Jul 2008), user-defined report for “Niedziałkowska”.
The Niedziałkowska surname is most frequently found in the following locations in Poland:
Distribution of the Niedziałkowski Surname in Poland
SOURCE: Mojkrewni, “Mapa nazwisk”, database, Mojkrewni.pl (http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/niedzia%25C5%2582kowski.html : accessed 04 Jul 2008), user-defined report for “Niedziałkowski”.
The Niedziałkowski surname is most frequently found in the following locations in Poland:
In the United States, many immigrants with the Niedziałkowski surname modified or anglicized the name. Some of the variants include:
- Niedzialkowski
- Niedzialkowsky
- Niedzialkoski
- Niedzialkosky
- Niedzial
- Cosky
- Sunday
- Newman
The US Federal Census shows that, in 1930, individuals with the Niedzialkowski surname resided in:
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin
To participate in the Niedzialkowski Genealogy Project, please contact me by email at stephen@stephendanko.com .
To participate in the Niedzialkowski DNA Project, please go to the Niedzialkowski DNA Project webpage or contact me directly by email at stephen@stephendanko.com . Those who participate in the Niedzialkowski DNA Project are entitled to discounted rates for DNA tests at Family Tree DNA.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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06.29.08
Posted in Daily Journal, Genealogy Conferences, DNA at 11:00 pm by Administrator
While at Jamboree, I had the pleasure of participating in the Genealogy Blogger Summit with Megan Smolenyak and hearing her two presentations on DNA entitled Trace Your Roots with DNA and Beyond Y-DNA: Your Genetic Genealogy Options.
Megan Smolenyak and Steve Danko at Jamboree 2008
SOURCE: Megan Smolenyak and Steve Danko at Jamboree 2008 (Burbank, Los Angeles Co., California). Photographed by Marcy Brown 29 Jun 2008.
Megan defined genetic genealogy as DNA testing for the purpose of learning about one’s heritage and described it as a complement to traditional genealogy.
Of all the DNA tests available, the Y chromosome tests are the most popular. These tests include the test for short tandem repeats (STRs) and the test for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the Y chromosome. The STR test looks for the number of times a particular DNA pattern is repeated at places on the Y chromosome called markers. The results of this test defines a man’s Y chromosomal haplotype.
Since only men have a Y chromosome, women can only participate in this test by proxy, meaning that women must find a male relative (father, brother, uncle, male cousin) to be tested in her place. The Y chromosome is passed on from father to son, and can be used to trace a man’s ancestry from his father’s father’s father’s father. Because the Y chromosome is inherited in this way, analysis of the Y chromosome can be used either to support or disprove relationships.
A second Y-DNA test examines SNPs, mutations in the DNA that are so rare that they are assumed to have occurred only once in human history. The result of SNP tests define a man’s Y chromosomal haplogroup. The haplotype, identified by STR analysis, can be used to predict the haplogroup, and the SNP test can be used to confirm the haplogroup and provide additional details about the haplogroup.
Although only men have a Y chromosome, both men and women have mitochondrial DNA which they inherited from their mothers. Although men have mitochondrial DNA, they do not pass it on to their children. Thus, analysis of the mitochondrial DNA provides a test for one’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mother. Because mitochondrial DNA changes very slowly, it is not quite as useful as Y-DNA to examine relationships among people. Nonetheless, mitochondrial DNA can still be used to support or disprove proposed relationships.
Other DNA tests available to both men and women include tests for ethnic and biogeographic origins. Some of these tests provide percentages of different geographical groups such as Indo-European, Sub-Saharan African, Native American, and East Asian, while others are designed to provide details about African and Native American ancestries.
Still other DNA tests can provide information about inherited medical conditions and physical traits.
Megan pointed out that those who participate in DNA tests often have a specific purpose in mind. Some wish to learn if two people have common origins, while others may wish to uncover connections that paper trails can’t. DNA analysis can help solve personal history mysteries, including cases of uncertain parentage.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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05.04.08
Posted in Daily Journal, DNA at 2:00 pm by Administrator
Well, Miriam started it.
She wrote to the Genealogy Guys to tell them about Blaine Bettinger’s e-book “I Have The Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?”.
George Morgan took a look at Blaine’s book, was very enthusiastic about it, and discussed it in The Genealogy Guys Podcast Episode #135, mentioning that it is a concise, well-written explanation of how to interpret the results of Y-DNA and mtDNA tests.
I heartily agree.
I downloaded Blaine’s e-book a couple of weeks ago from his blog, The Genetic Genealogist. For a book on such a technical subject, I found Blaine’s book to be an easy read. The book delivers a lot of information, but doesn’t overwhelm the reader.
Blaine’s e-book includes the following four chapters in a concise 28 pages:
Chapter 1: What Is (And Isn‟t) Genetic Genealogy?
Chapter 2: How Do I Interpret My Y-DNA Results?
Chapter 3: How Do I Interpret My mtDNA Results?
Chapter 4: Monitoring the Field of Genetic Genealogy.
For some time, I have agonized about having my DNA tested, not because I had any qualms about having my DNA tested, but because I really didn’t understand the nature of the tests, couldn’t decide on which tests to take, and couldn’t decide on which testing company to hire.
I couldn’t even decide why I would want to have my DNA tested. I was certainly curious about what the results would be, but was that reason enough to spend the money for the tests?
Recently, three of my Niedzialkowski/Niedzialkoski cousins completed a DNA study to confirm or disprove their relationships despite the absence of direct genealogical evidence. Intrigued by the results of their study, I decided to jump into the fray despite the fact that I had no immediate questions that I hoped the analysis of my DNA could answer.
I had my Y-DNA and mtDNA tested through FamilyTreeDNA. I had no idea which tests I should order, so I just ordered the biggest package deal offered by FamilyTreeDNA. This turned out to be FamilyTreeDNA’s “Super DNA” test, which includes an analysis of 67 markers on my Y-Chromosome and full sequencing of my mitochondrial genome.
The results came in. I was informed that my Y-DNA haplogroup is R1b, as predicted by the analysis of short tandem repeats (STRs). I have ordered an analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms to confirm the haplogroup assignment. The results are due in about a week from now. I expected to belong to R1a, the haplogroup to which my Niedzialkowski cousins belong. However, I inherited my Y-DNA from my Danko ancestors, not my Niedzialkowski ancestors, and R1b is the most common European haplogroup, so there are really no big surprises here.
My mitochondrial haplogroup is W1. Again, there are no big surprises here, since haplogroup W is found in the western Ural mountains, the eastern Baltic, Poland, and a few other countries.
Beyond the haplogroup designations, the results of my DNA tests seemed like just a bunch of numbers until I read Blaine’s e-book. Now, I understand what all the designations mean and why those particular regions of DNA were selected for genealogical purposes.
Blaine’s e-book doesn’t address autosomal DNA tests or X-DNA tests, but that’s not a shortcoming. I learned the answers to the questions I had on Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA testing, and that has helped me appreciate the results of my tests even more.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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03.24.08
Posted in Daily Journal, DNA at 12:01 am by Administrator
A while ago, I wrote about how I thought a Y-DNA test could help determine if I was indeed related to the descendants of Franciszek Niedzialkoski.
I have indirect proof of the relationship through church records in Poland, but I still have not been able to find some critical documents to confirm the relationship directly. In particular, I’m missing my grandfather’s birth and baptismal record, my great-grandfather’s marriage record, and my great grandfather’s birth and baptismal record.
Three of my Niedzialkowski/Niedzialkoski cousins arranged to have their Y-DNA tested. While the results are not yet complete, we do know that the Y-DNA markers of all three fit into the R1a haplogroup, described by FamilyTreeDNA as:
R1a - The R1a lineage is believed to have originated in the Eurasian Steppes north of the Black & Caspian Seas. This lineage is thought to descend from a population of the Kurgan culture, known for the domestication of the horse (circa 3000 B.C.E.). These people were also believed to be the first speakers of the Indo-European language group. This lineage is found in central & western Asia, India, and in Slavic populations of Europe.
The R1a haplogroup is the most common Y-DNA haplogroup in Poland. So, no surprises here.
I also sent my own DNA to be tested. My Y-DNA will correspond to the Danko surname. I received the results of the analysis of the first 12 markers and my Y-DNA fits firmly within the R1b1 haplogroup.
FamilyTreeDNA describes this haplogroup as:
R1b1 - Haplogroup R1b is the most common haplogroup in European populations. It is believed to have expanded throughout Europe as humans re-colonized after the last glacial maximum 10-12 thousand years ago. This lineage is also the haplogroup containing the Atlantic modal haplotype.
Quite frankly, I expected my Y-DNA would fit into the R1a haplogroup, just like the DNA of my Niedzialkowski/Niedzialkoski cousins. It looks like my Danko ancestors followed a different migration path to Poland than did my Niedzialkowski ancestors. My distant Danko ancestors appear to have arrived from Western Europe while my distant Niedzialkowski ancestors appear to have arrived from Eastern Europe!
These results are a bit unexpected, but not unreasonable.
I’m still waiting for the results of the analysis of my mitochondrial DNA, which should give me clues to the origin of my matrilineal line.
So, now I have DNA tests in progress for DNA that tracks with three of my grandparents: Kostanty Niedzialkowski, Helena Chmielewski, and Michael Danko. If I can convince another family member who carries my paternal grandmother’s mitochondrial DNA, I’ll have a DNA trail for all four grandparents.
It will be interesting to see what kind of information I can coax out of the final DNA results.
Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko
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01.30.08
Posted in Daily Journal, Maps, Danko, Niedzialkowski, Chotkowski, Dziurzynski, DNA, Gutowski, Wojnowski at 12:01 am by Administrator
Inspired by John D. Reid of Anglo-Celtic Connections (as mentioned by Blaine Bettinger of the Genetic Genealogist), I’ve used Google Maps to plot the earliest known locations of the contributors to my DNA. These locations are probably correct for the locations of my ancestors in about 1808, although some of my ancestors were in these same locations much earlier.
The Earliest Known Locations of Stephen J. Danko’s Ancestors
The yellow marker is Likiškės, Lithuania, the earliest known location of my Chmielewski ancestors and of my Wojnowski ancestors - the source of my mitochondrial DNA.
The purple marker is Mosaki, Poland, the earliest known location of my Chotkowski ancestors.
The red marker hiding behind the purple one is Klonowo, Poland, the earliest known location of my Niedzialkowski ancestors. This is also the source of my maternal grandfather’s Y-DNA. This Y-DNA matches the R1a haplogroup, a group to which more than 50% of Polish men belong.
The blue marker is Warszawa, Poland, the earliest known location of my Gutowski ancestors.
The orange marker is Sielnica, Poland, the earliest known location of my Dziurzyński ancestors. This is also the source of my father’s mitochondrial DNA.
The turquoise marker hiding behind the orange marker is Nienadowa, Poland, the earliest known location of my Dańko ancestors. This is also the source of my Y-DNA.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
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11.01.07
Posted in Daily Journal, Niedzialkowski, Chmielewski/Meleski, DNA at 12:01 am by Administrator
I’ve traced the ancestry of my maternal grandfather, Kostanty Niedziałkowski, back to the late 17th century in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The Wedding of Kostanty Niedziałkowski and Helena Chmielewska
SOURCE: The Wedding of Kostanty Niedziałkowski and Helena Chmielewska. Photographed 10 July 1918 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Photographer Unknown.
But there’s a problem with my proposed Niedziałkowski pedigree.
I’m missing some key documents to prove some of the relationships. In particular, I’m missing the birth record of my grandfather, the marriage record of my great grandparents, and the birth record of my great grandfather.
My proposed pedigree is as follows:
- Grandparents: Kostanty Niedziałkowski and Helena Chmielewska
- Great Grandparents: Teofil Niedziałkowski and Ksawera (Zygmuntowicz or Napierkowska)
- 2nd Great Grandparents: Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska
- 3rd Great Grandparents: Antoni Niedziałkowski and Karolina Milewska
- 4th Great Grandparents: Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chotkowska
- 5th Great Grandparents: Ignace Niedzialkowski and Zofia Szamińska
- 6th Great Grandparents: Krzysztof Niedziałkowski and Konstantja Żaboklicka
Kostanty’s Parents
Now, even though I haven’t found my grandfather’s birth record, I was able to obtain the names of Kostanty’s parents from several documents:
- My grandfather’s Immigrant Passenger Manifest prepared in 1910 states that my grandfather’s father was Teofil Niedzialkowski. His mother is not named on the manifest.
- My grandparents’ Certificate of Marriage from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts received by the Worcester City Clerk on 10 August 1918 states that my grandfather’s parents were Theophil Niedzialkowski and Xaveria Zygmuntowicz.
- My grandfather’s SS-5 Application for a Social Security Account Number prepared in 1936 states that my grandfather’s parents were Teofil Niedzialkowski and Ksavera Napierkowski.
- A copy of my grandparent’s marriage record prepared by the Assistant City Clerk of Worcester, Massachusetts on 03 January 1941 states that my grandfather’s parents were Theophil Niedzialkowska and Zaveria Zygmuntowicz.
Ignoring minor spelling differences, these documents all agree that Kostanty’s father was Teofil Niedziałkowski and that his mother’s first name was Ksawera, but they disagree on his mother’s maiden name, listing it as either Zygmuntowicz or Napierkowska.
The problem now was that I couldn’t find Kostanty’s birth/baptismal record to verify the names of his parents (especially his mother). But let me just concentrate on the Niedziałkowski line.
I have not been able to find either a birth record or marriage record for Teofil Niedziałkowski, meaning that I didn’t have any information on the names of Teofil’s parents.
Collateral Lines and Indirect Evidence
And so, I used indirect evidence to establish the names of Teofil’s parents:
- The Birth and Baptismal Record of Franciszek Niedziałkowski recorded in 1876 states that his parents were Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska.
- The Marriage Record of Frank Niedzialkowski recorded in 1904 states that his parents were Adalbert Niedzialkowski and Julia Gutowska. Adalbert is the English equivalent of the Polish name Wojciech.
- My grandfather’s Immigrant Passenger Manifest prepared in 1910 states that he was going to stay with his uncle, Franciszek Niedzialkowsky at 18 Huntington Avenue in Worcester, Massachusetts.
- The Death Certificate of Frank (Franciszek) Niedzialkosky (Niedziałkowski) from 1955 states that Franciszek’s parents were Wojciech Niedzialkosky and Julia Gutowska.
Since the parents of Kostanty’s uncle are Kostanty’s grandparents, I conclude that Kostanty’s father is Teofil Niedziałkowski and Teofil’s parents are Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska.
There’s one more piece of evidence that Teofil’s father is Wojciech Niedziałkowski:
- The Death Record of Wojciech Niedziałkowski recorded in 1901 states that at the time of his death he was living with his son Teofil.
I have all the rest of the documents that provide direct evidence to support the proposed lineage. The indirect evidence provided by Franciszek Niedziałkowski’s parentage bridges the gap in the direct evidence.
However, given the lack of a few key documents, particularly the birth records of Kostanty and Teofil, I cannot rule out the possibility that Kostanty or Teofil may not be Niedziałkowskis by birth. They very well may have been the sons of a previous marriage of their mothers before their mothers married into the Niedziałkowski family. That is, there is the possibility that one or both of them may have been adopted.
A Case for DNA Analysis?
To prove that my grandfather is, indeed, related to Franciszek Niedzialkoski and Wojciech Niedziałkowski, I may need to rely on DNA analysis.
Since the Y chromosome is passed on virtually unchanged from father to son, I may be able to use Y-DNA analysis to prove a connection to Franciszek and Wojciech Niedziałkowski. However, I cannot use my own DNA for this purpose. I inherited my Y-DNA from my father and I need a sample of Y-DNA from my mother’s family to conduct this test.
Fortunately, two uncles and one cousin carry that DNA.
But that’s only half of the solution. I also need a sample of the Y-DNA from a male descendant of Franciszek Niedzialkoski. Luckily, Franciszek has many living male descendants, including one son and nine grandsons.
By comparing the Y-DNA from my own Niedziałkowski line with that of Francizsek’s line, I should be able to tell if the two lines are related. If the DNA samples from the two lines match, I would have confirmation that the proposed lineage could be correct. If the DNA samples from the two lines don’t match, I would have confirmation that the proposed lineage is most likely incorrect.
Unfortunately, the test will not tell who the common ancestor is, but conventional genealogy has already provided evidence that the common ancestor is Wojciech.
Given the lack of a few critical documents and the fact that my Niedziałkowski pedigree is based on indirect evidence, the proposed Y-DNA test could be a key piece of evidence to prove my Niedziałkowski ancestry.
Now I just have to find someone from each of the two family lines to contribute their DNA for the test. Any volunteers?
Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko
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