Initial genetic results

The initial results for my birthday gift to my dad are in. These are the first 12 markers on my Y chromosome that Family Tree DNA has checked. The Y chromosome is passed from father to son; changes are due to mutations, so it’s a fairly reliable way (statistically speaking) to determine whether or not two people are related and how far back their most recent common ancester is.

Locus	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
DYS#	393	390	19 (394)	391	385a	385b	426	388	439	389-1	392	389-2
Alleles	13	24	14	11	11	14	12	12	11	14	13	30

I match 12 of 12 markers for five other people that have used FTDNA and have the last name Town or Towne. In general, when 12 of 12 markers match, there’s a 70% chance we share a common ancester within the last twelve generations. For two people with 12 matching markers and the same (or very similar) last name, there’s a 99% chance they share a common ancestor in a “genealogical time frame”.

These are only the first 12 markers. I’ve ordered testing for 67 markers total, so we should have even more information in the next month or two.

Very possibly related to William Towne

I ordered the test and am participating in the Towne DNA Project to see if we could connect ourselves to William Towne, born around 1658 in Greater Yarmouth, Norfolk, England; he’s be around twelve generations back or so.

William and his wife Joanna had eight children. Three of his daughters — Rebecca, Mary, and Sarah — were accused of being witches in the Salem witch trials. Rebecca Nurse née Towne and Mary Eastey née Towne were hanged in 1692. (If you’ve read Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, you might recall that Rebecca is a central character.) Results from others in the Towne DNA Project are available.