Information on
THE BARTLETT-DNA PROJECT
Y-CHROMOSOME: This project tests specific markers on the Y-Chromosome, which is only passed from father to son. Therefore, the DNA donor must be a male BARTLETT descendant.
BARTLETT VARIANTS: The BARTLETT surname was often spelled various ways, such as BARTLEY, BERKLEY, BARKLEY, BURKLEY, BARCLIFT, etc. etc. As such, we will accept anyone with these variants who feels he may have descended from a BARTLETT line or a line entangled with the BARTLETTs.
DNA SAMPLE: The sampling method uses a cheek swab, rubbing a "stick" (provided) on the inside of your cheek; and then putting the end of the stick in a little vile (provided) and mailing it back in a mailer (provided). No pain, no blood. It's like brushing your teeth, and the kit provides all you need.
LAB: We are using Family Tree DNA. They use an independent lab to do the actual DNA analysis, and then FTDNA provides the info and web site.
FTDNA WEB SITE: www.familytreedna.com. There is some general info on this web site and some links to various articles. Some of the best education can be found at some of the surname web sites. Click on SURNAME PROJECTS and then look up some of these surnames and then click on their linked site:
BLAIR (they have a good article on DNA 101), COOPER, GRAVES, HATCHER, HILL, JORDAN, etc. Just look around their sites. They each have a little bit different perspective and explanation.
MARKERS: FTDNA offers 12 and 25 marker tests. This means they "measure" the DNA at various specific points (markers), and the results can be compared with others. You can get either test, or get the 12-marker test and later upgrade to 25-markers. Most of us in this test have opted to start with the 25-marker test because it provides info that will let you refine relationships more precisely. See below.
RELATIONSHIPS: When DNA from 2 descendants match it means they have a common ancestor, and when it doesn't match, it means they don't. When these results are used in conjunction with the paper researched genealogy trail, we have been learning a lot that will connect or un-connect various lines.
MUTATIONS & THE COMMON ANCESTOR: DNA is expected to randomly mutate over the generations, so the numbers of markers that match between two tests can be analyzed statistically. For instance a 25/25 match would indicate a 50% probability that there is a common ancestor for the two results within 7 generations, while an 11/12 match would indicate many more generations before a common ancestor.
NOT A MALE BARTLETT?: Females and descendants who are not BARTLETT all the way down a male line, can still participate by finding a brother, or uncle or male cousin who does have an unbroken male BARTLETT line. That person can provide a DNA sample and "stand in" for you. I'm getting my mother's brother to provide a DNA sample, which will give me the same genealogical evidence as if my mother or I would have. I'm also getting a grandmother's male nephew to provide a DNA sample - if that sample matches someone else's sample, then I would consider that I, too, would be related. I'm sure the first cousin and I are related, I'm just not as sure of a paper genealogy trail going back 10 generations....
SIGN UP: Usually the male BARTLETT would sign up for the test (provide the name, address, email, phone number, etc. and credit card payment), but someone else with the information could do the sign up for a male BARTLETT, and either provide the credit card payment or have the payment billed to the donor.
DNA STORAGE: FTDNA stores and saves your DNA sample for over 10 years. So it can be used for follow-on studies, or for new studies that may be developed. This is a good idea for some of your more senior relatives - they can provide DNA now which may be available for genealogy testing years from now.
Please contact me if you would like to participate or have any questions. The more participants we have, the closer we will come to connecting some of the BARTLETT lines together.
Jim Bartlett
Gaithersburg, MD
[ HOME ]
