and (Kit#) 3 3 1 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
9 9 9 9 8 8 2 8 3 8 9 8 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 4 4 6 6 6 6
3 0 1 5 5 6 8 9 9 2 9 8 9 9 5 4 7 7 8 9 4 4 4 4
a b + + a b a b c d
1 2
Haplogroup; Proposed Origin: Surname - Y-DNA Signature; Meaning and Early Occurrences of Name - Shetland (Beattie), Orkney (Lamb), Scotland (Black); Traditions; Earliest Known Paternal Ancestor; DNA Matches; Comments
(21892)
R1b1c10; Aboriginal Orkney - Medieval Norse; A name common in Scotland and the Border Regions. The origin is in doubt, but may represent the old Norse personal name Teitr meaning "happy". Lamb does not believe that it is a native family name - although this does not seem to be entirely clear. There was a William Tait in Orkney in 1547. Beattie notes that family tradition has it that the surname is from Norway (as Teit) and arrived durng Medieval times in Shetland. In favour of this hypothesis, the Icelander Ari Thorgilsson (1067 - 1148) noted that for his "Book of the Icelanders" he obtained much of the information from his foster father Teit, son of Bishop Islief. The earliest record of the surname in Shetland is 1575 with one Jacob Tait. Apparently the family was associated with Fetlar and Tingwall in early days, then fanned out across Shetland; None recorded; John TAIT, born 1765, Levenwick, Sandwick, son of John TAIT born about 1725 of Nesting and Jean WILLIAMSON; The participant matches BLANCH (17400) at 12/12 markers in the FTDNA customer database, but at the 25 marker resolution level the relationship diminishes to 22/25 - however one of the markers explains most of the variance. The match hold at higher resolution being 34/37. It is interesting to note that in a private Orkney database this participant matches a Tait there 9/9, suggesting that we are looking at the same lineage; The question that typically occurs is whether what we are seeing is in fact the TAIT of Shetland and Orkney signature. The answer is found in tests of others with the same surname. The S28+ finding supports a Norse connection, perhaps from Vestfold or Hordaland, as per the family tradition.
(40388)
R1b1c10; Aboriginal Orkney - Medieval Norse; See above; Hugh TAIT, born 1797, Aithsting, son of John TAIT and Eispeth BALFOUR; There is a family mystery which could be solved by particpation in this DNA study. John Tait, son of the above Hugh Tait, died suddenly in 1871 in Canada. His wife Isabella remarried 9 months later to Frederick Hallett. There have been family rumours for years that John Tait was not the father of Isabella's youngest child, Andrew, and that Andrew in fact was the son of her second husband, Frederick Hallett. Frederick Hallett's paternal line goes back to one Thomas Hallett, born 1710, in Battersea, Surrey, England. The family would like to have this rumour supported or put to rest; See above. A 12/12 match with TAIT 21892 and BLANCH (17400). At the higher resolution the only match is 23/25 with BLANCH (17400) and 22/25 with the above TAIT. At 37/37 matches there are no matches closer than 34/37. The closest matches are 31/37 with the above TAIT and 32/37 with the above BLANCH; A classic example of a situation where the only clear answer could come via genetic testing. The evidence clearly indicates that this participant's ancestor Andrew TAIT was as son of John TAIT not Frederick Hallett. To up the certainty factor to 100% a Hallett could also be tested, but this would seen to be unecessary as the TAIT signature is uncommon. The genetic distance from TAIT 21892 and BLANCH suggests that the connection might be distant, but these values are sometimes seen in second cousins so it is impossible to say how closely that the three individuals are related.
44413
R1b1c10; Aboriginal Orkney - Medieval Norse; See above; See above; William TAIT, born 1763, son of John TAIT born about 1725 of Nesting and Barbara MOUAT; This participant and 21892 share the same male ancestor in John TAIT but via a different wife; This participant matches 12/12 with both of the above TAITs as well as BLANCH 17400; The data suggests that all four of the individuals noted above share the same ancestor. This appears to be "the" TAIT genetic signature.
79214
R1b1c9; Aboriginal Orkney - German / Scandinavian; See above; The tradition in this branch of the family is that the original ancestor to the Northern Isles arrived about the 13th Century from Norway, having left due to a disagreement with the local ruler about taxes; The earliest known ancestor in the direct male line is Jacob TEIT, born before 1570. who married Christian Edwardsdaughter. The lineage then goes via son Gilbert TEIT, his son Jacob TEIT, and then the latter's son Gilbert TEIT born about 1657 Bigton, Strand, Fetlar; This is a very rare DNA signature with only two 12/12 matches in the entire FTDNA database (one England; one France), no 25 marker matches but 33/37 and 60/67 with a GUNN (country of origin unspecified). The original spelling of the surname in this family was TEIT, which is the Norwegian spelling of the name. It would appear that this participant can trace his lineage to the first recorded Teit / Tait in Shetland. The high resolution match to GUNN may be significant in that Lamb notes that this surname is associated with Caithness, but is also apparently a native Orcadian surname - sometimes recorded as GUNERSON. In Shetland Jon GUN was a mariner living in Scalloway in 1628. There was a John Gun in Ska, Whalsay in 1715; and an Olla GUNN said to have excaped the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and settled in Grossbrough, Yell. The signature of this participant does not match the other TAIT participants so there are at least two signatures for this family in Shetland. Based on the DYS492=13 finding (in the 67 marker testing) the participant has been tentatively assigned to the R1b1c9 category which is common in those of Anglo - Saxon or Scandinavian heritage.
(21830)
I1a; Aboriginal Shetland - Norse: European; Patronymic; None recorded; William THOMASON, born before 1739, Houlland, South Yell, married to Grizel CLARK, and son of Thomas WILLIAMSON; There are five 12/12 matches in the FTDNA customer database with individuals with apparent British surnames. In the Haplogroup Database there are no exact matches, but at the 11/12 level the matches are Norway (2), Romania (1), and Sweden (1). In the FTDNA customer database the only match is 11/12 with JAMIESON (22737).
(24673)
R1a; Aboriginal Shetland - Norse: Asian; Patronymic; None recorded; John THOMSON, born 1804, Unst, son of Laurence THOMSON of Skaw, Unst and Christian ANDERSON; Three 12/12 matches in the 30,000 FTDNA customer database - one to a MacKay. In Haplogroup Database matches to individuals from Indonesia, Italy and Sweden. Variety of one step matches, but most are Central Asian. The largest number of matches being with 4 Altai.
(23841)
R1b1c; Aboriginal Shetland - (Northern Norway); Patronymic; See Georgeson (16830); Arthur WALTERSON, born 1810 Gardie, Dale of Walls the son of Walter WALTERSON (born circa 1770) who was in turn the son of Walter THOMASON (born circa 1740); There are 83 exact 12/12 matches including three who are in this project, Henderson (20795), Johnson (16911), and Johnson (21823). The match has now moved to 37/37 with the above Henderson. Clearly these matches require further investigation since in particular the latter numbers point to a close genetic relationship, but as yet a genealogical link has not been located; There is some confusion as to the earlier generations of this family. Some believe that the above Walter WALTERSON was Walter THOMASON. Also, It has been reported by others that the father of the above Walter (born circa 1770) was Walter THOMASON born circa 1740, died 1801. This Walter apparently had sons James, George, Thomas, Laurence, and Walter - the later being the ancestor of the participant, and George being the ancestor of GEORGESON (16830). The hypothesis that Georgeson (16830) and the present participant are related in the male line and connect to the story of the origins in the Faroe Islands was not confirmed. It remains to be seen how this Faroe connection relates to either participant. This was to be accomplished via testing of a man from Faroe named Poulsen who, it was hypothesized, should match Georgeson and the two Waltersons. Testing to date has ruled out a relationship of Mr. Poulsen to Georgeson (16830) or Walterson (23841). It remains to be seen if there will be a match with Walterson (31063). The negative readings on the DNA testing for S21 and S28 do not provide any evidence for a Germanic / Scandinavian connection.
(31063)
R1b; Aboriginal Shetland - (Northern Norway); Patronymic; None recorded; Arthur WALTERSON born 1810 Gardie, Dale of Walls the son of Walter WALTERSON (born circa 1770) who was in turn the son of Walter THOMASON (born before 1740); See WALTERSON 23841 above; This participant is a descendant of the above Arthur's son Robert James, born 1851, whereas WALTERSON 23841 is a descendant of Arthur's son Walter, born 1839. Thus there is every reason to suspect that they should match; and both should match GEORGESON 16830 as per the tradition noted in the in the write ups for both participants; but it has already been determined that GEORGESON 16830 and both WALTERSON 23841 and WALTERSON 31063 do not match. See entry above.
(37215)
R1b; Aboriginal Shetland - (Northern Norway); Patronymic; None recorded; George WALTERSON born 1801, Walls, the son of Laurence WALTERSON born circa 1765 married Hannah GEORGESON, the said Laurence being the son of Walter THOMASON, born circa 1735; See WALTERSON 23841 above; This participant was chosen in order to shed further light on the relationship between the WALTERSONS and GEORGESONS whose DNA signature should match since genealogical records and tradition indicate that all descend from the same Walter THOMASON. All three WALTERSONs match each other but not GEORGESON 16830 which fails to support a proposed connection between individuals of the two surnames. The consistency of the haplotypes of all three gives credence to all being descendants of Walter THOMASON. If so then GEORGESON 16830 cannot be of the same lineage descending from THOMASON as the haplogroups are different. What remains to be determined, however, is which lineage is linked to the oral tradition relating to the Faroe Islands. Probably here a Norse motif but the DNA signature is "generic" and does not offer hints as to deep ancestry.
(22188)
R1a; Aboriginal Orkney - Norse: European; Place name in Orkney from the District of Twatt, in the parish of Birsay. In Shetland the first of this surname on record are John Twait of Hammersland, Tingwall, and an Olaw Twait in Northhouss, Aithsting in 1577; None recorded; Gilbert TWATT, born 1690, Papa Stour, son of Hendrie TWATT, born 1665, Papa Stour; There are 32 exact 12/12 matches in the FTDNA customer database. There are four 23/25 matches including one to a FLATT. This is the same individual who is a close match to MOODIE (18672). The surname Flatt is a variant of FLETT seen outside the place of origin - Orkney. This individual has not been tested at 37 markers. The R1a match profile of this participant is dramatically different from those seen in local Shetlanders with patronymic names. Almost all matches are European; It appears that as the database increases it is becoming apparent that there is a difference between R1a who originated in Orkney and those whose place of origin is Shetland. This possible differential migration pattern will be further investigated.
