Goals of the Henderson DNA Project

DNA testing can be a valuable tool in genealogical research, more so when combined with conventional paper-based research. While many of our Henderson kin are able to trace their ancestry back to the 18th or 19th century or perhaps earlier, very few have the resources to trace their lineage back to earlier days in Scotland. With DNA testing, it is possible to confirm kinship between a modern day Henderson and one of the five original Henderson family groups documented in Scottish public record and traditional history including 1) MacEanruig in Glencoe (Argyll). 2) Henry Gunn family in the lowlands of Caithness. 3) Hendersons in the Shetland Islands. 4) Henrysons who peopled the border country in Upper Liddesdale as well as the Middle Marches and 5) Dumfriesshire, where the family Henderson was established as a barony at Fordell.

In the 17th century, some Henderson families migrated to Ireland as part of the Ulster Plantation. These were families of the Scottish lowlands primarily, however other Henderson families may have been involved. For this reason, the Ulster Hendersons will be treated as a subgroup populated by members of the original root families.

In the implementation and management of the Henderson Surname DNA Project, the following goals are established:

Goal # 1: Confirm Henderson Ancestry - A primary goal will be to offer project members reasonable proof of their relationship to one of the five original Henderson root families in Scotland. In order to provide this assurance, a baseline of DNA samples must be obtained from five modern Henderson males with proven lineage to one of the original Henderson family groups in Scotland. For example, a male with ancestry traced back to the Hendersons of Fordell, through traditional paper research, would agree to release his unique DNA signature to the project for purposes of comparison with DNA results of other project members.

Goal # 2: Confirm Relationship Between Two or More Project Members - Another goal of the project will be to offer members who suspect a relationship with another participant the opportunity to compare their DNA test results to confirm the connection. A 67-marker DNA match would leave virtually no doubt that the two participants are either not related or they are related and that the relationship tracks back a given number of generations. Knowing their common timeline, the two members could then rely on other information, collected by conventional genealogical research, to determine who their common ancestor might have been. To be clear, it is impossible to pinpoint a specific common ancestor from DNA test results, but with a proper paper trail, one will be able to identify with some degree of probability the linear generation of the common ancestor.

Goal # 3: Identify Members' Haplogroups - Project participants will learn something of their ancestry origin that could be integral to their family research. As part of routine testing of their DNA samples, members will learn about the ethnic origin of their direct line being tested based on placement of their unique DNA signature within one of the known Haplogroups on the phylogenic tree of Homo Sapiens. There are 18 Y-chromosome haplogroups with which clan members can be compared. The most predominate for modern day Hendersons will be haplogroup R1a, R1b and I1a. (See explanation below)

• Haplogroup R1a (M17) is a Y-Chromosome haplogroup that is common in Europe, Northern Central Asia and India. In Europe the highest frequencies are in Eastern Europe. Relatively high frequencies are also found in Northern Europe and is believed to have been spread across Europe by the Vikings, which accounts for the existence of it in among other places the British Isles. It is however fairly common across all of Europe.
• Haplogroup R1b (M343) is the most frequent Y-Chromosome haplogroup in Europe. Its frequency is highest in Western Europe and North America. In Southern England the frequency of R1b is about 70% and in parts of Spain, Portugal and Ireland, it can go as high as 90%. The majority of men of European descent belong to R1b.
• Haplogroup I1a is found at very low levels in the Celtic countries (Ireland, Wales) and at relatively high levels in Friesland (Holland), Germany, and Denmark (the presumed homeland of the Anglo - Saxons and Danish Vikings), and in Norway. It likely originated among the group who "over wintered" in the western Balkans during the Last Glacial Maximum, and as the glaciers retreated, people with this haplotype moved northward and soutward. If a participant with a Scottish surname like Henderson is assigned to the haplogroup I, then in all probability that individuals ancestors in the male line are descended from a Scandanavian Viking who settled in the Scottish Mainland.

Questions or comments about the project may be directed to the Project Administrator, James E. Henderson (dna-admin@clanhendersonusa.org)