Project Goals
The main goal is to provide DNA data links to the various Case lines throughout the United States and Canada. A primary interest is to establish links, if any exist, between the Cases in NC/SC in the early 1700s to the Cases from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. There are Cases that originated in RI/NY in the mid 1600s who came from England, but only 2 Case male from this line has submitted DNA. This yields two distinct Case lines from England to RI/NY.
There is a distinct possiblity that the Cass/Casse families of New England in the 1600s may be related to the Case surname. We have started a serious effort to contact Cass surname males and have them submit DNA samples. In at least one major development, the same ancestral line used the name Casse and Cass, with some of the descendants using the surname Case.
To join this project, you must supply your Case (or Cass) ancestry from your grandfather back to your earliest known Case ancestor, with dates and places where possible. If you think you may be a Case descendant, but the surname line doesn't match, please do more research into adoptions, illegimate births, etc.
There are 6 kits in the project that are not related at all to any other kit. That means that there are 6 Case lines that need to be developed with new tests from more Case males to see how these lines relate.
Secondarily, we might be able to establish the gateway ancestor for each Case line, and the country of origin. It apears that one gateway ancestor (for the NY Case line) is Henry Case, son of William Case who was born in England.
Wherever possible, please gather as much factual information on your early Case ancestors as you can. It is critical to be able to establish an accurate genealogy of the Case lines. Documented birth records, death records, marriage records, Bible records, census data, deeds, liens, wills, etc. and where those data can be located is very important as we share our ancestry.
Please encourage any Case males you know to purchase the kit and submit their y-chromosome DNA to give us a better family history of the dispersion of the Case families.
If anyone would like to donate some money to the fund for the Case DNA Project, please let me know and I will explain how to do it (see general donation link on the Case webpage). Family Tree DNA accepts donations which can be used to help purchase y-chromosome test kits to be sent to specific individuals whose DNA and documentation will help our research in Case genealogy.