Overton DNA Project

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TEST MY DNA!!! ARE YOU NUTS?

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As of July 4, 2009 we have 38 DNA Participants, 36 of whom have returned their kits for testing.

Are you a Descendent of this Illustrious Overton?

Colonel Robert Overton was of noble birth. Born in 1609 in Easington, he later lived in London and Yorkshire, England. A Puritan, he was one of Oliver Cromwell's officers, and commanded a brigade of foot at Dunbar in the cause of the Commonwealth. After a disagreement with Cromwell, Overton resigned his command and was subsequently demoted to the rank of Colonel. Because of his strong political beliefs, he was twice imprisoned in the Tower of London and later on the Isle of Jersey. His Majesty King Charles II eventually signed a release, ordering that Robert be turned over to the custody of his brother-in-law.

Among the many offices held by Overton were Governor of Hull, 1647, Governor of Edinburgh, 1650 and Governor of Aberdeen, 1652. Robert Overton was a confidante of Milton, the great English poet and scholar.

Based on documented research undertaken by one of our Overton DNA Participants, any male Overton whose DNA results put him into our Overton Clan 2, may state with relative certainty that he is related to this Robert Overton. Contemporary genealogists suggest that Robert Overton had eleven children by his wife Anne Gardiner.

Further, at least two of Robert’s children (William and perhaps Robert) made their way over to America and thus began the long line of Overton descendents who exist to this day in modern America.

HERE'S WHAT THIS DNA PROJECT MEANS TO YOU, THE OVERTON FAMILY GENEALOGIST: If you locate a common ancestor in any one of our DNA participants' family files, you can be assured that whatever "proven" documentation and research that is available through that participant (or any fellow Clan member) is absolutely pertinent to your research. Equally importantly, you can discard without fear any and all Overton research that pertains to other members of the other Clans.

A. THE OVERTON SURNAME IN AMERICA

The 1990 Federal Census listed about 20,000 Overton citizens in the USA, making Overton the 1,542^nd most popular name. We have no idea how many family lines are represented in this number. Surnames have been used for only about 800 years and were oftentimes chosen as a reflection of an occupation, a location or a personal characteristic. Thus, an Overton male may be more closely related to a “Smith” male, for example, than another Overton male living in the same neighborhood.

Click here to view the migration patterns of the Overton surname in America as determined from the federal censuses of 1850 through 1990.

Several of the above Colonel Overton’s descendents assumed the mantle of greatness in the early days of the American Colonies. Overton Clan 2 members (and their relatives) may also lay claim to being a cousin to the following notable Americans:

1. General Thomas Overton (1753 – 1825) was the second great-grandson of Colonel Robert Overton. Overton served throughout the Revolutionary War in the Continental Army. He was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati in Virginia and served in the legislature for many years while living in Moore County, North Carolina. Thomas was an intimate friend of Andrew Jackson and served as his second in the duel between Jackson and Charles Dickenson in 1806.

2. Judge John Overton (1766 – 1833), brother of the above Thomas Overton, also was a friend of Andrew Jackson and served as his closest advisor through most of Jackson's presidency. Judge Overton owned much of the real estate where the city of Memphis, Tennessee was founded. He is known as the “Father of Memphis.” His home, ”Traveller’s Rest,” is now owned and operated as an historical site by the Colonial Dames of America.

Of course, there are many more Overton luminaries to whom we would all like to pay homage! This DNA project will help us accomplish that goal.

B. DETERMINATION OF OVERTON "CLANS"

"Clans" are by definition "groups of people who have a common ancestor." The intent of this project is to place individual Overton DNA participants into their proper Clan. This will then allow others in the same Clan to compare notes with one another and move forward in finding the most recent common ancestor. NOTE: In order for an individual to be assigned to any Clan, their 25-marker DNA test results must demonstrate at least a 25% probability of having a Common Ancestor within the past 24 generations with any other individual in a Clan.

C. PARTICIPANTS IN THE OVERTON DNA PROJECT

All Overton males are welcome to participate in this study! Many surnames cut across traditional boundaries of race, creed and/or color. We welcome participation of all Overton males regardless of racial or ethnic background. Black Overton males may wish to explore their heritage amidst the confusion that arose during slavery. Likewise, rumors abound in the Overton history concerning Native American blood and we welcome the opportunity to document these cases.

D. ADMINISTRATION OF THE OVERTON DNA PROJECT

The Overton DNA Project is an all-volunteer endeavor dedicated to identifying the various Overton lineages existent today in the USA and abroad. The DNA technology used in this project is state-of-the-art and in some cases, cutting edge. An 8-marker test for the Y-chromosome DNA was used to confirm the probability of at least one child born out of a relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings. We will use a much higher resolution 25-, 37- or 67-marker DNA test for our project.

We have initiated this project under the auspices of FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA), a Houston-based company specializing in the commercialization of DNA technology. FTDNA will provide us the tools of analyses and the internet web space to facilitate this search for our Overton ancestral lines.

Click here to review FTDNA’s overview of the value of DNA testing as it relates to our genealogical endeavors. Pay particular attention to the interview with Professor David Roper and his quest for the descendents of Benjamin Franklin.

Click here to go to the FTDNA website for the Overton project. Review the Overton material online to decide if you (Note: the Participant furnishing the DNA sample MUST be a non-adopted male with the surname of Overton, or derivative thereof!) want to participate, then place your order for your kit (25-, 37-marker or 67-marker recommended). The kit will be mailed to your home address the next day. Payment will be due only upon your return of the kit to FamilyTreeDNA in Houston, Texas.

Results will be posted on this web page and/or the web page on the FTDNA website. Individual DNA results will be posted only if the participant has agreed in writing to divulge his DNA test results.

Complete data sets on all the Y-DNA markers on all the Participants in the Overton DNA Project may be viewed by clicking here. You can download these values into an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or to a pdf file. The results you see on the above-referenced website should be identical to those on this website, other than a possible time delay in posting the results on this website. On this same page, you'll also see a Google map image of where each participant's most distant ancestor lived.

E. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (F.A.Q.'s)

1. What is DNA testing and how can we use it in our genealogy research?
2. Why may only Overton male descendents participate in this project?
3. What are "Haplogroups" and how do we use them in our DNA study?
4. What is does M.R.C.A. mean and why is it important to us?
5. What are the chances of two males with the same surname having identical 37-marker test results, but not being related?
6. How complicated is the DNA testing and is it invasive?
7. Is my privacy protected? What if I don't want anyone else to know what my results are?
8. How much does it cost to take the DNA test?
9. How do I participate in this Overton DNA project?
10. Still More Questions?

1. What is DNA testing and how can we use it in our genealogy research?

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or "DNA," is a chemical structure that forms chromosomes in all human beings. For those interested in the scientific details of DNA testing, the Blair Genealogy website provides what it calls a primer in DNA, DNA-101. If one wishes to have additional background reading, he or she can find additional reading material at the DNA interactive website.

2. Why may only Overton male descendents participate in this project?

Certain Y-chromosome characteristics are passed only from a male to only his male descendants and our DNA testing focuses on one particular segment of that Y-chromosome. This is why this project is limited to only males with the surname Overton (or any derivative form of that name). Any male can have his DNA tested for the purpose of genealogy, but their results will only be of use to individuals with the same surname. Within the Y-chromosome we are analyzing in this project, we are concentrating on either 12, 25 or 37 individual "markers." The greater the number of markers, the more expensive the test becomes, but the quality of the results also are higher.

It is important to understand that male participants in this DNA testing project may find that there are other males with different surnames whose DNA markers match their results when the lower resolution 12-marker test results are analyzed. There are, after all, about 20,000 individual records in the FamilyTreeDNA data base.

The results of the DNA tests allow us to "group" the participants together, based on each person in that Clan having the identical "repetition value" for each of the 25-, 37- or 67-marker tested. There are exceptions to this, just to make things more complicated. Of the 25/37/67 markers, some are considered "fast mutating" in that they may evolve at a different and faster rate than the remaining markers. FamilyTreeDNA suggests that as a result, two males with the same surname likely have a common recent ancestor, even if one or two of their 25 markers don't exactly match, assuming these mismatches are the "fast mutating" markers.

To better understand the concept of "matches," one may wish to read FamilyTreeDNA's explanation.

The bottom line? We're all looking for the oldest Overton male in our lineage. This DNA project allows us to find our distant cousins and use the documentation and results of their hard work in the field of genealogy.

3. What are "Haplogroups" and how do we use them in our DNA study?

"Haplogroups" are used to broadly classify the results of DNA testing into sixteen different ancient clusters of people and their associated ancestral roots, going back many thousands of years. Only eight markers are needed to determine the proper haplogroup for an individual, but much can be learned by knowing which haplogroup to which one's paternal ancestors belong. Click here to review each of the sixteen defined haplogroups.

4. What is does M.R.C.A. mean and why is it important to us?

The acronym "M.R.C.A." is very important to this whole concept of genealogy and DNA. That's because the letters stand for "Most Recent Common Ancestor." Click here for an intelligent, statistically-oriented explanation from the folks at FamilyTreeDNA. Read on for my interpretation.

Assuming there are two participants with the same last name who have a match on 25 of 25 marker values; then, there is a 50% probability that they shared a common ancestor as recently as seven generations ago, or in the early 19th century. There is a 90% probability that that common ancestor could be found as recently as twenty-three generations ago, or in the early 15th century. It is this statistical model that allows us to feel confident in sharing our genealogical findings with others who match our DNA profile.

Of course, in the end, we're all related!

5. What are the chances of two males with the same surname having identical 37-marker test results, but not being related?

A great deal of scientific and statistical proof could be cited here, but hopefully the reader will accept a summary position as being somewhere between "unlikely and impossible."

Bennett Greenspan, president of our testing company, FamilyTreeDNA, suggested that as an alternative to this probability thought, I might better direct visitors to a website which presents a pretty straightforward explanation for how the DNA tend to evolve over the course of time.

6. How complicated is the DNA testing and is it invasive?

The DNA testing procedure is simple and non-invasive. Upon ordering a kit, the participant will receive a small package consisting of a toothbrush-like tool and two small vials. Two DNA samples should be retrieved from the individual's mouth by brushing the tool on the inside cheek walls about eight hours apart. After dropping the cotton swabs into the vials, the donor then mails the samples back to FTDNA using the self-addressed envelope.

For a step-by-step pictorial depiction of the process, click here.

7. Is my privacy protected? What if I don't want anyone else to know what my results are?

FamilyTreeDNA has a very strict privacy code. Your results will be shared with others only if you sign a consent form.

8. How much does it cost to take the DNA test?

There are now four levels of DNA testing; the 12-marker, 25-marker, 37-marker and 67-marker tests. We highly recommend the donor take either the 25-, 37- or 67-marker test. The 12-marker test is valid only for eliminating possible relationships; it cannot be used to establish positive relationships in a meaningful manner.

Our project pricing (as of November 1, 2007; subject to change) for the 12-, 25-, 37- and 67- marker DNA test is $99, $148, $189 and $269, respectively. FTDNA will accept checks, money orders or credit cards. The cost is charged to the individual only upon the return of the samples to FTDNA.

10. How do I participate in this Overton DNA project?

9. Still More Questions?

If, after reading the above on DNA you still have questions, you may want to try the Frequently Asked Questions page at the FamilyTreeDNA website. The reader may also wish to visit the WorldFamilies.net website which has some excellent information on DNA testing and Genealogy.

CALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

If you, or some other Overton family enthusiast would like to contribute any amount of money to our Overton DNA General Fund, please click here and you'll be directed to the secure FamilyTreeDNA web page that will allow you to contribute via credit card, PayPal or a mail-in check. Your donation will be used to subsidize future DNA sampling and could well provide the impetus to some reticent Overton male to submit their DNA for testing.

Another Overton line may well be proven to exist due to your consideration!

For additions, corrections or comments regarding this specific website, please send an e-mail to:

Patrick Childress, website author & Overton DNA Project Co-Administrator
You may also e-mail Overton Project Co-Administrators Steve Overton or Dot Donegan