My Arrasmith line until recently, was documented back to Reverend William Anderson Arrasmith born April 30, 1840  in Gallatin County, Kentucky on the "Sugar Creek". Through DNA evidence and then further documentary evidence, I have proven his father to be Zachariah Arrasmith b. 1816. Through marriage bonds in early Gallatin County, Kentucky there is proof that Zachariah is the son of Thomas Arrasmith/Mary Polly Cox. His mother and Zachariah's wife was Lavinia Henry.

All DNA evidence I found was documented on a spreadsheet (anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Excel). Over 19 dna matches went back to the Thomas Arrasmith/Mary Polly Cox line so I knew one of their children was Rev. William's father. I uploaded my dna as well as my mothers to Gedmatch. I was able to find dna matches to four of the five sons of Thomas/Mary Polly Arrasmith. With three brothers, I shared 46, 38 and 33 cms (centimorgans) which is a pretty significant match. With one brother I shared 77.5. ;>)

Then I was lucky enough to find a direct descendant of Rev. William through his son Robert Stephen Arrasmith (we are descended from Robert's sister, Fannie Elliott). I shared 88 cm (centimorgans) with this descendant. Being that 88 cms is a direct match, the 77 cm I shared with Zachariah's descendant was an "a ha" moment.

While I know the DNA does not lie, according to genealogical standards you also have to have some type of documentary evidence. This morning I found Zachariah in the 1850 Boone County, Kentucky census. His wife's mother, Elizabeth Henry was living with them further showing this was correct family. All of the children match up with information we had including William A. Smith, age 10 (making 1840 birth year correct).

Lavinia Henry Arrasmith died around 1853 so makes sense on William's death certificate his mother is listed as "Unknown". Since she died before William married none of his children would have known her. I found it interesting that during research many of the Henry's that were born around 1800 or before in early Kentucky or in close proximity to this family were born in Ireland. One in Switzerland County, Indiana specifically shows Sligo, Ireland as his place of birth. While Lavina's father is currently unknown, it is possible he was born in Ireland. Further research will need to be done to prove or disprove this.

Reverend William was a a circuit-riding Baptist Minister who first pastored the Bullit Lick Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Kentucky from 1879-1881. I have information from the Frankfort Roundabout on November 24, 1883 where he was called to pastor the North Fork Baptist Church in Switzer the "next year".

The evidence for 1840 birth year is his marriage certificate which shows that he was 21 years old when he married January 1, 1861. The 1880 Louisville, Kentucky census lists William as being 40 years old and his death certificate states he was born in 1840 when he died in 1916. Also, 1850 census with his parents and siblings lists him as 10, making 1840 year correct.

Family history passed down states that William had a grandmother (or great grandmother) that was full-blooded Cherokee Indian but I have no proof of this. I will say that neither my mother, my sister or I had any indiginous American dna when we were tested. It may be that it was diluted out by our generation or was never there. (I have a girlfriend who is descended from Texas Cherokees and had 16% in her dna).