“Mac 26”: An Irish-Scottish R1b (M269) Mini-Cluster

Last Updated 21/03/2006 9:48 PM

This is a joint genealogical effort to try to explain the old connections between the families discussed. This may contain errors. If you think you see something you want to copy, please also do me the favor of contacting the maker of this webpage (Andrew.Lancaster “at” skynet.be) to give me a chance to update you on the latest possibilities.

Although they do not all share the same surname, we believe the families listed here are related within historical times.

What to call this extended family? The name “Mac 26” derives from John McEwan’s cluster analysis of 37 marker Y-STR haplotypes on www.ysearch.org. The section of the phylogram containing “cluster 26” (“R1bSTR26”) is to be found here: http://www.geocities.com/mcewanjc/37strallhapr1btwo.pdf. (Use the zoom in function of your toolbar.) Several of the individuals within that cluster are clearly unrelated to the rest. Indeed, it has been found that Steidel (Q4KFQ) and Kenyon (DUXP2) have unusual SNP mutations thought to be quite ancient (S28 and M167 respectively) making it certain they are quite unrelated. The families which seem most clearly to be really related are mainly Irish and Scottish, with several having “Mac” surnames.

On the other hand, we believe we have discovered a very useful test for distinguishing at least one of our families of interest from general R1b haplotypes, and this is the so-called “Kittler test”. This test is a special version of the test for DYS385, which distinguishes the two markers by their position in the Y chromosome. More specifically, MacLea WZCV3 has done this test and found that his two markers are in the opposite position compared to nearly all R1b people who have done that test. (The test can be ordered at DNA Fingerprint.)

NEWSFLASH. In contrast to our MacLea family, our McCauley family has the normal 14-11 result. It seems our MacLeas are a branch off from the main line, and have a very unusual mutation. It is suspected that our McLins may also share it.

		3	3	1	3	3	3	Kittler	4	3	4	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	G	Y	4	6	5	5	C	C	4	4	4	4	A	C	1	4	4	4	4	4	4	413	4	6	725	7	4	4	DYF371X	DYF385	DYF399	DYF401
		9	9	9	9	8	8		2	8	3	8	9	8	5	5	5	5	4	3	4	4	6	6	6	6	6	A	C	5	0	7	7	D	D	4	3	6	6	1	4	B	4	4	4	4	5	6		3	4		2	8	9	(t value = DYS425)
		3	0		1	5	5		6	8	9	9	2	9	8	9	5	4	7	7	8	9	4	4	4	4	0	T	A	6	7	6	0	Y	Y	2	8	1	2	0		O	1	4	5	6	2	3		4	3		6	5	5
						a	b					\|		\|									a	b	c	d		A	I					a	b							7
												1		2														H	I
																												4
W. Atlantic Modal		13	24	14	11	11	14	14-11	12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-10	11	11	25	15	19	29	15	15	17	17	11	11	19-23	16	15	18	17	37	38	12	12	12	11	13	23	10	13	12	12	13	11	22
Modal		13	24	14	11	11	14	??	12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	38	40	12	12	12	11	14	23	10	13	13	12	13	12	21
McLea	GKPKX	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31		15	16		11	11	19-19	17	15	21	17	39		12	12
MacLea	WZCV3	13	24	14	11	11	14	11-14	12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31		15	16		11	11	19-19	17	15	20	18	39		12	12	12	11	14	23		13	13	12	13	12	21	23-23	9	10	31-32		16	16	10c-12t-14c	11	22-25.1	15
McLin	N16163	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31		15	16		11	11	19-19	17	16	18	17	39		12	12
McCain	ZAPBQ	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	32	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	17	18	38	40	13	12
McCain	A6THB	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	32	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	18	14	19	17	38	40	13	12
McCain	FWVDB	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	32	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	18	15	18	17	38	40	13	12
McCain	9ZQSB	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	32	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	18	15	18	17	38	40	13	12
McKain	XG5TM	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	38	41	13	13
McKeen	VTUN8	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	37	41	13	12
McCain	GSHSA	13	24	14	12	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	37	41	13	13
McKane	YY3VP	13	24	14	12	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31					11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	38	40	13	13	12	11	14	23	10	13	13	12	13	12	21
McKane	SZJJG	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	11	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	38	40	13	12
McCain	DKE6X	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	13	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	38	40	13	12
Gay		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	13	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	20	17	38	39	12	12
MCARTHUR	SMGF	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	13	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31					11	11	19-19	17						12	12	12	11	14	23	10	13	13	12	13	12	21
McCarter	UXFTP	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17
McCauley	QP4DD	13	24	14	11	11	14	14-11	12	12	13	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	30	15	16	16	16	11	11	19-19	17	15	21	17	39	42	12	12
McDonald	S5K4R	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	30	15	16	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	39	40	12	12
Poore	DSDTB	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	30	15	15	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	20	17	38	39	12	12
Thompson	PQZKA	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	14	13	30	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	30		15	17		11	11	19-19	18	15	19	17	38		13	12
Hodge	4ZHRF	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	14	15	16	17	11	11	19-19	17	15	20	17	38	40	12	12
Horton		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	30	15	16	16	17
HENRIE/HENRY	SMGF	13	24	14	11	11	15		12	12	12	13	13	29	16	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31					11	11	19-19	17						12	12	12	11	14	23	10	13	13	12	13	12	21
Henry		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	12	10	19-19	16	15	20	18	37	41	12	12
Henry		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	12	10	19-19	17	15	20	17	38	40	12	12
Henry		13	24	14	11	12	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	12	10	19-19	17	15	20	17	37	40	12	12
Henry		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	12	10	19-19	17	15	20	17	37	40	12	12
Henry		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	12	10	19-19	17	15	20	17	36	40	12	12
Norton	4UEUY	13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	32	15	16	16	17	12	10	19-19	17	15	20	17	36	40	12	12
Henry		13	24	14	11	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	15	16	17	12	10	19-19	17	15	19	17	35	39	12	12
Henry		13	24	14	10	11	14		12	12	12	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31	15	16	16	17	12	11	19-19	17	15	19	17	35	39	12	12
Payne	5SNYX	13	25	14	11	11	14		12	12	13	13	13	29	17	9-9	11	11	25	15	19	31		17	18		11	11	19-19	14	15	17	17	35	38	13	12

SMGF search for the above MacLea. Ysearch for the above MacLea.

Remarks, and areas for further discussion and investigation:

We have a few people with extra markers tested. More should be soon.
While we only know of one McCauley with 37 markers tested, it seems from people who have had less markers tested that there are many other families with similar surnames in this cluster.
Henry, McCarter/MacArthur, and McCain etc are all names from Ulster.
It is interesting that the Henry on the Sorenson database (SMGF, see http://smgf.org) is different from the other Henrys on the Henry DNA project. He seems to have the more typical results compared to the rest of the cluster under study. The Henrys in the project are presumably all more recently related. This might indicate that the Henry name is an old one in this cluster.
There are many ways to potentially explain the close match between MacLin and MacLea. Most likely both surnames derive from a common origin. It is also possible that they share this common origin with some MacCauleys.

· For example, it would be very much according to what is known of these surnames if the following evolution happened: MacCauley -> MacLea -> McLin. (We know of several occasions when MacLea surnames gained an “n”.)

· On the other hand, the two most obvious origins for McLin are…

(a) Mac Flynn, which would be a Northern Irish name very much in keeping with the McCains, McArthurs, and Henrys, or…

(b) Like McDonald and MacLea, it could be a name from Argyll in Scotland. It may be very relevant that this MacLea family pronounces its surname MacLee.

At this time the most probable scenario would seem to be that this family is originally Northern Irish, and perhaps entered Scotland carried by the Gaelic Scotti of Dal Riada.

The McCain DNA project:

http://www.mckane.waterloo.on.ca/route/main.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mccaindna/resultsm/results1.htm

The MacLea/Livingston/Boggs DNA project

http://users.skynet.be/lancaster/Discussion%20Maclea.htm

(a) Mac Flynn, which would be a Northern Irish name very much in keeping with the McCains, McArthurs, and Henrys, or…

(b) Like McDonald and MacLea, it could be a name from Argyll in Scotland. It may be very relevant that this MacLea family pronounces its surname MacLee.

At this time the most probable scenario would seem to be that this family is originally Northern Irish, and perhaps entered Scotland carried by the Gaelic Scotti of Dal Riada.