Galbraith DNA Testing Project

I DREAM OF :

--Extending my Galbraith line back just one more generation.

--Knowing if my Calbraith, Gilreath, Killbrath, etc forbears came from a major Galbraith line and when that might have been.

--Finding if my Andrew was the grandson of James who arrived in America in 1718.

--Discovering if there was a single Galbraith who was our common ancestor in 1200.

--Unearthing Galbraith connections to other Clans of the Lennox.

--Connecting my family to James of Donegal, Neil of NC, Alexander and Agnes, Henry of Kilkiel, James of Strathclyde or another major line. 

--Distinguishing between the current Scot Galbraiths, those who fled to Gigha in the 1400s, those who went to Ireland in the 1600s and those more recent emigrants to other continents.

Many of us have been struggling for years to reach these or similar dreams and we have built on the works of our family genealogists before us. The new field of Genetic Genealogy using recently developed DNA test methods provides a complementary approach to our document and oral history research. These new methods can tell us if individuals have a common ancestor in recent history. 

The Clan Galbraith Association (CGA), with the hope of better understanding our family lines, origins, and kinship, will oversee a DNA testing program for all interested males with the Galbraith surname. This includes men with surnames that may have derived from the same source: Galbreath, Calbraith, Gilreath, Gilbreath, Kilbreth, etc. Our female members can also directly benefit if they convince a brother, male cousin or other related “Galbraith” to participate. “His” results can be extended to proven relations, whether Galbraith or not. Even members far removed from their last male Galbraith will benefit if we have participants whose DNA results might tie together or extend their early lines

We will use Genetic Genealogy to analyze particular DNA characteristics that are passed from father to son with very slight changes over time. (This is not the coded DNA that determines baldness, height, diabetes, health, etc.). A man inherits his Y-DNA from his father, who received it from his father, etc—all beginning with a male in the mists of time. The Y-DNA follows only one of your many bloodlines; the same line that passed on your surname. 

The DNA of male “Galbraiths” living today should be similar to each other and to that of ancient paternal Galbraiths. The degree of similarity depends on how long ago that their common male parent lived and if all the Galbraiths originated from a single male. As cousins become more and more distant (i.e., the common ancestor was longer and longer ago), their DNAs are likely to be less similar.

The test itself is simple for the participant. Using the kit supplied by Family Tree (which now has more than 600 DNA Surname Test programs underway; see http://www.familytreedna.com) the participant swabs some cells from his inner cheek and returns the sample to them with payment of $189 ($191 outside the U.S.) for the “Y-DNA 37 Marker Test”. After analysis the result is provided as a list of 37 numbers. These numbers are valuable when compared to the results from another male as they tell if the two men had a common ancestor during an approximate period. We will work with Family Tree to interpret these results for you and will report progress at both our on-line CGA site and in the Red Tower. 

Your Next Steps:

We have polled a representative cross-section of Clan Galbraith Members and asked them to review and comment on the DNA project. Although they show almost uniform enthusiasm, we must stress that there is no guarantee for the individual result. You might be very disappointed in what you discover and, before you decide, you must read our information packet, which discusses the pitfalls and possibilities of Genetic Genealogy testing. Even though the value of results for different individuals will vary, we do know that the Clan will greatly benefit from the collective results produced by broad participation. For this reason, those who purchase the 37-marker test ($189) will receive a free Clan Membership or extension of 1 year for themselves or whomever they choose (this bonus is for a limited time).

If you might be interested in joining with those Clan members who have already taken the Y-DNA test or are considering it, please click the link below for contact information and a more detailed explanation of the program.

Click for More Details