The Story Thus Far
If the rediscovered manuscripts
(Monymusk Text and Cromdale Text) and our Clan's
ancient oral traditions are true, then it is expected that we should see the genetic lines of the Clan Grant break out into the following categories - and so far, it seems this is turning out to be true:
-
Norse/Viking Grant Chiefs -
This line would reflect the Y-STR signature of the original Norse Chiefs of Grant. While the senior males of this line died out, leaving a female heiress around 1325 A.D., it is a certainty that there were at least a few younger sons that made their way to England, Ireland and France, with some remaining in Scotland. If the histories are to be believed then Clan Allan (not the same as those surnamed Allan, those of the Clan Allan still retained the surname Grant) and Clan Ciaran descendants should be part of this line. Kit #21365 is of a group (Haplogroup R1a1) known to be indicative of Norwegian Viking (as opposed to Danish Viking) origin when seen in men of deep British ancestry and this kit represents the candidate signature of this proto-Grant line. Recently another kit, #35990, turned out to be R1a, but as we can see using the YHRD (www.yhrd.org) forensic Y-STR database, Kit # 35990 and Kit # 21365 show the following geographical differences in origin:
Kit #35990
(Haplogroup R1a) shows a definite Eastern European motif. The high value of '17' at DYS 19 is a dead giveaway as to the Slavic origin of this signature, as the Y-STR as a whole is only one off of the modal value of a distinct Polish strain of R1a. This reflects the same data the FTDNA haplogroup database shows for this Y-STR, with high matches in Central Germany and Central Poland. The matches in the Netherlands and Denmark suggest a Danish Viking or a Norman element. The hit in Kiev in addition to all the hits in central Poland suggests the Eastern wanderings of the Goths, Heruls or Rus. Quite possibly this signature came to Britain with Normans of Visigothic or Alanic descent, or Sarmatians or Huns who served in the Roman Army along Hadrian's Wall.
DYS19 |
DYS389 I |
DYS389 II |
DYS390 |
DYS391 |
DYS392 |
DYS393 |
DYS385 |
17 |
13 |
30 |
25 |
11 |
11 |
13 |
11,14 |
Population |
# |
Metapopulation |
Berlin, Germany |
3 / 549 |
Europe |
Bialystok, Poland [Tatars] |
1 / 124 |
Europe |
Chemnitz, Germany |
2 / 820 |
Europe |
Denmark |
1 / 247 |
Europe |
Freiburg, Germany |
1 / 433 |
Europe |
Gdansk, Poland |
3 / 543 |
Europe |
Kiev, Ukraine |
1 / 183 |
Europe |
Krakow, Poland |
1 / 207 |
Europe |
Leiden, Netherlands |
1 / 96 |
Europe |
Lublin, Poland |
1 / 246 |
Europe |
Romania |
1 / 102 |
Europe |
Szczecin, Poland |
1 / 105 |
Europe |
Warsaw, Poland |
4 / 240 |
Europe |
Zagreb, Croatia |
1 / 150 |
Europe |
|
|
Kit #21365 (Haplogroup R1a) Because the signature has no exact matches in any Y-STR databases (common with Norse signatures of the Central Asian variety), we must use the wildcard value (DYS="*") for DYS393 because of the unusual value of 14, an up mutation from the common value of 13, and DYS 391, a marker with a high mutation rate. The rareity of this Y-STR signature (the high DYS389ii=32 value in particular) in and of itself attests to its gestation in an isolated and remote population (possibly somewhere along the coasts of Western or Northern Norway). Family Tree DNA shows recent ancestry closest matches in Saxony (Germany), Denmark, Sweden, and Austria/Hungary (Hungarian matches tied to the Central Asian matches being indicative of a "Hunnish" deep ancestry origin in Central Asia). The majority of the matches here are on the Baltic (areas with a strong Viking presence such as Gdansk and Rostock) and Norway. While Norman, Danish or Saxon origin can't be ruled out, the prevailing evidence suggests this signature came to Britain with the Norse Vikings.
DYS19 |
DYS389 I |
DYS389 II |
DYS390 |
DYS391 |
DYS392 |
DYS393 |
DYS385 |
16 |
14 |
32 |
24 |
* |
11 |
* |
11,14 |
Population |
# |
Metapopulation |
Bialystok, Poland |
1 / 182 |
Europe |
Bialystok, Poland [Tatars] |
1 / 124 |
Europe |
England-Wales, UK [Indo-Pakistani] |
1 / 106 |
Europe |
Gdansk, Poland |
2 / 543 |
Europe |
Northern Norway |
1 / 45 |
Europe |
Romania |
1 / 102 |
Europe |
Rostock, Germany |
1 / 203 |
Europe |
|
|
- Stewart-Grant Chiefs -
This line would reflect the Y-STR signature of the Chiefs of Grant descended from Andrew Stewart, including the Chief of Clan Grant, Lord Strathspey. We have been able to identify a signature for this current line of the Chiefs (Kit #24708), and there is a statistically possible and potential match with a line of Stewarts, adding strong support to this tradition within the family. Further data and study of this relationship with the Stewarts will be necessary to prove this conclusively. We have already identified a few direct matches within our project for this signature of the Chiefly line of the family. The Stewarts descended from a family of Breton nobles and therefore should be of the
Haplogroup R1b and this line is most definitely
R1b.
Kit #24708 (Haplogroup R1b) reflects the Y-STR signature of the Chiefly line of Clan Grant since Andrew Stewart (circa 1325 A.D.). Like most R1b signatures, we find matches throughout Europe, Britain, and Scandinavia. The high percentages in Spain and Portugal probably reflect the ancient gestation of the haplogroup before the Last Glacial Migration. The presence of R1b in Scandinavia is taken by most researchers to indicate the genetic legacy of Celtic slaves in Scandinavia. The YHRD database is weighted towards German signatures in general, but if we look at the next highest percentages we find many in France, Belgium and Italy; the matches in Lombardy and Sicily are particularly interesting in that these are two regions which had a distinct Norman influence. These matches probably reflect the origin of the signature in France with Norman/Breton nobles.
DYS19 |
DYS389 I |
DYS389 II |
DYS390 |
DYS391 |
DYS392 |
DYS393 |
DYS385 |
14 |
13 |
29 |
24 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
11,14 |
Population |
# |
Metapopulation |
Albania |
1 / 101 |
Europe |
Andalucia, Spain |
9 / 163 |
Europe |
Asturias, Spain |
5 / 90 |
Europe |
Baranya, Hungary [Romani] |
1 / 78 |
Europe |
Barcelona, Spain |
18 / 224 |
Europe |
Berlin, Germany |
16 / 549 |
Europe |
Bern, Switzerland |
4 / 91 |
Europe |
Birmingham, UK |
8 / 97 |
Europe |
Blekinge, Sweden |
2 / 42 |
Europe |
Bologna, Italy |
3 / 51 |
Europe |
Brussels, Belgium |
6 / 125 |
Europe |
Budapest, Hungary |
2 / 193 |
Europe |
Bulgaria |
1 / 122 |
Europe |
Bydgoszcz, Poland |
1 / 168 |
Europe |
Caceres, Spain |
2 / 91 |
Europe |
Cantabria, Spain |
6 / 101 |
Europe |
Central Greece |
1 / 14 |
Europe |
Central Portugal |
22 / 489 |
Europe |
Chemnitz, Germany |
21 / 820 |
Europe |
Cologne, Germany |
8 / 230 |
Europe |
Denmark |
4 / 247 |
Europe |
Düsseldorf, Germany |
6 / 150 |
Europe |
Eastern Norway |
4 / 85 |
Europe |
Emilia Romagna, Italy |
5 / 89 |
Europe |
England-Wales, UK [Afro-Caribbean] |
1 / 107 |
Europe |
England-Wales, UK [Chinese] |
2 / 108 |
Europe |
Finland |
1 / 399 |
Europe |
Freiburg, Germany |
20 / 433 |
Europe |
Friesland, Netherlands |
1 / 44 |
Europe |
Gdansk, Poland |
5 / 543 |
Europe |
Germany [Sorbs] |
2 / 30 |
Europe |
Greifswald, Germany |
1 / 208 |
Europe |
Groningen, Netherlands |
2 / 48 |
Europe |
Halle, Germany |
4 / 234 |
Europe |
Hamburg, Germany |
4 / 275 |
Europe |
Ireland |
13 / 152 |
Europe |
Krakow, Poland |
1 / 207 |
Europe |
Latium, Italy |
4 / 222 |
Europe |
Lausanne, Switzerland |
5 / 108 |
Europe |
Leiden, Netherlands |
5 / 96 |
Europe |
Leipzig, Germany |
21 / 808 |
Europe |
Leuven, Belgium |
9 / 113 |
Europe |
Liguria, Italy |
2 / 81 |
Europe |
Limburg, Netherlands |
3 / 50 |
Europe |
Ljubljana, Slovenia |
1 / 121 |
Europe |
Lombardy, Italy |
13 / 182 |
Europe |
London, UK |
12 / 285 |
Europe |
London, UK [Afro Caribbean] |
7 / 290 |
Europe |
Lyon, France |
4 / 125 |
Europe |
Macedonia |
1 / 149 |
Europe |
Madeira, Portugal |
7 / 98 |
Europe |
Madrid, Spain |
8 / 152 |
Europe |
Magdeburg, Germany |
11 / 283 |
Europe |
Mainz, Germany |
1 / 104 |
Europe |
Marche, Italy |
4 / 108 |
Europe |
Muenster, Germany |
11 / 196 |
Europe |
Munich, Germany |
8 / 281 |
Europe |
Netherlands |
2 / 87 |
Europe |
Northern Norway |
2 / 45 |
Europe |
Northern Portugal |
30 / 564 |
Europe |
Northern Spain [Basque] |
32 / 168 |
Europe |
Oslo, Norway |
1 / 33 |
Europe |
Östergötland/Jönköping, Sweden |
1 / 42 |
Europe |
Paris, France |
1 / 109 |
Europe |
Peloponnes, Greece |
2 / 18 |
Europe |
Pyrenees, Spain |
17 / 134 |
Europe |
Romania |
1 / 102 |
Europe |
Rostock, Germany |
3 / 203 |
Europe |
Santiago de Compostela, Spain |
6 / 103 |
Europe |
Sicily, Italy |
4 / 199 |
Europe |
Skaraborg, Sweden |
1 / 47 |
Europe |
Southern Portugal |
3 / 112 |
Europe |
Strasbourg, France |
3 / 99 |
Europe |
Stuttgart, Germany |
15 / 453 |
Europe |
Sweden |
8 / 405 |
Europe |
Switzerland |
4 / 149 |
Europe |
Szeged, Hungary |
1 / 100 |
Europe |
Tartu, Estonia |
1 / 133 |
Europe |
Tuscany, Italy |
6 / 218 |
Europe |
Tyrol, Austria |
6 / 230 |
Europe |
Umbria, Italy |
2 / 51 |
Europe |
Uppsala, Sweden |
2 / 57 |
Europe |
Valencia, Spain |
5 / 140 |
Europe |
Värmland, Sweden |
1 / 43 |
Europe |
Warsaw, Poland |
3 / 240 |
Europe |
Wroclaw, Poland |
1 / 222 |
Europe |
Zaragoza, Spain |
10 / 120 |
Europe |
Zeeland, Netherlands |
6 / 46 |
Europe |
|
|
- Clansmen - This is a catch-all categorization of everyone else in the project. Historically, a clan was composed of those blood kin of the Chief, but also those residents (non-blood ties) of the Chief's lands who swore loyalty to the Chief. The various peasant classes -- tacksmen, farmers/crofters, etc -- are represented in this category. People moved back and forth throughout Scotland. Those people residing on the lands of a given clan and chief would be required to give some form of fealty to that chief (usually involving military service). Beginning sometime in the 15th century, people of this category would have assumed the surname of the Chief on whose lands they resided, though this was by no means all encompassing, with some remote Highland families not even assuming a surname other than a patronymic (named after the father's first name, such as Johnson, Williamson or Williams, etc) until right up to the late 18th century. It is assumed that most members of the Grant DNA project will fall into this category, being the descendants of the people of Strathspey or Glenmoriston, who assumed the surname of the Chief of Grant but are not biologically blood relations to the Chief.
Kit #26052
(Haplogroup I) reflects the Y-STR signature of a line of clansmen from Kentucky, Iowa and Nebraska. Since this line neither matches the Norse Viking line (Haplogroup R1a) or the Stewart-Grant Chiefly line (Haplogroup R1b), we can safely assume that this signature represents one of the sundry individuals who took up residence in Strathspey or Glenmoriston and ultimately adopted the name of the Chief of Grant at some point in time. The matches below are fairly typical of Haplogroup I, in that we see most matches are either in Northern Europe or Scandinavia. The matches in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, in addition to the numerous matches in Germany and Poland, indicate that this signature is most likely of Anglo-Saxon descent. The matches in Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden show the spread of the haplogroup, and could indicate that this signature arrived in Britain with Danish Vikings.
DYS19 |
DYS389 I |
DYS389 II |
DYS390 |
DYS391 |
DYS392 |
DYS393 |
DYS385 |
15 |
13 |
* |
22 |
10 |
11 |
14 |
* |
Population |
# |
Metapopulation |
Blekinge, Sweden |
1 / 42 |
Europe |
Bologna, Italy |
1 / 51 |
Europe |
Brussels, Belgium |
1 / 125 |
Europe |
Chemnitz, Germany |
3 / 820 |
Europe |
Denmark |
1 / 247 |
Europe |
Finland |
2 / 399 |
Europe |
Freiburg, Germany |
2 / 433 |
Europe |
Krakow, Poland |
1 / 207 |
Europe |
Leiden, Netherlands |
1 / 96 |
Europe |
London, UK [Afro Caribbean] |
1 / 290 |
Europe |
London, UK [Indo-Pakistani] |
1 / 250 |
Europe |
Magdeburg, Germany |
1 / 283 |
Europe |
Suwalki, Poland |
1 / 82 |
Europe |
Vilnius, Lithuania |
1 / 157 |
Europe |
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