The strange network of the Blood haplotype
Ever since we started the BLOOD DNA project, we have shown we are all related but been plagued with mysterious matches with men of other surnames. This is the exact opposite to my other DNA project where we have a dozen unrelated families but no matches with other surnames.
There is a whole network of quite closely related men including BLOOD, WILLETT, and branches of the HYDE/HITEs, HAUGHTONs, REDDICKs, SANDERS, CHEATHAM and BURNS families. They are all as close to the common BLOOD ancestor as I am.
There are two theories as to how this could have occurred. The first is that the common ancestor was pre-surname, that is, pre 1250 or so. The second is through Non Paternal Events (NPEs), which can include illegitimacy, adoption or infidelity (the latter is a lot less common than people suspect). As the matches are close I suspect these NPEs are the main source of surname divergence.
Shane Carter (who is also a BLOOD by DNA) and I have been having a lot of fun examining possible scenarios for some of these surnames. I'll share some of these in succeeding posts. For a start, we may have to eat humble pie on our suggestion that Edmond Blood, founder of the Irish Bloods, was not from Derby at all and unrelated.
For now we can continue to call this the Blood Haplotype - because every Blood tested so far has it and because we have shown through distant cousins that we have had it since before 1600.