Researching Strong(e)s and Strang(e)s
in Britain Ireland
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is not responsible for errors in the data, nor from faulty analysis thereof.
All data should be verified from original or primary sources, whenever those
sources are available. This web page is divided into several sections.
Click on the section to which you wish to jump:
What is DNA testing all about? Basically, there are two types of DNA tests currently being used by genealogists... Y-DNA and mtDNA. Y-DNA testing involves testing the male Y-chromosome, which is handed from father to son relatively unchanged through many generations. MtDNA testing involves testing of mitochrondrial DNA. Both males and females have mtDNA; however it passes only through the female line from mother to daughter and relatively unchanged over perhaps thousands of years. For most genealogical purposes, Y-DNA testing offers the best possibility of tracing relationships within a reasonable genealogical timeframe. To learn more, see: DNA 101 for a basic primer.
There has been a great deal of
progress in the subject area in the last few years. Another good place to
start, if you are interested, is at Chris Pomery's
DNA Portal.
Kevin Duerinck and Chris Pomery have each done a real "tour de force" of the entire subject of DNA genealogy. There is no point in me trying to restate what they have done; I could not do better.
There are a number of organizations offering DNA testing at present. For a listing, see: Genetic Genealogy Laboratory Testing Sites by Kevin Duerinck.
Genetic testing is becoming relatively inexpensive... about $99 US per initial test, using
Family Tree DNA and taking advantage of their group rates. See the FTDNA website at:
http://www.familytreedna.com/
and follow the links on Surname Projects. I looked at the other labs
available and think this one is the best so far. They also offer a
facility for converting the results of other labs and making the results
compatible with their results. Importantly, FTDNA offers great support to administrators and participants in DNA Surname Studies.
DNA
Study: LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
(N:
(R:) Thursday, 11 March 2004
DNA Study Background
Goals of the DNA Study
How the DNA Study will work- Frequently Asked
Questions
How to become a Member of the Study Group
DNA Study Sign Up Form
DNA Study Testing Release and Waiver Form
DNA Study Results
Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) Analyses
DNA Findings, an interpretation:
End of DNA Study Page
Background:
This webpage was created to initiate a DNA Genetics study involving the
entire spectrum of Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
surnames. A bit of on-line research reveals that a large number of such one-name
genealogical DNA studies are underway. See Kevin Duerinck's webpage: Y-Chromosome DNA Surname Projects or One-name Studies
.
Why does the present study include the
spectrum of names variantly
spelled “Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong”? Simply, it has been hypothesized that there
has been an evolution of spellings over the centuries, and that many present
day families bearing these surnames are indeed related at some remote point in
time through presently
unknown ancestors. Further, the late
John R. Mayer articulated an hypothesis that there
were two distinct groupings of families with the spelling “Strange or Strang”…. Basically along the lines that
families claiming an English origin were likely descended from the
Breton or Norman family “LeStrange”. Those families claiming a Scottish origin
were likely sprung from a separate group, perhaps having a Norse background in
individuals fore-named “Strangi”. For a further examination of the hypothesis
as John R. Mayer spelled it out, see: Goals of the Study:
The beauty of DNA testing for genealogy derives from its use to test a hypothesis that two or more (specific) individuals share a common ancestor. This hypothesis may be based on circumstantial evidence from traditional genealogical sources, family tradition, or a common surname. Even with a surname (particularly a common surname), it is desirable to have some paper trail that leads to a potential person or place as a common origin.
In general, this Study may help to clarify some of these
questions:
1. How many different common male ancestors are associated with the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong surname?
2. How are your LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
ancestors related to other families with the
LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong surname?
3. How are the different LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
family lines related?
4. Are all LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong’s
from an ancestral country related, or are there many different families with
the name LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong?
5. Can a connection between the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strongs
from Ireland and the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strongs
from Scotland or England be made?
6. Can a connection between the LeStrange/Streing/Strang (and variant spellings) families from France and the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strongs
from Scotland or England be made?
7. Can a connection be made between the LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strongs
families of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries world-wide, and the various LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong families
of France, England or Scotland?
8. Which LeStrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
researchers should be collaborating because they share a common ancestor?
There are some limitations on what can be established using DNA studies.
Obviously, we won't be able to establish the name and identity of any
"missing links". And, for now, given the science involved, the
tests should probably be limited to male representatives of each lineage,
emphasizing sampling of the oldest available members of each lineage, and finding
multiple test subjects in each lineage for verification purposes.
However, we may be able to establish things such as:
1) Are particular branches of the Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
lineages being studied by DNA Study participants related genetically?
2) How many generations back from the samples tested did the various lineages
have a common ancestor?.... and that could be important in putting bones on
the hypotheses re how the lineages fit together.
3) Given testing in other lineages, to what degree are the other lineages
related? E.g., are my “Irish” Donegal/Fermanagh
lineages related to the Down/Antrim and/or South Carolina “Irish” lineages which claim a Scottish
descent, or are they English in origin? If English, are they related to
the various Strong or Strange lineages of England? Or are they related to the "Virginia Strong" and/or the "Elder John Strong of New England" lineages? If so, what is the most likely linkage? The same questions can be asked about MANY different Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
lineages known to us.This study is already developing answers to these questions, and more. See the DNA Results page, and the DNA Findings page.
There are many lineages claiming some version of these variant spellings. A partial listing is set out in the Lineages Directory. I have completed movement of the Lineages Directory to the Rootsweb Freepages, and reorganized the layout of the webpage. In the process I noted numerous links, etc., which I know need to be updated as revised information is called to my attention. However, the Lineages Directory is sufficient at this point to give us a beginning for an attempt to organize and analyze the results of the Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong DNA Study. For the purposes of the present study, it would be highly desirable to have at least two of the oldest male representatives from each of the known lineages participate. There are various reasons for this, which are articulated below.
Due to the lengthy historic scope of the Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong DNA Study and the many possible intervening generations you are encouraged to opt for the 25-marker test. However, if you desire to limit your initial expense, you may opt to pay for the less expensive 12-marker test. If you presently choose the 12-marker test you can later pay to have your original sample retested to expand the results to the 25-marker test. To join the Study, see "How to become a member of the Study Group". If you still have questions, please take a look at "How the DNA Study will work- Frequently Asked Questions"
How does one become a member of the Study group?
As a registered Surname Project at Family Tree DNA, our project
receives Project Pricing and a set of tools for the Group
Administrator.
The Surname Project Pricing is:
| 12 marker Y-DNA test (Y-DNA12) | US$99 + postage | |
| 25 Marker Upgrade (Y-DNA12 Plus) | US$90 | |
| 25 marker Y-DNA test (Y-DNA25) | US$169 + postage | |
| 37 marker Y-DNA test (Y-DNA37) | US$229 + postage |
First, indicate your interest by contacting the Study Coordinator Dave Strong (Click for contact information.)
Second, the Study Coordinator requires three forms:
1) A Sign Up, or Application Form ;
2) An Ancestor Pedigree chart, generated by you, showing the particpant's paternal LESTRANGE/STRANGE/STRANG/STRONGE/STRONG (or variant spelling) ancestry to the earliest proven ancestor (proof standards vary... we suggest you take the pedigree back to the point where you are satisfied it is accurate, and not speculative);
3) A DNA testing release and waiver form authorizing use and presentation of the results under certain conditions and
limitations by the Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong
DNA Study and its representatives, including the Study Coordinator.
These forms are sent to the Study Coordinator via email.
Third, after receiving the paperwork, the Study Coordinator will:
1) provide you with a "Snail Address" to which you are requested to send a signed original of the above release form, and will also
2) provide you with a web link which you can use to notify Family Tree DNA to mail you a DNA sampler kit at the project pricing rate. (Note, you can either asked to be invoiced, or you can pre-pay using a credit card. It is also possible to volunteer to pay for another individual's test kit, and have it sent to him for sampling.) The test kit will be shipped to you on the next business day following placement of the order.
Fourth, when you receive the DNA sampler kit you will find it includes another Release form in favor of Family Tree DNA. The Family Tree DNA Release form relates to the issue whether a participant's test results are included in the Family Tree DNA Results database, and in turn can be useful in finding other matches outside the immediate test group. It seems a good thing to execute the release and return it to Family Tree DNA along with the test sample, but you will have to make that decision. The participant takes his own DNA sample and returns it to the laboratory along with a check or credit card authorization payable to Family Tree DNA for the appropriate amount relative to whether he desires to pay for a 12 marker DNA test or a 25 marker DNA test [unless other arrangements have been made].
Family Tree DNA accumulates test samples for a period of two weeks and then sends all of the accumulated samples to the lab. Return of results can take up to two months. We have already seen patterns in the test results. However, we continue to need some "prototype" tests for certain of the lineage groups so that we will know when a particular sample from an "unknown" matches up with the established "haplotype" for a particular lineage. What this means is that we need volunteers from each of the established lineages. If we have a prototypical haplotype for each of these lineages, then we MAY be able to show WHICH lineage an unknown sample matches up with... but that might be stretching it a bit. More likely, we will be able to establish whether an unknown sample matches with the Elder John haplotype, or whether it matches with the Virginia or some other haplotype. It should be emphasized that the bottom line is that from the standpoint of accuracy, the 25-marker test is more likely to provide us with useful info than the 12-marker test. If there is a need for even greater accuracy, we can always go to the 37-marker test also provided by FTDNA.
When the results have been interpreted you will be notified of the results and the interpretation. Keep updated on the progress of the study by checking the DNA Study Results
as well as the Family Tree DNA Strong Surname Project, (Search under "Strong"). You may also check this webpage(Please Bookmark it Now!) for updates, or contact the Study Coordinator Dave Strong (Click for contact information.) and/or Co-Administrator Lloyd Horrocks.
Please Join the Study! Help solve some puzzles!
This Lestrange/Strange/Strang/Stronge/Strong DNA Study webpage is divided into several sections.
Click on the section to which you wish to jump:
DNA Study Background
Goals of the DNA Study
How the DNA Study will work- Frequently Asked
Questions
How to become a Member of the Study Group
DNA Study Sign Up Form
DNA Study Testing Release and Waiver Form
DNA Study Results
Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) Analyses
DNA Findings, an interpretation:
End of DNA Study Page
Return to DNA Gateway Page
Go to Researching Strong(e)s
& Strang(e)s in Britain and Ireland
Go to the Donegal Strong Puzzle
Go to the Strong Genealogy
Network Home Page; while you are there, find other
web addresses for members of the Strong Genealogy Network!
Go to the Strong Quest - including the
STRONG-List Home Page,
While you are there, be sure to
consider subscribing to the Rootsweb Email STRONG List!
To review some of the discussion on
the Strong-List in the past, Go to the Strong List Archives.
or go to the Rootsweb
Archives.
