DNA Analysis

Liddie Brumfield Caston born 1825 in Mississippi had children with the surname Brumfield and Caston. Liddie and the presumptive father Louis Brumfield had 4 known identified children Richard, Irvin, Thomas and Frank. These children born in Mississippi prior to the end of the Civil War were enslaved. Information of the lives of Richard, Irvin and Thomas have been given in previous blogs. Frank Brumfield identification has been elusive.

I have been searching for Liddie’s Frank. Finding Frank Brumfield has been a genealogy brick wall. From family history, I know there was a Frank Brumfield. I have identified 3 black individuals with the name Frank Brumfield. They lived in the same geographic area corresponding to the slave owners surname Brumfield in Washington Parish, Louisiana and Pike County, Mississippi. This is also the geographic area that Liddie Brumfield Caston lived. The estimated date of birth are similar ranging from 1845 to1855.

My initial goal was to present my research for each of the three Frank Brumfield to determine Liddie's son. The research records I found did not allow me to definitively identify Frank Brumfield. I was however have been able to identify Frank Brumfield through genealogy research and genetic autosomal DNA analysis.

The Facts and Assumptions that have been identified concerning Richard, Irvin, Tom and Frank Brumfield:

1. They all are brothers and have the same mother Liddie. It is the presumption or reasonable to assume that they have the same father Louis.

2. The brothers have the same maternal autosomal DNA.

3. The brothers lived in the same geographic area during most of their lives.

4. Genealogy research of Frank Brumfield and his family tree are available.

5. All the brothers had descendant children.

5. Results of most of the brothers descendants DNA are available.

The Challenges of DNA Analysis in finding Frank Brumfield

1. Ancestry.com DNA data base was used. Ancestry.com has the largest commercial DNA data base at this writing. There are other commercial DNA data bases available which were not included. I will not be disclosing specific DNA results or the names of descendants of recently deceased or living individuals used in identifying Richard, Irvin, Tom and Frank Brumfield to protect their privacy.

2. Not all known living descendants of Richard, Irvin, Tom and Frank Brumfield have submitted DNA samples for analysis and comparison. The DNA samples submitted may not be considered a significant size number.

3. The public published family trees in Ancestry.com and Family Search.org along with personal research of Richard, Irvin, Tom and Frank Brumfield was used to identify Frank Brumfield. These family trees may contain incomplete information.

4. Not all descendants of Richard, Irvin, Tom and Frank Brumfield have submitted public published family trees in Ancestry.com and Family Search.org. There maybe DNA matches without family tree information which can be correlated together.

5. Frank Brumfield date of birth is thought to be between 1845 to 1855. Pike County, Mississippi 2010 federal census states there are approximately 40,000 and Washington Parish, Louisiana 47,000 residents. Over 100 years ago the population was much smaller. Frank Brumfield DNA tested descendants maybe related through more than one ancestral line.

To use a phrase from the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll I will be going "down the rabbit hole", entering the situation of finding Frank Brumfield using genetic genealogy.

Special thanks to cousin K. S.

------The TreeGardener