Possible link to Thomas Strong

There has been an interesting development in the search for our ancestry through Reuben Strong of NY. Mervin Strong has enrolled in the DNA study and is the closest match to my DNA yet, with only 2 differences out of 37 markers. Of note, is that his line traces back to the Itacha, NY area where Reuben lived and thus increases the odds of Reuben being part of the Benajah Strong family that settled there. This demonstrates the value of DNA in narrowing the search among the many lines emanating from Elder John Strong. The first data that came out suggested we might be related to either John Jr or Jedediah, sons of Elder John Strong. The more data that has now be submitted changes that to suggest Thomas is the line to investigate. We were definitely interested in Benajah, who we found in Lansing NY when we spent a week in Ithaca looking for Reuben's family, but couldn't find any paper evidence that they were related. The DNA provides evidence for the relationship but there are always questions unanswered that could be clarified by more people participating. For those interested in the data, here are links to the Strong DNA information:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegalstrongs/dnaresults.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegalstrongs/15388.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegalstrongs/118848.htm

Mervin's line is as follows, from Dwight's History of the Strong Family, and he is related to Thomas. (Thomas>;Adino>t;Adino>t;Benajah>t;Salmon>;William J.>t;Giles>;Edward Charles>;Charles Edward).

Benajah is the key since he is the patriarch of the Lansing, NY family and is the likely progenitor for Reuben as either father or grandfather. He was born in Woodbury CT, son of Adino Strong Jr and Deborah Prime. He married Jane Cochrane in 1761 and his children of record were born there. He was a Revolutionary War soldier and is cited in those records as are his sons Truman (who died in service) and Benajah Jr. In 1782 the family moved to Athens, Greene Co, NY where he took over the farm of a tory officer. They moved later to the Great Bend in the Susquehannah, near Binghamton, NY and after 3 years to Ithaca, NY. Two years later, they moved to Lansing where he bought 2000 acres of land for $1/acre.,He was a member of the Baptist Church. His wife died in 1816 and he remarried a widow, Abigail Powers, nee Newland in 1818 (she is noted as the mother of the wife of President Millard Fillmore). Benajah died in 1836 and is buried in the Strong Graveyard near Lansing.

The challenge is connecting Reuben is the lack of paper evidence and the dates. By census reports, Reuben was born between 1780 and 1790, likely towards the end since his wife Mary Abbott was born in 1791. That could mean that, if he is a son of Benajah, he would have been born in NY, either Athens or Binghamton, and we have no records of that. He also could be a grandson although he isn't in any of the published family records of Benajah Jr, Amos or Salmon. Benajah Jr was born in 1763 and his first son Benajah was born in 1786, the right time period, in Newburgh, NY (another place to look). His second son, Samuel, was born in 1788.

Benajah Sr's second son is Amos, b. 1771 and married Polly Goodwin. Unfortunately there is no information in Dwight's about this family, thus is of interest, although he would have been a little young to be Reuben's father.

All of these boys married Lansing girls and thus are in the area at the right time for Reuben.

We will continue to investigate