Roots, shoots and stories

 Pets should be a good subject for me - given I have and have had so many! But all of my pets have been in my adult life. Well almost all - I was allowed to win a goldfish at the fair! But no cats, no dogs or other small animals. It's not as though my parents weren't used to having animals around. My mum's dad, John Anderson, bred West Highland terriers so I've been told. His daughter Ann also had a West Highland terrier called Whin  and I'm sure that was because she had grown up with that breed of dog around.  John Anderson, his daughter Ann, grandson Tom and one of the Westies My dad too also had a dog (or dogs) around in his early life, although I know nothing about them.   My dad, John McAra and an unknown dog The family seemingly had a cat too - but he showed no interest in having one himself - until, when living with them in 1983 and shortly before moving out, I brought home a wee black and white kitten. My dad promptly christened it "Whiskey" after

 DNA testing is now immensely popular and programmes such as "Who Do You Think You Are?" on BBC,  "DNA Journey" on STV and "Finding your Roots" on PBS are bringing it more to the fore. Companies such as Ancestry, 23andme, My Heritage and Family Tree DNA all offer the opportunity to have your DNA tested and have a variety of tests on offer. The 'normal' DNA test is called an autosomal test. The process is simple - you spit into a tube, post the test back and a few weeks later you get your results. Then the fun begins! But firstly - why would anyone want to do a DNA test? Many people are interested in what their DNA can tell them about their ethnicity. Some are seeking information about their genetic health (only 23and me provide this). Others are seeking to find answers about family that DNA could provide - adoptees seeking to find their parents, people wanting to identify an 'unknown' parent/grandparent. DNA is a powerful tool in those situ

 In my  Week 11   post, I wrote about Martin's grandfather, Wladyslaw Stepek being "lucky" in that he won his freedom from the prison camp by winning at cards.  (Read the Week 11  post if you haven't already.) But the story did not end there. Wladyslaw had to make his own way back to Haczow, the village where he was born. It must have been such a happy surprise for his two sisters when he appeared at their door, as they would have believed him dead, and, of course, in those days there were few means of communication, especially for an escaped prisoner who was trying to find his way home. Life was not simple for Wladyslaw even when he was back home and recovering from his experiences. He agitated against the occupying Austrian Empire (of which he had been a soldier) and, as a result, he was arrested again, but released several months later in 1917 due to ill health. The following year as the war neared its end, he raised a volunteer army of 100 local men, which subsequ

 For this week's #52Ancestors topic, I am returning to Martin's family tree, this time to his father, Jan Wladyslaw Stepek (1922-2012). In my  Week 9  post, I told the story of Janina, Martin's grandmother, being deported with her children, to Siberia by the Russians. That part of the story ended with her death in Tehran in 1942. Prior to them leaving the Soviet Union, they were stuck in Uzbekistan, free from the camp but uncertain of their future. At this stage, rumour was spreading that there were Polish officials trying to find the refugees and help them. They also were recruiting men into the army. Janina and her three children were all malnourished at this stage, which gave Jan, (Martin's father) a dilemma. Should he do his patriotic duty and try to find the officials and join the army or stay to help his mother and his two sisters survive?? He was just 19, so he asked his mother what he should do. She said, "Go! Whatever happens to us, happens. You must do yo

 Irish! That begins with a vowel and my Irish heritage has left me with an unsolved mystery. It was when I was doing research decades ago that I first came across the name Sarah Diammond. What a lovely name, I thought. Little did I realise that she would be a real mystery woman and that is because she came from Ireland. I first saw her name on the death certificate of my 2x great grandmother Mary Boag, wife of John McAra. Mary died in 1869 and her mother is listed as Sarah Diamond (deceased), father William Boag, cotton spinner. Sarah and William got married in the Gorbals, Glasgow in 1819 by an independent minister. Why an independent minister? It took me many years before I solved that one.  Meanwhile Sarah and William are found living in Eaglesham in the 1841 census with three sons and two daughters. Sarah's birthplace is indicated as Ireland.  I found the sons' baptismal records easily enough, but I couldn't find the daughters. It took a while - until I thought to check