Researching Strong(e)s and Strang(e)s in Britain and Ireland; 2nd Edition

How the DNA Study will work—Frequently Asked Questions:

The Study has been set up and is being coordinated by David B. Strong, a retired lawyer. Dave is a descendant of one of the "Irish" Strong lineages originating in Counties Donegal and Fermanagh, Ireland (See Donegal Bay Strongs). Lloyd A. Horrocks, Ph.D., has volunteered to provide assistance in analysis and presentation of results.  Lloyd is Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at The Ohio State University in Columbus. He is descended from Abigail Strong, daughter of Deacon Ezra Strong III (Ezra Jr., Ezra, Jedediah Jr., Jedediah, John "Elder"), of the "New England Strong families". 

For Instructions and Forms which you can use to join the study see: How to become a member of the Study Group.

Some persons may have certain reservations, excuses and rationalizations about joining the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong Study. Perhaps many would be more inclined or motivated to participate if they thought they might discover or validate something that would be helpful to them.  To attempt to relieve the minds of the doubtful, the following is offered  in the hope it will encourage becoming a volunteer for the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong DNA Study.

(The following list of Questions and Answers was adapted from a letter prepared by Jim Hull, Coordinator of the Hull Family DNA Study.) Many individuals have had questions about similar studies. Some of their questions may be what you have been thinking about, also:
Q1. What is this DNA test all about?
A. Currently, two types of DNA tests are available for genealogical testing: the Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) test and the mitochondrial (mtDNA) test.  A direct female line can be traced by testing mitochondrial DNA. However, since we are presently interested in tracing surnames, which are passed from father to son, the testing of the Y-chromosome DNA is our interest. See: DNA 101 for a basic primer. The testing procedure uses a kit which is mailed to the participant. The test kit is very light and compact, and its use does not involve significant discomfort to the participant.

Q2. Will a DNA test tell me who my ancestors are?  What will the test tell me?
A. No, a DNA test will NOT tell you who your ancestors are.  The test will tell if two or more participants share a common ancestor, and give
you a probability of the number of generations to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA).

Q3. Why analyze the Y chromosome?
A. The Y chromosome is the only chromosome passed unchanged from father to son, and therefore indicates the paternal line of descent.  All
males in a patriarchal line have the same Y chromosome.  The Y chromosome is not present in females.

Q4. What is analyzed?
A. Geneticists look at specific parts of the Y chromosome to obtain a signature". Two or more males whose Y chromosome signatures match
come from the same paternal line of descent.  Those whose signatures do not match are from different lines.

Q5. Exactly what does a Y chromosome match demonstrate?
A. A Y chromosome match shows that two males have a common male ancestor. This common male ancestor could be their father, or it could be a male from a thousand years ago.

Q6. Does a Y chromosome match prove this relationship?
A. Although no evidence is ever absolutely certain, the confidence level for such a match is very high. Typically, there is less than one chance
in a million or more that the demonstrated relationship is in error.

Q7. What is the advantage of the 25-marker test over the 12-marker test?
A. More markers reduce the number of generations to the MRCA.  If you match someone on 12 out of 12 markers you almost certainly share a common ancestor. The question becomes "how far back do you have to go before you find that common ancestor?"

If all 12 markers match: there is a 50% probability that MRCA is 14 generations or less, a 90% probability that the MRCA is 48 generations or less, and a 95% probability that the MRCA is 62 generations or less. For 12 identical markers, 95% of the possible MRCA values fall between 1 and 77 generations.

If all 25 markers match: there is a 50% probability that the MRCA is 7 generations or less, a 90% probability that the MRCA is 20 generations or less, and a 95% probability that the MRCA is 30 generations or less. For 25 identical markers, 95% of the possible the MRCA values fall between 1 and 44 generations.

Q8. Do Y chromosome analyses sometimes match, but not at every point?
A. Yes. Over a period of many years, a small number of mutations can be counted on to appear, so there may be one or more points where the Y chromosome analysis does not match exactly.

Q9. If no Y chromosome match is found, what does that show?
A. It demonstrates to a very high degree of probability that the two males analyzed do not share a male ancestor.  Although this is true for the two individuals tested, it may not be true for the family groups of the individuals who were tested, because there are a number of sources of "non-paternal events".

Q10. My maiden name is LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG and I would love to have this information, but I am female and have no brothers and my father has passed on now. There are no living males with the surname LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG in my family, only male cousins named LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG, some quite distantly related.
A. Your male cousins probably have the same Y-DNA as your father and his male ancestors with the surname LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG.  Testing your cousins is the same as testing your late father if they are the natural children of your LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG ancestors. That is because the Y chromosome passes unchanged from father to son apart from random mutations.  So if your father and your cousins have any known common ancestor, even back to your 4th great grandfather or beyond, the DNA sample should be the same as testing your father, give or take a mutation or two.

Q11. My line split off from the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family two hundred years ago. My 4th-great grandmother was a LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG. I do research on my  LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG ancestors but have no close LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG relatives.
A. If you know or can find male surname descendents of your 4^th great grandfather LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG, you can in effect "test" him by testing his descendents. That is because the Y-DNA is passed on without change from father to son.  If you test a couple of your LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG cousins and they match, you can say with high confidence that their Y-DNA is very close to the Y-DNA of your 4^th great grandfather.  Then you can compare his sample to other samples in the study and possibly learn much new information about his line for your research.

Q12. Why are you excluding women?  We are the children of our LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG
ancestors as much as the men.
A. We cannot test females for the Y chromosome because they do not have one; only males have a Y chromosome.  The technology does not exist to trace LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG surname ancestors through their female descendents, at least not yet.  The reason requires going into a bit too much explanation of basic genetics, but essentially we get a blend of genes from our fathers and mothers for everything except the Y chromosome, which passes mostly unchanged from father to son.  Most other genes combine, thus making every individual unique with a unique genetic signature.  But that does not mean that daughters are not just as related to their fathers as sons.  In fact everyone has genes from all their ancestors, half from each parent, a quarter from each grandparent, an eighth from each great grandparent and so forth back forever. Every gene in our DNA existed in some ancestor 10,000 years ago apart from a few mutations possibly.  By using Y-DNA analysis women can learn much valuable information about their LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG ancestors, the same as male descendents.  There are tests of mtDNA that trace female lineages, but they are not useful for single surname studies.

Q13. There is only one living male person surname LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG in my family. What is the point of joining the study if I don't have two or three family members who are LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG surname males?
A. There is potential value for you to join the study.  The reason for testing two or three distantly related cousins is that this "validates" the family at least back to the known common ancestor.  A single test could provide incorrect data for the families if there is an unknown adoption or a false paternity somewhere back in the past.  If you alone take the test and it matches others in the study, you will have learned that your branch of the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family is related to theirs, with little doubt.  If it does not match and you cannot find any cousin to test to validate the result, at least your sample will be available in the database until sometime in the future comes along and a match is secured.

Q14. LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONGS adopted me as a child.  Is there any benefit to doing a DNA test?
A. That depends on whether you are trying to trace your "biological" family or your LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family.  If you were trying to trace your "biological" family you would have your own DNA sample tested.  If you already know the surname of your "biological" family, it would probably be best to try to find a DNA project for that surname since your results would more likely match
someone in that group than the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG group.  If you were interested in tracing your LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family roots you would need a DNA sample from your LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG father or another male LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family member.

Q15. My male LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG cousins don't care a thing about family history. They won't pay for this.
A. There is no rule that says the person ordering and paying for the test must be the person being tested.  If your cousins will consent to doing this simple, painless test, you can complete the paper work and have them sign the forms.  The sampler kit will be sent to them and the invoice sent to you. Some of the other family reconstruction projects have multiple  researchers in the same family line that have split the cost of testing male cousins who have no interest in family genealogy.

Q16. I already know my LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family comes from somewhere in Ireland.  What are we going to learn from doing this that is new?
A. First of all, you may discover many LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG families that are your cousins that you did not know about before.  They may have new information and family histories that will be useful to you, and you will know they are your relatives with little or no doubt.  A couple of families named LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG side by side in the census could be brothers, or could be coincidence.  But DNA is proof!  Second, as the Study expands over time, you may discover the exact village where your ancestors came from in Ireland, possibly even church records that take you back hundreds of years.

You may also discover that you share the same markers with LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONGS who come from Scotland or England. Most people  believe that the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONGS who came from Ireland originated in Scotland or England. However, many who have traced their lineages back to Ireland they are not able to make a Scottish or English connection. DNA testing might make this connection.

Q17. All it takes is one break a long time ago and you won't be able to match up a whole line of LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONGS.  You will never be able to put all the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONGS together.
A. That is very likely true, but the purpose of this is to help different LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG family's link up to further their genealogical research.  Even if long ago a Mr. LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG adopted a boy whose natural father was Mr. Johnson, all his male descendents will still be with a common ancestor, which may prove useful.  Also, if someday a Johnson has a test done, we may find that match as well!

Q18. How is the DNA sample obtained?
A. DNA can be obtained from any cell, but one of the easiest samples is obtained by swabbing the inside of the cheek with a specially
designed brush, similar to a toothbrush.

Q19. How do I participate?
A. Basically each participant fills out an Application Form, Liability/Waiver Form and a Pedigree Chart, which will be sent to the Study
Coordinator.  After receiving the paperwork, the Study Coordinator will notify Family Tree DNA Laboratory to mail you a DNA sampler kit.  The participant will take his own DNA sample and return it to the laboratory along with a check payable to the lab [unless other arrangements have been made].  After the results are received, the Study Coordinator will interpret the results and notify you of the results and with the interpretation.

Q20. How will my DNA information be used?
A. This poses a delicate balance between making the information available to others while protecting the privacy of the participants.   DNA test
results are of little use by themselves.  Their value is how they compare to other test results and whom they match.  As with most other surname DNA projects we display test results on our DNA Results webpage. You will note each participant's kit # is hyperlinked to a pedigree page. The participant's name is not disclosed, nor is that of his immediate father, in order to help protect the confidentiality of the information. However, should the participant independantly opt to disclose their personal DNA results, as many do, that is their privilege.

Q21. How will my DNA information be protected?
A. Only the participant providing a DNA sample and the Family Coordinator will know what your results are unless you decide you would like to share that information (see next question).  All samples and identifying information are given the unique number created by you.  This ID number will be the only identifying information anyone else sees, so no one other than the Study Coordinator will know who participates in the study or which result is from which person. The portion of the DNA tested gives a distinctive "signature" for a lineage rather than for an individual, so there is no risk of this data being of any use to anyone for personal identity.

Q22. I noticed my DNA markers match those of several other participants. Is there anyway I can contact them?
A. If you choose not to identify yourself, you can contact the Family Coordinator who will forward your request on to a participant.

Q23. Couldn't it be embarrassing if an individual's Y chromosome does not match when it should?
A. Yes, and for this reason your results will never be revealed except by a code.  Your name will not be published or released unless you give
your permission to do so.

Q24. My test results do not match any others, does that mean I'm not a LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG?
A. There is always a possibility that you could get disappointing test results.  Samples that vary by three or more markers from the main
group may do so for a number of reasons.  One possibility is that they represent distinct lines either older or younger than the currently observed
most frequent line.  Another is that there has been a "non-paternal event" at an unknown past time.  There are several possible types of non-paternal events in addition to a pregnancy gained outside of a marriage.  For example, a child may be adopted and given the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG name; a man may take the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG name when he marries a LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG daughter; a LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG man may marry a pregnant woman whose husband has died; a couple where the wife is the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG may choose to give their children the LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG name for various reasons; clerical error in recording administrative data may assign a LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG name to the wrong person, and so on.

It should be stressed that adoptions were quite common in every age (i.e., parents died by disease or war and a relative took in the children
and raised them with their name; or young daughters had a child out of wedlock and the parents raised it as their own).

 Some may not want to see a result indicating a non-paternity event but we are all legal LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONGS and a small sample size could be misleading. One may get a DNA sequence, which suggests a non-paternity event, but they could be of the original blood LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG line.  To explain:  Twenty people are tested and 19 are very similar but the last is clearly different.  It could turn out that the 19 descend from the same person 300 years ago and this person was an adopted LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG while the other is of the original blood line going back 800 years.

This web page is divided into several sections. Click on the section to which you wish to jump:
DNA Study Background
Goals of the DNA Study
How the DNA Study will work- Frequently Asked Questions
How to become a Member of the Study Group
DNA Study Sign Up Form
DNA Study Testing Release and Waiver Form
DNA Study Results
Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) Analyses
DNA Findings, an interpretation:
End of DNA Study Page