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From: Constance Frazier <>
Subject: DNA Success Story
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 23:45:58 -0500


Dear Jim:

Here's my DNA success story. I went to NH to do the research to bring my Revolutionary war ancestory, John Drake, Sr. into the National Society of the Daughter of the American Revolution. I did all the research first hand that I could, including wills, etc.
For about 350 years most Drake researchers have assumed that Robert Drake of Essex and Hampton, NH, USA was the father of Captain Francis Drake of Portsmouth, NH, USA and New Jersey, USA. They lived close to one another, RObert's son was a next door neighbor, the ages were correct. If you check the online sites, you'll still see people connecting the two men.

My uncle was willing to give his sample for the project. We tested his sample against a well established (about 15 men strong) profile of Captain Francis (his descendants). The profiles were not a match. The haplotypes were not the same. Granted, there could be non-paternity in my line somewhere, but the paper trail didn't suggest that even in the slightest. My paper trial was the reason that the Drake list didn't question my heritage. Besides, I told them that before they started calling my old Puritan grannies the village tart, they have best have some serious proof that the foolin' around didn't take place in their own line! LOL Basically, we were able to see that the two men were not related, and that the Essex line of Drake was genetically distinct from the Drakes of Devon.

My American Drakes did much the same as the Essex Drakes did for 300 years...they stayed put in one place, spreading out very slowly, and not until after they had established a large clan in the place of their choice.

So, while I was sorry to lose Captain Francis (the circumstantial evidence was really good, or so it seemed), it was better to know that we're not genetically related, and to understand better how different people in pre-surname times could choose or be given a surname, develop a genetic line and yet be quite distinct, even though conventional genealogical wisdom would point to a blood relationship.

Constance

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