OBSERVATIONS ON THE JAMES RIVER CHILDERS/CHILDRESS VIKING CLAN EXTENDED 37- and 67- MARKER DNA RESULTS
by Patrick Childress

Updated August 27, 2009 - New Posting shown in this highlight

The following observations on the DNA spreadsheets are made after considerable consultation with Bennett Greenspan, President of FamilyTreeDNA.  Mr. Greenspan has been most patient and helpful in analyzing the DNA results of the Viking Group..

1. The most outstanding feature of the entire spreadsheet is the "tightness" of the values of the markers.  Bennett noted that it was very unusual to have this many matches on these markers, indicating that we can be very confident that everyone on this sheet are is a descendent of the same ancestor - we're still not sure who, however.
   
2. The "random" mutations on the various markers can largely be ignored - except for those on which more than one donor matches.  So, we ought to be looking specifically at three markers: 576, 570 and CDYb (all of which are shown in the column headings).
   
3. We can do a general split on this Clan (assuming a 37-marker test was ordered) by using the CDYb marker, as everyone is either a "37" or a "38."  However, this is a very volatile marker and one that can be a bit "unstable."  Thus, we should group individuals who match on the other markers, in preference over this CDYb marker.
   
4. In view of the above, William Childress (8284) and Benjamin Childers (8772) likely are closer kin to each other than to the rest of us.  Likewise, Paul Allan Childers (19389), Clyde O. Childress (8267), Cody Childress (8287) and Daniel Ray Childress (8269) are most probably a "twig" off the main branch.  The same may be said for Robert E. Childers (8365) and Clayton Robert Childress (8295).
   
5. It's interesting to note the current location of the donors, as this relates to the migration of their ancestors.  So far, all of us "Texans" are in the same general CDYb group.
   
6. The DNA testing company for this project, FamilyTreeDNA of Houston, Texas, has conducted tests and associated analyses on hundreds of thousands of Y-DNA samples.  One of the many conundrums that has arisen in these tests is the situation of different surnames with matching DNA characteristics.  Statistically speaking, this anomaly occurs in about 5% of all those males tested.  And, while matches on 12-marker DNA tests between different surnames are routinely seen, near perfect matches on the extended 25- or 37-marker tests usually point to one of four scenarios: (see Miscellany, B., above).  In the case of this Childress project there have been several matches with non-Childress surnames.  The individuals reflected on this spreadsheet have indicated a desire to explore the possible links with the Childress lineage that most likely is their ancestor.
   
   In the case of John and Richard Michael Jackson, the "spokesperson" for the family (Trellys Erwin) speculates that a Childress orphan was adopted by the Jackson family.  She further speculates that the best candidate for this occurrence was one Jesse Jackson, born 1825 in Madison County, Tennessee and who died in 1879 in Delta County, Texas.  Please contact Trellys direct if you have any information that might shed some light on this relationship.  It should be noted that, while there is a very close match between both Jackson males and the "ancestral signature" of the original Childres progenitor, both Jackson males reflect mutations at 464b and 464c, so a match from a Childress participant in the future on these two markers will narrow the Jackson/Childress search down in a hurry!
   
   In the case of Dover family, three individuals (Truman, David and Albert Dover) have taken the 25-marker test and two of the three have an exact match with the Abrah Childres on all 25 markers.  Carol Dover, spokesperson for the family, indicates that the family is realistic about these situations and their primary interest is finding and following the proper genealogical connections, wherever that may take them.  Please contact Carol direct if you have any information on this relationship.
   
7. This posting date of August 21, 2005 finds an almost "dead heat" in the number of Viking participants split between Group A and Group B.  Amber Dalakas had her father Carlos Otha Saint Claire's DNA tested and the resultant match with the Abrah Childres Group A was a surprise to her family.  There is no known connection between the two surnames, so if any of the rest of the participants recognize the Saint Clare surname, please contact Amber direct.
   
8. The reader will note that the results of Robert Brooks Childress (last line) is a bit different.  That's because his test was undertaken with a different testing company, DNA Heritage.  They provide a 43-marker Y-dna test that is identical to the FamilyTreeDNA test on only 31 of the markers, hence the "X" in the columns that their testing does not provide.  Unless his results are retested by FamilyTreeDNA, it seems unlikely that we'll be able to move beyond the matching on the 25-marker scale, the extra six markers notwithstanding.
   
9. Kent Ross Childress' (kit #47845) results for the 37-marker test are shown on line 36 of the attached Excel worksheet.  The DNA results confirm the family's belief that their oldest known Childress ancestor, Thomas J. Childress (b. 1797) likely was the grandson of William Childress, born 1740 in Goochland, Virginia.  This confirmation is due to the fact that Kent's DNA results were identical to those of Ronald Brent Childress whose marker results are immediately above Kent's on the spreadsheet.
   
10. The reader will want to closely examine the marker values for the three Creed donors and the two Jackson donors.  You'll note that both family names contain the same mutations on the 464 markers, both of which are different from the Childress/Childers Ancestral Signature.  After discussion and analysis by FamilyTreeDNA experts, we concluded that, while there are many possible explanations for this anomaly, perhaps the most likely historical event that brought about this scenario is this:
    
    Somewhere back in pioneer times (not sure when), a Childers/Childress family may have lost both mother and their Childress/Childers father at the same time.  As a result, the children (including at least two male siblings) were packed off to either friends or relatives in undocumented adoptions.  The two adopting family surnames were "Creed" and "Jackson."  What we'll be looking for in the future will be some Childers/Childress male whose DNA markers match the mutations shown by the Creed/Jackson donors.  We'll then be able to more closely discern the Childress/Childers line for the Creed and Jackson names.  What the contemporary Creed/Jackson researchers will now be looking for will be census records and other documents wherein their family name ancestors were in close proximity to a Childress/Childers household.
    
11. The extended 67-marker results are posted on this website for the participants who signed up for the extended tests and whose results are now available on the FamilyTreeDNA Public website.  By clicking on the links at the top of this page, the reader may review the details of the new testing.  There remains a significantly tight clustering of the results, to the extent that there are no new marker mutations which give rise to various family lines.  In fact, a FamilyTreeDNA representative states:

    "Looking at your spreadsheet, ... these 67 marker results re-emphasize the closeness of the group as a whole.  It is very clear that these different Childress-Childers lines are all very closely related.  Even people who had 3 differences at the 37 marker level are identical on the 38-67, meaning they are probably closer than you thought at first...

    This is really what strikes me the most when looking at these results.  The results may also help map out some of your various Childress branches more clearly."

    Hopefully, as additional 67-marker results come in, we'll be able to better refine our assessment of the various family lines.
    

12. Jerry K. Childers, Kit #68316, has his 37-marker results posted on this update.  His results place him squarely in Group A (CDYb=37), whose markers are exactly equivalent to those which our earliest common ancestor may have had.  Put another way, Jerry's marker values on the first 37 markers likely have no mutations at all when compared to our earliest common ancestor.
    
    A new feature added with this posting is the "Mutated DNA" Excel Spreadsheet and associated HTM Spreadsheet.  We believe that the reader will find it easier to visualize the mutations (only) in the DNA signatures of each participant, as opposed to the full listing of all DNA marker values.  In actuality, as long as the alleles value for ALL participants are equal on any specific marker, then we can effectively discard that DNA marker for purpose of attempting to align sub-branches of the family tree.  In lieu of the 67-marker spreadsheet and htm page, the reader may now view the compressed spreadsheet featuring only the 21 markers (out of 67) in which at last one DNA Participant had a mutated value.
    
    In summary, the reader may view the original, full Excel spreadsheet with all 67 marker values; the same full HTM spreadsheet; the new, compressed Excel spreadsheet with the only the 21 markers that have mutations; or, the same abbreviated HTM spreadsheet by clicking on the appropriate banner at the top of the home DNA Page for each of the four versions.
    
    When viewing the Mutations spreadsheet, note that the yellow highlight on any marker indicates that the mutation has occurred in only one single DNA Participant.  (Where this is the case, little can be discerned from that occurrence.)  On the other hand, where multiple Participants have the same mutation, the mutated marker values are highlighted in a salmon color.  These mutations are the one that should give us more ample clues as to family lineages.
    

13. This posting date of November 9, 2006 reflects an additional three individuals whose extended, 67-marker results have been received.  An interesting development of a mutation at marker 534 (the 55th marker) shows up for Samuel Hall Childress, (earliest ancestor is Judge John Childress, m. Elizabeth Robertson) and William A. Childress (earliest ancestor is Robert Childress, b. circa 1758).  These two individuals would do well to compare ancestral notes.  Carlos St. Clair also shows this marker mutation.
    

14. The posting date of December 7, 2006 reflects a new DNA donor and his 67-marker results.  Terry Childress (Kit #710110) is listed second on both spreadsheets.  Notice that on the "Mutations" XLS and HTM spreadsheet, Terry reflects two single step mutations from our Ancestral "Probable" Signature.  His first mutation is at 464b; this mutation is also reflected in the marker values of the Creed and Jackson entries.  However, their mutation at 464b is accompanied by an adjoining mutation at 464c, both fast mutating markers.  Because these markers oftentimes mutate at the same instant, it is likely that Terry's mutation at marker 464b did not occur in the same generation as the others, so the match of mutations between Terry and others at this marker is a "coincidence."  However, Terry also shows a mutation at marker 456, a slower mutating marker.  His mutation here is matched by this author, Joel Patrick Childress (Kit #12544) and we are the only two of the entire James River Viking Clan who reflect this mutation.  In comparing notes with Terry, we find that our oldest known ancestors (Terry's David Childress, born 1768 in Spartanburg County, SC and my William Childress, born ca. 1750 in Spartanburg County, SC) both were born in SC and lived in Mississippi at about the same (within a three county radius of one another).  Further, several "unusual" given names appear in both family trees.  Lastly, one of Terry's ancestors (Meredith Childress) was married by this author's ancestor, Justice of the Peace Obediah Childress, when both were in Jefferson County, Alabama.  We're now working on the assumption that David Childress and William Childress could well be brothers.  This is a great example where the benefits of a paper trail and the DNA research have borne fruit!
    

15. December 21, 2006 reflects the addition of several new DNA Participants, as well as the housekeeping of adding several participants whose results have been available for some time.  Unfortunately, none of the four new postings have DNA results available beyond the 25-marker level, so no conclusions can be readily drawn.
    

16. December 22, 2006 updates the spreadsheet with the extended 67-marker values for Samuel Graham Childers, in Group A.  Samuel and Perry Creed both have a mutated value of "21" in the fast mutating marker 570.   Are these two more closely related than the others, or did both have ancestors whose marker value at 570 mutate coincidentally with one another, perhaps at different generations?
    

17. April 7, 2007 posting includes the inclusion of Ralph Loyd, an adopted descendent of Silas Childers, born circa 1857 in Arkansas.
    

18. This October 2, 2007 posting once again includes the dna profile of an adopted child.  However, this time the Participant is James  Daugherty McCullough of Rockville, Maryland.  His birth father was musician Janus Hall, born 1908 in Sedalia, Missouri and his birth mother was Frances Carter Hall, born 1907 Guthrie, Oklahoma.  Jim has been unable to find any information at all on his birth parents.
    
    There is a considerably higher proportion of non-Childers/Childress surname matches in our project as nearly 30% of the matches have surnames other than our own.  McCullough's situation is a bit unique, however, in that even though he has a non-Childers/Childress surname, his DNA signature perfectly matches three known Childers/Childress participants; Ralph Carl Loyd (Childers), Mark Daniel Childress and James Ronald Childress.  Jim will do best by first confining his search to these four participants' family histories.

It is commonly believed that the earliest known Childers/Childress immigrant landed on American shores in the early to middle 17th century.  I have not undertaken "original" research, so I find it difficult to cite any known documentation that is available on the internet today.  There are many theories, but here's an example that will likely lead the reader to scratch his or her head in puzzlement:  Just who was the original Abraham Childers and what dates/wives/children/other events may we attach to him?

If you wish to use Abraham's birth date as June 20, 1622, death date of August 16, 1679 and wife's name as Anne Jane Howard, click here.  On the other hand, if you'd like his birth date to be November 30, 1613, death date of October 15, 1679 and wife's name to be Jane Ann Howard, click here.

Circumstantial evidence would suggest that the all of the participants whose results are included on this website collectively descend from one of the very first Childers/Childress settlers of America.  It is my belief that our quest for this penultimate Childers/Childress common ancestor will best be served by diligently following the leads available to us through this DNA study, rather than speculating as to his identity based on "provisional" evidence easily obtained on a myriad of internet websites.

(Note:  For a listing of internet Childress/Childers family histories available at the Childers~Childress Family Association website, click here.)