No new participants for DNA testing were found, until a request came from Stanley Vines of Alabama at Xmas time 2003. Stanley has an already documented pedigree and a common ancestor with Fred (NSW Australia), Ron (Melbourne Aust), Arthur Vine (Surrey UK) and Frank Vine (Bristol UK). Our lineage came out of North Wiltshire England and is proved from about 1660, with John Vines and wife Christian who both left signed and dated wills. Their son Benjamin and his wife Elizabeth also left wills. Stanleys DNA test should confirm his descent from Benjamins son Charles 1722-1797. Charles grandson Richard migrated to Michigan US about 1846.
   Charles was an elder brother to Edward 1725, the great, great, great, great grandfather (4G) of Fred.
   The connection of Ron to the line down from John, born possibly 1667, and Christian has not yet been proved by documentary records but is thought to be through Daniel, the brother of Benjamin.
   The connection of Arthur and Frank Vine to the line down from John also has not yet been established on paper before Charles born 1789 who joined the Marines in 1806 but their relationship is beyond doubt as shown by DNA test. 

   Joe Vines of Alabama, now in Georgia US, and Ed Vines of California matched DNA as reported in Jun 2003, but were not from the Wiltshire Vines. In August 2003 they received the results of a test on Roger Lipps whose family line they were rumoured to be descended from. Rogers result matched with theirs, proving that the name of  their ancestor (Thomas born about 1778) had been changed from Lipps to Vines on his mothers remarriage. This is a classic example of DNA use for testing family legends. It may yet be possible to find out who the Vines was who married the Lipps widow and whether he was from the Wiltshire line.

   The mystery of the DNA match of Samuel Mingia of North Carolina with the Wiltshire Vines has not yet been solved. Vines participants from NC should eventually be found to solve the mystery.

Much work was done on transcription of wills of Wiltshire Vines from the 1600s and 1700s and their presentation on the website. These are wills mostly of farmers, who had assetts which were passed to their children, and so provide reliable evidence of their families at time of their writing. The earliest will is dated 1639, with reference to a relevant will in another family of Grittenham from 1616.

   A new extended test, from 25 to 37 markers, has been announced by FTDNA. Our quest to differentiate family lines would be assisted if some mutations were found. This could be possible with more markers, which might find distinctive DNA signatures for some family branches within the Vines extended family. The cost is about US$60 higher. The experience of others using the test will be followed with interest; perhaps as time goes by we can make some use of the 37 marker test but at present the 25 marker test is adequate for our purposes. 

   The website is attracting steady interest. During the last six months it has been "hit" about 6 times a day with very little publicity to attract attention.