Welcome!

I have been researching my family tree since my paternal grandfather died in 1976. Whilst researching my mother's ancestry I started recording every instance of her maternal grandmother's name FARMERY and so my one-name study was born! I now record every instance of the name I find all over the world, and my database currently contains over 51,600 name events. I am constructing family trees for each family group and try to put distant cousins in touch!

My study covers the FARMERY surname and known variants such as FARMEARY, FARMEREY, FARMARY and FARMERIE, as well as instances of the name being used as a forename rather than surname.


Thursday 18 December 2008

DNA match for Farmery of Binbrook and of North Ormsby!

The full DNA signature for Farmery of North Ormsby has now been received and is a perfect match to Farmery of Binbrook (and Walesby?) on 35 out of 37 markers; on both markers 385b and CDYa there is a difference of only +/- 1 indicating a 99% likelihood of a common ancestor.

It is not yet known which of the two signatures is the "modal" and which has the (natural occurring) genetic mutations. By studying which gene has mutated (different genes mutate and different rates) it should be possible to estimate how far (ie how many generations) back the common ancestor was.

The result for Farmery of Vancouver/Grimsby/Searby (and Walesby?) [for my 3rd cousin] is now very eagerly awaited to see which of these two signatures (as we very much hope and expect it will) it matches?

Tuesday 9 December 2008

Facebook

I have got with it and am listed on Facebook! I am "friends" with quite a number of Farmery research contacts and have even started a "Farmery Families" group. There are 200 people on Facebook called Farmery, 4 called Farmerey and 3 called Farmeary. There is also a group "Farmery's have the best surname".

If you want to "be my friend" just search for me as Alan R Moorhouse or the Farmery Families group.

Saturday 29 November 2008

Farmery DNA Project Update

We now have three full 37 marker Y Chromosome results back - Farmery of Binbrook (and Walesby?), of Rawmarsh/Tickhill and of Hutton Conyers/Leeds. A fourth test, Farmery of Thorne/Fishlake is so far analysed up to 12 markers.

A fifth test, Farmery of North Ormsby, has been returned to the lab and a sixth, Farmery of Vancouver/Grimsby (and Searby/Walesby?) is about to be sent off.

Whilst we have no matches so far the last two results are eagerly awaited. The North Ormsby group start with an illegitimate birth where it is assumed the father was a Farmery. It is hoped that Vancouver/Grimsby will be a match for Binbrook and so link that line firmly to the Walesby family!

FamilyTreeDNA have 37 marker test kits on sale at $119.00 (reduced from $189.00) during December.

Friday 28 November 2008

2008 Farmery Gathering

The 8th annual Farmery gathering was held at Bracebridge Heath, near Lincoln, on Saturday October 4th 2008. Once again it was a truly international event, with Graham Farmer (who actually has Farmery not Farmer ancestry!) from Kenya and Patricia Powley and her brother Dwight Farmery from Pennsylvania present.

Philip Tallon (a retired university adult education lecturer in Old English language and literature, place name research and Anglo Saxon studies) spoke on "Place Names of the East Midlands" and Stephen Moorhouse (no relation, a professional archaeologist and landscape historian) on "Maps and Historical Landscapes".

In the evening 12 of us continued the socialising over dinner at the Wig and Mitre on Steep Hill, just down from the cathedral.

The Sunday visit was to Burghley House at Stamford.

The 2009 gathering is scheduled for Saturday September 26th, again at Bracebridge Heath.