Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Thornton DNA Project

A few months ago I submitted a YDNA kit from my father to familytreeDNA.com for testing.  I have been anxiously awaiting the results and they have finally arrived. We are descendants from a race of space aliens with a superior intellect. Actually we are just what I thought, a bunch of Brits, recently transplanted to the North American continent. 
Our haplogroup is R1b1a2, this group is found predominantly in France, England, Ireland, and Wales. In a comparison chart on the website of all Thornton's who have had their YDNA tested we fall into a unmatched category.  Interestingly, the Thornton's in Virginia and other southern states are mostly of a different group, I1 which ended up in Scandinavia. 
What I need is for Thorntons who claim descent from James Thornton of Ireland, the father of Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, to have their DNA tested. There are some southern Thorntons who claim descent from Samuel Thornton, son of James, and brother of Matthew.   They think he migrated to the south and lived in South Carolina.  This is the same Samuel who we say is our ancestor and that he lived in New Hampshire with the rest of his family. 
A DNA test will not give you a list of ancestors but it can point you in the right direction.  If a southern Thornton thinks they're are part of the New Hampshire family a DNA test could prove it.  If you are a Thornton and have a few spare dollars, the Thornton DNA project could sure benefit from your DNA test.



Related Posts:
James Thornton
Samuel Thornton

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi My name is Debra Tucker and my mother was a Thornton. A Mary Jane Brown seems to have done a lot of research. My ancestors are from NC, GA, and Florida. I knew that James Thornton was my how ever many grandfather and the family story his son Matthew was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It's all at Ancestry. She can go back to the 1200's. The ancestor in Ireland moving to England and basically staying there. I have done my ancestry DNA and I'm 78% English 20% Irish Scottish and 2% Swed/Norwegian.


Robert said...

Hi Debra, What is your Kit # on familytree?

Anonymous said...

I am mark thornton my father was Shannon n. thornton son of Alfred thornton I write under the name matthew thornton and submit letters of historic significance. find me under matthew thornton on redd it .com

Unknown said...

Hello,
My name is Timothy Thornton. As I was researching my genealogy I stumbled across your website and believe we have several ancestors in common. This is what I have found thus far and am not sure how accurate it all is:

Samuel W. Thornton 1841-1912
Samuel W. Thornton 1819-1842
Samuel W. Thornton 1790-1860
James F Thornton 1743-1814
Samuel Thornton 1713-1783
James Thornton 1684-1754

Unknown said...

I am James A Thornton - a direct descendent of James. I could provide more info but it is late. jthor@gwi.net

Unknown said...

I am James A Thornton - a direct descendent of James. I could provide more info but it is late. jthor@gwi.net

Alicia Morgan said...

Hi - My name is Alicia McCracken Morgan. I don't have the last name of Thornton but I am related to the Thorntons through my great-great-grandfather George Washington McCracken of Millbury, MA, who was married to Mary Edgerly Thornton. She is the great-granddaughter of your William Thornton, who is the brother of Matthew Thornton, the signer, and the son of James Thornton.

My grandmother always said that the McCrackens were related to Matthew Thornton, but she said that the first McCracken that came over from Ulster married Matthew Thornton's daughter, which I knew to be untrue. So, I thought she just made it up. But upon joining Ancestry I found there was a connection after all, just not the one of family legend, and I've been very interested in finding out more about the family.

I have done my DNA test and would love to see if there is a connection.

Robert said...

Alicia, I cannot directly comment on your post, but my Thornton DNA is on the Thornton Project on familytreedna.com

Charlotte (Thornton) Turo said...

I am a Thornton, descendant of James and Elizabeth Thornton, not sure what bother of Matthew, I forgot & now I cannot find, my old laptop had it on it & it broke....need help....charlottelynnturo@gmail.com

Father is Joel Wood Thornton, his sisters are Emma, Catherine & brother is George

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