2015 - sale - FFinder "find"

If you want a great kickstart to the year, I have some remaining coupon codes for further $$ off the current sale prices for anyone interested.
The coupons range from $5 or $10 off any test (which could be used to transfer ancestry tests to FTDNA and unlock all your matches) through $5 or $10 off FamilyFinder , Y-DNA 37/67/111, mtDNAFull Sequence to  $100 off BigY.
Sale and coupons expire midnight 31st December Houston time.



It would be a great time for anyone with FAIRBAIRN ancestry to consider FamilyFinder tests, a very useful tool in our genealogy toolkit.
The more tests we have, the more data, and the easier it gets to divide your matches into specific lines and pinpoint the common ancestors.

FamilyFinder has turned up trumps for me and looks to have given us hope to finally prove a theory about the family of Archibald & Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN, namely that the Robert FAIRBAIRN living in Canada by about 1827/8 and living in Richmond, Ontario 1850s is indeed their son.
We never have managed to find/convince a direct male line FAIRBAIRN to test Y-DNA to prove this, but live in hope.
But we do now have a triangulated match on chromosome 5 between myself (Lorna), GD (F-29) a descendant of David son of Archibald and Alison, and a descendant of Robert's granddaughter Mary Catherine KELLAR nee FAIRBAIRN via his son William.

Looking good to start the new year.

As 2014 draws to a close, I wish you all a great 2015, with many thanks to all of our FAIRBAIRN project participants who have helped with some fascinating discoveries since the project began.

The original question that led to the creation of the project was helped immensely with our very first kit and match - the ancestry of Archibald FAIRBAIRN (married Alison CROSSER).

My second question, also specific to my family, was to prove John FAIRBAIRN in New York by 1840, father known to be a Walter, was the son of my Walter.
That took some time to prove, but was eventually proven both by Y-DNA matches and shortly thereafter with a missing piece of the papertrail.

The more generic question was the inter-relatedness of the Scottish Borders FAIRBAIRNs in particular, but FAIRBAIRNs in general.
That has led to some surprises, thanks to all of those contributing their Y-DNA.
Several paper trails turned out to need revision, but in the main, the bulk of those tested, do indeed relate to each other, belonging to haplogroup I1, with the earliest tree, and modal value for that haplogroup being the Cockburnspath FAIRBAIRN ancestral lines.

Perhaps in 2015 we could add a few more lines from further afield into the project - Yorkshire FAIRBURN in particular.

23rd: DNA Signature for Archibald (marr. Alison CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN

We now have the full results for GD (F-29) the proven paper trail representative from the line of Archibald FAIRBAIRN (marr. Alison CROSSER).
Supplementary pages have been updated to include these results in the Overall DNA grid, and the DNA Signature Chart for Lineage 1 "Clump 1"
Summary result page also updated.

Archibald & Alison

Noticed that partial results are now available for one of our latest recruits, the proven paper trail descendant of Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN.
Thankfully, they validate the assumptions and inferences made so far on where Martin (F-1) and his matches fit into the overall "clump 1" portion of Lineage 1.
The overall dna grid on the Supplementary pages has been updated with the panels of results for markers 38 to 67 for GD (F-29).

8th: More Lineage 1 results; marker 534 puzzle

(I'll have to think of a catchier title than the rather predictable "more results").

The remainder of Doug (F-14)'s results have been received, and included in the overall grid online.
As Doug's notes say, more thought needed as to the implications re marker 534 matching other than Martin, although I don't believe there's another Archibald son of Archibald that fits as well as where Doug has been slotted into the tree.

WorldFamilies Summary results grid also has now caught up on all known results to date.

Isn't DNA wonderful!

One of the latest set of results just in have finally added considerable weight to something I've been trying to find proof of for years. Ever since Ed, a descendant of John FAIRBAIRN of Delaware Co, NY, contacted me way back in Jan 1999, we have been trying to prove that his John, son of a "Walter of Roxburghshire" was a previously unknown son of my 3greats, Walter and Agnes (ROBERTSON/ROBISON) FAIRBAIRN.
With the increasing acceptance and availability of dna testing it looked like we might finally be able to (dis) prove our theory - if only we could find suitable candidates.
The FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project was set up in Oct 2007 primarily out of this curiousity with the first candidate Martin (F-1), a descendant of Archibald (marr. to Janet SCOTT), assumed to be the brother of the above Walter, other candidates still proving elusive. It was only a few short weeks ago, a year and a half later, that a willing participant, Michael (F-16), was finally found to test the original hypothesis.
Although it is only a 12/12 match to date, it does look extremely likely that John is Walter's son, and this also adds weight to the supposition that Archibald is indeed Walter's brother (theory #2 that was waiting for proof).
In the meantime, all sorts of other FAIRBAIRNs originating from the Scottish Borders have been shown to be related, and a lot of fun had tracking down suitable dna participants.

Filling in the gaps

Another panel of results in for Doug (F-14), showing that his particular line of Archibald and Jane (BLAKEY) FAIRBAIRN have two markers differing from his "cousin" Martin (F-1). As these markers are uniquely his over all of lineage one, they have to typify this particular line.

World Families Network Results page updated - also reflecting the confirmed haplogroup for Tom (F-13).

Another kit ordered yesterday, bringing our totals to:

• 14 having some/most of their results in,
• 1 in progress no results yet,
• 1 a replacement kit en route to the one that swam and didn't make it to the lab, and
• 1 newly ordered one,

a total of 17.

More participants most welcome however as we still haven't "joined the dots" on how Lineage 1 in particular "fits" together, although all are obviously related to some greater or lesser extent.
Keep checking out the Wanted! page for assorted lineages that are particularly needed.

Rev Patrick and new results

The header items are unrelated, but together reflect today's updates.

A few more of Doug (F-14)'s results have arrived, with further confirmation he is in his rightful place in the FAIRBAIRN tree, and show that although both Martin (F-1) and Doug descend from Archibald and Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN, the variations have crept in.

Doug's lineage from their son Archibald has a faster mutating marker 576 value of 18, all others in Lineage 1 have 17, so this is assumed to identify this Archibald's line.
Martin's lineage from their son John has marker 641 = 10, all others in Lineage 1 have 11, so again, this is assumed to identify John's line.

And as for the Rev. Patrick FAIRBAIRN: a passing comment was made in a conversation with a descendant of James and Mary Bell (THOMSON) FAIRBAIRN, about a long time family friend of theirs, not known to be related, living in my area. Discussions ensued, hopefully with further updates to come. In the meantime, the Patriarchs page has been updated with a few more twigs on the line of John & Jessie (JOHNSTONE) FAIRBAIRN , and a very brief outline chart included on the Wanted! pages.

Another Lineage 1 match

Do so love it when a theory is proved correct!
The preliminary 12 marker matches have come in for Doug (F-14) a proven descendant of an Archibald (born Scotland) and Jane (born England) FAIRBAIRN via their son Robert, miller of Vegreville, Alberta.
The death cert of Walter, believed to be a brother of Robert, show his mother as nee BLAKLEY, which trail leads back to the Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Jane BLAKEY who married in Northumberland in 1841. This marriage cert. shows Archibald as the son of a gardener, another Archibald. The age of Archibald Jnr matches the baptism of the Archibald born to Archibald and Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN, forbear of Martin (F-1), and is the only Archibald son of Archibald that I know of in this timeframe.
Results page has been updated, and the supplementary pages will follow as time permits. Could take a while as this means quite a bit of reshuffling to assign Archibald into his correct slot and tidy up several duplications.

The activity on updating all the implications from this welcome match have rather halted further inclusion of the family of Ralph Archibald RICHARDSON into the Wanted! pages, and pedigree onto the Patriarchs page, although a stub does now exist on the latter.

Next kit back at lab

Another of the issued kits has made it to the lab, so patience while we await the results for Doug (F-14), descendant of Archibald & Jane (BLAKEY) FAIRBAIRN, which Archibald's father Archibald, may or may not be the son of Archibald and Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN.

More participants in the project are welcome, especially if you belong to any of the families on the Wanted! page - but we're not fussy, we'll accept ANY FAIRBAIRN/FAIRBURN/FAIRCHILD wanting to see where he fits in the overall scheme of things.

Archibald, son of Archibald

The newly received marriage certificate of Archibald Fairbairn and Jane Blakey, forbears of Doug (F-14) , shows Archibald's father as a gardener named Archibald.
A candidate for Archibald Snr is the one married to Janet Scott, forbears of Martin (F-1).
The relevant supplementary pages have been updated as a result, and Archibald Snr added to the Patriarchs page.
As to whether of not Doug and Martin are really 3rd cousins once removed, we'll have to wait until Doug's results are in, and if not, keep looking for another Archibald son of Archibald in the right timeframe.

Lineage added

The lineage for our newest recruit, Doug (F-14) has been added to the Patriarchs page.
As noted on his ancestor Archibald's page, given Archibald was a blacksmith, I wonder if he'll turn out to be one of the Ednam smiths who moved south (then West somewhat, to Ontario).
Given Jane was head of the household in 1871 in Erin, Wellington Center, Ontario, I presume Archibald died sometime between 1860 and 1871, probably prior to compulsory registration in 1869.

New recruit

Our 14th kit has just been ordered, for a representative of the line of Archibald & Jane (BLAKEY) FAIRBAIRN who emigrated to Ontario (yes another one).
(Lineage yet to be posted).
Results page has been updated to show the two latest kits in progress, and to add a confirmed haplotype for Joe (F-10), which is, of course, I1.

Full 67 markers in for F-8, Lineage 1

F-8's full 67 marker results are now in, and I've shuffled the result table a tad to align him better with his closer matches.
I'm still calling this a sub branch of Lineage 1, but would welcome anyone to interpret how close, or otherwise they all look now (bearing in mind the explanations on the Genetic Distance numbers from FT DNA in an earlier post)!

Have hopes of a candidate from the line of Archibald and Jane (BLAKEY) FAIRBAIRN, all going well (yet to be added to the Wanted! page)

18th: New results, new match info lineage 1

37 marker results are now in for F-6 a descendant of James and Helen (GOODFELLOW) FAIRBAIRN, James probably being the son of George & Janet (MURRAY) FAIRBAIRN.

This has shown that the initial match (11/12) with the existing participants in Lineage 1 is still there, but is now a Genetic Distance of 2 with the representative of the family of Archibald & Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN and GD 3 with both of the others.

I presume the difference in these Genetic Distance numbers is because Doug is 34/37 with Earl and Roy, and to my untrained eye, looks the same to Martin, BUT one of the mismatches with Martin is on CDY a, a faster mutating marker, so possibly if both have mutated compared to the others, that's one less mark against in the Genetic Distance stakes?

Some web updates to the WorldFamilies.net pages:
- Patriarchs page has had some small edits to the pedigree of William & Margaret (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN pedigree to add a wife and occupation to son John as I'm now in touch with a descendant, and between us we may find an eligible participant).
- results page updated to reflect the 37 markers referred to above
- discussion pages updated slightly to acknowledge the two new matches on Lineage 1

3rd: Pedigree update for Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN

Patriarchs page updated to reflect recent findings for Archibald FAIRBAIRN & Alison CROSSER's sons David and James (including some FAIRCHILDs into the tree).

14th: Upgrades ordered for 1st 3 kits

Upgrades from 37 to 67 markers in progress for all 3 participants to try and sort out where William fits into the chain and how closely all 3 will match at the higher number of markers.

7th:3 kits out of 3 matching at 37 markers

Full 37 marker results in for the 3rd kit, a descendant of William & Jean (WANLESS) FAIRBAIRN, with a full 37/37 match with one participant, the descendant of Charles and Mary (BATE) FAIRBAIRN, and 36/37 match with the other, the descendant of Archibald and Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN. As the researcher of this line believed they traced back to Andrew FAIRBAIRN (married Margaret HENDERSON), the line of Sir William FAIRBAIRN (married Dorothy MARR), we are therefore very interested in hearing from anyone down these lines of who would like to join the project to help verify this or further determine the exact relationships. Patriarch charts will be updated shortly to reflect this exciting breakthrough.

17th: First full 37 marker results in

First full set of results received. The 12/12 match (between descendants of Archibald and Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN, and Charles and Mary (BATE) FAIRBAIRN was also 25/25 but 36/37. See Results page for more details. Which is all very exciting, given this was completely unexpected, but certainly indicates previously unknown, and unfortunately unprovable via records, connections between Roxburghshire and Berwickshire FAIRBAIRN families.

13th: First results, first match

First set of preliminary results received, AND we have a 12/12 match with someone else in the FamilyTreeDNA database, unknown to me, and although the email hasn't bounced, it also hasn't been replied too. I'm guessing that his ancestors are Charles FAIRBAIRN and Mary BATE via their son Thomas Purdie FAIRBAIRN, and I would love to confirm this, and find out more as I know of now connection to this family - as yet.

14th: First kit at lab

First kit (descendant of Archibald & Janet (SCOTT) FAIRBAIRN) received by lab, final results expected Jan 2008