|
|
|
| page 17 |
| PETER TOWNSEND'S DNA |
| A DNA SUCCESS STORY |
|
I decided in early 2005, that it would be a good idea to have my DNA taken as a reference point for
the future of geneology in our branch of the Townsend family. I had the 37 marker test performed by FamilyTreeDNA. The cost was just over $200 U.S. and the results would be kept in their database for about 30 years. I gave permision for the results to be compared to all the other DNA results that they have in their database, I also submitted the results to Ybase another database organisation, again for comparison with other DNA records. Another reason for taking the test was to try and solve the mystery of the disappearance of William Townsend who was married to Ann Brittain. She died at age 32 after having six children in 1862, shortly afterwards William disappeared. William would have been in his 30's and was young enough to start another family! |
|
Little did I realise that just a few short months after getting my results, that a situation would
arise for a comparison with my DNA test. How did this happen? At the top of our family tree shown on page 5 you will see the there were two options for the parents of George Townsend. Either John and Elizabeth Townsend were his parents Or he was the baseborn son of Ann Townsend. We spent most of the last two years trying to find Elizabeth and John Townsend in vain, so this spring we decided to take another look at Ann Townsend. I had seen the LDS film of the church record where the Vicar of the day had recorded that the father of George Townsend was reputed to be Richard Wiltshire. Well by a stroke of luck I had made contact with a Martin Wiltshire about a year earlier when he came on to the Rootsweb Wiltshire site asking questions about Wiltshire family members in Bremhill. I sent him an email kidding that a ancestor had been involved with my gggGrandmother. We kept in touch and this spring he sent me his family tree and there large as life was a Richard Wiltshire, who was the right age, in the right place, at the right time. After some discussion he graciously agreed to have his DNA checked againt mine. Approximately six weeks later we received the results and Bingo we had a match as shown on the chart below. |
| The above Y-DNA chart shows the Y- DNA readings for the Wiltshire family. The Townsend chart is identical except for DYS# 391 which reads 11 instead of 10. |
| The Haplogroup reading of 1 indicates that we are originally from northwestern Europe and known as the Viking Haplogroup. |
|
DNA PRIMER Glossary of Terms Genetics......The study of patterns of inheritance. Blood Cell....... Basic unit of life. Contains ......nucleus with 46 chromosomes, one of which is the Y Chromosome. . I.e. 22 sets from 1-22 X and Y are called the sex Chromosomes. DNA .....Molecule of life. DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID Skinny Molecule that strings together units called bases [or nucleotides] , one cell would stretch six feet long. 95% is so called junk DNA! Bases are called ADENINE Note C and G pair, A and T pair. i.e. straight and curved. GUANINE THYMINE CYTOSINE Allele The specific form of a gene occupying a specific location on a chromosome; an alternative form of gene. Also a particular structure or sequence of DNA. DYS....... Short form for DNA Y Chromosome Segment Generic Marker A specific portion of the Chromosome. I.E. Gravestone Mileposts on a highway Seed packet at the end of a garden row. Used to name a specific location or marker. Haplogroup A specific set of Y chromosomes or set of mtDNA that is characterized by slowly mutating markers and that is characteristic of a specific population.. Chromosome.... 1. The structure [containing DNA molecules packaged with some proteins ] by which hereditary information is transmitted; humans have 46, which are found in the nucleus of most cells.. 2. Small thread like structures that reside in the cells nucleus and are composed of DNA .Each human has 23 pairs of Chromosomes, with one of each pair derived from the mother and the other derived from the father. Autosome...All of the other Chromosomes other than the X and Y Genetic Code..The sequence of DNA bases. Genes Are a stretch of DNA or the unit of heredity. More than 1000 in X Chromosome Only 27 in Y Chromosome. Total number of Genes 21000 ?? Mitochondrial DNA...mtDNA mtDNA is inherited from the mother by both her sons and daughters, but only the daughters can pass it on to the next generation. Mitochondria ...Small ovoid structures in the cystoplasm of the cell that produce energy and contain their own DNA, known as mtDNA. |