Project Details

Background

This Project evolved from the need of researchers in Beatty Project 2000 (BP-2000) to employ DNA technology for determining linkages among the many BP-2000 lineages that have been identified. BP-2000 is a private association of Beatty (all spellings) descendant researchers that was created by Raymond C. Beaty, Ph.D. in 1996 to expand our knowledge of Beatty families worldwide.  To provide for communications the group maintains an Internet discussion group and a BP-2000 website.

Thus far, BP-2000 has collected over 400 unconnected Beatty lineages, some dating back to the 1500s, with Beattys documented in the UK and Ireland, India, Japan, Europe, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Despite extensive research, it remains uncertain if or how these lineages relate to one another. There is also no consensus about the origin of the Beatty surname. Did this surname derive from a common ancestor or from among totally unrelated individuals 500-700 years ago?

Like many other genealogists, Beatty family researchers have hit 'brick walls' when the 'paper trail' leading back into their past has evaporated.  Until recently, the possibility of scaling those brick walls, except for the random discovery of long lost documents, was remote. A new tool in genealogy, involving the testing of DNA, has emerged which holds promise of casting new light on elusive ancestors.

Because of Ray Beaty's efforts in 1996 to create BP-2000, the Beatty surname group is in a unique and favorable position regarding a DNA project. The lineage descriptions that have already been recorded should help us interpret and benefit from the Project results. With adequate sampling, the results of this Project may assist researchers by pointing to those lineages where relationships are more likely to exist. Such evidence might permit researchers to focus their collaborative effort in more productive directions.

Objectives of Project

The principal objective of this Project is to provide insight into possible linkages among the many lineages recorded in BP-2000. There are several levels of interest in this objective.

(1) The broadest interest deals with the origins of the Beatty surname.  Are all Beatty lineages linked together by a common ancestor?

(2) A narrower interest deals with linkages among families that immigrated to America, Canada, or elsewhere, about 200-300 years ago. This same view would deal with families that remained in possible countries of origin of the Beatty family. This is a much closer view than the common ancestor view that might look back 500 - 1,000 years, or more.

(3) The more narrow interest deals with possible linkages within the past 5 to 8 generations.  A relatively large number of families can trace their history back about 5 generations before the trail turns cold.  Perhaps this Project can help those families link up with other lineages to which they might be related.

(4) Finally, the narrowest interest involves people who have no information about their ancestors before their grandparents. As the database of test samples grows with this Project, these people may discover connections to earlier Beatty families previously unknown or unsuspected.

Using 12, 25, 37, 67, or 111 Markers For Our Tests

We selected Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) of Houston, Texas, to handle our testing.  Presently, FTDNA offers five Y-dna tests, 12-markers, 25-markers, 37-markers, 67-markers, and 111-markers.

Our experience, supported by that of FTDNA, is that the 12-marker test is not useful for our purposes.  The reason is that exact matches of 12-marker tests among unrelated family members are not uncommon.  We have found the 25-marker test to be far more useful for our purposes.  Because of the larger number of markers examined, the 25-marker test offers much more confidence in identifying relationships between and among family groups.

The 37-marker test has become the basic test level for FTDNA.  It does offer a useful refinement of the 25-marker test results and thus has improved benefit to our Project participants.

The 67-marker and 111-marker tests offer still greater refinement of the analysis. However, in many cases, the additional refinement (or accuracy) may not be needed.

How Samples Are Taken

Test samples mentioned above are NOT obtained by drawing blood.  They are obtained by swabbing the inside of the cheeks of the mouth.  It is a simple, quick, and painless process.  Kits are furnished to each participant for that purpose.

Data Handling and Privacy

The data on each person tested remain the property of that person except as permission is given. Of course, to be meaningful, everyone's test results must be compared with the test results of everyone else while still protecting everyone's privacy.  Our solution is to assign a code number to each participant and associate the test results made public only with that code number and the participant's BP-2000 lineage number (if available).

Costs

Since this is a group project, FTDNA provides us with a reduced rate as follows:

       12-Marker Test     $  99.00
       25-Marker Test     $ 124.00
       37-Marker Test     $ 149.00
       67-Marker Test     $ 238.00
     111-Marker Test      $ 339.00

There is a small additional charge for shipping the kit.

After a participant receives his test results, he can upgrade that test to a higher level test. The participant's original sample is used. There is no need to send in another sample.  The costs of these upgrades are as follows:

     12 Markers to 25 Markers       $49.00
     12 Markers to 37 Markers       $99.00
     12 Markers to 67 Markers     $189.00
     25 Markers to 37 Markers       $49.00
     25 Markers to 67 Markers     $148.00
     37 Markers to 67 Markers       $99.00
     67 Markers to 111 Markers    $129.00


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