With the hope of better understanding our family lines and kinship, the Clan Galbraith Association is managing a Y-DNA testing program for all male Galbraiths and those of similar surname (Calbreath, Colbreath, Culbreath, Galbreath, Galbreth, Gilbreath, Gilreath, Kilbreth, Kulbeth or any of the recognizable variant spellings, including the possible variations of the Gaelic, MacBhreatannich) who may descend from a single source family. Here, when we refer to Galbraith, we normally do so collectively to include the surnames believed to be related.
Introduction
Our bodies contain the DNA, little changed, inherited from a thousand generations ago. However, detecting the minute changes that do occur permit us to distinguish one family group or surname from others. Modern methods, the new field of Genetic Genealogy, by analyzing DNA segments particularly subject to change (the so-called junk DNA, not the coded material that determines physical characteristics or health issues such baldness, height, or diabetes) can normally tell us if individuals have a common ancestor in recent history and, very roughly, how long ago (say 2 or 5 centuries). As we wish to follow the Galbraith and derivative surname lines only, the Y-DNA--that passed on by male Galbraiths from fathers to their sons--will be tested.
DNA testing offers an added dimension to the paper work genealogy that we have been pursuing for years but it will not replace the value of our research. If you obtain consistent DNA results from several Galbraiths then you can tell with almost absolute certainty if another individual is or is not a Galbraith. However, DNA results alone will not tell with precision that you had the same male parent as another Galbraith (say) exactly 6-generations earlier but it will verify paper-work or clues you might have that suggests such a connection.
We have considered several commercially offered test programs and have selected Family Tree (FTDNA) as the best value. FTDNA offers the largest genealogical focused DNA effort. It alone has more than 600 surname projects underway (including over 2500 surnames) with a number of participants in each and FTDNA is about the size of the other programs combined. FTDNA provides through the University of Arizona a superior test program at a reasonable cost and offers optional DNA ethnicity tests such as American Indian heritage.
The Process
If you decide to participate and qualify (as described below), the Clan Galbraith Association (CGA) will notify FTDNA who will send you a test kit and invoice. (Or you can reach us through Project/G/Galbraith menu choices at FTDNA.) Using the kit and following the instructions, you return a cell sample (with a back-up sample and the fee—see below) that you brush with the provided swab from your inner cheek to FTDNA. The sample will be analyzed at the University of Arizona for particular markers suited to genealogical studies.
For Galbraith participants, the University of Arizona conducts a 25, 37, or 67 marker test for Y-DNA. As it is the male line that retains the Galbraith surname they track the Y—male unique--chromosome that passes from father to son. The 37-marker test, if taken by enough members, places one in a particular Galbraith line, provides some information as to when you had a common male ancestor with other Galbraiths and collectively allows us a better understand the history of the Galbraiths (origin, migration, clan relationships, surname derivations, etc). The 37-marker test is more expensive ($189), but is recommended unless you have serious doubts whether you are a Galbraith. As results from the 37-marker test will be of value to Clan Galbraith in general, we will give those participants (the payer of who they designate) one-year of free initial membership or extension in the CGA . Your test results and the genealogy analysis from FTDNA will be made available about two months after submittal.
FTDNA will provide you the scientific value for each marker (25 or 37, depending on the test you purchased) allowing you to check worldwide databases; the matches with individuals in their database; and other genealogical information. As Genetic Genealogy becomes more popular, expanding the databases, the information from your results will be more useful. Since the University of Arizona stores your DNA sample for 25 years you can have optional tests performed and access to perhaps vastly improved tests and information as they become available in the future.
Clan Galbraith maintains a listing of our Y-DNA test results, an interpretation, and to identify the most likely patriarch so you can view your possible relation to others. Periodically, the results are reported in the Clan Galbraith Association newsletter — The Red Tower.
Example DNA-Testing Objectives
Aside from showing that one is a Galbraith what else might be found? Depending on the number of subjects we get, the lines they represent, and the vagaries of Genetic Genealogy we might go a long way to answering some of these questions:
1. Many (perhaps a majority of) North American Galbraiths are unable to trace their roots past (or in some members we have, into) the 19th century. If their DNA testing results match that of descendants with defined lines then they know the families where to direct their search efforts.
2. Many histories speak of a brother John to the James Galbraith who arrived in America about 1718. A John who settled in Philadelphia before he or his descendants went west to York County. There are male line descendants from several early York Galbraiths and if John’s history is correct there should be a DNA commonality with descendants of James. Likewise, was Robert of Paxtang the brother of James of 1718 arrival? Can we perhaps show these putative brothers originated in Ireland if we get matching DNA participants who have proven lines to a particular locale in Ireland?
3. Did Andrew, son of James of 1718 arrival, have that Andrew who many members claim descent from? Such members should have DNA nearly identical to the ‘known’ descendants from James of 1718.
4. What about Quaker James of Chester County PA who married Ann Rea and died in SC just after the Revolution and has many descendants, most moving on through Ohio? Some believe he is of that James of 1718, again expecting DNA results similar to those descendants but what if that American line began with John Galbraith of Edinburgh, a reported Quaker, transported to NJ in 1685?
5. Was there a single Neil of NC, father to the Galbraiths originating from that area’s coast? Some report a Neil from Scotland arriving in America c1720; while there are better documented Neils later in the Century. Similarly, Angus was a possible patriarch to a NC line.
6. Was Alexander Gilreath of NC independent of the early Donegal PA Galbraiths. Can we discover when Gilreath split from Galbraith?
7. There are many descendants of the Alexander Galbraith who married Agnes or Nancy Miller. Was Alexander from Ireland or Scotland and can we tell which of several Alexanders he was?
8. Is there commonality between Colbreth, Killbreath, etc and Galbraith? There have been numerous spellings (or misspellings) of the Galbraith name and Galbraith itself is a change from the original Gaelic and Welsh spellings for our early Chiefs. However, it might be that some very similar surnames had completely different, non-Galbraith related origins.
9. How much DNA distinction is there between the current Scot Galbraiths, those who fled to Gigha in the 1400s, those who went to Ireland in the 1600s and those that migrated to other continents? Can we find descendants of the brothers of our first Chiefs in the 1200s?
10. How close is the Galbraith DNA to that of other Stirlingshire Clans and was Galbraith parent to other clans? Conversely, were Galbraith lines parented by other Clans? (Note that the Kincaids, Stewarts, Hamiltons, and Buchanans were neighbors to and intermarried with the Galbraiths and have active DNA surname projects.)
11. Can DNA of living Galbraith males provide information on the ethnicity of our origins (Norse, Saxon, Celtic, Roman, Welsh, Gaelic, etc)? Is there any truth to the claim that Galbraiths originally held all of the Lennox lands (much of Perthshire) in the 11th century before the Norman Conquest forced powerful families northward from England?
There are countless other road-blocks in our paper research and Galbraith mysteries but don’t expect that the Galbraith DNA program will necessarily solve your particular problem or even those examples just listed—your personal test results may prove to be a real break-through or they may develop more questions than you had before, or they may prove disappointing.
The University of Arizona reports a value for each of the markers they examine. Click on the DNA Results link in the sidebar and see the results of testing that has been done to date.
Typically, such results from on-going surname test programs show several groups of DNA results within a surname--each group with ‘matching’ DNA results. Two individuals are said to ‘match’ if the values at all their markers are identical or display one marker (or sometimes two) that differs. A pair or group with such consistent DNA suggests a most recent common ancestor within 2 to 3 centuries ago. Another internally consistent group but with 2 to 3 marker difference from the first group may indicate common parents between the groups at the time of Columbus. Also, there are usually some ‘orphans’, participants who don’t fall directly in any group. If you are within 4 or 5 markers of a Galbraith group your line perhaps split-off in the time of our first Chief in the 12th Century.
Unexpected Results
In DNA surname studies it is not unusual to have a participant or even a group of participants with DNA marker test results far removed from others of the surname—say, 8 to 12 mutations in the 25 marker tests from the ‘mainstream’. This is akin to a random western European origin and shows that you probably do not have a common male ancestor within the last millennium with those other groupings of your Surname. Such a deviation does not mean you are not a Galbraith (you are in any case legally still a Galbraith); but rather that we cannot definitively explain your result. Several general circumstances might lead to a major variation.
There may have been a step-son (i.e., a son through the wife’s earlier marriage) who was given the Galbraith name, an infidelity, an undocumented adoption, babies switched at birth, a serf or servant taking the Galbraith name, or an official or unofficial change of name to Galbraith, etc. in your heritage. These events occur 2 to 5% of the time in a generation so that almost any larger test group will have inconsistencies due to this cause. A extreme case is the Stidham Society who found http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~tstiddem/Pages/pedigree.html that almost half of their DNA participants, 5th and 6th cousins, descended from a single “non-parental event” where the father was not a Stidham by birth.
It now known that all Galbraiths (and derived names) do not descend from an individual male in a genealogically significant time frame. We have so far identified seven distinct lines of Galbraiths and expect to find more as our program matures. There are several origins of the Galbraith cognate surnames that occurred when surnames were introduced in the 11th to 13th Centuries. Although we can trace Galbraith in some form to the late 1100s and to a specific First Chief in Lennox, Scotland the name is thought to derive from Gaelic versions akin to Gall-Bretnach, generally translated as ‘stranger Briton’. It may have been the collective name of a tribe with many males not related by blood. Variants to ‘Galbrait’ were used before surnames as a personal name in several parts of the British Isles. A branch or predecessor of our Lennox Clan probably existed in Galloway, 100 miles to the southwest. Test results that might help explain our earliest lineage would be extremely valuable.
You may have a unique result because your are the first tested male from a particular Galbraith line or improbably you are the only surviving male in the world of a very ancient line. This is an issue confronting the Clan as it tries to solve some of the typical objectives listed above—we might not get a meaningful sample or a critical participant to flesh out a particular line or to clarify that it is a Galbraith line. However, as our program will be open for many years others may later participate who have matching (near-identical) Y-DNA.
It might be that a particular cognate to Galbraith is entirely unrelated genetically. Conversely, it might turn out that DNA test results from a particular Galbraith line or a name variant is much closer genetically to a surname that is relatively common today, such as Gillespie, Gilbert or Gilchrist—these were often personal names given our early chiefs and their brothers.
Unusual, but possible, are matches between folks with different surnames and no known genetic connection. Although especially rare in the 25-marker test, it turns out that a few surnames have Y-DNA characteristics close to the norm for a large ethic area (e.g., western Europe or Asia) and just by chance they may match a grouping in another surname. Referring to our Chart, over 70% of the tested population havs an allele of 13 at marker DYS #393
Participant Qualifications
The Galbraith Surname DNA program is open to all who would likely benefit, Clan Galbraith Association members or not. To directly participate in the program:
1. You must be male, born Galbraith (or of a surname believed derived from Galbraith) and anticipate that you descend from a Galbraith male bloodline (i.e., not have a known adoption from non-Galbraiths in your male chain).
2. You can be a female (or a relation through marriage) and assist in sponsoring a male Galbraith relative, such as son, brother, uncle, 2nd cousin, father etc who is willing to participate and share resulting genealogical information with you. Please note that brothers and out to fourth cousins are very likely to receive the same DNA test results and they should pool their resources and have only one tested. This is not a paternity test and we will not knowingly accept close relatives.
3. You must follow the sampling instructions and return a cell sample (and back-up) through FTDNA for Y-DNA analysis. With the samples you must include the proper forms and arrange payment to FTDNA. Further, you must want to have your DNA results compared to others and coupled to possible Galbraith genealogical lines.
4. You must pay Family Tree for their test and analysis. For their 25-marker test the fee is currently $169 plus a two dollar mailing cost for the cell-sampling kit ($4 for those outside the U.S.) (Testing, as a participant in the Galbraith Surname Program significantly reduces your cost compared to the fee charged to individuals.) You can initially select the 12-marker test at $101, particularly if you have doubts on being a Galbraith and then if you wish, upgrade later to the 25-marker for an additional $100. Note that if you initially take the 25-marker test or upgrade to it you will be provided a one-year membership in the Clan Galbraith Association (see Bonus). 5. To participate you must release the Clan Galbraith, the coordinators, other participants, the testing lab and all others of any legal consequence that may arise through your participation. This includes any emotional distress you might experience due to unexpected results.
Links
For information about the FTDNA test program including answers to frequent questions (privacy, testing procedures, analysis, costs, the scientist and management behind the program, etc) please visit < http://www.familytreedna.com/ >. For an example surname study currently underway see: Clan Kincaid at http://www.alphalink.com.au/~kincaid/dna.htm
Bonus
To encourage as many Galbraiths as possible to take part in our Surname test program we are, for a limited time, offering a free one-year membership in the Clan Galbraith Association (or a one-year extension for current members) for all who choose to participant with the FTDNA Y-DNAPlus 25-marker Test. A successful test program will greatly enhance the Clan Galbraith genealogy by helping define discrete lines, re-establishing lost-links and by better understanding the evolution of our tree. This will benefit all Galbraiths, including those who cannot or choose not to participate as subjects. By joining our Clan Association <Join Us> participants will have access to the many benefits and activities of our organization, including the newsletter, research assistance, our library and CD holdings, Clan gatherings, etc. Please indicate on your Clan membership application that you are participating in the Galbraith Surname Project and when your test results are processed we will begin your complimentary membership. On the other hand, if you cannot participate in our surname study you can still become a member of the Clan Association <Join Us> and enjoy our many benefits at a modest membership cost
If you would like to participate - please visit FTDNA and locate us under Projects/G/Galbraith. If you are unable to contact us through FTDNA or our web-site and would like to participate please contact our Clan Galbraith Genealogist, Bill Gilbreath by regular mail at 928 King's Blvd., Sun City Ctr., FL 33573-7008. In this case provide us the following: Your name, address and phone number and email address; your male line family history back to your earliest known “Galbraith” (Use The downloadable Form on this page) ; the name of the male participant and his relation to you; a statement that the participant meets the qualifications for participation and that you and the participant have read, understand, and agree to the conditions stated therein.
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