Coordinator – Bob New
bobnew@ntlworld.com
DNA The Y-chromosome is passed by inheritance from father to son, as is (usually) the surname. Therefore the Y-chromosome of a man today should be the same as, or recognisably similar to, his ancestor - the man who first took that surname. Naturally, in the course of time “non-paternal events” can occur (adoption, illegitimacy, etc.) but previous testing experience shows it to be not too much of a problem.
The surname NEW is English and was thought to have originated there twice; in North Gloucestershire / Worcestershire and in Wiltshire or a neighbouring county. Early emigrants could have left from Bristol, a major port in earlier times, which is geographically close to Wiltshire and connected by a major waterway, the River Severn, to North Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. However, the first test results reported below indicate 5 separate NEW family groups so far! More volunteers for testing are needed to find out what this means.
The name NEW could have had either of these meanings: “le Newe” the newcomer or “atte New” who lived near a Yew tree (similar to Nash, Nelmes and Noakes and ash, elm and oak trees). Thomas atte New was recorded in Worcestershire in 1396.
NEU is German/Swiss and is anglicised to NEW.
NEWEY is a name centred on Worcestershire and could originate from NEWE, an old form of the name NEW. In medieval speech the final ‘e’ would have sounded like a short “eh”. The Feet of Fines for the County of Warwick, 16 Edward III 1342-1343, records a legal action in Coventry involving William NEUE and his wife Alice.
The more common name NEWMAN also means a “new man” or newcomer; it would be interesting to test someone of that name who is originates in the areas where the NEW name comes from.
TESTING We are established as a Group with FamilyTreeDNA of America www.FamilyTreeDNA.com (the University of Arizona actually do the testing) and enjoy their discount rates. The test kit consists of a cheek scraper and collection tubes, and the procedure is similar to brushing teeth except that you scrape the inside of your cheek. You do it at home, so you don’t have to go anywhere, and return the samples in an envelope to Houston.
The genes on chromosomes are separated by regions of inactive DNA, parts of which have short DNA sequences (2 to 6 bases) repeated several times. These are known as STRs (Short Tandem Repeats). Past research has identified a number of these (12 or 25) on the Y-chromosome which are useful for genealogy – as on the following chart. For our samples it is the number of repeats at each ‘locus’ that is counted. The rate of mutational change is estimated to be approximately 1 change per 500 generations for each locus, with those in red (see Chart) perhaps faster. A 25/25 match with the same surname indicates a recent common ancestor; 24/25 and 23/25 matches with the same surname indicate more remote common ancestors.
EXPECTATIONS We are able to define the family groups with the NEW surname (or similar) and hopefully to find where in England, or in Continental Europe, they originated. For this the 12-marker test should be adequate. The 25-marker test should distinguish between branches of a family group.
Although the tests are not specifically designed to identify our “Haplogroup(s)” they have for our members so far – all have been R1b/HG1, the Paleolithic hunter/gatherers that populated Europe. DNA studies using “slow moving markers” have traced patterns of human migration “out of Africa” over the passed 50,000 years. |
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More Results Of the 7 results we now have, there are two matching pairs, “A” & “B” and “C” & “F” – as hoped for, and we have 5 distinct NEW groups or “haplotypes”. To summarise, all those tested are surnamed NEW, “A”, “B” & “G” are English and the others North American. None of the results so far link England with North America, although the result for “E” could be representative of a Hampshire, England, NEW family group. We seem to have also clearly established the Y-DNA characteristics of an English emigrant to Virginia – Richard NEW c1620-c1681. We need to find for him some present-day English relatives, and for the others. More volunteers are wanted!
Matching Results The matching results reassure us that this testing procedure ‘works’. One pair of results illuminates an issue in the line of descent of “C” which passes through William New born 1759 in Henrico Co., Virginia. However there is another, contemporary, William New born 1757 in Richmond “County” (which it is claimed should be “the City”), Virginia. (Both claimed Revolutionary War pensions.) Descendants of both William NEWs claim the same forefathers back from their William to Richard New c1620-c1681 of Virginia. Both can’t be correct. “C” has a good paper genealogy and now has DNA test support. It is quite possible that the two William NEWs are cousins of some sort and that a DNA test from a descendant from the other William New, of Richmond “County”, would also match that of “C” and “F”. However, a volunteer for such a test would be welcomed to establish this!
Of the other matching pair “A” is 8 generations removed from the MRCA (most recent common ancestor) and “B” is 10 generations removed. In that time 2 mutations in our markers has occurred, both in those markers in red that mutate at a faster rate. A message from FamilyTreeDNA confirms the match with a 99.9% probability.
We can only guess what the Y-DNA characteristics were of James NEW c1650-c1725. On the simplest level there are 4 possible combinations for him of markers DYS385b and DYS439. The chart assumes one such combination with “A” and “B” having one mutation each. The reason for this is *speculation* about a relationship with "E" who then is only 2 mutations away. Could “E” have shared a common NEW ancestor with “A” & “B” several centuries ago?
However Bennett Greenspan, President, Family Tree DNA, cautions that: “I don't think that 13317 [“E”] is a real match for the other two. He DOES share most markers, but his 14 at DYS 389-1 SHOULD have made his DYS389-2 increase by 1 allele, too...so the fact that it didn't is yet another step away. [There is a] weird way that the Anthropologists score DYS 389--- ……. [etc.]”
Incidentally, “C” and “F” are 9 and 7 generations respectively removed from their MRCA.
Haplogroup Rb1 / HG1 FamilyTreeDNA have assigned “D” to the Rb1 (HG1) haplogroup. I have checked each of his markers with the frequency graphs on Dennis Garvey’s website (see URL above) and, for what it’s worth as I’m no expert, I concur. All six of us belong to this haplogroup and two of us are “English” and the others descend from “English” immigrants. Quotes are used because “Ancient British” may be more appropriate!
Our Paleolithic hunter/gatherer male-line ancestors entered Europe from the east about 35,000 years ago. With the onset of the “Last Glacial Maximum” (LGM) 20,000 to 13,000 years ago the population was forced to vacate Central Europe, or was extinguished there. Small populations survived in Iberia, and in the area of present-day Austria, the Czech Republic and the northern Balkans. Rb1s come from Iberia. 90% or more of the Basques, Irish and Welsh Y-chromosomes are Rb1and for us “English” the figure is about 60%.
A “Y” Haplogroup map of Europe: http://baz.perlmonk.org/haplogroups.jpg
This prints nicely as a single ‘landscape’ page.
 - green is our Haplogroup, Hg1 (equivalent to R1b), originating in Iberia (“Spain”),
 - blue is Hg2 from the “Gravettian” culture dispersed from the area now Czech or Austrian,
 - beige is Hg3 spreading out from the area north of he Balkans, now the Ukraine.
The remaining tiny slices of the pie-chart are yellow from the Saami or Lapps brought to England by the Vikings, and black and brown representing the neolithic farmers from the Middle East.
Both Hg1 and Hg3 derive from the earlier Haplogroup M173 that first colonised Europe from Asia 30,000 years ago. M173 is in turn derived from M45 (35,000 yrs. ago), and M45 from M9 (40,000 yrs. ago) and M9 from M89 in the Middle East (45,000 yrs. ago). M89 came from M168 that emerged from Africa, via either end of the Red Sea, 50,000 or more years ago – the first modern men (and women), probably just a few hundred of them at any one time, to come from there, to survive and people the whole world outside Africa. They did not move into empty territory. It was already occupied by descendants of homo erectus – Neanderthal Man in Europe – fully evolved and adapted to their environment. We can but guess how they were replaced.
Hg2, or M172, derive directly from the early M89 stock who migrated westward into the Mediterranean regions of southern Europe, and then into central Europe as the Ice Age ended 12,000 years ago.
The mix of haplogroups displayed on the East Anglian pie-chart probably accurately represents the overall genetic heritage of those of us who were, or are, of wholly English ancestry. Remember that the Y-chromosome records only one line of descent – the male line only. We have a myriad of other lines of descent, hence the averaging-out of our English heritage.
Comment on the ‘rarity’ of our individual results. Using FamilyTreeDNA’s ‘Recent Ethnic Origin’ tables – whatever they mean – A had 1,615 ‘matches’ with a distinct England origin (with some German), B had 568 matches, G 315 matches – England with a strong German flavour, E had 146 matches, C & F 26 matches – England with an Irish flavour, and then D with only 13 matches – mainly England.
Bob New
22 Jan 2004Considering the pie-chart for East Anglia (representative of England generally):
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