BELL DNA PROJECT NEWS - 8 February 2007

Today, the Bell DNA Study was created, or split, from the Beal Surname DNA Project. It is now a separate surname project at Family Tree DNA. The Administrator for this new surname project is Garry F. Bell. Garry has been a project Co-Administrator with the Beal Surname DNA Project, and is a member of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists. Garry may be contacted at this email address: <gazza@woosh.co.nz>

One of the anticipated benefits of the split will be more visibility of the Bell surname online, in discussions of genetic genealogy. Ann Beal Logan and Thomas G. Beals will continue as Co-Administrators for the Bell DNA Study. Additionally, Stuart-James Beall will continue as coordinator and webmaster. Charles E. Beal will remain on staff as a consultant.

We are pleased to announce the addition of a new Co-Administrator for the new Bell DNA Study. Craig Nelson is a participant in the DNA study, and recently he located his grandfather, using traditional genealogy research.

Col. Charles E. Beal started the Beal Surname DNA Project in early 2001, to include all SOUNDEX B400 names. Because of the large Bell population in the world, the Bell surname has become the most common in the study, comprising about half of the project participants. As one of the pioneer surname DNA projects, Charles' project has been used as a model for many other surname projects. Charles expects to retire as manager/coordinator from the Bell DNA Study and the BEAL SURNAME PROJECT this year because of poor health, and in order to spend more time with his family and finish writing his book.

The Bell participants in the Beal Surname DNA Project are now members of the existing Bell DNA Study and will be transitioned into the new Bell DNA Study. Bell customers of DNA Heritage will also be added to the new Bell DNA Study, as they now are at our web site. As always, a participant in any of the DNA studies is free to join or remove himself from any available surname DNA project, when qualified under the rules for that project.

Due to adoptions, or unexpected ancestry events, there are some instances of a non-Bell participant being a genetic match to a group of Bells, or a non-Beall participant being a genetic match to a group of Bealls or other surname variation. For this reason, the BELL/BEAL/BEALS/BEALL/BEALE/BALE, etc. DNA STUDIES will continue to work closely together, and compare all test results. In these next few months, all BEAL SURNAME DNA studies will operate essentially as one, until they are sorted out into individual studies. The webmaster acting as coordinator will ensure that all DNA results are listed on our web pages.

We encourage all Bell participants to submit their test results to Ysearch, to Ybase, and to the Scottish Clans DNA project, for additional comparisons.

Col. Charles E. Beal <BealsurnameDNA@aol.com>

Ann Beal Logan <bealdna@yahoo.ca>

Thomas G. Beals <tg.beals@yahoo.com>

Garry F. Bell <gazza@woosh.co.nz>

Craig Nelson <cengold@aol.com>

Stuart-James Beall <bell.ancestries@earthlink.net>