Update
-
In reply to:
Balch lines tested in the DNA project
Jane Gilbert 11/17/07
First off, the testing company we use for the project is offering a $30 discount through the end of the new year for the 37 marker DNA test. If you've been considering joining the project, now's the time!
Secondly, the results of our Maryland Balch participant are in and provide a first step in establishing a baseline for the Maryland Balches. While it is always good to have at least two people tested from every line to establish a baseline, it's critically important for the Maryland Balch line because of some unusual matches we see with his results. He wasn't remotely close to matching the two other Balches tested already, which isn't surprising given no known connection to them, but he did have good matches at the 37 marker level with men by the name of Church and Harris.
These matches may just be random, meaningless matches which are not uncommon given this participant's in most common Western European haplogroup, or they mean somewhere along the line the Balches "co-mingled" with the Harrises and Churches. The only way we can find out for sure is to have more people tested.
Our current participant descends from Rev. Hezekiah Balch's son John Tennant Balch. It would be ideal if a descendant of one of his other sons would step to the plate and be tested. If they were to match our current participant, then we'd at least have a baseline established back to Hezekiah Balch. If they don't match, then we know there was a genetic "oops' somewhere.
You can view the current project results here:
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/balch/index.aspx?fixed_c..http://www.familytreedna.com/public/balch/index.aspx?fixed_c...
You can request to join the project here:
http://www.familytreedna.com/(3t3psi45voodk1zdn0fpox45)/surn..http://www.familytreedna.com/(3t3psi45voodk1zdn0fpox45)/surn...
Thanks.
Jane
Balch Y-DNA Project Admin