Adams Surname Y-DNA Results

Results as of March 21, 2007

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There are two places to review the Adams Surname Y-DNA results. The one associated with this web site and contains all Adams project members but restricts the data to 48 markers, 37 from FTDNA and the others from SMGF.org.
DATA RESULTS TABLE CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING HERE

The second results page in on the FTDNA server and contains only the FTDNA data but does include the full 67 (or more) markers for those that have purchased the expanded testing.

FTDNA RESULTS TABLE CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING HERE

Conclusions Summary

There are over 140 test results in the project with more tests and some upgraded tests  in process.
The descendants of A023 have a mid 1800s note that indicates they are cousins to John Q Adams. For this to be true there are two possibilities. First they could be cousins via a maternal connection or the documented connection
The Adams Surname Y-DNA project  has confirmed two suspected [by some see W030] family connections and found several other connections.
Thus about 50% of those tested have found a match that was unknown before starting with DNA genealogy.

About one third of the men tested have found no matches/connections within the project.
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Within this group there are almost 20 families that have an oral history of being related to the US Presidents John and John Q Adams.  We also have a result from men with a documented relationship to the Presidential family (See Presidential Adams below.)  The test results show families with the oral history do not have a common ancestor within genealogical time. Thus one must conclude that  the family stories are refuted by the Y-DNA results or that the documented history for the Presidential Adams family is in error. With the data at this time I would believe the documented history over the oral histories.

A success story quote

Thank you for connecting me with the Adams Surname Project. "In terms of human life World War II was the costliest war fought on foreign soil. Sixteen million Americans served, 405,399 had made the supreme sacrifice and 78,773 were missing in action. Their deaths left approximately 183,000 children fatherless and designated war orphans by the Veterans Administration."
 
My Father was one of those children and while Americans celebrated a great Victory, grief left my Father to be adopted by his maternal Grandparents. The 'Wall of Silence' began with our Grandmothers and Mothers and extended into school and community. http://www.awon.org/fathers1.html
 
My Father passed away in 2001 leaving me with a picture of my Grandfather Adams in Uniform. Now, 60 years later with the Internet and Y-DNA I was able to find a 25 marker match with my genetic cousin and find out about my Grandfathers family tree. Finally the wall of silence is no more and I can celebrate the life of this American Hero and reclaim my heritage!
 
With Sincere thanks and Appreciation,
 Ron Jr.

A note about the12 maker tests:

Within the group we have 4 men that have selected the 12 marker test as their level of testing.  Two of these results, A007 and A009, have worked out fine and there is no need for more testing at this time. However for A006 and A011 there is the need for the added 13 markers to bring them to 25 markers.  Each of these results is one marker, at one step, away from the R1b modal value. This means there will be many random matches. It also means that one cannot determine if there is a relationship between them or not. For example A014, at 12 markers, is two steps away from A020, the probable Presidential Adams haplotype. Thus we cannot tell if they are related or not.  These two results, A006 and A011 and should be upgraded to the 25 marker level. In some respects if the desire it to determine a connection to A020 they should upgrade to 37 makers.  At 25 markers A020 is only three steps away from the R1b modal value and this also creates to many random matches and as since been upgraded to 37 markers..
Another view of 12 marker tests relative to 25 and 37 markers published by Mr. Kerchner can be found here http://www.kerchner.com/zip+four-analogy.htm

DATA RESULTS TABLE CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING HERE or FTDNA RESULTS TABLE CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING HERE

Analysis

There are four categories of family connections found within the Adams project results.

1. Those that cannot be connected and thus are just awaiting a distant cousin to be tested and for a match to be made.

2. Those that are possibly related but the data and paper trail is not quite conclusive

3. Those were there are clear matches and supported by the paper trail .

4. Those where there is a paper trail to common ancestor and yet the Y-DNA results completely refutes that connection. (See A014)

Unrelated Results

The haplotype for A005 is not related to any of the other families tested thus far. While he has an estimated haplogroup of R1a his haplotype is rare in the value of 27 for DYS 447.  In all the R1a men that have actually been SNP tested for R1a by FTDNA none have the value of 27.  All other values are reasonably common.  This family has an oral history of being related to the Presidents John and John Q Adams.
The haplotype for A006 is not related to any of the other families tested thus far. While he has an estimated haplogroup of R1b his haplotype is rare in the value of 11 for DYS 388.  Less than 1% of R1b men have a value of 11 for DYS 388.  All other values are reasonably common. This Adams family is in England today.
A012 is a descendant of James Presscot Adams (the middle name could also be Prescott.) He is not related to any of the other families tested thus far. He came from Massachusetts and the family has an oral history of being related to the Presidential Adams family. However they are 5 steps away from the A020 haplotype, and this means there is only one chance in 500 they could be related in the last 350 years.  James migrated to Texas by way of the southern states with 2 brothers.  The two brothers stayed in the south (not sure which state.)  He started the family homestead in central Texas in what is now Madison County near North Zulch.  The 1850 Census has him being born in 1820 in MA and was a carpenter.  His wife was from Louisiana.

A022 is a descendant of Robert M Adams, even though Robert was born in 1898 the family has not be able to find any of his ancestors. They have would like to lucky enough to get a match with another Adams family.

A077 believes his family did a surname change sometime in the early 1800s when the name Adams was changed to the name Smith.  This family's haplotype is so close to the R1b modal value, (note all but two markers are in green) they will have to expand to 37 markers if they expect  to confirm any matches that might happen to show up.

A002: While reported as a single line this is actually the combined result of three tests from 3 brothers all descendants of  William, the common ancestor. The marker values for A002 shows that he cannot even be considered as related to the other family.  In fact his estimated haplogroup is I and most of the others are estimated to be R1b. Based on the difference in Y values, if Family B and Family A have an MRCA, he would have lived more than 10,000 YBP(Years Before Present). Haplogroup I is sometimes called the "Viking" group but that is somewhat over stating the situation since I is found most European populations to some degree. Haplogroup I is "older" than R1b and thus has had more time to spread the allele values out. One of the effects of this spread can be seen in the number of values for A002 that are non-modal for the group (those shown in other than green).

A010: The haplotype for A010 is not related to any of the other families tested thus far. While he has an estimated haplogroup of I [eye] his haplotype is common with in the value of 8 for DYS 455.  All other values are reasonably common. This family has an oral history of being related to the Presidents John and John Q Adams.

A018 unique in the project. William G. Adams is probably the son of Isaac Adams and Susan Hall. In the 1850 Census of Choctaw County, AL they are 2 households apart. Adams families are found as early as 1816 in the Census of Inhabitants of the MS Territory and a number of them came from the SC Methodist Conference to MS to establish the Adams Methodist Campground. As soon as the Territory was bought by the US many families migrated from, NC, SC and Georgia to Washington, County, MS. In 1819 Alabama was split from MS to form the Alabama Territory. By 1820 folks that may have been shown in 1816 Census in MS were now in AL. There were 3 Adams families in 1820 in AL, the are Thomas, Godfrey, and Isaac. Choctaw County, AL was formed from Sumter and Washington Counties in 1847. The 1850 Census showed a number of Adams families, including Isaac Adams at #667 and William G at 665. It would seem by then they may have brought the Camp Meetings to AL as many meetings were held on the Tombigbee River to convert the local Choctaw. Isaac’s son Godfrey had children that were in TX by 1880. William H. Adams whose father may have been William H. Sr., from GA, a Methodist Minister, were in TX by 1880 and William (R) and Mariah Doggett Adams were in AR by 1880. The William's seem to cause confusion in the research of those in TX. William seems to be a common name in the Adams families in PA, NJ, GA and NC. There are a number of Adams in GA, and into AL as well. It would help the TX and AL researchers to have the Y-DNA test as well in order to help sort this out. Other families associated with Adams in Choctaw area are Hall, Green, Wilkins and Campbell. The Campbell family came from SC, the Hall and Green families from NC, McAllister family from NC.

A019 is unique in the project. The oldest Adams ancestor is George Adams, born in the colonies or the UK between 1685 and1708. He married Katherine Dixon in the 1st Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia 15 Mar 1727 (old calendar). He died 1751 Caernarvon Township Lancaster or Berks County. He was a member of Old Bangor Episcopal Church, Churchtown, Lancaster County, in the 1740s and farmed nearby. His will, now reported lost, lists his wife and three sisters and one son, William, born 15 Sept 1734, probably in Marlborough Township.  There is no known later data on Katherine and her daughters. William married Susanna Martin, a Quaker, in May 1754 and shortly thereafter left brother-in-law George Martin's family for the Cane Meeting in NC, arriving fall 1755, recorded in 2 Feb 1756.  They had four sons and seven daughters. All children married and had children, and most lived into their 70s and beyond. All the sons and most of the daughters with their families moved to Surry (now Yadkin County), NC in 1789.  William and Susanna both died in 1816, he on 13 July and she on 2 December and are buried in the Deep Creek Quaker Church Cemetery 3.5 mi N of Yadkinville. By 1850, all of the Adams' listed in the Surry County US Census were William and Susanna's descendants. While large numbers of later Adams' left Yadkin County for Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and also the Oregon Trail before and after the Civil War, presently it is probable that a very large majority of those Adams' living in Yadkin County are descendants of the first known George Adams.

Possibly Related

This group is shown with a green background color for the names and consists of A022, A017, A050, A036, A004 and A034.  There are various possible combinations where there could be family connections within this group
A022 is a descendant of Robert M Adams, even though Robert was born in 1898 the family has not be able to find any of his ancestors. They have would like to lucky enough to get a match with another Adams family.  And there just might be a connection between A022 and A017 as the match is 21 for 25. However a 4 step mismatch at 25 markers makes the connection questionable.
A017 (in addition to the above match) has a 19 for 21 match with A050 and thus could be related. Given the known genealogies of the two the match would have to be before 1750.
A050 (in addition to the above match) has an 18 for 21 match to A036 and thus could possibly be related.
A036, A004 and  A034 are most probably related.  All three trace their roots to the same general area of  country  plus they all have a value of 32 for DYS 449 which is reasonably rare. While all three have an estimated haplogroup of R1b, a value of 32 for DYS 449 is reasonably rare in that only 2% of R1b men have this value. But DYS 439 is another issue. FTDNA indicates this is a trait for the entire family and not just this test. Also this is rare in that about 0.25% men have the DYS 439 deletion in their haplotype. One school of thought say that all men with the deletion in the R1b haplogroup descend from a common ancestor. When this was first found it was thought that in time we might be able to support this theory. But the matches with the other two Adams men has refuted the theory, at least in my book.. 

Presidential Adams Family.

We now have six men in the project  with documented genealogies connecting them to the Presidential Adams family.

Five of the six match and the last family does not match. The chart below shows the details of the connections of these Adams families.

Click on chart for a larger version.
Reference: A Genealogical History of Henry Adams of Braintree, Mass. and His Descendants: Also John Adams of Cambridge, Mass., 1632-1897,
comp. by Andrew N. Adams. Rutland, Vt.: Tuttle, 1898. Reprint: Newburyport, Mass. Parker River Researchers, 1984. 
The results from the Y-DNA test are consistent with this genealogy except for that of A114. 

Having these results allows us to use "triangulation" to determine the probably haplotype of  Edward Adams b. ca. 1630 England.
For all those markers where we have 3 values we can select the most probable and that would be the ones that exactly match A031.
Thus there have been two mutations  since 1630 in the A020 line and one for the A040 line.

A020 has DYS 385a mutating from 15 to 14 and DYS 442 mutating from 12 to 13. The pedigree of this line is here; http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=y-dna-adams&id=I109&style=TEXT
A040 has  DYS 448 mutating from 20 to 21.
A031 has had no mutations in those markers in the births since Edward. The pedigree of this line is here: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=y-dna-adams&id=I51&style=TEXT

We can also determine 12 markers of the Y-DNA haplotype of Henry born 1583.

Two Y-DNA lines One Family?

This is a case where Y-DNA testing has refuted the paper genealogy.  In the line for A014 there is either a mistake in the paper genealogy or a non-parental event such as an unrecorded adoption. It is a possibility the error is in the other four lines or elsewhere.  The family genealogist are working on the issue to get to the truth of the matter. The results from the upgrade to A014 will help with his possible connection to the Presidential Adams family.

A023, Absalom Adams, born about 1725, was a Baptist farmer in Fauquier County, Virginia where he also served in the American Revolutionary War of 1776, and later moved to Kentucky in search for inexpensive land. He was married to Elizabeth Fothergill and they raised nine children. About the year 1840, William "Devil Bill" Adams, grandson of Absalom, is said to have visited with his "cousin" John Quincy Adams (6th Pres.), in Washington DC, while JQ was serving in the House of Representatives.
For more about this family see notes supplied by John Adams.

A072: Note that for A072 I have reversed the order of  listing for CDYa and CDYb. This was done to show the proper number of mutations. The convention is to report the values in numerical order. But since we have other family members all with a value of 37 as the lowest this is the best way to show what I believe is happening.
The genealogy for A072 is here: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=y-dna-adams&id=I59

Family 21

A021 is a descendant of G W Adams, the family has been able to establish a connection to GW’s parents. This is a case where the hope is that DNA testing to give them a match and a clue on a family connection has paid off.

Family 52

This is a family of  results all from smgf.org data base. They are clearly related and of Irish descent.

Family 33

This result for A033 is from a descendant of John Adams and wife Mary Donley and they now have three matches within the Adams project. He was born 1790 in Pennsylvania,probably Washington County by family record. He died after 1850 and last known place of residence was Warren County, Illinois, but there is no verification of date nor place. His brother David Adams was born 04 Mar 1788 also Pennsylvania, and died 09 Mar 1870 at Eldora, Hardin County, Iowa. He married Virginia Jane Crothers.

These two brothers headed west from Pennsylvania with their adult children.
There is family history of relation to a president, and some information suggests it may be through the maternal side. Given the Y-DNA results the relationship is definitely not via the male Adams line.

A076 family knows he is related to A038 by  paper genealogy and now by matching Y-DNA. Just how John, A033, and Robert, A037 connect is being address by the family genealogists.

In the SMGF.org data base there are two matches at 19 for 19 [actually 21 for 21 by the way FTDNA counts.] 
Robert Newton Adams b. 1761 of Augusta VA [son Ezekiel Adams d. Greenbrier WV]  see :
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/af/pedigree_view.asp?recid=6024239&familyid=0
For a genealogy posted on World Connect see:
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3068279&id=I60955
And the second family James Adams b. 1819 [probably Stark County] Ohio 
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=y-dna-adams&id=I2

Family 32

There is no current known connection but given the common place and time and matching DNA they are related.

Family 1

Men A001 and A003 match on 15 of 16 markers. Marker DYS455 has a one step change between the two results. The question is "does this one step change men the men are not related?" The short answer is no - they are most likely related.  On the negative side there is the one step change on the positive side we have several factors, these are:

1. There is a common surname.

2. The location of the two families in time and area of the country is close.

3. The allele (marker) values are different from the R1b modal values. The closer one is to modal (green in the chart above) the less likely they are related. In this case they are 7 steps different in 13 alleles, this is a significant difference. 

4. The allele values are not only just one step from the modal value but the are in the least likely direction. This is shown by the colors blue and magenta.

5. The chances of  having a single one step change in 14 markers and 10 births (5 each side from the MRCA, Most Recent Common Ancestor)  is 21% and thus the statistics will not exclude relatedness.

This means that members of this family have an 80% chance, or better, of having an MRCA in the 1700s. If they wish to confirm or refute this theory more testing would help.  The best use of funds for testing would be to find a distant cousin of each of the men and have them tested.  This would help determine when/if that mutation on DYS455 occurred. Another option would be to upgrade the test for A001 or A003 so they have more markers in common. Given a choice I would select A003 for upgrade so as to get DYS448, DYS449 and DYS464b values in common.  I recommend this since those values are not R1b modal for this family. Family A001 has an oral history of being related to the Presidents John and John Q Adams

Family 73
This is a case where with have a match between SMGF.org and FTDNA men.

Family 42

This is a family found only in the SMGF.org database. They are clearly related and the family moved from Vermont in the 1700 to Canada and then to ??????????

Family 28
This is a case where with have a match between SMGF.org and FTDNA men.

Family 16
A016 and A025 were thought to be the the same family and DNA has supported that theory. Before the DNA testing it was thought that A030 was also a part of this family  But the results of the test stronly connect A030 to the family A013 and A024. Since this connection is a 37 for 37 match it is dificult to dismiss.
This connection was astonising to some, it is view by others with "disbelief" but for some other genealogists  it was a confirmation of facts.
Family 47
This is a case where with have a match between SMGF.org and FTDNA men.

Family 30

This haplotype is matched 37 for 37 for A030 and A024 with a  36 for 37 match  to A013. Thus  the DNA says these three are all related.

Francis Adams b. 1896/97 is the first generation of Adams ancestors for whom I (Martha Rogers) have information. Therefore, the story begins in 1696 in Dublin, Ireland. Francis Adams was of Scotch Irish descent. His father owned a large section of land on which a great part of Dublin now stands and to which he would have become heir, but the loss of an important document barred his inheritance. The papers were found in after years, but through neglect of action, the estate was lost to the heirs. Francis came to America about 1766 (about age 70) with his sons, John and William and grandchildren (Abram having died before leaving Ireland), and settled in South Carolina, but the English troops overran South Carolina, and he fled to North Carolina. Being in feeble health, he died not many years later. He was protestant in faith.

Source: Sketch of the Adams family by Martha Rodgers. Added note by Barbara Ray: Dublin is not the city in the Scotch Irish part of Ireland. Most "urban" Scotch-Irish came from Ulster.

The men tested from this line have the grandson of Francis Adams b. 1696/7.  His name is also Francis and he was born 1763, in Ireland.  A013 descends from  Abraham b. 1791  Lancaster County, South Carolina,  to Fancis and his first wife Margaret McKee.  And A030 descends from Franklin Monroe Adams b 1823 in Georgia, to Francis and his second wife Mary Farrell.

There is one mutation on 37 makers with 4  births for A013 and 4 births for A030. Having one mutation for 8 births is consistent with this genealogy with 36% chance. The 95% interval would allow up to 2 mutations so having one mutation is sort of "expected."

James Adams born in Ireland (according to every census we find him in) about 1782.  We know that some of his children were born in America and the earliest American birth is around 1824 in VA, WV, or PA as it is different in every census.  It is not known where in Ireland he was born, nor is anything known his parents or if he had siblings.  One researcher believes that he worked on the construction of the National Road from the areas between Washington PA and Wheeling, WV.  His enumeration is thought to be found in the census of 1830 and 1840 in Wheeling [West] Virginia.

Family 7
The haplotype for A007 and A008 match 12 for 12. Both these families had descendants in Missouri in the 1800s but there was no known connection until these results arrived. A070 and A027 have been matched to the family and they are all working to find the genealogical connection.

The haplogroup is estimated a J2 which is from the Middle-East. It originated in the northern portion of the Fertile Crescent some 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. The J haplogroup is rare in England and north Western Europe, being found in less then 1% of the population.

Haplogroup and Haplotype

For these there are two different tests.  Haplotype is determined by the Y-DNA test discussed here and haplogroup is determined by testing for UEPs (Unique Event Polymorphism).  UEPs are really rare, so rare that each one is considered to have happened only once in all of human history.  While there is a strong relationship from Y-DNA to UEP it is not 100%.  Most the men tested by Family Tree DNA have an ESTIMATED haplogroup.

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Copyright © 2003-2007 John S. Walden