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Updated: July 31, 2005
According to the Census
bureau, "Harbison" was the 5,492nd most common surname in the United
States in 1990 and matched 0.002% of the population sample.
However, there is no one Harbison family, at least that we know
of, thus no right or wrong answer when comparing ancestries. Harbisons in
America have come from Wales, England, Ireland, Australia, and even Germany,
and, over time, the surname has also been spelled or recorded as Harbinson, Harbeson, Hardison, Harvison, Harveson,
Harberson and about 40 other variations. We welcome participation by all
variations. Because YDNA data will look back over many tens of generations it
is probable that some of these various spellings were derived from an earlier
spelling. Therefore, it is important to compare the data across all the various
spellings
Sources typically used for genealogical research include census
records, birth records, death records, tax records, muster rolls, and land and
court records, but many such official documents were lost or destroyed in the
late 1700s-early 1800s. Thus, DNA testing can be a valuable resource for
proving or disproving family relationships and help guide further -- and
possibly more fruitful -- research.
The objective
Although there is a broad interest in the origin of the surname, a
more focused short-term objective is to connect descendants of the Harbison families
who came to, Australia and other countries from. We encourage all Harbisons to
participate since it will be especially important to have data from Harbisons
who did not emigrate in order to establish connections in other countries.
Simply put, the goals are to:
·
Identify
the Harbison families
·
Validate
existing research
·
Resolve
"brick wall" issues for Harbisons who have been unsure of their
ancestry
·
Determine
areas for additional research
·
Establish
a DNA database for future researchers
How DNA testing works
The Y chromosome is passed relatively unchanged from father to son
and only appears in males, meaning that the person tested must be a male with
the Harbison surname for our project. Comparison of the genetic
"fingerprint" of Harbison males will show that there is a
relationship, there is not a relationship, or there is a distant relationship
that can't help us genealogy-wise. For Family Tree DNA's Q&A page, click here.
Unexpected results may be due to
previously unknown events. For example:
·
An unmarried daughter might have a child carry her family
name rather than its father’s.
·
Some children may have been adopted, or a man might raise a
deceased sister’s child under his name.
·
A child resulting
from an illicit union within a marriage may or may not carry the Y-DNA of his
nominal father depending on the relationship of the real father to the nominal
father (e.g. a brother, paternal uncle, or cousin would have identical Y-DNA,
thus the false paternity would not be detected).
Getting started
·
Click here to visit the Family Tree DNA
Harbison Surname Project page.
·
Provide your
name and email address and basic information about your Harbison connection,
then click Join to request
information about ordering the test kit. You can start with the Y-DNA 12 marker test now for
$101, and later upgrade to the Y-DNA 25 marker test, without having to resubmit
another swab, if that fits better into your budget, but we strongly urge you to
start with the 25 marker test (cost $171) as the results will be much more
definitive to compare with the results of others. There is also a 37 marker test which is even more useful in
identifying common ancestors who are just a few generations away.
·
The test
kit (click
here to see it, but don't order via this link) includes a soft toothbrush-like
device which is rubbed inside the mouth, then sealed in a vial provided.
·
Return
your sample to the lab for analysis, and they will contact you with the results
in about seven weeks. That seems like a long time but increased interest in DNA
testing has created a backlog at FTDNA. They installed new equipment in early
2004 that will perhaps shorten the time.
·
It is
very natural to have some concerns about DNA testing. Hopefully some concerns are answered here and here.
·
One thing
we do need in order to be sure that we are identifying your DNA test results
with the correct earliest ancestor is for the lineage to be documented from you
to your earliest ancestor. That is,
good genealogical evidence for each generation between you and the earliest
ancestor is needed. This shouldn’t be a
problem since we can always use the earliest ancestor for whom there is good
documentation. Hopefully the DNA test
will make proving earlier generations easier by focusing your research. Your
test results will be shown on this web page and only be identified by showing
your earliest documented ancestor and your test kit number. Your name will never be shown unless you so
desire. Should you need any help with the above please contact me Bill Cook Project Administrator.
Analysis is done at the
The 12-marker test can determine a common ancestor within ~1000
years, the 25-marker test can determine a common ancestor within ~400 years,
and the 37 marker test can narrow a common ancestor within the past five to 16
generations. These spans cover the periods from the Norman Conquest of England
through the immigration to the Americas and the rest of the world.
This will be an ongoing project, and qualified Harbison males are
encouraged to participate.
More Information on DNA and Genealogy
Surnames
and the Y Chromosome
DNA from the Beginning
Genealogical
Detective
Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms
Current Results
We’re all related to one another if we go back far
enough in time, so it is important to only consider very close matches when
using DNA testing to resolve genealogical questions. See:
The following
describes the lines as grouped on the Test Results web page above.
Group 1
·
20654 A descendant of John Harbison b.c
1747 d. 1787 Mercer Co. KY has tested and a descendant of
James Harbison b. c. 1730 d. 1783 Mercer Co. KY is need to determine if John and
James share a common ancestor as is suspected (brothers, cousins, or
uncle/nephew).
·
24437 A descendant of Matthew Harbison/Harvison
b.17 Mar 1821, TN, d.1864-1879, Shannon Co., MO. is a match with John
Harbison above. They appear to share a common ancestor perhaps in Ulster and
came through PA before separating with one going to NC, TN, etc. VA and one or
two to VA. KY, IN, etc.
·
26861 A descendant of Rufus
J. Harvison born 1829, died 1877 and buried in the
"Harvison cemetery" on the
old Harvison homestead NW of Sulphur
Rock, AR. A match with a genetic distance of one with John Harbison and Matthew
Harbison in this group (above). It is very likely that William Alberto Harvison
and Nancy Starnes are the parents of Rufus. This family is from Lincoln Co/. TN
but was in Meigs Co., TN in 1840 and 1850. His son Rufus is there in 1850
census near William's widow. This is the same family who went to Independence
Co., AR.
·
30817 A
descendant of James Harbison b. c. 1730 d. 1783
Mercer Co. KY via his son Andrew Porter Harbison b Feb 2, 1773 d
Dec 4, 1813 Married: Jan 22, 1796
·
35222 A
descendant of James Harbison b. c. 1730 d. 1783
Mercer Co. KY via his son Maj. John H. Harbison and Catherine
Patterson. It is interesting to note
that this descendant and the kit 24437 descendant match exactly on the 25
marker test indicating a very close relationship. Additional testing might
support or alter this indicated direct relationship.
·
37178 A descendant of James H. Harbison 1770-1843
m. Mary Jane Brown 1777-1865 via his son James T. Harbison 1804-1883 m.
Martha Pollock and grandson Samuel Pollock Harbison 1840-1905 m. Emma Boyd. This line was located
in Western Pennsylvania. James H. Harbison is the
brother of John Harbison of Beaver Co., PA and Ohio who m. Massa White.
Group 2
·
28002 A descendant of William Harbison (1)
(of Augusta/Botetourt Cos., VA); William(2); Hiram(3); Timon Woodford(4).
Group 3
·
25391 A descendant of an unknown Harbison and there is a
possibility that there may not be a connection to a Harbison line. Additional
participants are needed for a possible match.
Group 4
·
13500 A descendant of Jesse J. Hardison b.c 1820
in TN, was in MO in 1850 and d.c 1875 in LA, has been tested. Additional
participants are needed for a possible match. It is perhaps likely this line is
from a completely different origin - hailing from the English west counties.
Group 5
·
36624 A descendant of Hugh Harbison, born either
1762 or 1766 and married to a Miss White. From County Armagh in
Northern Ireland-Mullaghbrack. More Townland to be even more specific. Assumed
to descend from those along the southern County Antrim border, known there from
mid 1600s and to have come across from Mearns Parish, Renfewshire, Scotland
about that time.
Group 6
·
37224 A descendant of HARBERSON 1561 in South Wootten,
Norfolk, England.
Haplotypes and Haplogroups
A 12 or 25-marker Y-DNA signature is called a
Haplotype, and when added to other closely-linked Haplotypes, constitutes a
Haplogroup. Haplogroups represent the branches of the tree of Homo sapiens, and
every male in the world can be located on one branch or another by looking for
a rare mutation on the Y chromosome. Anthropologists use this information to
determine ancient migratory patterns and deep ancestral dating when trying to
establish, for example, when Western Europe was first settled, generally in
conjunction with other disciplines, such as field archeology.
Comparing results from our participants with a
database of other samples suggests matches for the following anthropological
Haplogroups, as noted in the table above.
· Q: Found in north and
central Asian populations and Native Americans. Believed to have originated in
central Asia and migrated through northern Eurasia into the
· R1b: Most common
Haplogroup in European populations. Believed to have expanded throughout
These Haplogroups have been predicted based on
individual results but have not been confirmed by testing.
Understanding
Your Results: Y DNA
The following information is reprinted with permission from Facts & Genes,
Copyright 2004, Family Tree DNA.
If you are among the first persons to take a Y DNA
test for your surname, often you will not have any matches. This may be disappointing, though it is only
a matter of time until you have a match.
When you don't have any matches, the best approach is to find some other
males with your surname to test. To
validate your lineage, it is recommended that you test the most distant cousin
in your family tree. His result should
match, or be an extremely close match, to your result. This step of testing another male in your
family tree will scientifically validate your result.
On the other hand, you may have a lot of matches
with other surnames, especially if you are Haplogroup R1b, and you are testing
only 12 Markers.
It is very tempting to pursue these matches with
other surnames, in the hope of finding a lost relative from the family
tree. Matches with other surnames are
most likely not relevant in a genealogical time frame.
If we consider for a moment: how many males had
your Y chromosome result, or a close result, in the 1300's, when surnames were
being adopted. This figure could be in
the hundreds, if not in the thousands.
Each of these males, or small groups of males in a family unit at the
time, probably adopted a different surname.
These males were probably also spread out geographically.
If we take this group of males who adopted hundreds
of surnames in the 1300's, and then consider that each surname probably took on
multiple forms through the centuries until the 1900's, plus factor in the
number of possible male descendents today - we have a very large number of
surnames that could share a Y DNA result.
Most people in
Most likely a match with another surname is the
result of being related before a genealogical time frame, or as a result of
convergence. Convergence is where Y DNA results mutate over time, and as a
result of changes, these two results now overlap.
Depending on your ancestral country, and the
surviving records, your family tree may be traced back to the 1800's, 1700's,
or 1600's, and for a few rare family trees, to a time well before then. If a 25/25 match with another surname is a
result of a family taking in an orphan in 1425 – you will probably never find
the paper record, if a paper record ever existed, and pursuing the match takes
valuable time away from traditional family history research.
As more people take a Y DNA test, you will
eventually have matches with other surnames.
For a 12 Marker test, the total range of generations for relatedness is
76.9, which is almost 2000 years, and well before the adoption of
surnames. Those who belong to
Haplogroup R1b will have many matches with other surnames, in fact dramatic
population expansion within Haplogroup R1b lead our science team to clearly see
the need to expand our original test from 12 to 25 markers.
We recommend not pursuing matches with other
surnames, unless there is some genealogical evidence to support such a
match. For those interested in pursing
the match, an upgrade to 37 Markers is recommended. Even at 37 Markers, you may have matches with other surnames,
especially for Haplogroup R1b, and as a result of convergence. In rare cases, the match could indicate an
unknown variant of the surname.
DNA testing is a tool to be used with your family
history research. DNA testing provides
additional information, which is evaluated in conjunction with your family
history research. If you have
researched your family tree to the mid 1800's, pursuing a match with another
surname that might have occurred from 1400 to 1800 is probably not the best
investment of time.
Matches with other surnames can have value for
those who are not R1b, and whose ancestors have migrated and they are trying to
identify the county of origin in the ancestral homeland. People frequently moved in the past, though
often the distances were not very far per generation. Therefore, a cluster of your Y Chromosome and close matches would
exist in the ancestral county. For
those whom you match with another surname, these matches can often be used to
identify the ancestral county. If you
are able to find enough matches who know their ancestral county, and one county
is reported by a high percentage of matches or close matches with other
surnames, you would have a clue as to the ancestral county.
It is very tempting to pursue matches with other
surnames, in the hope of finding a lost relative from the family tree. Matches with other surnames are most likely
not relevant in a genealogical time frame.
Further tests may provide more geographical clues.
Disclaimer
I am not affiliated with FTDNA and do not have any financial
interest in this study.
Bill Cook Project Administrator
Newburgh,
* “DNA Strands”
image from the U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program or U.S.
Department of Energy Genomics:GTL Program, website http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis.
Some Concerns People Have About Participating –
·
The Government already knows too much about me!
The testing done on your DNA for Genealogical purposes is not the same as that
done for crimes or to find genetic defects, diseases, etc. The company we use
for testing, FamilyTreeDNA.com, follows the most
stringent guidelines for privacy. They control the Surnames Database Library
and test scores, while the University of Arizona controls and maintains your
genetic assets on their behalf. Therefore, there is a double safety net. The
first is maintained by Family Tree DNA according to State legislation
guidelines and the other is maintained by the University of Arizona which is
bound by both State and Federal privacy and confidentiality legislation. Your
test is identified by a kit number, and the only people that can match you to
the kit number are you and the Project Administrator. You may wish to release
your name to other specific researchers, of course, once you have identified
your lines and who is working on them. Other privacy issues are addressed here.
·
I am a female Harbison descendant. I can't help you.
While the testing for DNA Project uses the Y Chromosome test (passed from
father to son) to determine male genetic matches, you as a female descendant
can participate by encouraging your brothers, uncles, cousins, sons, father, or
any other living HARBISON male to join the project. These should be
full-blooded relatives to you. The result from one of these men will give you
the genealogical DNA information you are seeking. Research is ongoing on how to
best use the test results for family genealogy from Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA),
the female line test, which follows a mother’s line back through her mother,
and so on. When methods are established
as to how to best use the mtDNA data, we will probably want to include it in
this project.
·
No Way! I can't handle needles!
This test uses no needles, or even blood. It uses a small swab that is rubbed
on the inside of your cheek in the privacy of your own home. No pain, and no
needles! The swab is placed in a vial and mailed back to the lab. What could be
easier?
·
I can't afford it!
At first glance the test may seem expensive. The two main tests used in this
Project are the Y-DNA 12 marker test and the Y-DNA 25 marker test. The 12 marker test costs $101 ($99 +
$2 postage) and the 25 marker test is $171 ($169 + $2 postage). You can
start with the Y-DNA 12 marker test now, and later upgrade to the Y-DNAPlus 25
marker test, without having to resubmit another swab, if that fits better into
your budget, but we strongly urge you to start with the 25 marker test as the
results will be much more definitive to compare with the results of others.
Please contact me if cost is an issue. Perhaps other researchers, who will also
benefit from your test, will want to share the cost with you.