Wakefield DNA

  • There are two main DNA tests useful for genetic genealogy. Autosomal, commonly known as "cousin finders" tests, look at chromosomes 1–22 and X. The autosomes are inherited from both parents and all recent ancestors. There are 4 big companies that offer this test, Ancestry, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and FamilyTreeDNA. Read about testing statistics at The DNA Geek website
  • The second common test, Y-DNA, looks at the Y-chromosome, which is inherited father to son, and so can only be taken by males to explore their direct paternal line. FamilyTreeDNA is the primary place for this test. There is a Wakefield Surname Project page on FTDNA
  • The two John Wakefields who are the progenitors of most of the Wakefield families in New England, described in Chapters 1 & 2 of Wakefield Memorial, do not appear to have been genetically related. They do not share common y-dna or autosomal connections.
  • Jonathan and Benjamin Wakefield of Sutton (Chapters 4 & 5 of Wakefield Memorial) are in fact, descendants of John Wakefield of Maine (Chapter 2) as shown by a common y-DNA haplotype.
  • Neither the "Wakefields of the South" nor Wakefield families from central Pennsylvania match either "John" haplotype.
  • The Y-dna haplogroup of "John Wakefield of Maine" is R-Y78705. That path is R-1b > R-M269 > R-L151 > R-P312 > R-Z290 > R-L21 > D-DF13 > R-Z39589 > R-Z251 > R-S115565 > R-S9294 > R-BY3229 > R-BY3231 > R-BY43237 > R-Z18092 > R-Y22431 > R-Y78705

Y-DNA Triangulation

Based on 3 y-DNA kits complated at FTDNA, we can validate the haplotype for John Wakefield of Maine. This technique uses three kits with a most recent common ancestor 10-11 generations ago. The three kits compared show the genetic distance that would be expected based on typical mutation rates per generation.

Autosomal DNA Triangulation

Based on kits at Ancestry, we can find numerous examples of shared DNA with well documented trees as far back as Samuel Wakefield (b. 1768) & Anna Cox. Ancestry only automatically matches shared ancestors back 6 generations and cuts off matching at 6 CM.