This FamilyTreeDNA project started to determine if the early Clark families in Virginia were of the same family, and/or if they were connected to Explorer William Clark. It appears that many early families in Virginia had that tradition. The project has now expanded to include a broader scope of Clark families with an early Clark(e) family in Connecticut including early settlers of the New Haven Colony and England. We hope that all male Clark(e)s will consider joining our project and help with the brick walls many of us have encountered. This project was started in 2001 by Suzanne Johnston and Linda Sparks Starr. The Johnson DNA study came next. Harold Johnson and his "cousins" were the first to jump onto that bandwagon and Harold, Suzanne and Linda took off. Without these people, none of this would be here for us today. Lea Dowd is the latest on board having taken over the "Clark" Project administration and now the web pages.
As a result of it's early beginning, the Clark(e) Surname DNA Project is historically listed as a Pioneer DNA Surname Project. While this project was started at FamilyTreeDNA, we welcome submissions from others who have been tested through other projects. For those that seek a more detailed scientific explanation you are urged to visit http://www.familytreedna.com/. As of 9/17/2008, we have 176 members and 170 kits returned. If you are a participant, please make sure that we have your current email address!
Before requesting
to join our research group, please read:
Our project tracks male Clark(e) members, so the swab must be collected from
a male with the surname of Clark(e). We also require that each of our
participants submit his pedigree to be posted on our web page for others to
observe and compare DNA test results.
YDNA will show you the large family group of Clark(e)s back to before
surnames. It might even show that your forebear wasn't a Clark, but another
surname -- called Non-paternity events. YDNA won't tell you the name of your
grgrgr-grandfather or whether you descend from his son "George, John or
William." It will only get you into a ball park family group IF other
relatives have participated in this study. This is what our study is
attempting to do...
The identity of the "family group" is only as good as the paperwork of all
participants. DNA is not a substitute for doing "genealogy" the old
fashioned way -- corroborating each and every generation with good sources,
connecting all the dots, making sure "the John Clark here" is your "John
Clark there." For privacy reason we don't publicly post any data after 1900,
thus it is in everyone's best interest that people exhaust the paperwork
sources before taking the test.
Please be sure and visit Linda Sparks Starr's website Colonial Virginia Connections for a wealth of information on many of these families.