Question

Hit brick wall/need help w lineage for David Kerr- DOB 1645

Comments

Hi Diana

I've just separated the tags for this question.

It would also help if we knew a bit more about David Kerr or his descendants.  What source gives him a date of birth of 1645 for instance?

Answer 1

How about this?

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/GW3B-29K/david-ker-1645-1678

Comments

Hi Lynn

Thanks for finding this family tree, but there is a good reason why unsourced family trees are considered not a reliable source, particularly for pre-1700 profiles, because it basically looks like someone has just thrown together all the Kerr profiles without anything to confirm they are connected.

For instance, Robert Kerr, 2nd Earl of Lothian didn't have a son David (see The Scots Peerage, vol. 5, p. 460) and even looking at later Kerr families of Earls of Lothian, I can't see a David (for instance in pages 473-475 are grandchildren of 2nd Earl of Lothian who are born about that time period).

Also in that family tree, David Kerr seems to be married to two different women on same day. Usually unsourced family trees can be good for hints, but I not even sure I would want to do that with that particular tree. 

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You know all I am doing is trying to help by passing on information which may or may not be helpful. No one needs to be preached too about their efforts.

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Totally agree with your findings.... which is why I am baffled.  From David Kerr down through to my husband, I feel fairly confident of the information, but prior to 1645 is a mystery.  Did find a possible link, but again, no sources really or ones that are not particularly reliable.  On one branch I found that an ancestor's last name most likely was bestowed by the landowner (illegitimate son!).  I just keep trying to pull all the leaves in my tree together!  Thank you for your input.

Diana Britting

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Diana have you taken a DNA test?   There are multiple Jerr lines.  Mine is from Aberdeenshire.  Some are from much farther south.  So determining which line would be a big help

I tested with both Ancestry and FTDNA. And uploaded to Gedmatch MyHeritage and Living DNA and Geneanet. If you see a match to me let me know.

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My husband I both did DNA through Ancestry and 23&ME.  It would be my husband's DNA that would need to match.  It is uploaded to Ancestry and I think also to Wikitree.

We see "matches" and yet nothing so far leads back to where my search has hit the wall.

David Kerr could not have been the son of Robert and Annabella Campbell Kerr since they had no male heirs.  So many trees list them as the parents, but Robert Kerr committed suicide long before David Kerr was even born.  This is verifiable, so I keep trying to locate any sources to confirm who might have been David's parents.  Don't think he was "royal" but many people would rather pretend to be royal than to be right so I am very frustrated.

Diana

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There are 29 listings for David ker.  One r not 2. Born 1640 to 1690. None in Renfrewshire.   You may want to look at possibles in Scotland’s People

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Thank you.  Have tried Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and in so many trees the information is incorrect.  So frustrating.  Will keep looking, and hoping that someone has some form of documentation that will help sort out all the mis-information.  

Just realized that my account with Family Search is under my name, with my husband in my tree.  Does my husband need to sign in under a separate account or can I access his matches through mine?  Never thought this would be a problem as in Ancestry we can switch between us.

Diana