Your relatives will be there: the DNA tells us so

Of those who have expressed an interest at being at the Swinfield Gathering in September, there will be representatives of most of the eight main families or lineages, which have been identified during my 40 years of research into Swinfield history. These, I have named as Families 1-5, 12, 33 & 44 (the Swinfield-Wells family). At present, we have no-one coming from Families 1, 3 and 44.

What are the chances that those who are there will be related to each other? At present, the genealogical sources have not enabled us to join these eight trees together. They are currently:

                               earliest location                   date

Family 1                Nuneaton, Warwicks           1760

Family 2                Burbage, Leics                    1800

Family 3 & 4         Wolvey, Warwicks              1755

Family 5                Smisby, Derbys                   1732

Family 12              Markfield, Leics                  1717

Family 33              Leicester, Leics                   1940s

Family 44              Markfield                            1815

What does the genetics (DNA) tell us about them? By looking at the Y-chromosomes (passed down from father to son together with their surname) from four men from these lines, who have commissioned tests, we have learned something very interesting! What is that, I hear you ask?

Family 12 taken as the “standard” Swinfield Y-chromosome

Family 3&4 one English representative differs at 1 marker (out of 37) from Family 12

Family 3&4 an Australian descendant differs at 4 markers (from 37) from Family 12

Family 5 member matches exactly at 32 of 32 markers with Family 12

You can read more at the Swinfield DNA & Genealogy website hosted by Family Tree DNA. There you can see those family trees too.

Appleby Magna church

Thirza Swinfield of Family 5 at Top Street, Appleby  

This leads us to speculate that these three main Swinfield lines of descent ultimately descend from a common ancestor! In other words, they are distant cousins and their lineages will each lead back to the original man who assumed the unusual surname of Swinfield some 700 years ago (about 30 generations). Was he proud to keep pigs (swine) in a field or did he live at a place called Swinfield? Whichever it was, he chose to immortalise himself in the hereditary name that was passed down to his descendants.

There is a good chance that all legitimate lines of Swinfield descent (which unfortunately does not include my branch) are related genetically. Those who come to Appleby Magna will really be meeting their cousins.
Now's your chance to see how you are related!