Recycled Ancestors

Well you have ancestors, former ancestors, and now my newest category: recycled ancestors.  Recycled ancestors are those who were already your ancestors in another line, but via a break through, become your ancestors once again.

This happens all the time to me.  It's no surprise.  When you're family comes from a particular area (in my case colonial New Hampshire), the odds are high that you descend from the same people over and over again.  When I made a break though a while back on my great-great-great-grandmother Mary Chamberlain Wallis (wife of Luther Hale Pinkham), she brought many recycled ancestors.   Her parents are very likely Joseph Wallis and Rebecca York.  Rebecca York is the daughter of Benjamin York and Rebecca Coffin, the sister of my ancestress Anna Coffin.  What's worse is that Benjamin and Rebecca were first cousins, he the son of another Benjamin York and Mary Coffin, the sister of my ancestor Abner Coffin, Jr. (the father of both Anna and Rebecca).  So Rebecca York brought me only 1/4 new ancestry and 3/4 recycled ancestry.

Joseph Wallis is the grandson of Samuel Wallis and Phebe Libby, she the daughter of Abraham Libby and Sabina Philbrick, the sister of my ancestor Ann Philbrick, the wife of Stephen Berry.

The latest break through is the wife of Jonathan Pinkham, who is very likely Elizabeth Plumer, the daughter of Richard Plummer and Elizabeth Beard and granddaughter of Joseph Beard and Esther Philbrick, the aunt of Sabina and Ann!  More recycled ancestors!   I want NEW ancestors, thank you very much.

Comments

[Lisa York]

Hi, I am Benjamin York's GGGGG Grandaughter. Do you have Rebecca York's birth info? Death? Burial?
I am also related twice to Coffins-By the first cousin Rebecca and Mary Coffin, her aunt and Benj York's mother.
Trying to get my ducks all lined up to join DAR. Abner Coffin-Mary Coffin York's brother was a Rev War patriot as well as Benjamin York (Benjamin York IV (NH 1762-1845))Just formed Facebook group "Descendants of Benjamin York IV (NH 1762-1845)"-please join us!