A bit of background is necessary before I make a point. John Thomas, Sr., married Anna Maria Blankenbuehler in Germany. They had four children, John, Jr., and Anna Magdalena born in Germany, and Michael and Margaret born in Virginia. (John Thomas, Sr., died after only a few years in Virginia and Anna Maria married secondly Michael Kaefer.)
We do not know the surnames of John Thomas, Jr.’s, two wives. We know that he had four daughters: Susannah, who married Jacob Holtzclaw; Mary, who married Joseph Holtzclaw (both of the latter men were sons of the 1714 Jacob Holtzclaw); Mary Barbara, who married Jacob Blankenbaker; and Elizabeth, who married John Railsback. Land deeds in the form of gifts are the source of the information about the marriages. In the case of John Railsback, there was less certainty because he got two parcels and seems to have paid for one of them.
Some of us believe that this came about because John Thomas, Jr., had originally intended to give away five tracts. But one the five never went to the intended party and was sold instead to John Railsback. Was there originally a fifth heir? We never knew; we could only surmise.
Then a few years ago, I heard from Joel Thomas in Georgia. His research had suggested to him that he was descended from a Michael Thomas of Culpeper. This potentially could be the fifth heir of John Thomas, Jr., and he and I corresponded on this basis for a few times. He had some circumstantial evidence, and I told him that I thought there was a slot where his Michael Thomas could fit in. Many of the other Georgia Thomases were of the belief that they were descended from an English Thomas of Culpeper Co., Virginia. Certainly there were English Thomases in Culpeper Co., and they have made Thomas research more difficult.
I have just had another letter from Joel Thomas and he says that he had a DNA test made. The results were placed in a Thomas data bank. Joel has just heard from a Mrs. Hansen from Mississippi with the DNA results of her brother of proven German Thomas descent. (The tests are in the male line.)
Now that Joel Thomas, descended from a Michael Thomas of Culpeper, had proven his German heritage, we can rest more assured that John Thomas, Jr., had a son Michael. This Michael would been named for his uncle, the brother of John Thomas, Jr.
The point I would make is that not enough DNA testing is being done. We have some uncertainties in the Germanna community. It would seem to be that this would be a good way to resolve some of these questions.
(26 Jan 06)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.