From information gathered in Dutchess County, New York, we had clues that led us to believe that our SAMUEL BRUSTER descended from WILLIAM BRUSTER JR. who had removed from Connecticut in the 1730's to "The Oblong." However, without some form of "proof" such as Bible records or a Will stating the names of WILLIAM JR's sons, we were at a standstill. Luckily, with the advent of DNA testing, we had the opportunity to create and participate in a BREWSTER/BRUSTER surname DNA Project through FAMILY TREE DNA of Houston, Texas.

WILLIAM JR. had brothers named EBENEZER, SAMUEL and PETER, and their parents were WILLIAM and PATIENCE. Fortunately, we had other male BREWSTERs who joined the BREWSTER Surname DNA Project from brother EBENEZER's line and from brother SAMUEL's line. The results of the DNA tests of the male BREWSTER descendants of these three lines conclusively show that all who were tested are from the same BREWSTER/BRUSTER family group.

You also need to know that there were other male BREWSTERs tested through the BREWSTER/BRUSTER Surname DNA Project. However, the results of their tests determined that they were NOT RELATED to our five genetic cousins.

If you have access to the Internet, you can investigate some of the web sites involved in the BREWSTER/BRUSTER Surname DNA Project:

World Families Network 
Where Genealogy meets DNA Testing
Join the Brewster/BRUSTER DNA Project: http://worldfamilies.net/surnames/b/brewster/

Current Results of the Brewster/BRUSTER DNA testing: http://worldfamilies.net/surnames/b/brewster/results.html

Understanding the Results of the Brewster/BRUSTER DNA testing:
http://www.familytreedna.com/gdrules_37.html

or visit the: Brewster Family Network
Brewster Family Network: http://brewster-fam-network.tripod.com/

Understanding the results of the DNA tests is not an easy thing to do. However, I will attempt to describe the results so that they are understandable. If after reading all that follows you don't understand, then I have failed.

First of all, you need to know that the presence of a Y-Chromosome causes maleness, and it is transmitted from fathers only to their sons. Most of the Y-Chromosome is inherited as an integral unit passed without alteration from father to sons, and to their sons, and so on, unaffected by exchange or any other influence of the X-Chromosome that came from the mother. Females do not inherit their father's Y-Chromosome, therefore, they are not eligible for Y-DNA testing. The locations tested on the Y-Chromosome are called markers. Occasionally a mutation occurs at one of the markers in the Y-Chromosome. These mutations are simply small changes in the DNA sequence; natural occurrences that take place at random intervals.

The 12 marker genetic distance analysis showed that all five of these genetic cousins matched identically on the first 12 alleles.

The 25 marker genetic distance analysis showed that four of the cousins matched identically on the first 12 markers (above) and the next 13 markers (for a total of 25). One of the cousins had a mismatch of 1 out of the 25 markers, indicating that a mutation had taken place. If there is a match on 24 of 25 markers, there is a 50% probability that the Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) is 17 generations or less, a 90% probability that TMRCA is 40 generations or less, and a 95% probability that TMRCA is 48 generations or less. By increasing the number of markers tested, the number of generations to the TMRCA is decreased when all markers match. For that reason, our volunteers participated in the 37 marker genetic distance analysis, and those results are shown below.

The 37 marker genetic distance analysis gets a little more complicated, but I will make it as simple as possible. Now 12 more markers have been added to the first 25 markers (for a total of 37). A genetic distance of "0" is an exact match, while "1" is a single-step mutation, etc.

Some markers mutate at a faster rate than others, and the analysis for our five "genetic cousins" showed that the mismatches in their test results occurred at DYS# (marker) 458, 576, 570, and CDYa. These markers (and others) have shown a faster mutation rate than the average. Therefore, these markers are helpful at splitting lineages into sub sets, or branches, within a family tree. When using Y DNA testing with genealogical research, a paper trail is essential in determining relationships between individuals. By testing two individuals in a documented family tree, it is possible to confirm the paper research when the two individuals Y DNA results match, or are a close match.

A genetic distance of "0" (matching 37 of 37 markers) means that the two persons sharing the same surname being compared are very tightly related, showing that they share a common male ancestor in 5 generations or less with a 90% probability within 16 generations.

A genetic distance of "1" (matching 36 of 37 markers) means that the two persons sharing the same surname being compared are tightly related.

A genetic distance of "2" (matching 35 of 37 markers) means that the two persons sharing the same surname being compared are related.

A genetic distance of "3" (matching 34 of 37 markers) means that the two persons sharing the same surname being compared are related.

A genetic distance of "4" (matching 33 of 37 markers) means that the two persons sharing the same surname being compared are probably related. Because of the volatility within some of the markers, this genetic distance is about the same as matching 11 of 12 markers, and it is likely that the two persons being compared matched 23 of 25 or 24 of 25 markers. If several or more generations have passed, it is likely that these two lines are related through other family members.

Earlier I mentioned that the genetic cousins' mismatches were at DYS# (marker) 458, 576, 570, and CDYa. These markers (and others) have shown a faster mutation rate than the average. Therefore, these markers are helpful at splitting lineages into sub sets, or branches, within a family tree. So now we can analyze what we know about these genetic cousins from our paper trail and split them into branches, as follows:

Cousin B-3 (brother WILLIAM's line): matched 35/37 markers = "2" with B-2 and B-6, who are descendants of WILLIAM's brother, EBENEZER, through his son COMFORT. RELATED.  Matched 34/37 = "3" with B-10 who descends from WILLIAM's brother, EBENEZER through his son EBENEZER. RELATED.  Matched 33/37 = "4" with B-7 who descends from WILLIAM's brother, SAMUEL. PROBABLY RELATED

Cousin B-2 (brother EBENEZER's line through his son COMFORT) matched 37/37 markers = "0" with B-6. As the fathers of B-2 and B-6 were brothers, it would be expected that they would be VERY TIGHTLY RELATED.

Matched 36/37 markers = "1" with B-10. As B-10 descends from EBENEZER's son EBENEZER, a mismatch would be expected because of the mutation rate for the markers involved. TIGHTLY RELATED.  Matched 35/37 markers = "2" with B-3 and B-7. B-3 descends from EBENEZER's brother, WILLIAM, and B-7 descends from EBENEZER's brother, SAMUEL. RELATED

Cousin B-6 (brother EBENEZER's line through his son COMFORT) matched 37/37 markers = "0" with B-6. As the fathers of B-2 and B-6 were brothers, it would be expected that they would be VERY TIGHTLY RELATED.

Matched 36/37 markers = "1" with B-10. As B-10 descends from EBENEZER's son EBENEZER, a mismatch would be expected because of the mutation rate for the markers involved. TIGHTLY RELATED.  Matched 35/37 markers = "2" with B-3 and B-7. B-3 descends from EBENEZER's brother, WILLIAM, and B-7 descends from EBENEZER's brother, SAMUEL. RELATED

Cousin B-10 (brother EBENEZER's line through his son EBENEZER) matched 36/37 markers = "1" with B-2 and B-6 who are descendants of EBENEZER through his son COMFORT. TIGHTLY RELATED. Matched 34/37 markers = "3" with B-3 and B-7. B-3 descends from EBENEZER's brother, WILLIAM, and B-7 descends from EBENEZER's brother, SAMUEL. RELATED

Cousin B-7 (brother SAMUEL's line) matched 35/37 markers = "2" with B-2 and B-6, who are descendants of SAMUEL's brother, EBENEZER, through his son COMFORT. RELATEDMatched 34/37 markers = "3" with B-10. B-10 descends from SAMUEL's brother, EBENEZER through EBENEZER's son EBENEZER. RELATED.  Matched 33/37 markers = "4" with B-3. B-3 descends from SAMUEL's brother, WILLIAM. PROBABLY RELATED

End of 37 Marker Analysis

***

Hopefully, I haven't confused and boggled your mind with all of the above analytical mumbo jumbo. It is all very scientific, but I have tried to simplify the analysis so that it is more understandable. If you don't understand it all, try reading it all again until you do. More information is presented in the following paragraphs that you may find helpful.

More Detailed Information about DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the chemical inside the nucleus of all cells that carries the genetic instructions for making living organisms. A DNA molecule consists of two strands that wrap around each other to resemble a twisted ladder. The sides are made of sugar and phosphate molecules. The rungs of the ladder are made of nitrogen-containing chemicals called bases. Each strand is composed of one sugar molecule, one phasphate molecule, and a base. There are four different bases present in DNA - adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine ©, and guanine (G). The particular order of the bases arranged along the sugar-phosphate backbone is called the DNA sequence; the sequence specifies the exact genetic instructions required to create a particular organism with its own unique traits.

Chromosomes are paired thread-like packages of long segments of DNA contained within the nucleus of each cell. In humans, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes. In 22 pairs, both members are essentially identical, one deriving from the individual's mother, the other from the father. The 23rd pair is different. In females, this pair has two like-chromosomes called "X". In males, this pair comprises one "X" and one "Y" which are two very dissimilar chromosomes. It is these chromosome differences which determine sex.

The presence of a Y-Chromosome causes maleness, and it is transmitted from fathers only to their sons. Most of the Y-Chromosome is inherited as an integral unit passed without alteration from father to sons, and to their sons, and so on, unaffected by exchange or any other influence of the X-Chromosome that came from the mother. It is the only nuclear chromosome that escapes the continual reshuffling of parental genes during the process of sex cell production. It is these unique features that make the Y-Chromosome useful to genealogists.

The Y-Chromosome has definable segments of DNA with known genetic characteristics, and these segments are known as MARKERS. These markers occur at an identifiable physical location on a chromosome known as a LOCUS (location). Each marker is designated by a number (known as DYS#). Often times the terms Marker and Locus are used interchangeable, but technically the Marker is what is tested and the Locus is where the marker is located on the chromosome.

An individual's test results have little meaning on their own. We cannot take these numbers, plug them into some formula and find out who your ancestor was. The value of the test results depends on how your results compare to other test results. Even when you match someone else, the test results will only indicate that you and the person that you match share a common ancestor. Depending on the number of markers tested and the number of matches, the test results will indicate with a certain degree of probability how long ago this common ancestor existed. The test results will not show exactly who this ancestor was.

Y-Chromosome is passed from father to son, right on down the line. The vast majority of the time, the father passes an exact copy of his Y-Chromosome to his son. This means that the markers of the son are identical to those of his father. However on rare occasion, there is a mutation or change in one of the markers. The change is either an insertion or a deletion. An insertion is when an additional repeat is added to a marker. A deletion is when one of the repeats is deleted. Mutations occur at random. This means that it is possible for two distant cousins to match exactly on all markers while two brothers might not match exactly. Because of the random nature of mutations, we must use statistics and probability to estimate the Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA). The actual calculations of TMRCA are mathematically complex and depend on knowing the rate of mutation and the true number of mutations.

Thanks for at least trying to understand all of this!