The Metcalfe Society - Metcalfe DNA Project

Ever wondered whether we are truly part of one big family or just a loosely based group of families, like a Scottish clan? Or have you been struggling to link your family branch to another but the information is ambiguous or incomplete? Have you come to a dead end with researching your own tree and are looking for another tree to research that might connect to yours?

I was prompted at the muster 2 years ago to think about the use of genetic testing for my family research after getting stuck at my g. g. grandfather. There were tentative links but the dates didn't quite match and I thought that if there was a current descendant of this potential link, then we could both test to see if we are related. After seeing the report from last year's event I decided not to wait any longer but to dive in myself. A year on, and following this year's Muster where I discussed my experiences with the members present, I have now volunteered (whether wisely, I'm not sure…) to organise a Metcalfe surname project through Family Tree DNA.

How does it work

For a single surname society like ours, what we are interested in is the male, or Y chromosome. As it suggests, this is only carried by males and is passed from father to son, through the generations. Because of this, only males carrying the Metcalfe name, or otherwise known to have descended from a Metcalfe through the male line, will be able to test for the project. A brother ,uncle or cousin will generally carry similar enough DNA to show no differences, so only one person in a family generally needs to test.

Through each generation, there are occasional harmless mutations. It is these which are used to identify differences between individuals, the number of different mutations giving an indication of the degree of genetic difference and providing an estimate of the Most Recent Common Ancestor in terms of the number of generations. Thus, two people testing the same for all 37 markers tested have a 50% chance that they share a common ancestor 5 or less generations back - and 95% that the common ancestor is less than 20 generations. That is still quite a lot (equivalent to about 500 years) but some markers may mutate more rapidly and thus provide more detail.

Combined with family tree information gained from conventional research, the information from DNA testing can be much more powerful. It can disprove genetic links in families, whether that false link is due to faulty research, incorrect original records, adoption or …a cuckoo in the nest! All these possibilities need to be considered. It may give strong indications of links where none were suspected. By comparing different branches with similar DNA, it may be possible to work out how they are related, even if we can no longer identify the actual common ancestors who may be lost in time.

To gain the maximum benefit for our knowledge of the origins of the Metcalfe family, a broad spread of males from all the different branches we have on record should test. As mentioned earlier, only one (or two for added certainty) from each broad family (cousins, second cousins) need test - although for a large family tree with many generations more would be necessary to cover the wider genetic spread. So if you are interested, decide who is going to test in your family and visit the FT DNA web site (see below ) to order a test and sign onto the project or contact me for more information. You can join the project anytime, but the more people that join in now, the sooner we will get some useful results back.

Why use Family Tree DNA?

After carrying out some research on the web, I quickly discovered that Family Tree DNA are the leading commercial providers of DNA testing for genealogical research. Therein lies the downside - it's not free! I believe there were other efforts to get a University interested, but there are so many people interested in this field that there is now a thriving market. There are other companies setting up but FT DNA appears way out in front at present and the only one I know offering a 37 marker test, the minimum number I believe to be really useful - more would be better.

By setting up a project with FT DNA there are several advantages: a discount on the usual testing cost, they will provide copies of all the test results to the group administrator (ie me) to analyse, to maintain a database and be the link to other project members.

How much does it cost?

Be sure you order the right test. I strongly recommend the Y-DNA 37 test to get the most useful results, which with project discount costs $223 including shipping (around £135). If you are interested also in knowing more about your maternal ancestral origin you can at the same time have a mitochondrial DNA test carried out - everyone carries mtDNA inherited from their mothers. Because mtDNA mutates more slowly, it is not as useful in family research but you may still find it interesting. A combined 'DNAplus' test costs $363 with discount (about £220) and covers both tests.

What do I have to do?

After ordering online, in a few weeks time you receive a testing kit, which requires you only to brush the inside of your cheek with a small scraper and shake this in a tiny plastic bottle of liquid, repeat with a second sample and then return in the envelope provided. You are kept updated on the stage of testing and after a few weeks the full results are available.

The results given provide the actual variations for each marker which you can compare directly with anyone else who has been tested. The web site provides direct comparison with others who have tested with them (and agreed to release the data) and highlights all the close matches. It also provides a link to a public site where you can post your results for comparison with people who may have used another service. If you have subscribed to the Metcalfe Project, I will have access as Administrator to compare and feed back on all the test results.

At the time of writing, there is already a Midkiff project for Americans of that name and related names, including Metcalfe. Midkiff is thought to be an American variation. There has also been a Metcalfe Project set up recently for the descendants of Metcalfes who emigrated to America before the revolution. A second Metcalfe project has been set up to link with the Society's broader interest in all Metcalfes and closely related names.

What to do next…

Go to the main ftdna website at www.ftdna.com, or visit the project direct at www.familytreedna.com/public/Metcalfe/. You can browse it for more information, request to join the Project or contact me direct. I can order tests for you and arrange for the kits to be sent to you with the invoice. If the Project is not listed in the alphabetical list, enter 'Metcalfe' in the search box - this will pull up closely related projects as well, so make sure you access the right one.