This episode has it all--brave adventure, pirates, abuse of power, etc, etc. Today we talk about Kim's eighth-great-grandfather, Nicholas Yager, and the surprising twists and turns of his life as he attempts to migrate from the war-torn Palatinate to a new life in Pennsylvania only to be thwarted by a scheming ship captain and a corrupt Virginia governor. You don't want to miss it.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

We're back talking about the always-exciting, never-dull Wix family of Missouri. This week we look at the family's political ambitions through a one Clark Wix, and we uncover a messy family feud over politics--a tale as old as time.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

In lieu of a new episode this week, we're throwing back to one of our favorite episodes from last year. We hope you enjoy, and we'll see you next time!

In a very special Bonus Episode, Low Ancestry talks to Roots and Routes genealogist Michael Ruby. Join us for a discussion about the myth of the presidential common genealogy conspiracy, what low ancestry means in our personal family trees, and why J. D. Vance’s comments about his genealogy on the campaign trail do not hold up. 

Find Michael on YouTube and TikTok!

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

This episode has it all. Squatting, Frontier Life, the Civil War, Reconstruction Politics, and most importantly...MURDER! Kim's family was sure doing a lot out there in Missouri, and we'll dive into what their story says about the national conversation at the time and now.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

Low Ancestry is getting a Patreon!  

Every month, we will be putting out one episode for subscribers of a new series we're calling High Ancestry where Kim takes the reins. In our very first episode of High Ancestry, Kim talks to us about the history and psychology of astrology, and then we do the critical work of comparing ancestors we've talked about from Season 1 of Low Ancestry to their sun signs and speculate wildly.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

In this very tough episode, we dive into Kim's very southern family by looking at the life of her fourth-great-grandfather and Confederate officer, Joseph Ezra Gillette, and we get real about what it means to have family that benefitted from enslaving others and why it's so important to talk about.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

The interview you all have been clambering for.  

We switch things up a little as Kim takes the lead and interviews host, Karyn, about her process, life, history, and how it all ties together to right now. We'll be back next episode with another look at Kim's ancestry! 

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

This episode is about MJURDER! That is, murder. Turns out that Kim's 3rd-great-grandfather, John O'Donnell, was a man who contained multitudes--involved in crime, scandal, and maybe romance? Set in the hills of northwest Virginia, join us as we unravel the 1869 murder of Port Republic.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

You ever think you're really good at your newfound hobby and then get humbled real quick. Yeah me either.  

Just kidding, this episode is all about how I believed that Kim was related to Jim Beam and was a whiskey princess, but it turns out that I was wrong and now there is egg on my face. But Kim doesn't need mediocre whiskey to tell her that she's somebody. Join us for the kick off of Season 2 as we dive into Kim's ancestry. Today, we learn about her distant German (and Bohemian???) roots and their journey to America. And while Kim isn't a whiskey princess, she learns a thing or two about being the heir to obscure protestant denominations circa the mid-1800s.

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative

It's been a minute, and we've got some exciting updates about Season Two--not the least of which is that it's releasing on March 17. *gasp*

It's nice to have something to look forward to! Especially for your charming and genealogy-loving host, Karyn, who has had an especially wild (read: bad) year so far. We get into some personal updates--a passing family member, losing a job at USAID, and a twisted ankle--and chat about why our release schedule became a little wonkier than expected (*hint*: it's because of the horrors that persist). We also talk about new content coming your way, and we couldn't be more excited to share.  

1:05 - Personal Updates

26:05 - Season 2 Updates

Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com.

And you can now join our Patreon!

LOW ANCESTRY CREDITS

Created, Written and Produced by Karyn Harding

Cohosted by Kim McMasters

Sound Engineering and Original Music by Benjamin Mauch

Original Art by Christina Swanson of Swansong Creative