Status Report

 Group One

There presently is completed data on twenty-two volunteers in this group, eight of whom have no differences at all from the group's haplotype profile or signature as regards the markers tested, nine who exhibit one marker different and three with 2 markers different. Several of these volunteers have excellent paper trails from the early Colonial Robert Abernathy Lineage of Charles City County VA and several with partial paper trails not fully verified are individuals who so closely match the group signature as to be unquestionably related. Two volunteers have excellent paper trails from the early Colonial Charles Abernathy - Alice Short Lineage of Brunswick County VA, and three whose paper trails are from the early Colonial David Abernathy Lineage of Dinwiddie County VA. Both of these lines have long been known or suspected to be very closely related to the Robert Lineage, and DNA analysis absolutely confirms this. There is data on two volunteers from the early Colonial William Abernethy Lineage of New England. Both of those differ from the group profile by only two (matching) markers, again showing a clear relationship between that line and the early Colonial Virginia lines. Additionally, there is data from 4 volunteers whose paper trails are as yet not clearly established prior to abt 1790 but whose DNA contains more than sufficient matches with the group profile to demonstrate that the as-yet-documented ancestor(s) are clearly very closely related to the Colonial Virginia Lineage. Some, despite a lack of paper trail, are perfect matches with the group haplotype. Presently, we do not have a volunteer with a solid paper trail to the 4th son of the third Robert of the Robert Lineage (Miles Abernathy & wife Sarah Jones), but some of those with unproven links may well be of this Branch. While it might be a tad premature to make conclusions based on too little data, it would appear that several of those with incomplete paper trails can clearly demonstrate a relationship to the early Colonial Virginia Lineage (if not exact proof of a direct descent), since DNA analysis on all individuals in this group show they are exceedingly closely related!

Group Two

This group presently consists of six volunteers whose DNA clearly shows them to be from a Northern Ireland Abernethy family that was probably located in or near County Antrim near the end of the 1600's. Two of the members of that family descend from a William Abernethy who, with wife and in-laws, emigrated to Bucks County PA in early colonial days. One member of that family moved just across the Irish sea to Scotland and his descendants emigrated near the end of 1800 to New Zealand. One representative from that Northern Irish family emigrated to Canada sometime before 1841 and some of his descendants later moved to the western portion of the United States. A fifth representative of this family descended from a Hugh Abernethy who emigrated to South Carolina sometime around 1770's, and thence to Indiana by 1820; many of his descendants spread out across the midwestern states. The sixth representative carries a different surname but his DNA proves him related in spite of that fact. It is unknown if any from this family still remain in either Ireland or Scotland, nor has a paper trail been established directly linking all six representatives to a documentable common ancestor and thus to other members of the group.

Unassigned

This group exists to serve whatever individuals have (a) full tests but insufficient matches vis-a-vis any other volunteers, or (b) an insufficient number of tested markers for a meaningfull analysis to be completed. Even with a common surname, an exact 12/12 match is judged as woefully insufficient to prove a close relationship. These remain provisionally as unassigned, pending additional results or other clarifying evidence, or new members who closely match data with them.

Last updated: 23 Jul 2008