DNA Test Results for Chart 39

This information relates to Chart 39 - Thomas PASK, (1766-b1851) who lived in St. Pancras.

As mentioned in a previous blog dated August 25, a member of family group 39 - tester 267830, kindly agreed to do a DNA test. It has been very amiss of us not to provide an update on the results. However, we needed to consult with knowledgeable colleagues as there was some confusion on the results.

Chart 39 was relating to the descendants of Thomas & Martha Pask née Dent. They married in London on 9 October 1808. There was no indication, or paper trail, where Thomas originated from. However, through DNA testing, we have found that the new tester 267830 matched 34 out 37 markers with tester 191613 from Chart 06 – the descendants of Peter & Catherine Pask née Frost, who lived in Stoke by Clare, and Kedington in Suffolk.

However, whilst there are now six testers in Chart 06 group – see http://www.pask.org.uk/Pask-p/dna_project.htm, using the ‘classic results’ report, which requires a minimum match of 34 out of 37, the other four testers in this group did not match with the new tester. The reason is because there are a lot of mutations in this group. 

Using the new FTDNATiP™ report that calculates the likely time to a common paternal ancestor for two project members it shows that tester 267830 has the probability that he shared a common ancestor within:

·        16 generations with tester 153252 – 7 mismatches

·        12 generations with tester N15380 – 6 mismatches

·        10 generations with tester 191613 – 3 mismatches

·        16 generations with tester 205757 – 6 mismatches

·        12 generations with tester 255440 – 7 mismatches

On the basis of 3 generations per 100 years this ranges between 400 and 500 years ago, i.e.  1400s to 1500s. 

Chart 39 is now merged with Chart 06.

If you require any additional information on these results, or DNA generally, please do not hesitate to contact us. We may not have the answers, but we do know someone who will. 

DNA Testing for Pask Family Group 39

This information relates to Chart 39 - Thomas PASK, (1766-b1851) who lived in St. Pancras.

A member of family group 39 has kindly agreed to do a DNA test. The test kit has now arrived at the laboratory at Family Tree DNA, and assigned to the PASK DNA study.  

The results will take approximately 6-8 weeks. So hopefully by late October we should have the results.

What will it tell us?  Optimistically it will match with one of the other family groups. This will give us a direction on where to focus to find documentary evidence. With a name like Thomas, it is difficult to distinguish which Thomas this may be - especially as we currently don't know where he originated.

A conclusive test will enable us to identify the origins of several of Thomas & Martha Pask née DENT descendants, like (to name a few):

Sergeant Major John Pask (1884-1963), who served in the 2nd Battalion Kings Regiment in Bengal, where he married Marion Tristram in 1917.

Edgar Henry Pask (1879-1959), who married Evelyn Clara Flowers in 1901. In the 1911 census, he was listed as a Captain of a Private Yacht.

Edgar's great-great niece Naomi Pask, who lives in Gibraltar. We met her, and her family, in March earlier this year.

Edgar's great-granddaughter Clare Pask, has provided information on his descendants.

Walter Pask (1876-1908) who died at the age of 32; He was killed in a railway accident, leaving his wife Jane Annie Chester, with four children. This included Arthur Pask (1905-1991), who together with his brother Walter, and his grandmother and Aunts Nelly and Kate, immigrated to Melbourne Australia in 1912. Arthur was a very talanted man. He played the cello in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, he was an accountant, and also the Team Manager for the Australian Archers in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

Arthur was the father of keen family historian Yvonne Pask. We have been in correspondence with Yvonne since 2009 and she has provided extensive information on both this family and other Pasks who lived in Australia.

Isaac Arthur James Pask, M.C., DSO., R.G.A. (1881-1916), who was a Captain in the Royal Field Artillery, 28th Brigade. Isaac was killed in action on 1 September 1916, fighting in World War I in the Somme, at the age of 35.

James Morton Pask (1848-1930), who joined the Royal Navy as an Instructor. Whilst serving on the H.M.S. Druid, he took part in the Ashantee war led by Sir Garnet Wolseley in Oct 1873-March 1874. James had in his possessions two skulls shaped into drinking cups, that were taken by King Hama-dikky (King of Dixcove). These are now deposited at the British Museum.

James' great-great nephew John Morton Cross, who we met at the Pask Family Gathering in 2008, and who has extensively researched this family and provided detailed narratives.

If you are a Pask, Paske, or Pasque male, we encourage you to take a DNA test. To date, we have tested 23 men, and this has helped us considerably with the Pask One-Name Study. Alternative if you are a Pask, Paske, or Pasque female, we ask you to encourage your fathers, or brothers to do the test. More information on the process, cost, etc., are available from pask@one-name.org.

Descendants of Thomas Pask - Chart 39

This information relates to Chart 39 - Thomas PASK, (1766-b1851) who lived in St. Pancras.

Yesterday we received an e-mail from Clare J. Pask, who is the 4 x great-granddaughter of Thomas Pask. and granddaughter of Lawrence Bernard & Victoria Lille Pask née Kirkland.

She has provided information that will be included in chart 39 in the next website update. In addition, we will add some more information on this family, based on the 1911 census.

Many thanks to Clare for the information.

New Web Photograph Album - Yvonne Sumner

This information relates to Chart 39 - Thomas PASK, (1766-b1851) who lived in St. Pancras.

Over the past year we have been working together with Yvonne Sumner from Australia. She has provided extensive information on Walter & Jane Annie Pask née Chester, and their descendants.

This was a very interesting, albeit a sad story. Walter married Jane Annie Chester on 21 May 1898 in Gateshead. Unfortunately Walter was killed in a railway accident on 18 July 1908, leaving Jane a widow with 4 children, the youngest George being only a few months old. With no means of support Jane gave the 2 middle boys, Arthur and Walter, to her mother-in-law Mary Ann. She kept Laura the eldest and the baby George.

Jane's mother-in-law, Mary Ann Pask née Ruddock emigrated to Melbourne Australia in 1912, together with her daughters Nellie, and Kate, and taking with her grandsons Arthur and Walter. Jane wrote to her mother-in-law begging for Arthur and Walter to be returned to her as she was getting married again and her circumstances were much better. Evidently Jane was horrified that they were going to Australia and was allowed to see them only a few days before they left.

Arthur, Yvonne's father, was very talented. He played the cello in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, he was an accountant, and also the Team Manager for the Australian Archers in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

Yvonne has provided over 30 photographs. These have now been included in a web photograph album.

Ellen Levy (alias Villiers)

This information relates to Chart 39, the descendants of Thomas Pask, (1766 - b1851), who lived in St. Pancras.

This morning we received a very interesting e-mail from William de Villiers, who lives in South Africa, about Ellen Levy (alias) Villiers. Coincidental, she was the mother of James Morton Pask - See the previous blog John Morton Pask - Ashantee Medal for Sale.

William saw a reference to Ellen Levy (alias Villiers) on our website, and it fired his imagination and plunged him into hours of work at his computer keyboard researching Ellen's father. He found:

Isaac LEVY (alias Isaac VILLIERS or John VILLIERS) was born in about 1788. He was married [date unknown] to Mary COLLIER (who was born in Hornsey, Middlesex in about 1789).

Isaac ran into financial difficulties in the 1820’s and was sued and committed for debt – being described in the legal documents as Isaac Levy “(commonly called Isaac Villiers, sued and committed as Isaac Villiers), late of Golden-Square, Middlesex, afterwards of Sackville-Place, Lambeth, Surrey (carrying on business in Partnership with William Court, as Tailors, under the firm of Villiers and Court), then of Glbson-Street, Waterloo-Road, Surrey, then of Isabella-Street, Waterloo-Road aforesaid, then of New-Street, Waterloo-Road aforesaid, Comedian, and carrying on business, on his separate account, as a Tailor”.

When the national census was taken in June 1841 he was described as “Isaac Villiers”, a tailor, living in Arlington Street in London with his wife, five children and two sempstresses.

When the census was taken again in April 1861 he was described as “John Villiers”, a 73 year old tailor, living at No. 25, Clarence Street, Islington St Mary in London with his wife and eldest daughter.

He died in 1863.

In addition, William has provided very detailed information - with sources. This information will be included in the next website update, that is imminent.

We were also very intrigued by the change of name. Now thanks to William, the mystery is solved.

James Morton Pask - Ashantee Medal for Sale

This information relates to Chart 39, the descendants of Thomas Pask, (1766 - b1851), who lived in St. Pancras.

Martin Brady contacted us yesterday. He is not related, however very interested in military history.

Earlier this year, we researched James Morton Pask, after receiving information from David Noden from the Department of Africa, Oceania and Americas in the British Museum - see blog titled James Morton Pask (1848 - 1930) - British Museum. You can imagine our delight when Martin Brady provided us with some very interesting information on a medal that belonged to James.

Martin advised that JM Pask’s Ashantee medal was currently for sale on the website J Collins Medals Limited. A picture, and description reads:

Ashantee 1873-4 (J M Pask, BA, Navl Instr, RN, HMS Druid, 73-74) James Morton Pask was appointed Naval Instructor, Royal Navy 28 March 1872 he joined HMS Druid the same day. Mr Pask retired from the Royal Navy 30 March 1900 after 28 years service, this is his only medal.

Unfortuntely the cost of £450 prohibits us purchasing it. However if anyone is interested they should contact J Collins Medals Limited.

James Morton Pask was born on 24 February 1848. He was the son of James & Ellen Pask née Villiers or Levy.

Sincere thanks to Martin for providing this information. In 2005, he kindly provided photographs of John & Agnes Pask's Grave in Southend-on-Sea Cemetery. John Pask was born in 1838 in Thundersley, Essex. He was the son of James Horton & Julia Pask née Asplin, and was an Able Seaman (AB) on HMS Agamemnon in the Crimea war.

James Morton Pask (1848 - 1930) - British Museum

This information relates to Chart 39, the descendants of Thomas Pask, (1766 - b1851), who lived in St. Pancras.

Last week we were contacted by David Noden from the Department of Africa, Oceania and Americas in the British Museum. He has provided some very interesting information on James Morton Pask.

David is compiling biographies on people who have been responsible for the museum's Ahanta collections. He hopes to turn the biographies into a permanent record of the collectors who have contributed to the museum.

David advised us that the British Museum received two drinking cups from James Morton Pask in 1874 which he had brought back from the Ashantee war of that year, he appears to have been on HMS Druid during the bombardment of Dixcove on The Gold Coast, Ghana.

James wrote in his accompanying letter:

Dear Sir,

I send you two skulls. They were taken by King Hama-dikky (King of Dixcove) after the bombardment of Aquidah by HMS Druid, and the attack on the town by the Dixcove river in the last war.
I received them on the evening after the battle from his majesty through the commandant.
They are cut in the manner you will observe in all probability to serve as drinking cups.
The men of Aquidah are of the Ahanta tribe.

I am your obedient servant

James Morton Pask R.N

More information on James Morton Pask is available in his detailed narrative, which will be updated in the near future. We plan to visit The National Archives at Kew to obtain James' naval record and any other information that will help David in his project.