ESSEX-UK-L Archives
Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 1998-11 > 0912315371
From: Maurine Ward <>
Subject: Re: DNA
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 20:56:11 -0800
>Resent-Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 14:17:26 -0800 (PST)
>From: "David E. Arnette" <>
>Old-To: "Cornelia Warner" <>, <>
>Subject: Re: DNA
Carol Beth wrote:
>Wouldn't be interesting if all Brits and Americans who have British
>ancestry could be tested? I have several family lines I am trying to find.
>Prohibitive cost though.
This may not be quite the same as DNA tests, but...
About 40 years ago when my cousin showed signs of muscular dystrophy, she
was taken to the Muscular Dystrophy Clinic in a Salt Lake City hospital for
tests. We trace this disease back to my 3rd great-grandfather, John Parker,
who came to America in 1840 from Chaigley, Lancashire. His daughter (my 2nd
great-grandmother and at least one brother, that we know of, either had the
disease or were carriers. My 2nd great-grandmother was often sick, was
bedfast with most of her children, never had much strength. My grandfather
had mild dystrophy, but his sister was confined to a wheelchair in her
later years. Mother had several cousins with it. The Clinic did a test on
all of the descendants of John Parker they could find (those who would
agree to be tested, that is). There are many on the chart with varying
degrees of this particular kind of dystrophy (FHS) or who were carriers.
Only my one aunt showed any signs, and my unmarried cousin is the last in
my grandfather's family. One of mother's cousins with dystrophy chose to
adopt children rather than risk passing on the disease. At the time this
testing was done, about 40 years ago, the doctor, or researcher, said that
there was a pocket of people in the Chaigley area with the same kind of
muscular dystrophy. I have never followed through with any research there
to see if this is true and if there are relatives we don't know about with
the disease, and if we can pinpoint a common ancestor who began this whole
terrible ordeal.
Maurine Carr Ward,
In beautiful, sunny, Cache Valley, Utah, USA, still eating left-over turkey
and pumpkin pie.
This thread: