The "ten mothers" of Abraham Lincoln

[loetar44]

When researching family history you generally use two resources to nail down facts: oral history and actual records, such as birth records, census records, marriage records, etc. Sometimes they complement each other. An oral tradition passed down in the family is sometimes a good starting point. But in the matter of Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks the oral history couldn't be more conflicting with the documented facts. Even actual records are not always 100% reliable. I agree with Vicky Reany Paulsen : no source, no proof. I also agree with her: if the source is a person, then it is hearsay. The only thing we do know exactly is that the Hanks/Lincoln connection has been a source of controversy and misinformation for more than 150 years and therefore it seems/is an impossible task to provide the (most) correct genealogy for Nancy Hanks based on oral and recorded history. My diagram therefore does not present the correct line. It only shows the lines according to oral history, collected by different individuals, and recorded history, based on actual records found by researchers. But what is the correct genealogy? I don’t know, and with respect, nobody does know (right at this moment). There are still competing, irreconcilable, and unsupported claims about the lineage of Nancy Hanks Lincoln. However, now we have the instrument of modern DNA research and I’m sure that scientific research via DNA will give us the most correct genealogy and will show us the lines of former and present day Hanks, Hancks and variants and, together with genealogy research, determine how they are related to one another. We already know that Luke Hanks and John Hanks who lived on the Northern Neck in or near Richmond County did not have the same father as William Hancks of North Farnham Parish. Also the Hanks who lived in New England have "no match" with Luke and John. I wonder: has someone in the forum figured out a genealogical line (and is willing to share) of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, based on a mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA study (direct female to female), because DNA points to Lucy Hanks (dau of Joseph Hanks & Nancy Lee) married with Henry Sparrow as the mother of Nancy Hanks? And what about the whole Hanks line based on the Y-chromosome which is passed from father to son to son, etc. I agree with Vicky Reany Paulsen that Barton is correct.