DNA testing - genetic genealogy

[Redroger]

Due to other committments over at least the next 2 years I have declined to administer our project, if it takes place. There are at least 2 different migrations of my surname bearers to North America, one before 1660 based on an old will, and the other more recent, I think likely 18th/19th century. There are around 2300 people worldwide who carry this surname, 53% in the USA, 25% UK, and 20% in Canada, the other 2% (approx 80 people) worldwide mainly Australia. Significantly since the surname is at its least uncommon in Dorset, the highest concentration of the name per 100,000 is in Newfoundland, and thopugh I have found one person in an early census whop states he was born in England, even in this case I have failed to make the transatlantic link.

[DevonCruwys]

I've only just seen this thread as I was away on holiday when it started but thought I would add a few comments. I've been running a Y- DNA project for the surnames Cruse, Cruwys, Crewes and associated variants for the last three years in association with my one-name study:

www.familytreedna.com/public/CruwysDNA

Y-DNA (Y-chromosome) testing has only been available in the last ten years but those of us who are running surname projects, including many of my colleagues from the Guild of One-Name Studies, are already beginning to see the benefits. Family Tree DNA has the largest Y-DNA database in the world with almost 200,000 Y- chromosome DNA results. Your chances of success really depend on the composition of your surname project. Some projects (such as my own) have reached critical mass and any new testee stands a very good chance of getting a match. Others are only just starting out. There are also many surname projects which are dominated by Americans. If this is the case it's always worth e-mailing the project administrator to see if the project will sponsor a test for a UK participant. Some US-led projects (eg, PHILLIPS) have a standing offer to provide free tests for UK participants if a pedigree is provided. As a result the Phillips project now has a relatively large number of UK testees;

http://www.phillipsdnaproject.com

DNA testing is used as a complementary tool to traditional documentary research. However hard you try, you will always get stuck sooner or later on one or other of your lines. A DNA match will confirm that two lines are related regardless of whether or not there is a paper trail. In my own one-name study I've sometimes been surprised at the lines which do match. The ones I was expecting to be related often aren't!
 
There are also many geographical projects for the British Isles such as my own Devon DNA Project:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Devon

You can see a full list here:

http://cruwys.blogspot.com/2009/08/dna-projects-for-british-isles.html

If you test through a project you benefit from the discounted project pricing (though the discount only applies to Y-DNA tests). The best time to order a test is usually in December when the companies usually hold sales. Alternatively you can come along to the DNA Workshop at Who do you think you are? Live at Olympia, London, in February 2011, where the tests are offered at a special show price.

The ISOGG website is a good sources of advice for DNA testing:

http://www.isogg.org

I did a brief article for the Berkshire Family History Society which explains how the Y-DNA and mtDNA tests work:

www.irishtype3dna.org/DebbieKennett.php

The new generation of autosomal DNA tests (Family Finder from FTDNA and Relative Finder from 23andMe) enable you to find relatives from all branches of your family tree. They don't tell you which ancestor you share in common so both parties who have a match need to research all their ancestral lines as far back as possible. These tests are very new and it will be a few more years before they reach critical mass for Brits. (Americans currently have a much better chance of finding a meaningful match.) At present they are best used to prove or disprove a hypothesis (ie, do two people share the same great-great-grandparent?). There are some useful pages on the ISOGG Wiki explaining how these tests work with screenshots from Family Finder and Relative Finder. This is a good page to start on:

http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA

The difference between documentary research and DNA research is that the documents will always be there for you to research (barring major catastrophes such as bombs and fires) whereas Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA lines can die out and if you don't get someone tested while you still have the chance the opportunity will be gone forever.

I hope this helps.

Debbie Kennett

[Redroger]

Verty helpful thanks Debbie.

[Tisy]

Hi Debbie,

Thanks - just the sort of input we need.  I am just looking at starting an L20 Project for the midland and northern counties of England - possibly called the "West Mercia L20 Project".  It will not be confined to any surname in particular, but to those testing L20 positive (R1b1b2a1b4c1), and whose origins are in these counties.

I have no idea where to begin, and would very much appreciate any help you could give.

Cheers,

Tisy

[DevonCruwys]

Tisy

I don't think it would be a good idea to refine a haplgroup project to a specific region. Not enough people have been tested as yet and you need to keep the scope as wide as possible. It's highly unlikely that L20 is confined to one specific region of the country. Are you already in the U152 project?

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/R1b-U152/default.aspx

Tibor Fehar has recently taken over the categorisation of the project members and they are now grouped according to SNP results. Why don't you have a word with Tibor? He lives in Hungary but is fluent in English.

Debbie

[Pippakit]

I wonder if a DNA test would help me. Here is the story:

I was recently contacted by a gentleman who believes that his mother was an illegitimate daughter of a male relative of my line.

His supposed grandfather was the son of my great grandfather's brother, which would make him related to me via my grandmother (his cousin).

Would a DNA test, by both of us, show a common link, bearing in mind that I am female, descending through my father and grandmother to great grandfather, brother of contact's great grandfather. He is descended from him through his grandfather and mother. I hope this is making sense.

Therefore in both our families we are descended through a mixture of male and female family members.

All I need to know is if we share a common denominator. Is this possible with one of the DNA testing methods?

Thank you,
PippaK

[Tisy]

Hi Debbie,

We are already on David Faux's U-152 project, as well as Steve Gilbert's L20 research project.  There seems to be a cluster of L20's in these northern counties, and those of us who originate there thought it would be a good idea to see how many of us were connected and how;  the names that have come up so far are Wood, Woods, Johnson and Marshall.  Our name (Marshall) is as a result of illegitimacy 3 generations back.

I will contact Tibor as well - thanks for that.  I think he can be contacted through ftDNA?

Cheers,

Carol

[Redroger]

PippaK, As I understand it, to indicate a link you would need a known male relative of yours in the direct male line of descent to prove a Y chromosome connection.

[DevonCruwys]

Hi Tisy

I can't find any website for Steve Gilbert's L20 research project. I presume this is a private project rather than one that is hosted on the FTDNA website. If there are enough L20s then it might be worthwhile setting up a separate L20 project. I would imagine that not enough people have yet taken the deep clade test to make it worthwhile. Have you all tested at 67 markers as that is the best way to determine the genetic distance for more ancient matches? Tibor is one of the co-admins of the U-152 project and you'll find his e-mail address on their website.

Debbie