Following Abigail Courtney’s Paternal DNA: Chromosome 3, Part 1

 

Triangulated Groups: M_109 and M_145a 

This post is part of series examining the triangulated groups identified within DNA passed on by my maternal great grandmother Abigail Courtney, born 1871.  Check out the Research Summary and Genetic Groups pages for more information. 

The purpose of this series is to document what is currently known about each triangulated group (TG), the matches within it and the ancestral lines identified for those matches. As the research progresses, new ancestors and possible connections will be added to each post.

Ultimately, I am hoping these groups will provide clues to the unidentified paternal ancestry of Abigail Courtney's father 'George'. 

Posts will be organised by chromosome, then into parts depending on how many TG's there are. These groups are limited to those who are expected to have been inherited by Abigail from her father 'George'.  

Labels by surname and location are being added to assist in identifying other likely TG's from the same ancestral group/s.

Chromosome 3 — October 2026. Scroll horizontally to explore the segments, or click to enlarge.

Adjacent groups

Two adjacent triangulated groups have been identified on Chromosome 3.  Analysis to date has determined that these DNA segments can be attributed to Abigail Courtney’s paternal line:

Triangulated Group, Chromosomeand approximate segment
M_109368–109 Mb
M_145a3109–148 Mb

There is an additional and potentially important piece of evidence.

One match has a segment extending approximately 98–148 Mb. This segment crosses the boundary between M_109 and M_145a, and the match triangulates with matches in both groups.  The common ancestral line associated with the bridging match is back to a couple named  James Webster and Elizabeth Reneson, c1800 Middlesex, England.


The DNA structure

Chromosome 3 68 Mb 98 Mb 109 Mb 148 Mb
M_109
◀ ▶
M_145a
◀ ▶
Bridging match
◀ ▶


Whilst the 109 Mb position is useful for describing the two triangulated groups, it should not be automatically interpreted as an ancestral recombination point. The match extending from 98–148 Mb provides evidence that the shared segment extends across that boundary, possibly due to the match being to a closer cousin connection.


Who is represented in the groups?

At present, the matches within the two TGs trace their ancestry through a number of apparently different ancestral lines and locations.  These have been identified firstly via segment and tree triangulation within the TG and then by utilising enhanced shared matching at AncestryDNA, where that data exists for members of the TG.

The couples and families listed below should therefore not yet be regarded as the ancestors responsible for the DNA segment. They are the ancestral lines currently identified in the pedigrees of the matches, that are shared with at least one other shared match.  Links for the ancestral couples take you to Wikitree where you can view known descendants.


DNA Match Analysis Table

M_109
Chr 3: 68–109 Mb
M_145a
Chr 3: 109–148 Mb
Ishmael / Grimes
c.1736 — Pennsylvania, USA / Wales

Hull / Crocker
c.1798 — Dorset, England

Webster / Reneson
c.1800 — Middlesex, England

Anthony / Millard
c.1891 — Montana, USA

Ingram / Callaway
c.1915 — Sussex / Essex, England 		Mason / Williamson
c.1766 — Delaware, USA




Webster / Reneson
c.1800 — Middlesex, England

The ancestral lines shown are the earliest currently identified for each group of matches. They are not necessarily the ancestors from whom the shared DNA was inherited.  The aim is to push back in time on the more recent lines hopefully finding more connections.


A match connecting the two Triangulated Groups

The match extending from approximately 98–148 Mb is of particular interest because the segment overlaps both M_109 and M_145a.

This person triangulates with matches belonging to both groups.

Research into this match currently points to the Webster–Reneson line, associated with Middlesex around 1800.  James Webster and Elizabeth Reneson are the parents of Ann Webster (aka Rudd, Muggeridge).  Ann was born in 1820 and can be found living with our Courtney family in the 1871 census attendant as a nurse when daughter Abigail and her twin sister were 3 months old.  For more information refer to my 2021 blogpost.

This raises an interesting question: does Webster–Reneson provide a route towards connecting the two TGs, or does the true source of the shared DNA lie further back in the ancestry of one of those families?


What am I looking for?

The genetic evidence has brought together matches whose known pedigrees currently lead to several apparently unrelated families.  Clicking on the links will take you to descendant lists for the profiles on Wikitree - the free family tree site.

The task now is to determine how those families connect.  Links below will direct you to know descendant charts for each ancestral couple on Wikitree.  Do you know more?  Please let me know.

For M_109, I want to establish how the following four ancestral groups might ultimately be related:

For M_145a, the immediate question is the relationship between:


Where to next?

The next step is to extend the pedigrees behind each of these ancestral groups.

Rather than concentrating only on the surnames of the identified couples, I will be looking at their wider ancestry: parents, grandparents, maternal lines and collateral relatives.

Locations may prove just as important as surnames.  At present the identified families range from Middlesex, Dorset, Sussex and Essex in England and Wales to Pennsylvania, Delaware and Montana in the United States.  Migration between Britain and North America may therefore need particular attention.

The objective is not necessarily to find a single surname appearing in every tree. The connection could be hidden several generations further back, particularly through female lines where surnames change or are unknown.


Research Updates

Date Research update Significance / next step
Oct 2026 At this stage no common genealogical connection between all of the groups has been identified. Continue to investigate possible connections to surnames or locations or with other TG's.
2024 Enhanced shared matching introduced by AncestryDNA Family groups expanded, many more connections in hanging branches but no connection found between key groups.
2020 Webster–Reneson identified as the ancestral line currently associated with the bridging match. Investigate Webster and Reneson ancestry for connections to the other ancestral groups.
2019 Match spanning approximately 98–149 Mb identified as triangulating with both M_109 and M_145a. Provides a bridge between the two TGs.
2018 Initial analysis of M_109 and M_145a documented. Six ancestral groups identified. Established starting point for research into the two TGs.


This post will be updated as further ancestors and connections are identified.


                                                                      **********

This blog is dedicated to finding my second great grandfather Arthur 'George' Courtney c1841. To see a summary of my research click here. 

If you can help answer any questions raised in this blog, please contact me via the contact form on the sidebar on this page, or send me a private message via Wikitree, Ancestry or Facebook. 


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