Gordon DNA Update - January, 2006
Gordon DNA participants and researchers,
Happy New Year!!
It is looking to be a big year for the Gordon DNA project already and if you have not visited our webpage recently, you should.
We are now up to 91 families - that is an increase of 15 Gordon families since November and it represents about two new participants in our project per week. A short breakdown of families represented include - 4 from Scotland/UK, 3 from Australia, 2 in Canada, me in Japan and everyone else is in the U.S.
Since this project is run entirely by us and our success is a direct reflection of the effort we put into it. Therefore, pleas allow me to begin this update by highlighting two very gracious offers to help make this project even better.
1. A NEW, THIRD CO-ADMINISTRATOR
As the project grows, so does the time needed to administer it. I would like to introduce a new and third co-administrator - project member Tony Gordon, PhD (Kit No. 41514) in Australia. We are very fortunate in that Tony has some formal education in genetics and will be assisting with analysis of our results. You may also forward any questions concerning analysis to either Tony at: tony.gordon@Godolphin.net.au -or- you may continue sending to me at: tagordon@hotmail.com**Incidentally, Tony is waiting for his 37-marker upgrade and it looks as though he may be a Seton-Gordon.
2. NEW GORDON DATABASE
Project member Joel Gordon (Kit No. 13047) has offered to help organize all surnames associated with our Gordon family histories into a database that can be easily cross-referenced to make the conventional research aspects more practical to both testers, as well as conventional researchers that might not have someone to test.If you would like to increase your exposure, please forward Joel your surnames and be sure to check out the following Mallet surname project as your model before sending. (Mallet is a Gordon Sept)
https://www.ott.igs.net/%7Erhmallett/fampages/surnames.htm
If you have any further questions or to forward your surnames about the database, please forward to Joel at: arthurgordon@yahoo.com Also, please be sure to include [Gordon Database] in the Subject line of your email.
2. SHOULD I TAKE THE 12, 25 OR 37 MARKER TEST?
Often the question comes up, "Which test should I sign up for? ...the 12-, 25- or 37-marker test?" -or- "Will upgrading benefit me?"
So, I checked out the FTDNA webpage and found their explanation to be a little difficult to follow, so please allow me to elaborate in more practical terms, based upon my own experience.
The 12-Marker test is good basic starter test if you may already have an inclination that you are related to another Gordon within the last 150 - 200 years with a high probability and it can always be upgraded to the 25- or 37- Marker tests later without resubmitting a sample.
The 25-Marker test is the most popular and for the more serious researcher. This test can help fill in the gap of unknown ancestry between 150 to 600 years ago and should give us a good lead as to which House of Gordon you belong. Again, this test can be upgraded without resubmitting another sample.The 37-Marker test is for the extremely serious researcher and simply wants to get the most of his genetic information in one shot. Relative to the above kits, we can also focus the timeframe even further in which two Gordons share a common ancestor and with a relatively higher level of confidence for the last 1000 years. Of course, as you would expect, this most comprehensive test does cost more.
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ANALYSIS UPDATE FOR TEST KITS
================================We have had a number of test results and upgrades come in during the past few months. Too many to mention, I will summarize some of the highlights below.
There are also about fifteen upgrades that should be coming in through the middle of February. The upgrades should help confirm several kits as matching and allow us to group hopefully most of them.
When reading the below analysis, I suggest referencing the kits found on the Results page and noting where your kit is by grouped by clicking below:
www.TheGordonDNAproject.com/status.htm
1. GORDON HOUSES OF KENMORE & LOCHINVARIn accordance with Dr. JM Bulloch's House of Gordon, which outlines the generally accepted our Gordon family tree, the Kenmure Gordons and Jock and Tam Gordons should share the same general DNA sequence with a branching off about 700 years ago through William Gordon, Laird of Strathbogie (born ca 1300) - who was the progenitor of the ancient Gordon Houses of Lochinvar and Kenmure. It was William's brother Adam, Lord of Gordon that carried the main line and became the progenitor for the Jock and Tam Gordons.
Kits 12577, 8091 and 42605 have an oral history suggesting a Kenmure Gordon connection and if taken at face-value, these results would suggest that the above theory is flawed.
However, Kits 34587, 28534, also have hints of a Kenmure connection in their family history and their DNA reflects a branching off about 700 years ago from the line producing the Jock and Tam Gordons. Hence, circumstantially, it appears that these two kits may fit the scenario set forth by Dr. Bulloch.
It is also interesting to note that Kits N12530, 34523 and 11284 are close cousins to Kits 34587 and 28534. Without definitive documentation or any known Lochinvar testers already in our project, DNA gives us the circumstantial possibility that these three testers are descendants of the Lochinvar Gordons.
In both the Lochinvar and Kenmure cases, the only thing to cinch the connection would be to test documented Lochinvar and Kenmure Gordon descendents and having them match DNA with the above kits. Until then, the best we can do is give the above likely scenario.At this point, we cannot be conclude which kits are descendants of the Lochinvar and Kenmure Gordons, but we can say that Kits 34587, 28534, N12530, 34523 and 11284 are without doubt cousins with the Jock and Tam Gordons found in the big group of testers on the Results page and the probability is high that their common ancestor was around 700 years ago.
A 37-marker upgrade to either 28534, N12530, 34523 and 11284, as well as 34587, will help to focus in on a time frame for the shared ancestors. Kit No. 28534 should at least consider a 25-marker upgrade.
2. DOUGLAS CLAN AND GORDONSThe mystery of the Douglas and Gordons matching DNA still pervades us; however, in light of the possible Kenmure Gordons mentioned above categorically sharing a common ancestor with our Jock and Tam Gordons over 700 years ago, it becomes apparent that it is the Gordons that have maintained the Gordon surname much longer and it is likely that a Gordon married into the Douglas clan at least 300 years ago. This would explain the matching DNA.
Presently, researchers are focusing on Maine, USA as the place where a branching occurred.
If you are interested in helping unravel this mystery or just following, please contact Dr. Beryl Turner at: bturner@occmed.com.au
See the follow webpages for more details and consider signing up to the mailing list set up specifically for this quagmire:
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/douglasgordonDNA/
https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Douglas/
3. STUARTS/STEWARTS AND GORDONSMore Gordon testers have matched with the great House of Stewart. Kit Nos. 6679, 23202, 23215, 39896, 45353 and 47249 all are matching with several Stewart families.
Co-Administrator Janice McGough has noted that on one of the Gordon linefs coat-of-arms, there is supposed to be a mark supposedly representing a Stewart mother. Perhaps it was a Stewart father? Hence, the Stewart DNA? Definitely something worth following up on for these testers.
More information on the Stewart DNA project may be found at:
https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Stewart/
4. JOCK & TAM GORDONSWe can say safely say this is the fastest growing group in our project, with 5 newly matching kits since our last update and over 17-Gordon families now comprising this group.
The latest additions all appear to be related to a William Gordon (b. 1748) family of Rowan and Stokes Co., NC. Little is know about Williamfs origins; however, it is believed that William emigrated to NC from Scotland.Also, interesting to note that Kits # 7912 and 45694 match exactly 37/37 markers with Kit #36388 for a John Gordon in the 1790 census for Westmoreland Co., PA. DNA suggests these families are very very closely related.
Descendants of the above William Gordon will also want to keep an eye out for Kit 46758. This tester is a descendant of a William Gordon (b. 1714) of Wymore, Clyde, Sutherland that came to Stokes Co. NC in 1774 aboard the Bachelor of Leith with two of his sons to join two more unnamed sons already living in there.
Although most Sutherland-Gordons were from the Seton-Gordon branch, there were many that came from other lines. One of these sons was a William Gordon, born about 1750 and who may be the same William as that mentioned above as being born in 1748.
For more information on this William Gordon of Sutherland, please see the following webpages:
https://www.winsteadweb.com/Gordon.txt
And,
https://users.ev1.net/~siobhan1/emigsct2.html
5. SETON-GORDONSSomething very interesting is happening with the Seton-Gordon test results.
Based upon new 37-marker results of Kits 13047, 27083 and 40174, I have grouped these two kits with the Seton-Gordons, i.e. Kits 3071, 6770, 9310, 35045, 40174. However, in grouping these new results, it seems that the Seton-Gordons have maintained a line long before 600 years ago. In fact, the results indicate that the Seton-Gordons may have been using the Gordon surname for closer to 1000 years ago.
While we do expect the DNA for the Seton-Gordons to be the same back to about 1408 when Elizabeth Gordon married Alexander-Seton, before 1408, we would expect the DNA of the Seton-Gordons to match the Seton surname or even the Swinton or Winton surnames. This is because Alexander Seton married into the Gordons in what is described as the Swinton Theory.
One way to interpret the Swinton Theory is that there may have been two branches of Gordons with an unbroken male line all the way back to Adam de Gordoun. It is simply that just the Seton-Gordon line did not use the Gordon surname for 400 years. Instead the Seton-Gordons may have used the S(W)inton surname during this period. Such a scenario would tend to explain why we have two groups of Seton-Gordons with similar DNA, i.e. one line that matches within the last 600 years and a second line that matches closer to 1000 years ago.There are a number of other possible explanations to explain how the Seton-Gordons could have maintained the Gordon surname for close to 1000 years and eventually more DNA from Seton-Gordon testers will help to solve this enigma, especially in determining which Alleles mutate faster in this line.
For now, I think the best lead is the above mentioned (S)winton Theory, which is most notably mentioned in Gordon Kinship by Nancy McBride in 1973 and The Book of the Duffs - 2 volumes in 1914.
The only caveat with the Swinton Theory, however, is that the Seton-Gordons should match the Jock and Tam Gordons and Kenmore Gordons. That is, unless there was an undocumented break somewhere in the genetic paternal line of either family.==========================
In closing, also please remember:
Not all Gordon researchers have testers involved in our project and by uploading your family history, everyone can benefit, especially you!!
So if you have short family histories or web links to your family page that I can just copy and paste into our project webpage, please do forward.
Bydand,
T. A. Gordon
Co-Administrator
The Gordon DNA Project
tagordon@hotmail.comJOINING THE GORDON DNA PROJECT:
For more information on DNA testing or to join the Gordon surname project, please click below:
https://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=P14485DNA kits may also be ordered through the joint IBM and National Geographic magazine Migration Project, found at:
https://www5.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/
QUESTIONS/SUGGESTIONSForward to: tagordon@hotmail.com
