If you have an ancestor who is still a mystery despite years of research, you’ll relate to my Cynthia (Dillard) Royston project. I am currently working on phase 5 as part of the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group. Each phase has focused on a specific objective and has eliminated many Dillard candidates. Eventually, I hope to have one man left standing, whom documentary and DNA evidence point to as Cynthia’s father. In part three of this series on my research, I’ll share how I created the research plan.
Thorough research plans keep us focused on our research objective and help us prioritize the many angles our research could take. By approaching this part of the research process methodically, we can come up with a plan that will help us make progress on our research question. The more experience we have in the records, the easier it will be to create the plan. Still, it’s always helpful to keep an open mind for new research avenues suggested by the locality research and timeline phases.
Research Objective
Because this is a DNA project, I have split my phase 5 objectives into one for documentary research and one for DNA analysis.
Overall Objective
Through DNA and documentary evidence, discover Cynthia (Dillard) Royston’s biological father. Cynthia was born about 1815 in Georgia and died on 2 August 1882 in Collin County, Texas. Cynthia married Thomas B. Royston about 1833 or 1834, possibly in Cass County, Georgia.
Phase 5 Documentary Research Objective
Seek connections between Cynthia (Dillard) Royston and three men who drew lots in the 1832 Gold Lottery in Cass County, Georgia: James Dillard of Pulaski County, Odams District; Joseph B. Dillard of Oglethorpe County, Hargroves District; and Roliver Dillard of Burke County, 68 District.
Phase 5 DNA Research Objective
Further analyze the DNA network graph for additional Dillard connections, and seek additional DNA evidence through Y-DNA testing and by expanding DNA coverage of Cynthia’s genome.
Summary of Known Facts
After creating the timeline for the ancestor, we take the relevant facts and put them into a summary – whether a narrative, table, or bulleted list. I chose to use a table to show what I knew about Cynthia. Notice that I used each census of her life to provide both birth and residence information.
| Date | Place | Event | Source Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 1815 | Georgia | Birth (estimated from 1850 census, age 35; best estimate across all census records) | 1850 U.S. Census, Chambers Co., Alabama, pop. sch., 19th District, p. 318 (stamped), dw. 749, fam. 749, Thomas B Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA M432, roll 2. |
| About 1816 | Georgia | Birth (estimated from 1860 census, age 44) | 1860 U.S. Census, Chambers Co., Alabama, pop. sch., Northern Division, Milltown P.O., p. 130 (penned), dw. 915, fam. 895, Thomas B. Royston household; FamilySearch; citing NARA M653, roll 4. |
| About 1817 | Georgia | Birth (estimated from 1870 census, age 53) | 1870 U.S. Census, Chambers Co., Alabama, pop. sch., Beat No. 2, p. 4 (penned), p. 22 (stamped), dw. 24, fam. 24, Cynthia Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA M593, roll 6. |
| About 1818 | Georgia | Birth (estimated from 1880 census, age 62); parents’ birthplace listed as Virginia | 1880 U.S. Census, Collin Co., Texas, pop. sch., Precinct 5, ED 26, p. 11 (penned), dw. 93, fam. 95, Thomas L Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA T9, roll 1296. |
| About 1833–1834 | Georgia or Alabama (possibly Cass County, Georgia) | Marriage to Thomas Beverly Royston (no marriage record located; estimated from birth of oldest child, Mary E. Royston, born 4 May 1834) | Negative searches in Georgia County Marriages, 1785–1950, FamilySearch; Clarke Co., Morgan Co., Cass/Bartow Co. marriage books; DeKalb Co., Alabama, Marriage Records 1836–1850, FamilySearch. |
| 1840 | DeKalb County, Alabama | Residence (enumerated in “F.B. Royston” household; 9 enslaved people listed) | 1840 U.S. Census, DeKalb Co., Alabama, pop. sch., Northern District, S.C. Newnan, p. 7 (penned), line 31, F.B. Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA M704, roll 4. |
| 1842 | Chambers County, Alabama | Residence (Thomas B. Royston paid poll tax and property tax) | Chambers Co., Al., Tax Book, 1842, Beat 16, p. 146, Thomas B. Royston, Alabama Dept. of Archives & History, LG 4976, Montgomery, Al. |
| 1850 | Chambers County, Alabama | Residence (enumerated as “Synthia Royston,” age 35, with husband Thomas and children Mary, Ulissus, Baldwin, Adaline, Sarah, Joseph, Benjamin, Robert, Thomas) | 1850 U.S. Census, Chambers Co., Alabama, pop. sch., 19th District, p. 318 (stamped), dw. 749, fam. 749, Thomas B Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA M432, roll 2. |
| 1860 | Chambers County, Alabama | Residence (enumerated as “Cynthia Royston,” age 44, with husband Thomas and children Charles B., Adeline, Sarah, Joseph, Benjamin, Robert C., Thomas B., Margaret, Richard A., Leonidas, and infant) | 1860 U.S. Census, Chambers Co., Alabama, pop. sch., Northern Division, Milltown P.O., p. 130 (penned), dw. 915, fam. 895, Thomas B. Royston household; FamilySearch; citing NARA M653, roll 4. |
| 21 Sep 1868 | Chambers County, Alabama | Death of husband Thomas Beverly Royston | Chambers Co., Alabama Estates, box 26, folder 24, case file for Thos B Royston, 1867–1883; “Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753–1999,” Ancestry, petition papers 29 Sep 1868, images 145–146. |
| 29 Sep 1868 | Chambers County, Alabama | Cynthia appeared in court to petition for probate of Thomas B. Royston’s estate; listed eleven living children as heirs | Chambers Co., Alabama Estates, box 26, folder 24, case file for Thos B Royston, 1867–1883; “Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753–1999,” Ancestry, petition papers 29 Sep 1868, images 145–146. |
| 1870 | Chambers County, Alabama | Residence (head of household as widow, “Cynthia Royston,” age 53, with children Thomas, Adeline, Richard, Leonidas, Maria, Martha, and son Joseph’s family) | 1870 U.S. Census, Chambers Co., Alabama, pop. sch., Beat No. 2, p. 4 (penned), p. 22 (stamped), dw. 24, fam. 24, Cynthia Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA M593, roll 6. |
| 6 Feb–27 Mar 1875 | Chambers County, Alabama | Administration papers note Cynthia has “removed to the State of Texas” | Chambers Co., Alabama Estates, box 26, folder 24, Thomas Beverly Royston, administration papers, 1875; “Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753–1999,” Ancestry. |
| 1880 | Collin County, Texas | Residence (enumerated as “Syntha Royston,” age 62, in son Thomas L. Royston’s household, with daughters Mariah and Martha) | 1880 U.S. Census, Collin Co., Texas, pop. sch., Precinct 5, ED 26, p. 11 (penned), dw. 93, fam. 95, Thomas L Royston household; Ancestry; citing NARA T9, roll 1296. |
| 2 Aug 1882 | Texas (probably Collin County) | Death (“Cynthia Royston departed this life in the state of Texas on or about the 2nd day of August 1882”; no death certificate or grave marker located) | Chambers Co., Alabama Estates, box 26, folder 24, Thomas Beverly Royston, account papers, 1 Nov 1882; “Alabama, Wills and Probate Records, 1753–1999,” Ancestry, digital image 165. |
Additional key facts from children’s death certificates (maiden name evidence):
| Date | Place | Event | Source Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 1920 | Montague County, Texas | Death certificate of daughter Adeline Spears names mother’s maiden name as “Dillard,” born Florida (informant: M.C. Lovelady, Cynthia’s daughter) | Texas State Board of Health, death certificate, Mrs. Adline Spears, No. 27410, Ancestry, Montague 1920, Jul–Sep, image 10. |
| 14 Nov 1928 | Wise County, Texas | Death certificate of son R. Royston names mother as “Miss Cinthia Dillard,” born Alabama (informant: Mrs. Luther Lockey, granddaughter) | Texas State Board of Health, death certificate, R. Royston, No. 50544, Ancestry, Wise 1928, Oct–Dec, image 14. |
| 10 Apr 1935 | Ellis County, Texas | Death certificate of daughter Martha Ann Hogge names mother as “Cynthia Dilliard,” born Alabama (informant: Charles Hogge, grandson) | Texas State Board of Health, death certificate, Mrs. Mattie Ann Hogge, No. 18070, Ancestry, Ellis 1935, Apr–Jun, image 28. |
Hypothesis
Writing the hypothesis is my favorite part of the research plan. Here we can write what we think might have occurred based on our work on the timeline, our intuition, and our knowledge of historical context. Since I have completed four previous phases on this objective, I had a lot of material to consider.
Cynthia (Dillard) Royston’s biological father could be one of three Dillard men who won gold lottery lots in Cass County, Georgia, in the 1832 Gold Lottery: James Dillard of Pulaski County (Lot 1119/3, Section 3), Joseph B. Dillard of Oglethorpe County (Lot 969/2, Section 3), or Roliver [Toliver] Dillard of Burke County (Lot 893/3, Section 3).
Geographic alignment. Thomas B. Royston moved to Cass County by 26 June 1833, when he received his commission as a 1st Lieutenant, and served as deputy sheriff there in 1834. He and Cynthia likely married about 1833–1834, based on the birth of their oldest child, Mary Elizabeth, on 4 May 1834. The couple resided in the area until at least 1835, when Thomas still had letters at the Cassville post office. If Cynthia married Thomas in Cass County, her Dillard family likely had a presence there as well. The three gold lottery winners held land in Cass County beginning in 1832, placing them in the right place at the right time.
Profile of Cynthia’s father. Prior research established that Cynthia’s father was born before 1795, likely in Virginia (per the 1880 census), and resided in Georgia during the 1820s and 1830s. He would appear on the 1820 census with a female child under 10 (Cynthia, born about 1815) and on the 1830 census with a female about age 15. A lottery participant from any of the counties of origin (Pulaski, Oglethorpe, or Burke) could fit this profile if census and other records confirm a Virginia birth and appropriate household composition.
Elimination of other candidates. Three previous research phases systematically eliminated thirteen other Dillard candidates from the 1820 Georgia census, including George W. Dillard (disproven by the Mahone Family Bible), Arthur Dillard (eliminated by his will), Edmund Dillard (daughter identified as Lucy Ann), and the John Dillard family of Cass County (heirs documented in deeds; family originated in North Carolina, not Virginia). Elizabeth Dillard of Cass County was also eliminated based on her South Carolina origins and distinct migration pattern.
DNA evidence. DNA analysis identified Elijah Dillard (born about 1814–1816 in Georgia; died 1886 in Pike County, Alabama) as Cynthia’s probable biological brother through clustered matches that descend from two of Elijah’s sons (Josiah and James Monroe Dillard). If Elijah is Cynthia’s brother, their shared father would have had to be in Georgia by at least 1814. A gold lottery winner who relocated to Cass County from elsewhere in Georgia may have been raising children in central or eastern Georgia during the 1810s before acquiring land in Cass County in 1832.
Lost records create opportunity. The earliest deed books for Cass County (later Bartow County) are missing, which explains why no Dillard land transactions from the early to mid-1830s have surfaced. However, records from the counties of origin (Pulaski, Oglethorpe, and Burke) may contain census, tax, probate, and deed records that reveal household composition, Virginia origins, and migration patterns consistent with Cynthia’s known facts.
Identified Sources
Since this was a DNA project, I came up with a list of both documentary records and DNAanalysis/methodology.
Documentary
This step of research planning involves reviewing the locality guide and choosing the record collections that could provide evidence for the research objective. This is a chance to include every record you think could shed light on the case. Because I hadn’t previously researched the three Dillard men identified in the Gold Lottery records, I compiled a list of record types that would help paint a picture of their lives. I found FamilySearch record collections where I could use full-text search to find them quickly.
- Do a genealogical survey of online trees: Ancestry, FamilySearch, and WikiTree
- Locate them on the 1820 and 1830 censuses in their counties of origin and examine household composition for females of the right age to be Cynthia (born about 1815)
- Search tax digests in their counties of origin for the 1820s–1830s to establish residency and economic standing.
- Search probate, estate, and will records in their counties of origin and in Cass/Bartow County for any naming of children or heirs
- Search marriage records for Dillard marriages that could identify wives and children
- Search land records for signs of deeding the land lottery lands
- Search Georgia newspapers for any mention of the men
DNA
- Seek a Y-DNA tester among Elijah Dillard’s male-line descendants. A Y-DNA result would allow comparison with known Dillard surname lines and could narrow or confirm the specific Dillard family branch.
- Recruit additional autosomal DNA testers among Elijah Dillard’s descendants and encourage sharing of results at Ancestry to strengthen the cluster analysis connecting Elijah to Cynthia and potentially reveal new shared matches pointing to their parents.
- Identify more of the individuals in the Elijah Dillard cluster using Pro Tools and shared matches
- Do custom clusters on Ancestry for a key DNA match between the Roystons and Elijah Dillard and identify the MRCA for each cluster
- Look for DNA matches between a key test-taker and the Elijah Dillard cluster
For each man and county of interest, I listed the FamilySearch collection. Below is a screenshot of a portion of the list in my Research Planning Document. I linked to the basic record page in the FamilySearch catalog, then copied the record collection to search by the dates and type. I use checkboxes so that when I complete a search, I can check it off.
For example, the Pulaski marriage page had several different films, but I only need the relevant year. Each of these collections could be searched using full-text search or browsing the film. Some of them were also indexed.
Prioritized Research Strategy
Documentary
Although I found many resources in FamilySearch to review, I needed to decide which ones to start with. Since I was covering three men and three counties, I didn’t want my list to be too extensive. I chose those most likely to give me good information.
- Do a genealogical survey of online trees: Ancestry, FamilySearch, and WikiTree
- Locate them on the 1820 and 1830 censuses in their counties of origin and examine household composition for females of the right age to be Cynthia (born about 1815). She’d be in either the female 10-15 or 16-25 category.
- Search probate, estate, and will records in their counties of origin and in Cass/Bartow County for any naming of children or heirs.
- Georgia Newspapers for all three men – could have news of them in Cass County, although other county records don’t survive
If these searches proved fruitless, I could return to my list of identified sources and choose more sources. I can also use the list for future research suggestions if one of the Dillard men seems to be a good candidate to explore in the next research phase.
DNA
Working with DNA is time-consuming, so I decided to focus on the network graph and use the new Ancestry Pro tools for this research phase.
- Identify more of the clusters in the Cynthia Dillard Gephi network graph
- Do custom clusters on Ancestry for a key DNA match between the Roystons and Elijah Dillard, and identify the MRCA for each cluster
- Look for DNA matches between the key test-taker and the Elijah Dillard cluster using Ancestry Pro tools
Going through the research plan process gave me specific, actionable items I could work on as my schedule allowed. Often my research gets interrupted because of travel or other work commitments, so it is very helpful to have a list to work through and not have to rethink what I’ll work on for that research time.
What did I discover? In the next blog post of this series, I’ll show how I tracked the research and what I discovered.
Best of luck in all your genealogical endeavors!
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