Burgess Surname DNA Project Report #2
Dear Burgess Genealogists,
New Y-chromosome test results have been received, and we now have our first unexpected match between two apparently nonrelated ancient (pre-1800) Burgess families.
The families of William Burgess (b. ca. 1735) of Bedford Co., VA, and of William Burgess (d. 1712) of Richmond (later King George) Co., VA, have a common Burgess ancestor, probably not too far removed from the time that these lines first appear in the American colonies. There is no possible way that we could have demonstrated this connection from any surviving civil or legal records.I'm quite sure that we will see more such affiliations as additional results are posted in October and November.
We now have sixteen participants in the Burgess DNA Project from eleven distinct ancient (pre-1800) Burgess lines in the United States and the British Isles. These represent about 18% of all of the individuals named Burgess living in the U.S. today. Among our recent volunteers is one from the family of Thomas and Dorothy Burgess of Sandwich, Mass., the oldest and largest Burgess line in the world.
Again, I'm willing to pay out of my own pocket for the first test from any major Burgess line currently unrepresented in the project, with me making the final determination of a particular family's significance. Specifically, I'm looking for any direct-male name-line descendant of Col. William Burgess of Anne Arundel Co., MD. This is another very important and very large early Burgess line, one that's likely to affiliate with several others.
For anyone who's interested, I'll be updating the DNA test results page of the Burgess Genealogy section of my personal website, www.millefleurs.tv, by the first weekend in October.
Good hunting!
Prof. Michael Burgess