This is the Speir pedigree as used
on worldfamilies.net for yDNA testing. So, why only
the males on
the pedigree? As explained by World Families, Y-DNA is
passed
down from father to son.
Females do not carry yDNA.
For privacy reasons, we do not include living ancestors. See
the bottom
of the page for more details.
John Speir b. c 1650 of Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland
m. Margaret Sheddan
.....John Speir b. c 1681 of Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland
..........John Speir/Spear b. c 1702 of
Deepston/Lugtonridge, Beith,
Ayrshire m. Janet Caldwell
...............William Speir b. ca 1730 of
Deepston/Lugtonridge, Beith,
Ayrshire m. Janet Sheddan
.....................Robert Speir b. ca 1755 of Kerland
Mill,
Marshalland or Lugtonridge/Deepston, Beith, Ayr
...............................James Speir(s)/Spier(s) ca
1787
Kilbirnie or Beith, Ayr & Jean Mason of Dalry
.......................................William Reid Spear b.
23 Apr
1820 Beith, Ayr, Scotland & Agnes Carmichal
..............................................Robert Charles
Speir b.
Nov 1859 Michigan & Charlotte Rouech
.......................................................Earl
Robert
Speir b. b 22 May 1895 Michigan & Catherine Dora
................................................................Richard
Oliver
Speir Sr. b. Michigan & Margaret Mary Jackson
.......................................Thomas Speirs b. 18
Nov 1835
Kilbirnie, Ayrshire d. Illinois & Lucy Jane Hunt
..............................................James H.
Speirs b. 18 Sep
1863 Detroit, Michigan & Emily Fleming
.........................................................Fredrick
James
Speirs b. 25 May 1891 Detroit, MI & Florence Loftus
.......................................William Reid
Speir/Spear b. 1820
Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland & Agnes Carmichal
..............................................James T.
Speir/Spier b.
1846
Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, Scotland & Charlotte Crossey
.........................................................William
James
Speir b. 1875 Bay City, Michigan & Rose Hebert
.................................................................Herbert
James
Speir b. 1905 Michigan
.................................................................William
(Frank)
Francis Speir b. 1908 Michigan
.................................................................George
Thomas
Speir b. 1914 Michigan
.................................................................William
(Bill)
James Speir b. 1916 Michigan
.........................................................Edward
(Ted)
Allen Speir b. 1876
.........................................................Frederick
(Jabers)
Howard Speir b. 1880
.........................................................Bertrand
Speir
b. 1883
.........................................................Albert
Wilfred
Speir b. 1885
.........................................................Herbert
Speir
b. 1890 (died as an infant)
From worldfamilies.net, a male can represent himself and his surname family in the Surname DNA Project by taking a yDNA test, while a female will need to arrange for a male relative to represent her and her family.
Y-DNA is passed down from father to son, so a male will have the same yDNA as his father, who got it from his father all the way back. Only males can take the yDNA test, as a female does not carry yDNA, but she can post a pedigree and arrange to have a male family member represent her family line. She will need to find a male who is descended, through males, from a common male ancestor. Some researchers have been successful in finding a male to test for their line by going back up the family tree and down again to find a living male who shares a x-grandfather and carries the surname to be tested.
http://www.worldfamilies.net/forum/?topic=440Janet, our Speir genealogist, has explained Scottish naming convention. As you can see on the this page, our family did follow this convention. There are deviations but, looking at OPR records, some children's names repeat. We know that out of 10 children for William and Agnes, they outlived all but 6.
The convention it to name the:
- first son for the father
- first daughter for the mother's mother
- second son for the mother's father
- second daughter for the father's mother
Take the time to read about surname spellings are variations here: surnames and variations. Both Rick and I have commented about our grandfather's surname spelling and wanting to keep it like we know it to be rather than how it is on census or other papers. Janet explains that it doesn't matter when it comes down to DNA. I'm finding more and more that William Reid had the spelling Spear and James, his son is shown as Spier on his death certificate.
In a nutshell, the top reasons that names changed spellings are:
- Illiteracy
- Simplification
- Necessity
- Mispronunciation
- Desire to Fit In
- Desire to Break with the Past
- Dislike of Surname
- Fear of Discrimination
For comments and/or suggestions, please send email to webmaster@speirfamily.org