The Project was started with a core group of descendants of Hugh Coffey (1784-1861) who found each other through DNA and family history research:

• Terri Stern, SL, & PE
• VWT, EW (YDNA match to Hugh Coffey Group), NW, and DJ
• RLC (YDNA match to Hugh Coffey Group)
• BC
• WRC

27 Jun 2016: DNA analysis progress reported. Sent DNA Segment Maps for each of the autosomal participants showing their matches to each other and 4 other known descendants of Hugh Coffey b 1700. Sources & tools used were GEDmatch, Family Finder, AncestryDNA, and GenomeMate. 

• Terri matches Hugh b 1784 descendants
• SL matches Hugh b 1784 descendants and a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk
• PE matches Hugh b 1784 descendants and a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk
• Ginny matches Hugh b 1784 descendants, a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk and a known descendant of John Coffey & Esther Givens
• EW matches Hugh b 1784 descendants, a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk and a known descendant of Hugh Coffey & Esther Givens
• NW matches Hugh b 1784 descendants, a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk and a known descendant of of Hugh Coffey & Esther Givens
• RLC matches Hugh b 1784 descendants
• BC matches Hugh b 1784 descendants and a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk
• WRC matches Hugh b 1784 descendants and a known descendant of Henry Coffey & Rebecca Kirk

23 Jul 2016: PF joined the Project. Her closest Coffey is Elizabeth Elinor Coffey (1841-1916), daughter of John McDonald Coffey (1811-1842) & Jane Kerr. His father was John M Coffey Sr b 1785. He was the son of John Coffey b 1752 and Susannah (probably Crockett). He was the son of John Coffey b 1730 and Susannah Watson.

• PF matches VWT, NW, RLC, & BC and a known descendant of Henry Coffey b 1787 & Rebecca Kirk.

27 Aug 2016: JW, a descendant of Hugh Coffey & Agnes Montgomery joined the Project. His closest Coffey ancestor is Alice Jane Coffey, daughter of James Jefferson Coffey. His father was William Givens Coffey, son of John Coffey b 1775 & Esther Givens. He was the son of Hugh Coffey Sr b 1750 & Agnes Montgomery. He was the son of John Coffey and Susannah Watson.

• JW matches PF, BC, and a known descendant of Hugh b 1784

5 Sep 2016: JMM(deceased) was joined to the project by the kit administrator. He descends from Henry Coffey b 1787 & Rebecca Kirk. Henry is son of Hugh Coffey Sr b 1750 & Agnes Montgomery. He was the son of John Coffey and Susannah Watson.

• JMM matches 6 descendants of Hugh b 1784 (VWT, NW, SL, PE, RLC) and 2 known descendants of Henry Coffey b 1787 & Rebecca Kirk

6 Sep 2016: Next steps are to determine if the matching segments between participants can be confirmed as Coffey segments or a female descendant in the line.

7 Jan 2017: Updated Background page to show additional research on descendants of Hugh Coffey and associated lines.

16 Dec 2017: Matching segments between descendants of Hugh Coffey b 1784 and Hugh Coffey b 1750 & Agnes Montgomery confirm the first Hugh is the son of the second.