Finding the Mystery Father of Ernest Piatt with Autosomal DNA Matches – Part 3 or 3

by Stewart Blandón Traiman, MD

[This article was originally published in The California Nugget, Spring 2024 edition.]

The DNA Connections

We have successfully verified the relationships of eleven DNA matches within the mystery line and have identified common ancestors. These relationships fall within the statistically expected range of shared centimorgans (cM) and have a probability of accuracy ranging from 17% to 58%.^[1] The exact relationships of Cousins 64, 138, 150, and 329 have proven more intricate to distinguish, as they could be either half-cousins or full-cousins. The details of both potential half and full relationships for these four matches are provided in Table 4 below.

The Mystery Line

Eight out of the nine cousins within the mystery line have been successfully linked to a common ancestral couple – Samuel Harvey Sloan and Rebecca E. Bran. Although all the men that descend from this couple cannot be completely ruled out, the matches that descend from Robert Sloan Grant appear to be the most promising connections. Investigating Robert Sloan Grant’s family becomes a promising avenue for identifying Ernest Piatt’s biological father.

Robert Sloan Grant passed away on 19 August 1900, six years before Ernest’s birth, making it impossible for him to be Ernest’s father.^[2] Therefore, the focus shifts to Robert’s four sons as potential candidates, all of which worked in the oil industry in Ohio. Robert was married to Nancy Cousins, and they had seven children, six of whom survived into adulthood:^[3]

1. Mary LeElla Grant, born 19 May 1861, Butler County, Pennsylvania; married Thomas Vantine Smith, about 1879; died 4 August 1928, Butler County, Pennsylvania.^[4]
2. James Richard Grant, born 20 December 1863, Oil City, Venango, Pennsylvania; married Grace Laird, 26 December 1885, Webster, Iowa; died 22 October 1907, Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia.^[5]
3. Marion Alfred Grant, born 26 April 1866, Oil City, Venango, Pennsylvania; married Katherine T. Ivory, 26 March 1892, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; died 28 February 1910, Ross, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.^[6]
4. Viola D. Grant, born 8 May 1868, Pennsylvania; married William H. Redic, 29 April 1890, Butler County, Pennsylvania; died 16 March 1938, Ross, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.^[7]
5. Ralph Emerson Grant, born 21 April 1874, Parkers Landing, Armstrong, Pennsylvania; married Daisy Gertrude Allen, 6 April 1898, Butler County, Pennsylvania; died 20 June 1963, Zelienople, Butler, Pennsylvania.^[8]
6. Charles Devlin Grant, born 22 May 1877, Butler County, Pennsylvania; married Opal Doretha Hubbard, 31 October 1902, Monroe County, Ohio; died 28 June 1949, Woodfield, Monroe, Ohio.^[9]

All four of Robert’s sons were old enough to father a child in 1905 and all worked in the oil industry. This becomes significant when considering the proximity of their employment locations to Campsidell Piatt, who lived in southeastern Ohio throughout her life. Given the occupations of Robert’s sons, any of them could have crossed paths with Della.

Campsidell Piatt was born in Green Township, Monroe County, Ohio on 19 February 1877.^[10] This is the same county where the unreturned marriage license was filed, and where she lived with her mother in 1900.^[11] In 1910 and 1920, Campsidell was in Belmont County, which is north and adjacent to Monroe.^[12] Campsidell has not been found in either the 1930 or 1940 U.S. census. She resurfaced in 1950 living in Columbus, Ohio, with her daughter Lula and her son-in-law, Charles Ault.^[13] That census states that she had four children, was a widow who had last married 40 years ago, and had completed a 5th-grade education. Della was unable to work because of long-term disability but had an income of $600 in 1949. She died at age 75 of a cerebral hemorrhage and hypertensive heart disease in Woodsfield, Monroe County, on 8 July 1952.^[14]

Della was 14 years old when oil was first found in Monroe County in 1891. This discovery transformed the area from farmlands to oil-producing wells that yielded 55,000 barrels per month in 1901. During those ten years, every township was digging wells for oil and gas. Thirty-seven major pools with 2,450 wells were recorded in southeastern Ohio, with the majority being in Washington and Monroe Counties. This amount of production and wealth not only transformed the land but also the population centers. The town of Woodsfield in Monroe, the county seat, grew in population and services. Five hotels and three boarding houses accommodated people flooding into the area hoping to strike it rich. The influx of itinerant people supported barbers, lunchrooms, a brick factory, grocers, drug stores, cobblers, blacksmiths, and saloons. Some towns were established overnight with shanties and tents surrounding oil production. The race to own land created a competitive and divided community, abundant with lawsuits.^[15]

In the 1900 U.S. census, James Richard Grant’s occupation was as an “oil driller.”^[16] His 1907 obituary says, “He was well known in Freeport, Pa., where he had resided for the last 10 years and been in the oil business.”  Freeport is 127 miles northeast of Woodsfield, Monroe County. At the time of Ernest’s birth, James wasn’t living as closely to Campsidell as his brothers Marion and Charles.

In 1900, Marion and Charles were living as boarders in Perry Township, Monroe County, Ohio.^[17] Perry Township is eight miles south of Woodsfield. Marion was a day laborer and a tool dresser. No profession was given for Charles. This census states that both brothers were single, which was true for Charles, but Marion had married eight years prior. His wife, Katherine Ivory, was living with her mother in Ross, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.^[18] Marion’s 1910 obituary says, “…entering the business with Gailey Brothers, drilling the first well in the Shannopin district. Later he engaged in the contracting work, the firm name being Grant Brothers & Miller, which located at Woodsfield, O.,…”^[19]

Charles Devlin Grant stayed in Monroe County, Ohio, for the rest of his life, and died in Cambridge, Ohio. He was an oil field laborer, a pumper, and a foreman in the industry.^[20]

Ralph Emerson Grant’s 1963 obituary says, “He had spent the early part of his life in and around the oil fields of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Kansas, working as a driller…” and “Oil drilling was transient work and kept him away from home…” ^[21]

All four of Robert Sloan Grant’s sons worked in the oil industry, with Marion and Charles spending more time in Monroe County. Ralph may have been in the area as a transient worker. At present, only two descendants of James R. Grant share DNA with the Piatt lineage. The lack of tests from other descendants should not mistakenly infer that James Richard Grant must be the mystery father. He is a strong candidate, but without samples from descendants of James’ brothers, we cannot say with certainty which brother was the mystery man. Although, thinking back to “Richard Piatt of Ireland” that was on both Ernest and Raymond’s death certificates, maybe there is a kernel of truth there. Could Irish Richard have been code for James Richard Grant of Oil City, Pennsylvania, or just a coincidence?

To eliminate or confirm the other Grant brothers as paternal candidates, it would be crucial for descendants of Marion, Ralph, or Charles to undergo DNA testing. A descendant tree was built for all of Robert Sloan Grant’s children with several generations up to the present day. No new DNA matches were found amongst the descendants of his other sons.

If James R. Grant was the biological father of Ernest Piatt, then Ernest and Marion Willard Grant would be Ernest’s half-brothers. The relationship of Marion’s descendants, Cousins 138 and 329, to the Piatt descendants would be as half-cousins. But if one of James R. Grant’s brothers was the biological father of Ernest Piatt, then these relationships would be full cousins. The probability, based on cM quantity, that Cousin 138 is a half 3^rd cousin once removed is 19%. The probability that he is a 4^th cousin once removed is 49%. We may want to base a conclusion on that higher probability, but it would not be supported by other evidence.

The probability that Cousin 138 is a half 2^nd cousin twice removed or a 3^rd cousin twice removed is equal at 17%, further underscoring the intricacy of this puzzle.

Identifying half versus full cousins based solely on centimorgan quantity probabilities may not provide a definitive answer. Half-cousins and full cousins could exhibit similar cM sharing, making it challenging to distinguish between the two by only using atDNA. Only by eliminating brothers as candidates could we identify the potential father versus the uncles. It is also possible that more than one brother was an acquaintance of Campsidell.

Cousin 64 and Cousin 150 are direct descendants of Campsidell Piatt’s son Raymond, and they both match Grant line cousins. If Raymond and Ernest were full siblings, sharing the same father, then Cousin 64 would be a 2^nd cousin twice removed to J.T. at a 19% probability. But if two brothers fathered these two sons, then Raymond and Ernest would be half-siblings. The probability that Cousin 64 is a half 2^nd cousin twice removed to J.T. is 29%. For Cousin 150 the probabilities are 19% and 18% of being a full cousin versus a half-cousin to J.T. These small differences in probability are insufficient to determine if Raymond and Ernest had the same father or were fathered by two brothers.

Conclusion

The mystery third great-grandfather who was thought to be forever unknowable is now within reach. Four of Campsidell’s descendants share DNA with eight descendants of the Grant/Sloan line, making the connection between these families irrefutable. Current evidence cannot unequivocally identify the man, but the candidates have been narrowed to four brothers. More DNA test results from Robert Sloan Grant’s descendants are needed to finalize the identity of Ernest Piatt’s biological father. Despite the challenges posed by contradictory or incomplete historical records, modern genetic genealogy promises to illuminate even the most enduring family secrets.

PART 2

^[1] Blaine T. Bettinger, “The Shared cM Project 4.0 tool v4,” DNA Painter (https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcmv4 : accessed 11 October 2023), average and range of shared cM per relationship.

^[2] Butler, Pennsylvania, death records, vol. 2, p. 44, Robert S. Grant, 31 August 1900; digital images, FamilySearch, “Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999” (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:H5Z8-Z1N2 : accessed 11 October 2023), film no. 007615740, 213 of 441 (unindexed).

^[3] 1900 U.S. census, Butler, Pennsylvania, pop. sch., Allegheny, ED 0052, p. 6, lines 23-33, dwell. 108, Thomas Smith household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T623, roll 1386.

^[4] Butler, Pennsylvania, death certificate, 80946, Mary Lee Ella Smith, 4 August 1928; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5164/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > 1928 > 080501-083500, image 453 of 3039; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

^[5] Webster, Iowa, marriage record, line 141, J R Grant and Grace Laird, 26 December 1885; digital images, Ancestry, “Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1947” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8823/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > 1886 > 337 (Sac – Wright), image 206 of 266; State Historical Society of Iowa. And, Ohio, West Virginia, death records, 273, James R. Grant, 22 October 1907; digital images, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, “Vital Research Records Search Selection” (https://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_select.aspx : accessed 11 October 2023).

^[6] Allegheny, Pennsylvania, marriage record, 7060, Marion A. Grant and Katharine T. Ivory, 26 March 1892; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61381/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > Allegheny > Marriages, v. 21-22 (B: 6001-9000) 9 January 1892, image 178 of 502. And, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, death certificate, 11977, Marion Alfred Grant, 28 February 1910; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5164/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > 1910 > 010001-014000, image 2986 of 5158; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

^[7] Butler, Pennsylvania, marriage record, 1576, William Redie [sic] and Viola D. Grant, 29 April 1890; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61381/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > Butler > Marriage dockets v. 5-6 1889-1891, image 370 of 603. And, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, death certificate, 23759, Viola Grant Redic, 16 March 1938; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5164/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > 1938 > 022001-025000, image 2372 of 3869; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

^[8] Butler, Pennsylvania, marriage record, 4792, Ralph E. Grant and Daisy E. Allen, 6 April 1898; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1968” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61381/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > Butler > Marriage dockets v. 11-12 1897-1900, image 175 of 600. And, Butler, Pennsylvania, death certificate, 058346-63, Ralph Emerson Grant, 20 June 1963; digital images, Ancestry, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5164/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > 1963 > 057151-060000, image 2146 of 5102; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

^[9] Monroe, Ohio, marriage record, 791, C.D. Grant and Opal D. Hubbard, 31 October 1902; digital images, Ancestry, “Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993” (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61378/ : accessed 11 October 2023) > Monroe > 1898-1908, image 236 of 508. And, Guernsey, Ohio, death certificate, 36589, Charles D. Grant, 28 January 1949; digital images, FamilySearch, “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953” (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LHQ-GWL : accessed 11 October 2023), film no. 004109160, 1943 of 3579.

^[10] “Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003,” Birth records v. 1-2 1867-1891, registry entry for Campsidell Piatt (line 162); digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X6JF-Q7S : accessed 11 October 2023), film 004009699, image 182 of 256.

^[11] 1900 U.S. census, Monroe, Ohio, Green Township, pop. sch., ED 0094, p. 2, dwell. 34, Hannah Piatt.

^[12] 1910 U.S. census, Belmont, Ohio, Goshen Township, pop. sch., ED 0006, p. 12a, dwell. 271, Della Piatt. And, 1920 U.S. census, Belmont, Ohio, pop. sch., Bethesda Village, ED 0052, p. 10B, lines 62-64, 281, Della Piatt household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T625, roll 1349.

^[13] 1950 U.S. census, Franklin, Ohio, pop. sch., Columbus, ED 94-131, p. 1520, dwell. 80, Charles L. Ault household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm Record Group 29, roll 4933.

^[14] Monroe, Ohio, death certificate, 47300, Campsidell Piatt, 8 July 1952; digital images, FamilySearch, “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953” (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X6LH-QB3 : accessed 11 October 2023), film no. 004109430, 989 of 3144.

^[15] “History,” Monroe County, Ohio, website (https://www.monroecountyohio.net/residents/about_us/index.php : accessed 11 October 2023). And, E. Willard Miller, “Petroleum in Southeastern Ohio,” The Ohio Journal of Science, v. 43 n. 3 (May 1943) (https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/3320 : accessed 11 October 2023), Greatest Regional Development, 1890-1903, p. 127. And, Jimmy Herdegen, “The Oil & Gas Boom in Monroe County,” Medium, 10 July 2019 (https://medium.com/@jherd744/the-oil-gas-boom-in-monroe-county-ad00225facae : accessed 11 October 2023).

^[16] 1900 U.S. census, Armstrong, Pennsylvania, pop. sch., Freeport, ED 0013, p. 10, lines 28-33, dwell. 211, James Grant household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T623, roll 1373.

^[17] 1900 U.S. census, Monroe, Ohio, pop. sch., Perry Township, Antioch Village, ED 0099, p. 1, lines 16-17, dwell. 6, Marion A and Charles Grant household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T623, roll 1305.

^[18] 1900 U.S. census, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, pop. sch., Ross Township, Third Precinct, ED 0485, p. 1, lines 20-26, dwell. 5, Mrs. M. A. Grant in Mrs. Ivory household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T623, roll 1371.

^[19] “Marion Alfred Grant,” obituary, The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 2 March 1910, p. 11, col. 4; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 11 October 2023).

^[20] 1910 U.S. census, Monroe, Ohio, pop. sch., Washington Township, ED 0166, p. 6A, lines 36-40, dwell. 71, Charles Grant household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884 : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T624, roll 1219. And, 1920 U.S. census, Monroe, Ohio, pop. sch., Washington Township, ED 0063, p. 5B, lines 58-63, dwell. 104, Charles D Grant household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T625, roll 1419. And, 1930 U.S. census, Monroe, Ohio, pop. sch., Wayne Township, ED 0029, p. 6B, lines 77-79, dwell. 134, Charles D. Grant household; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/ : accessed 11 October 2023); NARA microfilm T626. And, “Charles Grant Funeral,” obituary, Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio), 1 July 1949, p. 17, col. 1; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 11 October 2023).

^[21] “Ralph Grant, Zelienople Artist, Dies at Age 89,” obituary, Unknown Newspaper, 21 June 1963; Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/43788266/person/162326868264/media/e3eadd6a-c400-4b33-bf0d-090e86773159?usePUBJs=true : accessed 11 October 2023); newspaper clipping image without identifying data linked to Ralph Emerson Grant’s Ancestry profile by Judith Allison on 30 July 2010.