I am looking for information of John Tait from Manitoba. He was married to Isabella Rickards who remarried a Fred Halled afer Johns death around 1870.

I have found record that John came from the Shettland Islands. However, verbal family history passed down by John's son Andrew says that John came from the Orkney Islands with multiple brothers.

As well, Johns son James is listed as a chippewa 1/2 breed in the 1901 census. I am a little confused about this as the only way that James would be Metis is if his father John was not from the shetland islands but perhaps a second generation scotish/metis man.

Any info is greatly appreciated

Jeff,

You may have already checked out davidfaux.org. He has done genetic testing from the shetlands. There is also a link on their to search family trees in the Shetlands which will take one back as far as 1701 or so.

He also mentions the conspiracy theory developed by my uncles Norm and Mervin and cousin Krystal, that Andrew was actually a son of Hallett and not of John Tait. From the genetic testing he has done, he determined our genetic line is from the shetlands, which would rule out Hallet as the father, as Hallets line came from England.

In the WWI service records (searchable online) James Tait's children Fred and Andrew are listed as dark in complexion. It is possible, I suppose that James's wife was of mixed blood, however.

I hope that helps.

Chris

Thanks for the info on the Dna testing chris.

I have researched James wife Mary Blundell to the point that I do not believe that she was metis.



She is the only one in James family not identified as a Chippewa Scotch breed in any of the census data.

The children of Mary and James are listed differently in each census according to where they resided. They were identified as breeds when living near metis communities and as scotish when living in Macdonald whith their aunt Barb Hay.

The mystery continues!!!!