DNA Project Details

For many of us, our connection to the Middlebrookes of Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, or other areas of our globe is not certain. Many times we find that important genealogical records have been destroyed, conflict, or simply do not exist… leaving us a cold and possibly unreliable trail as we research our family history.

Would you like to know how you are related to various Middlebrook/s lines? If you are from the Connecticut line, would you like to know your relation to the Virginia, or North Carolina group? Or even better yet, how are you related to the Middlebrookes of England?

This exciting project that will assist us in attaining our goal, which is to locate, preserve, and share the history of our ancestors.

View our Middlebrook(s) DNA Presentation for the full story.
The short of it is: DNA is the carrier of our genetic information and is passed down from generation to generation. All of the cells in our bodies, except red blood cells, contain a copy of our DNA. A person receives DNA from both parents. The chromosome from the mother is always an X, and the one from the father, which determines gender, is either an X or a Y. An X from the father would result in an XX combination, which is a female, and a Y from the father would result in an XY combination, which is a male. Since only the Y-type is passed from father to son, it is therefore useful in helping us trace our genealogy.

Family Tree DNA is a trusted company with a solid reputation in genetics, and they have set up a Middlebrook(s) DNA Project for us. At Family Tree DNA, you will find a wealth of information about the subject of DNA and how it relates to genealogy. In fact, they have a new word, “Genetealogy,” a combination of genetics and genealogy that reflects the use of DNA to learn about one’s roots.

The DNA Test: The genetic test kit consists of a cheek scraper and a collection tube. The effect of using the scraper is about the same as brushing your cheek with a soft bristle toothbrush. Blood samples are not taken.

The locations tested on the Y chromosome are called markers; a marker is a distinctive landmark that allows comparisons with those of other members of the project. Tests are available for 12, 25, 37 and 67 markers. If you decide to order a Y-DNA test, you can order the 12-marker test at the most economical cost, which can be upgraded to a higher level later if results stimulate your interest.

 

Your Privacy: The test order form indicates that you understand that you are allowing the Middlebrooks Group Administrator to see your test results for the purposes of comparing them with the other members of this Surname Project. The FTDNA website has a tab at the top of their home page that is labeled “Privacy” and explains in some detail how the privacy of the participants is protected. The computer-generated number and your surname are the only pieces of information about you that the testing facility will see. Once your test has been completed, the results of the test will be entered into a secure database. A comparison between your specific genetic results and those of others in the database will then be performed. If a genetic match is found between you and another person in the database, and you have each signed the release form, you will be informed via email. A release form is provided with a purchased test.

In addition to the protections provided by Family Tree DNA, MFA will establish its own privacy rules to ensure that confidentiality is maintained. Your test results will not be associated with your name, except as privately known by the Middlebrooks DNA Project Administrator.

If you want to remain anonymous: Send us your payment. We can order/process the Y-DNA test on your behalf. We will ship the DNA test to you and you return it back to MFA. We will then send the test materials to the testing lab, and will not use your name. When the test results are sent to us, we will then forward them to you. (contact our MFA Administrator below)

What DNA testing does not do: These tests do not show positive for a disease or provide any medical information. They only look at specific locations on the Y chromosome where a marker is located, for the purpose of helping with genealogy. In addition, the test results will not come back with a neat printout that automatically fills in your family tree for you. However, we can assist you with understanding the correlation of your results to the Middlebrook(s) family.

I want to order a DNA test:

  • Order Y-DNA12 to compare the male tester’s DNA with one of our previous tests.
  • Order Y-DNA25 or Y-DNA37 for more detailed male test results.
  • Order mtDNA test for male or female testers, to locate the origin (area of the world) of your mother’s-mother’s-mother (etc) line. (Not used to identify your Middlebrooks ancestors)

For questions, contact Bob Middlebrooks as the Middlebrooks DNA Project Administrator.