The Bahamas DNA Project (For anyone with direct male or direct female ancestry from the Bahamas) Last updated 2 Jul 2009 Your participation will benefit your genealogy as well as Bahamian family history research. General announcements are posted at  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BahamasGenealogyGroup/
Join | How it Works | Benefits | Y-DNA Test Results | mtDNA Test Results | Donations | Seeking Sponsorship | Family Histories | Public Relations | Paternal Line Descendant Charts | Maternal Line Descendant Charts | Links Seeking participants with familiar Bahamian surnames including  Adams (1), Adderley (1), Ageeb, Albury / Albree (1) (2, 3, 4), Allen, Amoury, Aranha (1), Archer (1), Armbrister, Armaly, Armstrong, Arnett, Arteaga, Bain, Baker (1) (2, 3, 4), Barr, Beckford (1), Bethel / Bethell (1, 2, 3, 4), Bostwick (1), Bowe, Bowleg (1), Braynen, Brennan / Brennen (1) (2), Brice, Brown, Bullard, Burrows, Butler (1), Campbell, Carey (1), Carroll (1), Cartwright (1), Cash, Cates/Kates (1), Carlton, Chea, Christie, Claridge, Clarke, Cleare (1), Coakley, Colebrook, Collie (1), Collins, Cooper, Cox, Culmer, Cunningham (1), Curry (1, 2, 3, 4), Curtis, Damianos, D'Arville, Darling, Darville (1), Davis, Dawkins, Dean (1), Delancey, Deleveaux, Demeritte, Deveaux, Dillet, Dorsette, Duncanson, Duncombe (1), Edgecombe, Edwards, Elden / Eldon (1, 2, 3), Elding, Eneas, Evans (1) , Eustace, Farquharson, Farrington (1), Esfakis, Fawkes, Ferguson, Fernander (1), Finlayson, Forbes, Fox, Gardiner, Garfunkel, Gates, Gibson (1) (2), Glinton, Grant (1), Green, Greene, Griffin (1, 2), Hall, Hamilton, Hanna (1), Hart, Hazlewood, Hepburn, Higgs (1, 2, 3), Hopkins (1), Hutcheson (1),  Ingraham, Isaacs, Johnson (1) (2, 3) (4, 5, 6), Jones (1), Kelly (1), Kemp, Key (1, 2, 3), Knowles (1) (2) (3, 4), Lewis, Lightbourn (1, 2, 3), Lightbourne, Lockhart, Love, Lowe (1, 2, 3), Lunn (1), Mackey, Major (1), Malcolm, Malone (1, 2, 3), Mangos, Maura (1) (2), McCartney, McDonald, Meares (1, 2), McIntosh (1), McKenzie, McKinney, McPhee, Miller, Mingo (1), Minnis, Minns (1, 2, 3), Moree (1), Morley, Mortimer, Moss, Moxey, Munnings, Munro (1), Murray, Myers, Neely (1), Newbold, Nixon, Nottage, Outten, Pah, Pearce, Perpall (1), Pierce (1), Pinder (1, 2, 3), Poitier, Powell, Pratt, Pritchard (1, 2, 3), Psilinakis, Pyfrom (1), Rassin, Rahming (1), Roberts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18), Robertson, Roker, Rolle, Russell (1, 2, 3), Sands (1, 2, 3), Saunders (1, 2), Sawyer (1, 2), Scavella, Seymour, Simms, Smith (1, 2), Starling (1),  Strachan, Stuart, Stubbs, Sturrup (1, 2), Sweeting (1, 2, 3), Symonette, Taylor (1) (2), Thompson (1, 2) (3), Treco (1), Turnquest, Wallace, Watson, Weatherford (1, 2) (3) (4), Weech, Wells (1, 2), Whylly, Williams, Wilson, Wing, Wong, Woodside, Wright, Yanowitz, Yuong, Young Surnames in green have joined the project. Numbers following the surname link to their Y chromosome results.  Numbers within parenthesis share the same direct paternal line.  At least 2 most distant cousins with the same surname should test to confirm they share a direct paternal line ancestor and to verify their genealogy.  Email peterebay@yahoo.com to include other surnames Seeking anyone with direct maternal line ancestry from the Bahamas who is NOT a direct maternal line descendant of the following matriarchs:  Adeline b. abt 1840? m. Peter Saunders, Birdie m. Edward Roberts, Elizabeth m. Francis Wells, Elizabeth b. abt 1823 m. Samuel Baker, Georgianna m. Robert James Bowe, Louisa b. 1842 Georgetown, Exuma m. John Archeles Cooper, Margaret? b. 1790? m. Joseph Albury,  Mary Elizabeth m. George Clarke, Rebecca b. abt 1842 m. John S. Russell, Wyannie b. abt 1740 m. Malone, Amelia Armbrister b. abt 1842, d. 1907, Eleanor Albury m. 1849 Abaco to John Sawyer. Sr., Eliza Ann Albury b. abt 1825? m. Henry Baker Johnson, Euphemia Albury b. 1832 m. John Russell, Leviny Albury b. abt 1859 Spanish Wells m. William Eddie Swan Pinder, Sophia Jane Albury b. Jan 1838 Marsh Harbour, m. John Henry Russell, Susan Elizabeth Albury b. Aug 1848 Spanish Wells m. Vincent Sawyer, Jr., Amelia Ann Armbrister b. 1847 m. John Butler, Sarah Artrell m. 1773 Moses Demeritt, Anne Bethel b. 1783 m. John Roberts,  Margaret L. Braddick b. abt 1799, m. John Nicholas Burrows, Catherine Brady? b. abt 1800 Harbour Island m. William Ranger, Frances Brady m. Joseph Curry, Geneth Campbell of Cat Island m. Hardy Israel Strachan, Mary Cartwright b. Long Island, Susanna Carey m. bef 1835 Richard Culmer, Theresa Eliza Ann Carroll b. abt 1863 m. John James Wells, Sharlett Jane Culmer m. Thompson, Caroline Curry b. 1833 m. Samuel Sawyer, Margaret Curry m. 1833 William Lowe, Margaret Elizabeth Curry m. Frances Key, Jeanett Darville b. 1845 Nassau m. Joseph LaVauhn, Paulina Ann Dean b. ca. 1820, Long Island, m John Robertson Turnquest, Jane Gould b. abt 1756 Harbour Island m. Samuel Higgs, Ophelia Griffin b. abt 1824? m. John Tedder of Hope Town, Mary Hall m. James Hall, parents of Elizabeth Hall b. 1803, Maud Hollands m. Lynn Johnson b. 1896, Georgiana Elizabeth Jamieson b. 1821 m. Robert George Smith, Charity Johnson b. abt 1819 Harbour Island, Edna Johnson b. abt 1888 m. Fredrick Scavella, Mary "Mamie" Sumner Johnson b. abt 1868 m. Robert Isaac Roberts, Nica Johnson b. abt 1850? m. Henry Sawyer, Julia Knowles b. abt 1820 m. Samuel Wells, Mary Elizbeth Knowles m. Alexander Edward Knowles, Elizabeth Lampriere b. 1811 of Exuma, Mary of Savannah Sound, Eleuthera m. George Clarke, Christiana Lowe b. 1848 Green Turtle Cay m. William H. Lowe, Elwilda Lowe m. William Lowe, Rachel Knowles or Millar b. abt 1840 m. Joseph Fox, Susan Morton b. abt 1835 m. Gibson, Mary Jane Moxey b. 1837, d. 1924 m. Joshua L. Thompson, Mary Newbold b. abt 1790, m. John Hall, Eleanor Newman b. 1788 of Long Island m. Joseph Knowles, Grace Elizabeth Newman b. 1810 of Long Island m. William Beckford, Rebecca Outten b. abt 1838 m. King Taylor, Frances Jane Pinder b. 3 Feb 1830 Cherokee Sound, m. William Sweeting, Lenora Pinder b. 1838 m. Albury, Frances Pratt  b. abt 1850 Long Island, Anne Pritchard b. bet abt 1836 and 1852 Long Island, d Long Island, m. Wiltshire Morley, Roxanna Remington m. Arthur Newman, Susannah Ridley born ca. 1720?, m. Nehemiah Dumcome, Elizabeth Roberts m. 1804 William Albury, Charity Roberts m. John Sawyer, Margaret E. Roberts m. 1813 Zachariah Sands, Margaret Roberts m. 1838 John Thompson, Jane Roberts b. 1830 m. Moses Malone, Sarah Roberts b. 1778 Harbour Island m. Daniel Russell, Charlotte Russell b. 1802 m. Benjamin Roberts, Eliza Amelia Russell m. Benjamin "Treadeasy" Russell, Jemina Sands m. Noah Bethell, Amelia Saunders b. 1867 Long Island? m. John Christopher Knowles, Charlotte Saunders b. abt 1813 m. Jeremiah Weatherford, Caroline Sawyer b. abt 1855 m. Ernest deVedig, Margaret SAWYER? m. Joseph Albury 1804, Deborah Simms b. abt 1833 m. James Thompson, Ann Elizabeth Stirrup b. abt 1850, d. 1892 Bimini m. Adolophus Weech, Sarah Tedder? m. John Henry Roberts, Louise Ellen Thompson m. James Gilbert Kelly, Margaret Roberts b. Harbour Island m. John Thompson,  Elwilda Lowe m. William Lowe, Jane Augusta Anne Newbold of Harbour Island, Ada Winder

Objective

The objective of this project is to support traditional genealogy in matching up individuals or families who share direct male or direct female ancestry in the Bahamas and to trace their origins in Africa, Europe, and North America.

The Plan

The Bahamas DNA Project will perform a Y-chromosome test on any male with direct paternal ancestry in the Bahamas.  The project will also perform a mtDNA test for men or women with direct maternal ancestry in the Bahamas.  However, the mtDNA test is more valuable in revealing deep ancestry and is less suited for genealogy purposes.  Women may also participate by recruiting a brother, father, or other male relative with Bahamian ancestry to take the Y-chromosome test.  The results will be maintained to match future Bahamian participants.  Current participants' results and genealogies can be viewed on this website.

Join

To participate in the Bahamas DNA study, please go to the Join The "Bahamas-DNA" Group Project and select the appropriate DNA test(s).

Men should then order the Y-DNA25 - - Male 25 marker paternal test (or they may order the Y-DNA37 test) if they have direct paternal line ancestry in the Bahamas.  Men may also order the  mtDNAPlus test if their mother has direct maternal line ancestry in the Bahamas  Men who order both the Y-DNA and mtDNA test should order the Y-DNA37+mtDNAPlus test . 

Women should order the mtDNAPlus test if they have direct maternal ancestry in the Bahamas. 

If you are male, I recommend you order the 25 or 37 marker test (and not the 12 marker test) because it will provide enough information to prove a "close" relationship with another male.  The 67 marker test will sometimes provide additional information, but in most cases your money would be better spent testing one of your cousins who is a direct paternal (or direct maternal) line descendant of one of your other Bahamian ancestors.  One exception is when you belong to a cluster of exact matches with the same surname and you hope to reconstruct branches of descent from a shared ancestor. 

If you are male or female I recommend you order the mtDNAPlus test (and not the mtDNA test) because it is has a better chance of revealing a recent relationship with another person.   Testing your mtDNA will not provide any additional information regarding your direct paternal line.  The mtDNA test will reveal the mtDNA signature of your direct maternal line. Even if you have mtDNA results for your direct maternal line, it is still difficult to reconstruct your direct maternal line ancestry because surnames change each generation.  The $449 mtFullSequence test will likely be much less expensive in a few years.  The full sequence mtDNA test may reveal medically significant information. Therefore you should not publicly share the results of a “full sequence” mtDNA test until a qualified consultant has confirmed your results are okay. 

If you have trouble placing your order online, you may order by phone at (713) 868-1438.   Next, send a descendant chart of your earliest known direct paternal line ancestor in the Bahamas or your earliest known direct maternal line ancestor in the Bahamas to the project's administrator, Peter Roberts, at peterebay@yahoo.com.

A test kit and concise instructions will be sent to each participant. The participant will in turn provide a mouth swab sample to be analyzed by FamilyTreeDNA.  This painless sampling technique, administered in the privacy of the home, involves simply the self-administered use of a swab to collect a small amount of cells from your cheek inside your mouth (See demo). When mailing the kit back to FamilyTreeDNA, participants outside the United States should write "swabs for genealogy purposes" on their customs form.   FamilyTreeDNA will forward results to both the participant and the project administrator about 8 weeks after the laboratory's receipt of the individual sample.  These results will include a report of the determination of a Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) for the surname with a significant marker match.  Each participant will receive a report of his own results. 

The project administrator will add participant's results to this website..  Participants will be identified by their earliest known direct paternal and/or direct maternal ancestor and kit number only.  The project administrator will also add each participant's results to appropriate public databases namely http://www.ysearch.org/, http://www.ybase.org/, and/or http://www.mitosearch.org/.  The project administrator will be listed initially as the contact person on these public databases and the participant will be permitted to change their contact information if they wish.   Males taking the Y chromosome test may belong to the Bahamas DNA Project as well as a DNA project for their surname.  The project administrator will also add participants to their appropriate surname and haplogroup projects.  Participant Y chromosome and mtDNA results, descendant charts and family histories submitted by participants may be used by the project administrator for book or journal publications.  Participant's first names will not be used in any publications -- only kit numbers.  Living people will not be included in the descendant charts.  Any proceeds from the sale of publications will go towards helping pay for others to join the project.  The propose for print publications is to provide a more permanent record of the project and to reach an audience that is not as active on the Internet.

Email the project administrator if you are thinking about paying for DeepSNP testing.  It usually has no or little benefit regarding your recent ancestry.  Your 25 (or greater) marker results usually already provide an accurate prediction of what the DeepSNP test will confirm.  If you are interested in your ancient direct paternal line ancestry, then www.ethnoancestry.com may offer more informative SNP testing packages.

Purchasing the FTDNA's Y-DNA Haplogroup Chart may not be a good deal because a more up to date chart is available for free at  http://www.isogg.org/tree/index.html

Cost

FamilyTreeDNA provides a group discount for participants in its registered projects.  The 25 marker Y-DNA test is $124 plus postage.  The 37 marker Y-DNA test is $149 plus postage. The mtDNAPlus test is $149 plus postage.   The 37 marker Y-DNA test and the mtDNAPlus test together are $278.   The postage cost is $4 to the U.S. and $6 to the Bahamas.  This is a private, non-commercial project for genealogists interested in Bahamian ancestry.  The administrator (Peter J. Roberts) receives no remuneration of any kind for coordinating this project (he is not paid for running the project, nor does he receive a commission for selling tests).  If the cost is stopping you from joining the project, email peterebay@yahoo.com and ask to be listed with those seeking sponsorship.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an important part of this study.  Only the participant providing the DNA sample will know their results, unless he or she decides to share their information.  The small portion of the Y-chromosome that is analyzed does not contain genes that relate to medical issues, except in some rare cases (about 1 in 4,000) this test may indicate that the participant is infertile.  The area of the mtDNA that is tested does not provide enough information from which to draw any conclusions regarding medical issues.  All samples will be assigned an identifying kit number.  This kit number will be the only identifying information available for viewing by others.  No one other than the project coordinator and the testing laboratory will know who participates in the study or which result is from which participant.  The portion of the DNA tested gives a distinctive "signature" for a lineage rather than for an individual, so there is no risk of the data being applied to personal identity for misuse of any kind.

How it Works

If two males match about 22 out of 25 markers or better on a Y chromosome test, and they share the same surname, then they likely share a direct paternal line ancestor since the European and African settlement of the Bahamas.  Audio and videos describing how it works.

If two people match perfectly on a mtDNAPlus test and they both trace their direct maternal lines to the Bahamas then they both are very likely direct maternal line descendants of a woman who lived in the Bahamas.  Traditional genealogy may be able to connect their direct maternal line genealogies.  Watch a video of how mtDNA has been successfully used to extend one's genealogy.

Benefits of Participation

1. Determine if two people with your surname are related (and descend from the same ancestor).
2. Identify the genetic genealogy profile of your male family line.
3. Identify your ancestry when traditional documentary genealogical research methods have failed (provide clues or solve brick walls).
4. Identify where to focus and pursue additional traditional documentary genealogical research.
5. Verify that your traditional documentary genealogical work is accurate and scientifically verified (confirm a family tree).
6. Get clues as to the place of origin of your immigrant ancestor.
7. Find genetic cousins you did not know you had.
8. Determine if other surnames are variants of your surname
9. Prove or disprove a research theory.
10. Be an early participant in a state-of-the-art project which is contributing to the world knowledge base for this new and exciting field, genealogy by genetics.
11. Your DNA will be preserved for 25 years at no additional cost and you will be entitled to reduced "add-on" prices for other tests.

Public Relations

June 2004 - The Bahamas DNA Surname Project was conceived and Web site was created.
August 2004 - Newspaper articles appeared in the Abaconian and The Nassau Guardian
May 2005 - Newspaper article appeared in The Tribune
March 30, 2007 - Video of Bahamas Historical Society lecture - Genetic Genealogy and the Early Results of the Bahamas DNA Project

Donations and Pledges

Your financial support helps other participants pay for tests.  Your donation may be made to the General Fund administered by FamilyTreeDNA using credit card, PayPal, or cheque.  Enter "Bahamas DNA Project" for Surname Project.  Thank you very much to the following for their generous contributions.

Nicole Jones pledges $10 towards a Y chromosome kit to test a Kemp with direct paternal line ancestry from the Bahamas.

Evangelina Palmer pledges $25 towards a Y chromosome kit to test a Kemp with direct paternal line ancestry from the Bahamas.

A Fox pledges $50 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Fox or Fawkes with direct paternal line ancestry from the Bahamas.

PS pledges $100 to test a Sawyer line not already tested.

PSG has donated $20 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Pinder, Sawyer, Bethel Albury, Roberts, Johnson, or Griffin

B. Miller pledges $10 towards a mtDNA test for a direct maternal line descendant of Rosa Raffert.

Peter J. Roberts pledges $10 towards a mtDNA test for a direct maternal line descendant of Rosa Raffert.

Linda Cole pledges $30 towards a mtDNA test for a direct maternal line descendant of Patience Beak (m. David Malone)

Peter J. Roberts pledges $10 towards a mtDNA test for a direct maternal line descendant of Patience Beak (m. David Malone)

Evangelina Palmer pledges $191 for a 37 marker Y chromosome test for a direct paternal line descendant of William Starling b. 1857 Green Turtle Cay (he may have had 5 sons), or his brothers Charles Starling b. 1862 Green Turtle Cay  (who had 3 or 4 sons) and Thomas Henry(?) Starling b. 1865 Green Turtle Cay.

Sophia Bauer pledges $20 towards a Y chromosome kit to test an Albury with direct paternal line ancestry from the Bahamas.

Nancy Peeples has donated $xy towards a 25 or 37 marker Y chromosome kit to test a descendant of Samuel Johnson b. abt 1736 Bahamas.

Gena pledges $50 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Sturrup with direct paternal line ancestry from the Bahamas.

Peter J. Roberts pledges $152 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Sawyer who descends from Richard James Sawyer and Elizabeth Albury

A Pinder pledges $20 towards a 37 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Pinder with Spanish Wells or Abaco ancestry.

W.R. Russell pledges $25 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Russell, from a line that has not already tested, with direct paternal-line ancestry in the Bahamas before 1830 or other Russell lineage acceptable by W.R. Russell.

Mick Roberts pledges to pay 50% of a 37 marker test for a Roberts with ancestry in Harbour Island from a line that has not already been tested.

Clair Johnson pledges $50 towards a 37 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Cash with direct paternal ancestry from Abaco or Harbour Island.

Peter J. Roberts pledges $10 towards a 37 marker Y chromosome kit to test a Cash with direct paternal ancestry from Abaco or Harbour Island.

Peter J. Roberts pledges $14 towards a mtDNAPlus test for a direct maternal line descendant of Bianca Kemp (b. 1809).

Nicole Jones pledges $14 towards a mtDNAPlus test for a direct maternal line descendant of Bianca Kemp (b. 1809).

Carol Lawrence pledges $25 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test an Adams with Abaco ancestry.

Donna pledges $25 towards a 25 marker Y chromosome kit to test an Adams with Abaco ancestry.

Peter J. Roberts has donated $10 to help a direct maternal descendant of  Jeanett DARVILLE (b. 1845 Nassau) to order an mtDNA test.

Peter J. Roberts has donated 75% of a 25 marker test for a Roberts with ancestry in the Bahamas from a line that has not already been tested.

Megan Smolenyak has donated $250 in memory of Honoring Our Ancestors http://honoringourancestors.com/grants.html.   This donation reduced five participants costs by $50.00 per kit.

There are enough pledges to pay for two male line tests for participants with the same surname which was in the Bahamas prior to the loyalist period, and having an unknown direct paternal relationship).  Participants would only need to pay $10 each.

Yolanda Rotondo has donated $25 to anyone with direct-line paternal or maternal ancestry in the Bahamas.

Heather Blair has donated $20 to anyone with direct-line paternal or maternal ancestry in the Bahamas.

Wayne Wallace has donated $25 to anyone with direct-line paternal or maternal ancestry in the Bahamas.

Cynthia Gorman has donated $200 towards two 25 marker tests for two males with pre-loyalist Bahamian ancestry with the same (or similar) surnames and with an unproven direct paternal relationship.

Peter J. Roberts has donated $25 to anyone with direct-line paternal ancestry in the Bahamas, and $30 towards two 25 marker tests for two males with pre-loyalist Bahamian ancestry with the same (or similar) surnames and with an unproven direct paternal relationship.

Seeking Sponsorship

If you are willing to help them pay for their Y chromosome or mtDNA test, please donate at http://www.familytreedna.com/contribution.html and put Bahamas DNA as the surname project name.

A 9th generation direct maternal line descendant of Patience BEAK (b. Abt 1778, Harbour Island, Eleuthera, m. Abt 1795 d. 20 Dec 1879, Hope Town, Abaco, m. David Malone b. 1776, SC, d. 22 Mar 1800)

A 5th generation direct paternal line descendant of Thomas RUSSELL (m. Elizabeth Adams)

A direct paternal line descendant of Archibald William George TAYLOR (b. abt 1799, Long Island, d. 2 Nov 1867, Long Island)

A 4th generation direct maternal line descendant Ada Winder of the Berry Islands.  Descendant surnames in this line include Smith, and Dean.

An 8th generation direct paternal line descendant of Samuel Johnson, b. abt 1736 Bahamas. He descends through Samuel's son William Johnson b. abt 1767, his grandson William John Petty Johnson b. abt 1792, his great grandson, Alexander Johnson b. 1839, his great-great grandson Charles Alexander Caufield Johnson b. 1863.

A 5th generation direct paternal line descendnat of Jacob Adams (m. Wyannie Malone II) of Abaco.

A 4th generation direct maternal line descendant of Ophelia Griffin (4-141 in McAleer's Wyannie Malone Genealogy) wife of John Tedder.

A 4th generation descendant of Jeanett DARVILLE (b. 1845 Nassau) mother of Rosetta LaVAUGHN (b.1875 Nassau d.1938 Nassau)

A BRENNAN descendant with ancestry in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama.

A 6th generation descendant of Richardson Saunders.  The Saunders surname existed in the Bahamas from at least the 1720's on. I don't know if my line comes down from one of those families, though. My father used to say that his grandfather told him that our family were loyalists that came from Georgia after the Revolution, but that doesn't mean it was the Saunders surname; it could have been one of the families on the maternal side. I do know that Richardson Saunders (4th-great grandfather) died  at Abaco in 1822 (as per Sandra Riley's book "Homeward Bound"), that the family lived in Nassau at the time, and that he married a "Mary" @ 1794, probably at Harbour Island (where their son John was Born about 1 year later). I also recently got a copy of RS's will, and his five children are: John (my 3rd great grandfather), Henry Rowland, William Edwin, Jane Caroline & Charity Eliza (who married a Moore sometime before 1822).

A third generation descendant of Henry Collie of Acklins Island.   Henry Collie was described as part Asian.  It is not known if he was Euro-Asian-African or just Asian-African.

Test Results

Bahamas Y-Chromosome STR Test Results other surnames will be added when they join

Understanding Results:  If two males match 21 out of 25 markers or better they likely share a direct paternal ancestor in a genealogical timeframe (since the introduction of surnames).  The closer the match, the more likely their shared ancestor lived more recently.

Five families (LIGHTBOURN, MAJOR, MALONE, MINNS, and WEATHERFORD) share a direct paternal line ancestor with their surname with another direct paternal line that was never in the Bahamas.  Y chromosome results reveal at least two different families in the Bahamas for the following surnames: BAKER, BRENNEN, JOHNSON, KNOWLES, MAURA ROBERTS, TAYLOR, and WEATHERFORD.

Y chromosome results for a direct paternal line descendant of ...

... Jacob ADAMS, born 1763 VA m. Wyannie Malone b. abt 1770 SC, indicate that he shares direct paternal line ancestry with a direct paternal line descendant of Jessie Adams b. 1763 in Rowan N.C. and John Adams (m. Sarah Horner) whose son was born 1798 in Cheshire, England. The Abaco Loyalist Adams family does not share direct paternal line ancestry with the Adams family which were U.S. presidents.

... Pompey ADDERLEY born about 1830 of Long Island matches (in the FamilyTreeDNA's Recent Ancestral Origins database) 11 out of 12 markers with one person from the Cameroon and one person from Gabon.

... Henry Cornish ALBURY born about 1811, reveal that his direct paternal line descends from Africa.  In YSearch he matches 8 out of 8 markers with 3 males with direct paternal line ancestry from Virginia, two males from North Carolina and one male from each of the following: South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Antigua.   A comparison with African Ancestry's African Lineage Database indicates that he shares direct paternal line ancestry with the Ewe ethnic group of Ghana.  In the YHRD database of over 54,000 records he matches 7 out of 7 markers with 9 males of Eastern Bantu origin in South Africa, two males from Equatorial Guinea, and one male from each of the following: Guiné-Bissau, Cabinda - Angola, Egypt, Sohag - Upper Egypt, and Reunion Island.  His closest matches indicate he belongs to haplogroup E3a.

... A gggggg-grandson of Joseph ALBREE/ALBURY d. 1699 New Providence shares Albury ancestry with a direct paternal line descendant of William Albury (b. abt 1780 of Harbour Island, m. Elizabeth). They both match 23 out of 25 markers on Y chromosome tests and these results confirm they share a direct paternal line "Albury" ancestor who lived in the Bahamas. In FamilyTreeDNA’s Recent Ancestral Origins database he is a 12/12 match with 6 out of 16755 participants from England.  He is a 24/25 match with one person out of 11733 from England and 2 out of 3666 participants from Germany.  He is a 23/25 match with 10 out of 11733 participants from England.

 The Bahamian Alburys are believed to descend from Henry Albery of Locks Farm, near Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Henry died when his sons were relatively young and left instructions for the property to be sold and the proceeds divided among his heirs. His son, William Alburie, age 15 embarked from London on 30 September, 1635 on the ship Dorset, bound for Bermuda. His brother John sailed to Rhode Island and was believed to be ancestor of the Albro family. In 1650 Capt. William Alburie/Albury sailed from Bermuda to Harbour Island on the yacht Gertrude. In 1699 the Spanish attacked Nassau and killed several of it's inhabitants (including William's likely son Joseph). Joseph's children, John Albree/Albury (b. 1688) and his sister Elizabeth (b. 1691), were made orphans by this event. They were taken in by the captain of a Boston vessel who brought them to Boston early in the year 1700. In May 1711 John married Elizabeth Green of Boston and they are the ancestors of the Albree family of New England.

It appears (to me) that Joseph (d. 1699) had a brother who survived Spanish attack. That brother is the ancestor of the Albury family in the Bahamas today.

Direct paternal line descendants of John (suspected brother of William Alburie who sailed to Rhode Island and is the ancestor of the Albro family) have also had Y chromosome tests. They are not a Y chromosome match with the Albrees of New England and the Alburys of the Bahamas.

William ALBURY b. abt 1780 of Harbour Island reveal that his likely place of origin is from England or Germany. 

.... Conrad Penny BAKER reveal that his direct paternal line matches the signature identified with the Dal Riada Celts (OGAP8 which has DYS393=13, DYS390=25, DYS19=14, DYS391=11, DYS3891=13, DYS3892=29).  See: pp. 8, 10. at http://www.jogg.info/31/campbell.pdf  He is a 35/37 match with a PENNYPACKER who traces his direct paternal line to Holland, and a 24/25 match with a PANABAKER.

.... William H. BETHEL (kit 45379) born about 1825 of Abaco shares direct paternal line ancestry with a direct paternal line descendant of Winer BETHEL Sr. (kit 49818) b. about 1820 Harbour Island.  They both very likely share a BETHEL ancestor who lived in the Bahamas.  Most of their closest matches are with surnames associated with Clan MacLean of the Isle of Mull, Scotland.  Mull was taken over by clan MacLean after the collapse of the Lordship of the Isles in 1493.  Mull was lost to Clan Campbell in 1681.  Those surnames are McLIN, McLEA, MacLEA, McKEEN, McKANE, McKAIN, McCAIN.  See http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maclean.html   Kit 45379 matches 24 out of 25 markers with one McLIN, one McLEA, and one MacLEA.  He matches 23 out of 25 markers with two McKEENs, one McKANE, and one McKAIN, He matches 22 out of 25 markers with ten McCAINs, two McKEENs, and two McKANEs.  The MacBETH surname is a also as associated with Clan MacLean.  The BETHEL surname may be a variation of MacBETH.

Y chromosome results for BECKFORD show that he does not share recent paternal line ancestry with any of the more than 20,000 men worldwide who have made your Y chromosome results public. These results include eight BICKFORDs. The participant belongs to Y chromosome haplogroup B which is of African origin and is a very old and rare haplogroup (and especially rare outside of Africa). The participant is a sixth generation direct paternal line descendant of Joseph BECKFORD b. about 1790 in the Bahamas or Jamaica. The Y chromosome results suggest that this direct paternal line is descended from a slave of William Beckford, famous English author whose family were sugar plantation owners in Jamaica.

.... Edmund Charles BOSTWICK born 1881 Fresh Creek, Andros.  In the FamilyTreeDNA Recent Ancestral Origins database he matches 24 out of 25 markers with 4 out of 6,172 males who trace their direct paternal line to Ireland.

.... Edward Shedwick BOWLEG born about 1922 Andros.  In the FamilyTreeDNA Recent Ancestral Origins database he matches 12 out of 12 markers with one male from the Sawa ethnic group of the Cameroon.  He matches 11 out of 12 markers with 5 males of the Bakaka ethnic group of the Cameroon, 2 males from each of the following: the Baganda ethnic group of Uganda, the Biaka ethnic group of the Central African Republic, 1 male from each of the following: the Mukongo ethnic group of Angola, the Songhai ethnic group of Niger, the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe, and 1 male from each of the following countries: Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria.

… (kit 90552) direct maternal line descendant of Benjamin BRENNEN born 1847 in the Berry Islands and died in Grand Bahama.  In Family Tree DNA’s Recent Ancestral Origins database  he matches 10 out of 12 markers with one male of the Lamba ethnic group of Togo.  A SNP test reveals he is M2+ which indicates he belongs to haplogroup E3a.

... (kit 58657) Benjamin BRENNAN born about 1875 of Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama.  In FamilyTreeDNA's Recent Ancestral Origins database  he matches 12 out of 12 markers with one male from the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe.  He also matches 11 out of 12 markers with one male from each of the following: the Agni ethnic group of Cote D’Ivoire, the Akan and Ga  ethnic groups of Ghana.  In  the www.yhrd.org database he matches 12 out of 12 markers with 2 males in Ecuador of African ancestry.  He matches 11 out of 12  markers with two males of Eastern Bantu origin in South Africa and one male from each of the following: Guiné-Bissau, Cabinda –Angola, United States (African ancestry), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (African ancestry),  He is a 11/12 match with a SNP tested E3a7.

... (kit 39548) William CAREY born1842 Eleuthera.  In FamilyTreeDNA's Recent Ancestral Origins database the highest percentage of his closest matches (# of matches/# from country) are from Iceland and Norway and the highest number of his closest matches are in England, Ireland, and Scotland.  If his direct paternal line is from England, Ireland, or Scotland, then it is likely that the ancient origin of this direct paternal line is Norse Viking.

... (kit 151455) John Henry CLEARE born England, died Harbour Island reveal that he does not share recent direct paternal line ancestry with anyone one else in the Bahamas DNA Project.  This is expected since no other Cleares from the Bahamas have tested.  His closest matches outside the Bahamas indicate that his recent ancestry is from England.  The results also indicate to me that his ancient direct paternal line is not indigenous to what is now the British Isles.  His relatively high percentage of close matches in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany suggest an earlier origin there.  However he also has a high percentage of matches in Northern Ireland and Portugal which makes the ancient origin of this direct maternal line more ambiguous.   His closest match with another surname is Sergeant who apparently traces his direct paternal line to England.  He matches the Sergeant 34 out of 37 markers which is close enough that the shared direct paternal line ancestor may have lived after surnames were adopted and fixed.  That is to say, the Sergeant could be a Cleare or vice versa.

... Henry COLLIE of Acklins Island matches 9 out of 10 markers in the www.yhrd.org with 1 man  from Rio de Janeiro (suggesting an area of origin popular with the Portuguese slave trade). He matches 8 out of 10 markers with 1 man from Johannesburg, South Africa and 1 man from Mozambique. This suggests to me his likely area of origin is southeastern Africa.

... Arthur Livingstone CUNNINGHAM matches 10 out of 10 markers in the www.yhrd.org database with 1 person living in the Cabinda. Cabinda is an enclave of Angola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However in the FamilyTreeDNA Recent Origins database he matches 10 out of 12 markers with 3 men from Gambia and 1 man from Senegal.

... Theodore CURRY born 1837 reveal that he likely descends from The Clan Currie of Scotland (and not the Irish Currys). The ancient name of Clan Currie is Clan MacMhuirich. In the www.ysearch.org database his closest Y chromosome match is 22 out of 25 markers with someone with the surname Rich (whose surname is likely derived from MacMhurich or MacVurich). He is also matches 21 out of 25 markers with a Ririe who traces their ancestry to Aberdeen, Scotland. (Ririe, Currie, and Curry are all similar sounding surnames). The Curry participant does not match 6 other Currys/Curries who have had a Y chromosome test. Additional information on Clan Currie history is available at: http://www.araltas.com/features/curry/index.html and http://www.clancurrie.com/history.html

Results for a sixth generation direct paternal line descendant of Michael Mitchell DARVILLE (b. abt 1825 Long Island) reveal that he matches the Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype (WAMH) which belongs to subhaplogroup R1b1c of Europe.  As a result of being WAMH, he has several close matches with others with different surnames.   The shared direct paternal line ancestor for most of those close matches likely lived prior to the introduction of surnames.  He belongs to haplogroup R1b haplotype variety C as indicated by 390=23, 391=11, 392=13 http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GENEALOGY-DNA/2007-01/1169336656

... Jonathan DEAN born about 1890 of Mastic Point, Andros, reveal that his direct paternal line descends from Africa.  A search of the http://www.yhrd.org/ database shows that he shares direct paternal line ancestry (matches 10 out of 10 markers) with a man from Guiné-Bissau (Republic of Guinea-Bissau) in west Africa.  A study of Bantu lineages in Sub-Saharan Africa found his signature of 16, 21, 10, 11, 14 at 19, 390, 391, 392, 393 was found mostly in Guinea-Bissau.

...Clarence Thorpe FARRINGTON indicate that the ancestry of his direct paternal line is from Europe.  A SNP test reveals that he is M235+ which confirms that he belongs to Y chromosome subclade I1a.  His ancient direct paternal line ancestry likely descends from the Anglo-Saxons or the Danish Vikings.

...Charles GIBSON (b. abt 1875 Savannah Sound, Eleuthera indicate that the ancestry of his direct paternal line is from Africa.  He matches 11 out of 12 markers (and shares direct paternal line ancestry) with two people from the Niokolo Mandenkalu ethnic group of Senegal, and one person from each of the following: the Bamileke ethnic group of Cameroon, the Idatcha ethnic group of Benin, the Kikuyu and Milamba ethnic groups of Kenya and the Shona ethnic group of Zimbabwe and one person from Ethiopia.

...Thomas Johnson (b. bet 1790 and 1810 married Charlotte Bethel)....
...Nathan JOHNSON  (m. Catherine ) reveal that he does not share Johnson ancestry with four other Johnsons in the Bahamas DNA Project.  However he is a 34/37 match with two Johnsons and one Johnston in the Johnson Surname DNA Project.  He is also a 12/12 match with 3 other Johnsons who have only tested 12 markers in the Johnson Project.  In the www.ysearch.org database his closest Y chromosome matches are 34 out of 37 markers with William Johnson born about 1833 New Brunswick, Canada and a Johnson with ancestry from England.  A comparison of Y chromosome haplotypes with 10,000 volunteers throughout Britain under the auspices of the Oxford Genetic Atlas Project reveals a 9 out of 9 marker match with one male (haplotype A705) from North England.  He is estimated to belong to haplogroup E3b1a2 and is likely a direct paternal line descendant of a Roman soldier in Britain of Balkan origin (see http://www.jogg.info/32/bird.pdf ).  That ancestor would have arrived in Britain during the first through third centuries.  His direct paternal line possibly descends from the Thracian-speaking Moesi tribe who were conquered by the Romans in 29 BC.  The Moesi inhabited present-day Kosovo in Serbia. The World & Haplo-I Subclade Predictor http://members.bex.net/jtcullen515/HaploTest.htm gives a 61% chance of this haplotype belonging to E3b-M78 (ISOGG haplogroup E1b1b1a).

... Cuffee JOHNSON born about the 1820's of Hatchet Bay, Eleuthera, reveal that his direct paternal line descends from Africa.   A comparison with African Ancestry's African Lineage Database indicates that he shares direct paternal line ancestry with the Mende ethnic group of Sierra Leone. 

...Newton E. JONES  (m. Sarah Emma Bunch or Hamilton b. 1816 Nassau) reveal that his direct paternal line is likely from the British Isles.  In the FamilyTreeDNA customer database he matches 36 out of 37 markers with a Thomas whose surname was changed from Humphries and he matches 35/37 with a Humphries who traces his direct paternal line to Virginia. In the FamilyTreeDNA Recent Ancestral Origins database he matches 22/25 with 3 out of 5,472 males who trace their direct paternal line to Scotland, 4 out of 6,101 who trace their line to Ireland and 1 out of 11,994 who trace to England. In the www.ysearch.org database he matches 32/37 with a Tedder and a Robinson who both trace their direct paternal line to England.

... Henry Edward KELLY, Sr. (b. abt 1824 Harbour Island) is a 23 out of 25 match with a Doolan and a Dowlearn in FamilyTreeDNA's customer database. The Doolan surname is of Irish orgin and Dowlearn is likely a variation of Doolan.  He also matches 11 out of 12 markers with two Kelleys who only tested 12 markers.  In FamilyTreeDNA's Recent Ancestral Origins database his closest match is 23 out of 25 markers with one male who traces his direct paternal line to Ireland.  In the www.ysearch.org database he shares an uncommon 13 repeats at marker 391 with 3 males with the surname of Lewis who he matches 22 out of 25 markers.  One of these Lewises traces his direct paternal line ancestry to Wales. Also in the YSearch database he matches 21 out of 25 markers with a Kelly who descend from James Jefferson Kelly, b.1818 Botetourt County, VA.  He belongs to Y chromosome haplogroup R1b1b2.

... Nathan KEY (b. 1769 of St. Augustine, Florida) shares direct paternal line ancestry with the following Key families: Warren Key b. 1784 of Darlington, South Carolina and Georgia, Owen Key b. 1777 Virginia, John Key b. 1749 of Isle of Wight, Virginia, William Key b. 1761 Chesterfield Co., Virginia.  These families are paternally unrelated to Francis Scott Key.  He belongs to Y chromosome haplogroup I1.  His ancient direct paternal line ancestry likely descends from the Anglo-Saxons or the Danish Vikings.

... John LEYBOURNE indicate that the ancestry of his line is from Europe.  He matches a Lightburn with ancestry from Bermuda. Kit 28286 is a 24/25 match with 3 Driscolls and one Driskill and a 23/25 match with two Driscolls.  They are a 23/25 match with 5 Mullins.  The Mullins family is associated with County Cork.   They likely share direct paternal line ancestry with the O'Driscoll Clan of Baltimore in Southwestern Ireland.  A SNP test reveals that he is P37.2+  which confirms that he belongs to Y chromosome subclade I2a (formerly I1b1).  This subclade is mostly found in the Balkins and Sardinia. Cullen's Haplogroup Predictor at http://members.bex.net/jtcullen515/haplotest.htm scores a 100?% match with I1b1*-Isles-A that is considered to be indigenous to the British Isles arriving shortly after the last glacial maximum, 8,000 to 12,000 years ago.

... Gideon LOWE (father of Capt. Gideon Lowe) indicate that the origin of ancestry for his line is from Portugal. In the http://www.yhrd.org/ database the participant matches 9 out of 10 markers with 2 people from Northern Portugal, 1 person from Central Portugal, and 1 person from Brazil. In the http://www.ysearch.org/ database his closest match is a distant 20 out of 25 markers with 1 person from Tanzania (on the East African coast) which boarders former Portuguese East Africa. The participant is unrelated to 11 different family lines in the Lowe Surname DNA Project.  The participant is an 11/11 match with one Syrian male and a 9/10 match with six Palestinian males who have at least three generations of indigenous ancestry from their respective countries as reported in The Journal of Human Genetics: Identifying Genetic Traces of Historical Expansions: Phoenician Footprints in the Mediterranean.

...  Henry MAJOR (b. abt 1735 of Long Island) does not share direct paternal line ancestry with anyone else in the Bahamas DNA Project. He matches 23 out of 25 markers with someone with the surname of Majors of Baltimore, Maryland. They are both direct paternal line descendants of a man with the MAJOR / MAJORS surname. They don't have any other close matches with anyone else which means they don't share direct paternal line ancestry with anyone else tested for over 1,000 years (at least). They belong to a branch of the male line of human descent called Y chromosome haplogroup K2. K2 is found at low frequencies throughout Europe and in parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and West Africa. Less than 1.4% of Europeans (and an even smaller percentage of Africans) belong to the K2 haplogroup. A famous person of the K2 haplogroup was Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States (1801-09). The origin of the Major direct paternal line is not Native American as originally suspected when only 8 markers where known. The population with the world's largest percentage of K2's is Iraq at 7%.

... Don Juan MAURA suggest that his direct paternal line descends from the Berbers of western north Africa via the Moors of Iberia.  A SNP test shows that he is M35+ and and therefore belongs to haplogroup E3b. According to http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dgarvey/DNA/hg/YCC_E3b.html his 16 at DYS19 is rare for an E3b. Most of his remaining DYS values suggest he is E3b3.   The World & Haplo-I Subclade Predictor http://members.bex.net/jtcullen515/HaploTest.htm gives a 66% chance of this haplotype belonging to E3b-V12 (ISOGG haplogroup E1b1b1a1).

... Freddie MAURA (b. 1890 Key West, FL, son of Annie Ponce De Leon of Nassau) reveal that he does not descend from Don Juan Maura.  He has several perfect (25/25) matches other FamilyTreeDNA customers with the Donahue and Morris surnames.  The Morris surname has both Irish and Welsh origins.  The Welsh origin is believed to be from the Latin personal name Mauritius (see http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c/qx/morris-coat-arms.htm).   His results are also a perfect (25/25) match with the South Irish R1b haplotype in R1bSTR44 and therefore belongs to haplogroup R1b1c.

... PINDER Cullen's Haplogroup Predictor at http://members.bex.net/jtcullen515/haplotest.htm scores a 65% match with I1b2a-Cont1a, 22% match with I1b2a-Cont2b, and a 11% match with I1b2a-Cont1.

Direct paternal line descendants of William Russell (b. Harbour Island, d. abt 1833 Green Turtle Cay, m. Jane Curry) and Richard H. Russell (b. Bahamas, d. bef. 1880 Key West, m. 1828 to Mary Ann Roberts) and Thomas Russell (b. 1786 Harbour Island, d. 9 Feb 1853 Abaco, m. Elizabeth Adams) all share direct paternal line ancestry with a Russell ancestry who most likely lived in the Bahamas.  They don't share Russell ancestry with over 75 other Russell's worldwide who have had a  Y chromosome test.  Y chromosome matches with other surnames indicate an origin in England, Scotland and Ireland.  The Y chromosome signature matches 22 out of 25 markers with the Darville participant which suggest the Russells and the Darvilles share a direct paternal line ancestor who lived in the Bahamas or that they are from the same paternal line in the British Isles.

Seven Roberts lines are proven to share a common ancestor  Y chromosome results indicate that descendants of John Roberts (kit 10142), John William Roberts (kit 29930), John Roberts Sr. (kit 28986),  Henry Roberts (kit 26830),  Benjamin Roberts (kit 13632 ), Calvin H. Roberts (kit 26925), and John Frederick Roberts (kit 13631) share a common ancestor since the first Roberts was recorded in the Bahamas about 1721.    Details are available at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bahamians/message/18265 .   Their Y chromosome results indicate they are of Anglo-Norman origin from Southern Ireland.  Deep SNP testing by http://www.ethnoancestry.com/ reveal that this direct paternal line is S21+ which is equivalent to U106+ and therefore they belong to sub-haplogroup R1b1b2a1a in FTDNA's nomenclature and R1b1b2a1a1 in ISOGG's nomenclature (this sub-haplogroup is formally known as R1b1c9). They don't have the L1 SNP and they have not been tested for U198, P107, and L48 which are all downstream of R1b1b2a1a.  At DYS390 the participants have 24 or 25 repeats.  For their sub-haplogroup U106/S21+, 24 repeats is very dominant in the north eastern Europe (Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Finland), and 23 repeats is dominant in north western Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, northwest France, north Germany).  http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/R1b1c_U106-S21/message/269

Kit number 08867 is a Roberts with ancestry in Marsh Harbour and whose great-great-grandfather was from Belfast, Ireland.  The Y chromosome results indicate that prior to Belfast this Roberts direct paternal line is from Scotland.  The closest Y chromosome matches are with surnames which appear to be associated with Scottish Clans (Murray, Douglas, etc.) which trace their descent from Freskin a Flemish knight http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freskin.  Clan Murray in Atholl was a neighbor of Clan Donnachaidh (a.k.a Clan Robertson).  It is perhaps from the Robertsons that this family adopted the Roberts surname.  In FamilyTreeDNA's Ancient Origins database, the highest frequency of near matches (11/12) is 37 out of 1,184 (3.1%) of males from the Netherlands.

... SANDS Cullen's Haplogroup Predictor at http://members.bex.net/jtcullen515/haplotest.htm scores R1b-E.Europe =>92% R1b-Ub =>4% R1b-North/South 1 =>3%
 

SAUNDERS  The three Saunders participants share a direct paternal line ancestor with the Saunders surname who lived in the Bahamas.  They share Saunders ancestry with a direct paternal line descendant of  John W Saunders b. 1814 of Hampshire Co., VA  d. 1862 Calhoun Co., WV. m. Cynthia Ann Wolverton.

... Timothy Mark STARLING b. abt 1835 Green Turtle Cay, Abaco reveal that he does not share Starling ancestry with 80 other Starlings and similar surnames who have had a Y chromosome test.  He matches 34 out of 37 markers with 3 Middleton's and 1 Gordon, and a 33 out of 37 marker match with 1 Middleton and 1 Gordon.  They all likely share a direct paternal line ancestor who lived in Scotland.  He belongs to haplogroup R1b1c.

... STURRUP Cullen's Haplogroup Predictor at http://members.bex.net/jtcullen515/haplotest.htm scores R1b-North/South 1 =>85% R1b-North/South 2 =>7% R1b =>3% R1b-N.Irish =>2% R1b-M222 (NW Irish) =>2%

... John "Old Keg" THOMPSON (b. abt 1810 of Hope Town, Abaco, m. Elizabeth Mary Wright Russell) reveal that he matches 23 out of 25 markers with two descendants of John Thompson, b. 1767 of Orange County, NC in the Thompson Surname DNA Project.  However he matches 24 out of 25 markers with the Robertses in the Bahamas DNA Project who belong to Y chromosome haplogroup I1a.  I want to believe the shared ancestor lived in Scotland prior to when surnames were fixed.  One of his descendants adopted the Thompson surname and another adopted the Roberts surname.  Or a Thompson fathered a boy who was given the surname of Roberts (or vis-versa). Another question I have is was this during the time of the Clan Campbell and Clan Donnachaidh conflict?  Thompson is associated with Campbell and Roberts with Donnachaidh.  Part of where the answer likely lays is that his Y chromosome signature is very close (if not perfectly matching) the signature of the ancestor of this line who lived a thousand or more years ago.

...Charles WEATHERFORD (b. abt 1705 Prince George Co, VA) reveal that he belongs to haplogroup R1a.  Extended SNP testing by www.ethnoancestry.com confirms that he belongs to haplogroup R1a1*.  His 12 marker matches which are closer to Eastern Europe and the Near East than Scotland and Norway.  However virtually all R1a's from the British Isles are believed to be of Viking stock.  Semino et al thought the the forefather of all R1a1s was probably born in the Ukraine during the Last Glacial Maximum about 15,000 years ago. Spencer Wells has put forward the theory that the subsequent spread of haplogroup R1a1 across Eurasia may have been connected to the domestication of the horse about 5000 years ago ( Kurgan culture). The range of the distribution of R1a1 across Eurasia can be seen as the light blue colored group in the map on the third page of Wells' Eurasian Heartland paper. If Wells' theory is correct, the R1a1 haplogroup may have ridden on horseback from one end of Eurasia to the other. So the association of this haplogroup with the Vikings is, in truth, little more than a minor footnote in the history of the R1a1 group.

Participant's surnames are listed alphabetically within their haplogroup