We've had some exciting new results posted in the last few weeks. These include an exact 37-marker match for a descendant of the Lawrence Co., KY, Burgess line out of William of Bedford Co., VA--he matched 37 for 37 with two others, one of them also out of the Lawrence Co. family, the other out of William of King George Co., VA. 37-marker matches are very rare.

We also had two interesting test enhancements (from 12 to 25 markers) in the conjoined families of Edward Burgess of Pittsylvania Co., VA, William Burgess of Montgomery Co., MD, and Samuel H. Burgess of NC. These results, combined with two 25-marker tests already in hand, seem to confirm that there are individual genetic signatures for the Edward and William lines, with Samuel's descendant matching the numbers of William's family (suggesting he's out of that branch, or at least more closely related to it).

The tests in each branch match each other 25 out of 25 numbers, but only match those in the other branches 24 out of 25; the variation appears to be consistent within each group, with William and Samuel being considered one group. This is exactly why I'm encouraging those members who can afford to do so to enhance their tests at least to 25 markers.

Finally, we also received a test result from a British Burgess which doesn't yet match any of the others in the Project, alas.

We also had a number of new members sign on at year's end, and a significant number of test enhancements were ordered--so we have much to look forward to as the results begin appearing in January and February. We now have 76 participants. 

The rest of this message is addressed specifically to our participants:

There are a confusing array of options and databases available to our members from FT DNA. These are considered more completely in the new "Project Participants' Page" that I recently added to the Project website (www.millefleurs.tv, under the "Burgess Genealogy" link).

When you return your completed Y-chromosome DNA test kit to Family Tree DNA, they create a personal page for you, which you can access by logging in with your kit number and password at the main page of the FT DNA website (www.familytreedna.com). (If you can't find these numbers, please tell me.)

The personal page has a number of linked options listed. Under "Set-up Preferences," the default option limits the comparison of your number markers to just those individuals in the Burgess Surname DNA Project. Since we want to match our test results as widely as possible, I strongly recommend that you change this to the second option, matching your results against the entire FT DNA database. If you can't figure out how to do this, just contact me, and I'll be happy to act on your behalf.

The GEDCOM icon allows you to upload a GEDCOM file of your ancestral data, if you choose to do so. This data then becomes available to those individuals who have a close match with you.

The Genographic Project is a joint venture of National Geographic Magazine and FT DNA. Individuals who've initially joined the Genographic Project get a 12-marker test kit, and then are given the option of transferring their data to FT DNA and also of joining a surname project. Individuals who've already been tested through FT DNA can also opt, if they wish, to upload their data into the Genographic Project at an additional cost of $15. I did this myself, and got back a nice little report about the general migration of my haplogroup through ancient Europe--but received no additional genealogical data. Although I welcome the two participants who've joined us from the Genographic Project, I can't recommend this test for our other members.

The Y-DNA Matches icon also includes a link to YSearch if you haven't already uploaded your numbers to that free database. YSearch provides a publicly accessible search engine (by surname and number) to Y-chromosome DNA test results. A hidden link is provided to your e-mail address, so that individuals who match your numbers have the option of contacting you. I strongly recommend this free service to all of our members, since we want to generate as many number matches as possible. Again, if you can't figure out how to do this, just contact me, and I'll be happy to act on your behalf.

The Haplogroup link uses a computer model to project your haplotype. Most of us fall into either group R1b (Western Europe, the newest and commonest of the groups) or "I"  (Northern Europe), with a scattering of others. If no projection is provided, you can order a test to determine your haplogroup for $65. This isn't necessary in most cases.

FT DNA has just started offering a "Deep Clade" test at $79 for selected haplogroups: E, I, G, J, Q, and R1a (R1b is NOT currently included). These tests break down the haplogroups into further subsections, and are ultimately intended to show geographic distribution of these fragmented populations. However, I'm not certain how much information these new tests will actually provide, and until I can see the utility of them, I can't recommend them. The link for ordering this test is buried at the bottom of the last text paragraph of the Haplogroup page, if you belong to one of the available groups (or their subgroups) mentioned above.

Your personal page includes an "Order Tests" icon in the top right-hand corner of the page. This link allows you to order additional enhancements and other tests.

Also available through FT DNA are several mitochondrial DNA tests (mtDNA), which can be done by either sex. This test shows your connection to your ancient matrilineal ancestry (mother to grandmother to great-grandmother, etc.), but is NOT generally useful for providing genealogical data, unless you're trying to trace the parallel descent of uninterrupted female lines. The mtDNA test adds nothing to the Burgess DNA Project.

There's also a link at the top of your personal page to update your contact information: address, phone number, e-mail address. Please keep these current. We've now had matches that have occurred a year after the initial test, and I expect the intervals will grow even longer with certain small families, as the Project ages and the database grows. If I can't find you, I can't inform you of any future matches!

Also at the top of your personal page is a "Join" box to allow you to join other DNA projects at FT DNA, if appropriate. For example, someone from the Davidson Project recently joined the Burgess Project, because they appear to be descended from one of our Burgess lines. FT DNA allows you to simultaneously join more than one project without additional cost.

Finally, I want to thank all of those individuals who contributed funds to support the Burgess Surname DNA Project. These have now all been expended to order new tests or enhancements of existing tests.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If I don't know the answer, I'll find someone who does.