Cruwys/Cruse/Crewes DNA project
Group Administrator: Debbie Kennett debbiekennett@aol.com




Project Surnames:
CreuseCrewCrewceCrewe
CrewesCrewisCrewissCrews
CrewseCrewysCruceCrues
CruiceCruisCruiseCrus
CruseCrusseCruwesCruwys
CruysCruyseCruzeCrwys
CrywseCrywysCurseCuss
ScruceScruseScuceScuse


Project Background:
Welcome to the Cruwys/Cruse/Crewes worldwide DNA project. Cruwys is a very ancient surname which can be traced back to the small parish of Cruwys Morchard in Devon, England, in the 12th century. However, the Cruwys spelling only began to be used from the seventeenth century onwards, and in some families was only introduced in the early 1800s. A large number of variant spellings appear in the early records such as Cruse, Cruis, Cruwes, Crues, Crews and Crewes. The Crewes spelling predominated in Cornwall in a line which is directly descended from the Cruwys Morchard family. The name Cruse is more widely spread in the early parish registers and appears mainly in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, London, Sussex and Lancashire. The aim of the project is to discover how many of the different names are related.

Anyone with any of the many variations of the surname is invited to participate and to contribute to our knowledge of the origins of the surname. We have project members living in six different countries (England, France, America, Australia, Canada and Cambodia), and a substantial number of major lines are now represented, thus increasing the likelihood of a match (see the news page for a full list). We have already had a number of exciting and unexpected matches linking families from different continents and with different variant spellings and no doubt there will be many more to come.

The DNA project is run in conjunction with the Cruwys one-name study, which is registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies in London. Further information about the study can be found on the Cruwys profile page. The results of ongoing research are published on the project's blog, Cruwys news. DNA project results and news (including a breakdown of the tested lines) can be seen by clicking on the tabs at the top of this page (News, Results and Y Results).

For a simple introduction to DNA testing you might like to read my article which was published in the September 2008 issue of the Berkshire Family Historian and which is now available online.

For the purposes of the DNA project we are using the Y-DNA test, which tells you about your direct male line, that is, your father, your father's father, your father's father's father, and so on back in time. To participate in the test you should therefore be a male with one of the surnames shown. If you believe there is a CRUWYS, CRUSE, CREWES or variant in your direct male line, although you have a different surname, you are also welcome to participate. If you are female, you will need to ask your brother, father, uncle or cousin to take part and represent your tree.

We encourage males who order a Y-DNA test to order 37 markers, if possible. The cheaper 12-marker test can be taken as a preliminary measure, and will indicate if two participants have a potential match, but an upgrade is usually required to confirm the results as the lower-resolution tests can produce false positives and false negatives.

Whether male or female, you may also be interested in learning about your direct female line, that is, your mother, your mother's mother, your mother's mother's mother, and so on. Both men and women inherit mtDNA, although only women pass it on. For this purpose, you should order an mtDNA test, preferably the mtDNA Plus test which can indicate matches in more recent generations. All mtDNA tests ordered through this project are at the discounted group rates.

Both the Y-DNA and the mtDNA test results contain no personal information, and the tests are quite different from those used by forensic scientists in criminal investigations and by doctors to identify paternity. Furthermore, the test itself cannot identify a unique individual as close male members of the same family (brothers, uncles, cousins) will in all probability have identical results.

To see the full range of tests available see the the project page here. You will need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and look at the "Type of tests" menu.

TO ORDER A KIT click on the "Request to join this group" link on the left. Tests ordered through this project are charged at the special group rate which provides a substantial saving on the standard FTDNA price.

For further information read the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and tutorials on the Family Tree DNA website. There is also a useful Wikipedia article on the genealogical DNA test.

If you have already had your DNA tested with Family Tree DNA as part of a geographical project or another surname project (eg, CREWS or CRUISE) you are welcome to join this project too. There is no extra charge for joining multiple projects. Simply click on the "Request to join this project" button at the top left, enter your kit number and password and your results will automatically be included in this project as well.

A General Fund has been established in conjunction with Family Tree DNA to provide a central repository for donations to assist with the cost of DNA testing of key descendants and to split the cost of testing between all interested parties. The fund is maintained independently by the testing company. Contributors can either make a general contribution to the fund or specify that their donation should be used to test a specific participant. Contributions can also be made "in memory" of a family member. Donations can be accepted in any currency via credit card. To make a donation, click on 'Contribute to the Project General Fund' on the left.

© 2008 Cruwys/Cruse/Crewes DNA Project. All Rights Reserved.





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