The purpose of the present project is to use the DNA findings to tie participants to their branch of the FAUX families; to link them up with their genetic cousins; and to hopefully determine their deep ancestral roots (e.g., whether there is evidence that their male ancestor was a Viking). Any FAUX who is interested in joining this project can click on the various sites / links on the left. Here you will find large FAUX databases from traditional genealogical sources. In addition, you may wish to click on the Family Tree DNA website (they are the lab chosen for the purposes of this project and offer participants discount prices for the testing) so see what is involved if you do decide to participate. Note that they offer 12, 25, and 37 marker testing. My recommendation is that participants chose the 25 option (169USD) as it will better permit the realization of the goals of this project and keep potential problems to a minimum (e.g., I have 10 random matches with unrelated individuals when just looking at 12 markers).
If your surname is FAUX (or you are reasonably sure this spelling of your surname was used in the past) please contact the Project Administrator at the e-mail address on the left, who will send a "join authorization" with further details (e.g., how to order the cheek swab sample kit). With confirmation of your registration, the Administrator will send a private URL providing information on introductory genetics, the Y chromosome, searchable databases, and research articles that will help participants better understand their results. The Administrator will, however, provide individual feedback to all participants so they can have a clearer awareness the meaning of their individual results.
Example of Potential Use of DNA Testing
An example of how important this form of research can be is seen in the long and fruitless search by many persons to try to link the FAUX family of Croxton, Norfolk County with the family of the same name residing just on the other side of the County line in Suffolk. The circumstantial evidence is very strong (e.g., use of the unusual forenames Gregory and Burrell in both families), but there is one "missing" generation. Since the documnetary evidence firmly connects the Administrator's branch (which has continuously resided in Norfolk back to the 1500s) to Gregory FAUX married in Croxton in 1642, then if anyone in the very large Suffolk branch (whose descendants are now found in Essex, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, etc.) matches on 25 markers measured on the Y chromosome (or 23 markers due to possible mutation within the time frame of interest), then this would confirm the connection between the two large branches. This is precisely what has been found (see Lineage 1 link to the left), and in turn led to a redoubling of efforts to find the "missing link" by a team of family members. I am pleased to report that thanks to the Apprenticeship Records that now all members of this Lineage have proof of descent from the above Gregory FAUX Sr.
The above Sgt. Charles Faux, a veteran of Queen Victoria's Wars in Burma, India, and Pakistan is the great great grandfather of David K. Faux. He passed his Y chromosome to each of his male descendants down to the present day. Therefore his pattern of markers (Short Tandem Repeats) in the "junk DNA" section of the Y chromosome would be identical (or nearly so) with each of his great great grandsons through the male line; and for that matter with his own great great grandfather and so on back to Norman times and beyond.
Although the surname FAUX may be relatively rare, it appears that there may be at least five separate, unrelated families (Lineages) who just happen by chance to share the same name.
The documentary record becomes more and more unreliable through the 1700s and it is necessary to turn to other sources to attempt to tie various individuals to their genetic cousins and their ancestral heritage. Perhaps the best, or only source when traditional sources (e.g., parish registers, Manorial records) have been tapped out is comparison of patterns of Y chromosome DNA.
