The Broket DNA Project — North American participants

The ancestry of Harold Earl Brackett 1916-81

In the wider Broket DNA project Harold is in Genetic Group 3.

This page provides:

+++1. Evidence of Harold’s ancestry
++++++1st generation
++++++2nd generation
++++++3rd generation
++++++4th generation
+++2. Some analysis of Harold Earl’s Y-DNA results

Purpose:+Read more

1. Evidence for each generation

1st generation: Harold Earl Brackett 1916-81

Birth: 29 Mar 1916 in New Troy, Michigan, the first of the 11 children of Walter and Cora Brackett.

Marriages: 1st Ann PRIES on 27 Jul 1935 in La Porte County, Indiana. In 1945 ? they divorced. Harold married 2nd on 8 Feb 1946 Ula Arvena DANIEL, nee HAMBRICK, in Bridgman, Michigan; Harold aged 30, son of Walter Brackett and Cora Upson. This was Harold and Arvena c 1952:

Occupation: Served in the US Air Force in World War II. Employed for 28 years at Clark Equipment Company in Buchanan, Michigan and he also pursued farming.

Death: 12 Jan 1981 in New Troy, Berrien Co, Michigan.

Harold Earl was the son of:

2nd generation: Walter Madison Brackett 1894-1966

Birth: 10 Mar 1894 in Dakota, Illinois, only son of Edgar and Sarah Brackett.

Marriage: Cora E. UPSON 4 Aug 1915 in St Joseph, Michigan. Walter was aged 21 residing in Galien, born in Michigan, son of Edward [sic] and Woolridge. This was Walter Brackett, standing on the right of the picture, and Cora Upson seated, c 1915:

Occupation: Employed for some time at the Industrial Rubber factory in New Troy; he also farmed.

Death: 6 Sep 1966.

Walter Madison was the son of:

3rd generation: Edgar Lacey Brackett 1869-1952

Birth: 11 Jul 1869 in Pipestone Township, Michigan to John and Sarah Brackett, their only child. Edgar may never have known his father. Within 16 months of his birth his father had married again. Edgar hasn’t been found in the 1880 or 1890 censuses. In 1900 he was recorded as Edgar Bracket, aged 28, in Weesaw, Berrien Co, MI, Farmer, with wife Sarah, 25, daughter Delia, 8, and son Walter, 6, father born in “Canada (Eng)”² In 1910 he was recorded as Edward L, aged 40, in Weesaw, Berrien Co, MI, Farmer, with wife Sarah J, 36, daughter Delia M, 18, and son Walter M, 16, father born in “US”—where nearly everyone else gave a State.³ In the 1920 census Edgar stated that his father was born in Canada and that his father’s native tongue was Irish. Then in the 1930 census he said his father was born in Canada and there is a notation next to it in tiny writing that says “English”.⁴

Marriages: Sarah J. WOOLDRIDGE 3 Nov 1890 in Hagar Township, Berrien Co, Michigan; Edgar aged 21, born in Hagar Township, Berrien Co, Michigan, son of John W Brackett and Sarah Brant.⁵ This was Sarah and Edgar Lacey  1920:

For the 1930 census he was aged 60 and his wife was given as Bertha, aged 38, his age at first marriage 21, hers 18.⁶

Occupation: Farmer.⁷

Death: 8 Dec 1952, and was buried in New Troy cemetery.

Edgar Lacey was the son of:

4th generation: John Brackett c 1846-1921

The lack of hard documentary evidence of John’s birth and some conflicting accounts of his death meant that John was technically the MDDDA—the most distant definitely-documented ancestor—of this line. Extensive and detailed research by Bill Brackett over a long period produced fairly robust circumstantial evidence of John’s parentage, but it was never going to be sufficiently robust for certainty.⁸ However, recent Y-DNA evidence has proved that Harold Earl Brackett, this participant in the project, and a 4th generation descendant of this John, is closely related to Ronald James Brackett, a 4th generation descendant of Martin Brackett. Indeed it appears that Martin and John were both sons of Jonathan and Mary Brackett, as recorded in the 1861 census as follows:+

Then in 1880:+

In 1887 both John Bracket and Martin Bracket were mentioned as siblings of Newman Bracket of Euphemia in his Will.¹²

The line will therefore be traced further back, see this separate page. After Christopher, this John’s grandfather, none of this Brackett line featured in the 1907 Brackett genealogy.

Birth: c 1846, most probably in Ontario Canada. Census records for his son Edgar say John was born in Canada and his 1st marriage record of 1868, when he was 22, gave his birthplace as “Canada, Wst.”. Canada West was known as Upper Canada, then Canada West until 1867 when it became part of the territory of Ontario. This marriage record would suggest a birthdate around 1846 and the 1861 census mentioned above recorded a John Brackett, aged 16.

Marriages:+

Occupation: On the railroads, later a farmer. John B Brackett served in the 12th Michigan Infantry, Company F during the Civil War.

Death: Reported to have been in an accident on the railroad in 1869, but no contemporary death record has been found and other facts (notably John’s 2nd marriage in 1870) show it to have been improbable and suggest a reason for its fabrication. The Grand Rapids Press carried a death notice on 4 Aug 1921: “J.B. Brackett, a Civil War Veteran, died at his residence in Kent City” on 2 Aug 1921, aged 77 years 11 months and 7 days, born on 25 Sep 1843, son of Jonathan Brackett and May Facher (Fancher).

2. Some analysis of Harold Earl’s Y-DNA results

Haplogroup: Q-M242
For the term ‘Genetic Distance’ see here.

Matches recorded on the FTDNA database as of Jun 2019:

Genetic Distance zero

1. Richard Heaton BROCKETT 1912-2005
2. William Leroy BROCKETT 1925-2008
+++
Discussion: Richard Heaton and William Leroy Brockett descended from John, son of the immigrant John of New Haven, died 1690. The ancestry of Harold Earl has been traced here to Christopher Brockett/Brackett, descended from Samuel, son of John, died 1690. This makes both Richard H and William L 7th cousins once removed of Harold Earl, yet there is zero Genetic Distance between them. No mutation in their Y-DNA has thus occurred in 7 or more generations, or at least 350 years, validating all three lines right back to the original immigrant John Brockett of New Haven:

Genetic Distance 1

1. Ronald J BRACKETT 1927-2013
+++
Discussion: Ronald J and Harold Earl were 3rd cousins:

Genetic Distance 2

Genetic Distance 3

Page Last Updated: April 7, 2020