HUGGINS - HUGGANS DNA
In Charles Huggins' book, Huggins Families of Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia, the families of John Randolph Huggins {sic} and George "Goen" Huggins were included in Chapter 14 ("Other Huggins Families"). The author speculated there was a link between the two families but was unable to prove it. During the past twenty years since the book was published, there has been a wealth of genealogical information available, especially on the internet.
Proving a relationship between John Randolph & George is difficult for various reasons, including:
Names of their parents & siblings are unknown.
Places of birth are listed as West Virginia and/or Pennsylvania, depending upon the document.
Birth & Death Certificates are unavailable.
Family bibles (if they even exist) have not been found.
We do know John Randolph Huggans was born in about 1813 in Greene County, Pennsylvania* and George "Goen" Huggins in about 1815 in Pennsylvania. George married in 1835 so the censuses to research for him & John Randolph together would be those for 1820 and 1830. Unfortunately, censuses prior to 1850 do not list the names of all household members - instead there is only the name of the Head of Household and the number of members (divided into sex & age groups):
The third Huggins household was located in Dunkard, Greene County and headed by a JOHN HUGGINS as follows:
2 males ages 0-9; 1 male age 26-44 and 1 female age 26-44.
John Randolph (about age 7) and George (about age 5) would fit in this household.
The John Huggins family in Dunkard Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania listed:
1 male between ages 10-14; 1 male between ages 15-19; 1 male between ages 40-49; 1 female between ages 10-14 and 1 female between age 20-29.
The 1830 census was effective 1 June so George would have been either 14 or 15 years of age & John Randolph would have been 17 years; again, they would fit in this household.
Per future censuses, George and John Randolph moved to Wetzel County. John Randolph Huggans has not yet been found in the 1840 & 1850 censuses, although we know of six land purchases and sales he made in Proctor between 1840-1848. By 1850, George Huggins was living in District 64, Wetzel County where he died in 1856. John Randolph stayed in Wetzel County throughout the remaining available censuses and he died there in 1903.
Due to the lack of family records, other evidence needed to be found to prove a relationship between John Randolph & George. This is where Donnie Huggins and my Uncle John Huggins came in.
Donnie is a great-great grandson of George Huggins. Uncle John is a great-great grandson of John Randolph Huggans. I spoke with both of them about their respective ancestor, explaining how, as direct male descendants, their DNA could determine if John Randolph & George were related. Donnie & Uncle John agreed to be tested.
Taking a DNA test is not difficult - basically, it's a swab wipe of the inside of the mouth - and there are more than a few sites available to purchase the kits. I used the FamilyTreeDNA site (http://www.familytreedna.com), and arranged for a 37 marker test for the two men. (Most DNA testing sites offer several choices of the number of markers to test - this site offered 12, 25, 37 & 67 markers). The closer two people are related, the higher number of markers match. I was told that a typical "good" result for a 37 marker test would be a 32 match.
However, our results were even better - Donnie and Uncle John matched ALL 37 markers!
According to Catherine at FamilytreeDNA.com, because Donnie & Uncle John matched all 37 markers, "I believe that this is a high enough probability to confirm that these two males (John R. and Goen {sic}) were either brothers or cousins (first cousins) or that a common male ancestor was shared within 4 generations." She also believed that, based on the test results, their Huggins ancestors most probably came from Great Britain.
Since we have been able to document there were no other common direct male ancestors between Donnie & Uncle John over the past 4 generations, this means there is a very high probability John Randolph Huggans & George Huggins were either brothers or first cousins.
From going over the 1820 & 1830 censuses, two males within John Randolph & George's age group lived in the John Huggins household in Dunkard. That is the only Huggins household I've found in which they fit.
Due to the DNA test results and census information, I believe there is a high probability John Randolph & George "Goen" were brothers - unless they were first cousins who happened to live in the same household in both 1820 & 1830. Perhaps a Family Bible will be discovered some day that will give a definitive answer.
NOTE: I'd like to thank Donnie & Uncle John for giving permission to use their full names here and for agreeing to be included in the Hodgens DNA group at the FamilyTreeDNA.com site, which includes the Huggins & Huggans surnames.
For more information on DNA and the Hodgens DNA group, please click here.
* Death Certificates for John Randolph Huggans' children show their father as being born in either West Virginia or Pennsylvania - with the exception of son, Josephus, whose Certificate shows his father having been born in "Greene, PA". All of the Death Certificate informants were spouses or children - except for the Certificate of Josephus, in which the informant was his brother, Cyrus Parsons Huggins. It's my belief John Randolph's own children would better know where their father was born rather than depending upon memories of in-laws or children from subsequent generations.
