DNA testing - genetic genealogy

[kwheaton]

I am one of those crazy Americans willing to offer a free kit to the right persons. Some of us have a strong desire to learn where we hark from.

Sometimes when you don't get any matches with even a low resolution 12 or 25 Y-DNA marker test it is because of very unusual values only shared by a small group of men---maybe a couple of mutations from long ago and only born by men of a certain surname. This is the case with our group. Before I started the Wheaton project a Wheaton who had tested sat there for 3 years without a single match at any resolution. Now he has eleven!

I have spent 40 years looking to connect Robert Wheaton born about 1606 to his English kinfolk. I have finally found a possibility in a Robert Weedon born in Norfolk 1606. Also many Robert Weetons in Lancashire but none born in 1606. So I am looking for a male Wheaton of any spelling with early ties to either of these counties or surrounding counties especially York or anyone with the markers listed below.

If our Robert turns out to be an imposter by the name of Jones that's okay too!

I have worked with a Wheaton researcher in England, who like I, has spent many years trying to sort these families the traditional way and hitting brick walls. She believed like I that our husbands came from ancestors from Devon. And although we have TWO distinct DNA Wheaton and Wheadon lines in Devon our husbands match neither.

I was able to connect her husband through DNA testing to the Wettons of Staffordshire (many later adopted the name Wheaton)

And then finally we come to this rather robust group of Wheaton men with very unusual values on some of their markers making it possible for me to identify them with a 12 marker test (not usually advisable). If you run into a Wheaton, Weeton, Weedon, Wheadon, Wheeton etc. Please have them contact me. One of our group members is in his nineties and I would like to solve this mystery for him.

And if your are into comparing values I am looking for R1b Haplogroup with these
14 24 16 11 12 (I'll even take 4 out of 5)
DYS 393 = 14
DYS 390 = 24
DYS 19 = 16
DYS 391 = 11
DYS 385a =12

Lest you think DNA testing isn't powerful this is how I finally was able to connect my husband with Robert Wheaton. Took 6 weeks for the test to answer what I couldn't in 37 years. Our paper trees can say anything--- but DNA testing especially Y-DNA is proof positive. We walk around with the encyclopedia of all our ancestors with whom we still carry their DNA.

I was skeptical in the beginning but I am a believer now. I happen to descend from Robert's daughter Hannah Wheaton who lived in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. I am happy to answer specific DNA questions for others. Just send me a message. I have used several testing services available in the US and have experience with mtDNA, autosomal, Y-DNA STR and Y-DNA SNP testing.

The Robert Wheaton cluster is Haplogroup R1b1a2a1a1b3c  shorthand L2+
Kelly

[Redroger]

Kelly, What do you consider to be a small group of men from long ago? I ask because I have taken part in a test with a FTDNA one name project on a surname similar to my own, and have had no response with the surname whatsoever. I have been made well aware of the power of the Y chromosome test as a man in western Canada with a different surname who's ancestors originated in the same area of England where mine migrated to i.e. Lincolnshire has been proved through a combination of DNA test and paper trees to be the descendant of an indiscretion by my grandfather's brother c1870. My family appears to originate in the border area of North Dorset/ South Somerset/ Wiltshire, and my surname is less uncommon in Newfoundland where many Dorset men migrated; however, and I think rather strangely no connection has yet been made between name bearers. Appreciate your advice please.

[kwheaton]

Kelly, What do you consider to be a small group of men from long ago? I ask because I have taken part in a test with a FTDNA one name project on a surname similar to my own, and have had no response with the surname whatsoever. I have been made well aware of the power of the Y chromosome test as a man in western Canada with a different surname who's ancestors originated in the same area of England where mine migrated to i.e. Lincolnshire has been proved through a combination of DNA test and paper trees to be the descendant of an indiscretion by my grandfather's brother c1870. My family appears to originate in the border area of North Dorset/ South Somerset/ Wiltshire, and my surname is less uncommon in Newfoundland where many Dorset men migrated; however, and I think rather strangely no connection has yet been made between name bearers. Appreciate your advice please.

I suggest looking at every possible database you can find beyond FTDNA:

Y-search
Ancestry.com DNA
Sorenson's http://www.smgf.org/pages/ydatabase.jspx

Look for matches of any surname that match your profile.

Also check out this chart for your Hapolgroup:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~geneticgenealogy/yfreq.htm

This will give you an idea of whether some of your values are quite unusual. And thus why you don't get many matches. You can start your own surname Project or work with your Administrator to recruit folks for testing. You have to cast a very wide net. I started my project in Feb 2011 and now have 23 members so it is possible with peristance.

In the case of this particular cluster all of the men would be descended from one man born somewhere between 1200-1600 who "probably" adopted the surname Wheaton or something similar. It is not unusual to have a mutation that is 1 or 2 off the modal--- but when you have several in a particular combination it makes it far less likely that it would happen in the same combination again. So my expert has suggested other than NPEs most any man bearing this signature is probably going to be a Wheaton. You can have a look at my results page from the Wheaton project and FTDNA or on my webpages (I have those tested elsewhere included). I started the page when I started the project and I have had a couple of inquires that found me that way.

If you look at the Robert Wheaton cluster you cans see that all match at 25 markers save one Raines and a Howell. As we move outward more mutations are evident but all clearly related in the time frame between when Robert immigrated in 1636 and now.

Feel free to contact me directly at ^(*)
Kelly




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[Redroger]

Tha.nks Kelly, I'll give those links a try

[kwheaton]

Good luck Redroger.

Kelly

[fenifur]

Would just like to add my take  - although I personally want to do it to see whether my grandfathers line was from the eastern mediterranean/middle east (we aren't sure where exactly, just rumours) but can't due to their being no known direct male ancestors to us (it was through his mother the connection was supposed to be)...

My boyfriend's family did a DNA test between American, Barbadian and English members of the family, mostly to see if the American branch was connected to the 'nobility' (My boyfriend is next in line for a baronetcy) BUT also to see if rumours in the 1600's that one of the son's was actually not the Baronet's were true... and they were! The baronetcy diverted back to the direct line in the end anyway, but it was interesting for them to find out that  (at least) one of the Baronet's in the line was actually a ward/adopted son/foisted on him by an errant wife.

So I suppose it depends on what you're hoping to find.

[kwheaton]

Fenifur,

An Autosomal test for you (doesn't need to be a male) should reveal eastern mediterranean/middle eastern background. If you are interested in just ancestry and genealogy I'd do FTDNA's family finder test. If you want Medical info as well do 23andme.com (they only have one test). Once you have results from either you can upload to GEDMATCH.com and find out lots of details. Here's my kit number so you can play around and see what I mean C556953. Try out some of the Ancestry Painting tools.

Since it is your grandfather this will show up in your autosomal DNA. As you will carry approx 25% of his DNA. Hope that helps.

[fenifur]

Oh that's brilliant thanks! I got an info pack from the Oxford one and thought they would have all aspects covered so it's great to know I can do this! Thanks for loaning me your number too, I'll go have a look. I might see if any of his brothers/sisters are still alive (we have a very large family - not particularly close..) so might be able to get a 50% reading of great granny somewhere! :p
thanks again
Jenny

[kwheaton]

Jenny,

Just got an email from Ancestry.com that they will be offering an autosomal test there soon. If you subscribe to ancestry the into price will be $99. Which is a great deal.

So that's another option. If you find a male in your gradnfather's surname line to test I highly recommend FTDNA.com. They have the largest Y-database in the wrold and the largest number of surname projects. Have you checked to see if they have a project for your grandfather's surname? If thye do you can order at a discount.
Good luck!

Kelly