Results
7/28/2008
Project results can be summarized as follows:
Haplogroup R-S26 - The Null439 Foxes:
The null439 Fox group now has established three known distant cousin relationships The Philadelphia Fox1 clan has a third cousin, twice removed, relationship (14179 and 37645) with four mutations separated by only 10 transmission events. (A fifth mutation has been observed at DYF406S1 in the last 30 markers of the 67 marker series.) The other two members of this group, 25525 and 25549, are brother and nephew to 14179 and match exactly at 25 markers. The Fox2 clan (16564 and 60400) consists of seventh cousins who are separated by 14 transmission events and have only one mutation in 37 markers. 16564 has recently been upgraded to 67 markers. There is a third member of this family, another distant cousin tested outside the project at 17 markers who matches both of them at those 17 markers. The Fox3 clan has fourth cousins once removed (25481 and 52944) and second cousins once removed (25481 and 96656) with no mutations in a combined 14 transmission events. 25481 and 96656 are compared at 67 markers while 52944 has been tested at 37 markers. (Note: the original 14-14-16-16 result for 25481 at DYS 464 is still listed in the Y-Results table but should be changed to 14-16-16-16 based on further testing at other labs.) The three branches have thus exhibited markedly different mutation rates..
Another addition to the group is 48348, who traces back to a George Clark of Lycoming County, PA, but is a close match to the Fox3 null439 group (a 66 for 67 marker match with 25481.) It is known that George Clark was adopted by the Clark family. A possible paper trail to the null439 Fox family via a Mathias Fox connection is being investigated. Mathias moved west from Lycoming County to Clearfield County around 1850. Could Mathias have been a descendant of John Fox, another non-Quaker member of the Plymouth Friends who sailed to Philadelphia in 1686?
Five members of this group have been tested at 67 markers, with only one mutation in the last 30; that being 14179 who has 11 repeats at DYF406S1 rather than 10 repeats for all others. 36645 (Fox1d) has been found to be 10 repeats at DYF406S1 (tested at this marker only) so the ancestral value is well defined. The Fox1 group has undergone the greatest number of mutations but the overall relationship between Fox1, Fox2 and Fox3 is well established. A common ancestor for the three null439 Fox families, some 10 to 15 generations back, is definitely a possibility
A comparison of deviations at 67 markers is shown below:
Fox1a 391=11, 458=18, 447=26, 576=18, 570=16, CDYb=38, 406S1=11
Fox1d 391=11, 458=17, 447=26, 576=19, 570=19, CDYb=39, 406S1=10
Fox2a 391=11, 458=17, 447=25, 576=17, 570=17, CDYb=38, 406S1=10
Fox2b 391=12, 458=17, 447=25, 576=17, 570=17, CDYb=38, 406S1 NA
Fox3a 391=11, 458=17, 447=25, 576=18, 570=17, CDYb=38, 406S1=10
Clark 391=11, 458=16, 447=25, 576=18, 570=17, CDYb=38, 406S1=10
Fox1b and Fox1c are identical to Fox1a at 25 markers
Fox3b is identical to Fox3a at 37 markers
Fox3c is identical to Fox3a at 67 markers
It is apparent that Fox 3a has the ancestral haplotype, DYS576=18 being the only questionable value.
Significant progress has been made in identifying null439 haplotypes in other surnames and classifying them into subclusters, with two main subclusters separated by mutations at DYS459b, a stable marker on the palindrome section of the Y-chromosome where a repair mechanism is at work during meiosis (a process occurring during conception.) The Fox group is in Cluster 1. A Null439 Website has been set up at FTDNA, making it possible for anyone with a null result at DYS 439 to join simply by clicking on a link on his personal webpage.
Neal Fox administers the null439 Project at FTDNA and has set up the Leo Little Memorial Fund to provide for additional tests on certain null493s at key markers that help define clusters.
This work is currently underway.
Project member 14179, one of the original null439 group, was SNP tested by Ethnoancestry and found to be M269+ and S21+. The former is indicative of Haplogroup R1b1c (very common) and the latter is a newly identified SNP, which some propose may indicate a North Sea heritage. He was also typed S26+ by Ethnoancestry, a brand new SNP indicative of null439 status. The 2007 ISOGG Haplogroup designation was R1b1c9a. The 2008 ISOGG designation is R1b1b2a1c, recognizing several new intermediate SNPs. FTDNA does not yet recognize this on the YCC Haplogroup Tree. Perhaps this will change when FTDNA starts testing the L1/S26 SNP marker, as Thomas Krahn has now promised.
14179 and 25481 were also tested by DNA-Fingerprint at several markers in the palindrome section of the Y-chromosome and the test results tend to confirm an event within the null439 (S26+) subclade where the backup copy overwrites the other copy during meiosis making large changes to such markers in a single event. This is known as gene conversion or a recLOH event. [DNA-Fingerprint results for 14179 were: 464X = 14c,16c,16g, 16g; DYF371 = 10c,12t,13c,14c ; DYF399 = 22, 24, 25.1 ; DYS434 = 9. For 25481, they were: 464X = 14c,16c,16g, 16g; DYF399 = 22, 24, 26.1; DYS434 = 9.] 14179 and 25481 have now been tested at 80 some markers with 6 single step mutations being recorded.
One attempt to confirm a Vaux/Fox connection, as predicted by Anthropologist John William Fox, was unsuccessful. It is known that there was a name change from de Vaux to de Strickland in about the year 1200. A representative (40501) of a large group of Stricklands, already tested by Relative Genetics and a genetic distance of 12 from the 37 marker null439 modal, was tested by FTDNA for the Fox Project to see if they would report another null439 result. They did not. He is also a genetic distance of 15 from the Henry Fox/Anne West descendants, 48275 and 85202, two of the main candidates for the Vaux/Fox connection.
The Vanfossen Group:
The Van Fossen group now has 12 reported results and Clay Fox, the project leader, is recruiting more in Holland. Eight of these have a common ancestor in Arnold Van Vossen, a Dutch Mennonite immigrant to Germantown, PA, in the 1700s. Their 37 marker results confirm a Fox/Vanfossen relationship predicted from a handwritten note on a will. Two, with a 37 for 37 marker match, trace back to Oxford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, with a Peter Vanfossen as the common ancestor. There are two others who trace back to Abraham Van Vossen of Bathmen, Netherlands, and are not closely related to the others. Two recent additions trace back to Willem Van Vossen, ca 1890, Netherlands and Jacob Van Vossen, ca 1660, Netherlands. Again, they are Haplogroup R1b but are not closely related.
The ancestral haplotype for Peter Vanfossen is now pretty well established. It is the same as the modal haplotype, except for CDYb. Since the first three of this group (24049, 24972 and 25721) come from the same son of Peter Vanfossen, the ancestral value is estimated to be 37 repeats at this marker, based on the other three results.
These are exciting results and a splinter VanFossen Project has been set up. We will continue to monitor their progress.
Haplogroup R1b - Southern USA Foxes:
Enough Southern US Fox descendants in the R1b1 Haplogroup have been identified that they have been grouped together in the Y-DNA results tabulation as "Southern US R1b1." Four closely matching members with a paper record tracing back to Henry Fox and Anne West of Virginia (48275, 85202, 99137 and 108898) form the basis for comparison.
Henry Fox/ Anne West Descendants
We now have two fourth cousins (i.e. 10 transmission events separating them) whose common ancestor is Henry Fox (1768-1852) who married Sarah Harrell. These two are 48275 and 85202 and they match exactly at 37 markers. 48275 and 99137 are second cousins and they match at 25 markers. The haplotype of Henry Fox (1768-1852) can thus be inferred to be the same as theirs. Henry Fox (1768-1852) is a well-documented descendant of Henry Fox and Anne West, originally of Virginia.
108898 and 117867, second cousins, take the connection back two generations to Henry Fox, III (1698-1770,) grandson of Henry Fox (1650-1714) and Anne West. They differ from 48275 and 85202 only at fast moving marker CDYa, where they have 35 rather than 36 repeats. So we have a total of 23 transmission events with 1 mutation.
48275 has been SNP tested by Ethnoancestry and is S21+, meaning Haplogroup R1b1c9*, a precursor of S26+, the null439 subclade, but he is not null at 439 and therefore S26-. He is currently being tested for S29 by Ethnoancestry and is expected to be S29-, as well. Neal Fox has found that his haplotype fits into a cluster that includes a number of Norman names, such as Callaway. A number of these same names also show up in the Null439 group (R1b1c9a), indicating a possible clan type relationship. All this may eventually help to confirm the Vaux/Fox Norman connection, though it is much too soon to draw conclusions. Neal is advocating 67 marker tests in the future and he reports that a 13 at DYS492 points toward a possible S21+ status.
At 67 markers, 48275 does match closely (GD = 4) a slave descendant named Elder (26383) descending from George Elder (b 1831 in Rutherford County, TN.) Deviations are 15 vs 16 at DYS 458, 18 vs 17 at DYS 570 and 23 vs 21 at DYS 413a. 117867 also deviates from Elder at CDYa, having 35 rather than 36 repeats. These markers are all noted for having a high mutation rate but these deviations indicate that the common ancestor would probably have preceded Henry Fox, III, in the line of succession.
It is known that descendants of Andrew Fox (1750-1819) of Virginia and Tennessee, lived in close proximity to the Elder family in Rutherford County, TN, in 1831 and this possible connection is being actively pursued by searching for Andrew Fox descendants.
Many of the other members of the Southern R1b1 Group had suspected a connection to Henry Fox and Anne West but the results obtained so far are all unique.
William Fox of Loudoun Co., VA, Descendants
A match for project member 58674 has been found in the Relative Genetics database and the most distant known ancestor is William Fox, b. 1710 in Loudoun County, VA. Both are 7th generation descendants and they match at the 34 markers in common to both test labs. The common Ancestor is James Washington Fox, born 1826 in Kentucky. 58674 also has test results from Ethnoancestry and is S21-, despite his value of 13 at DYS492. Actually, this result was not unexpected as he belongs to a cluster Neal Fox has identified within R1b1c that has this characteristic. He has also been tested positive (derived) for rs34276300, called S116 by Ethnoancestry. ISOGG 2008 would call this Haplogroup R1b1b2a2.
112106, whose most distant known ancestor is Enos Fox, b 1814 in Kentucky, is GD=1 from 58674 at 37 markers and GD=2 from 58674 at 67 markers. He has a value of 20 at DYS 448 versus 19 for the other two and a value of 16 at DYS 557 versus 15 for 58674. There is obviously a family connection here that needs a paper trail. We would like to test more known descendants of William Fox of Loudoun Co., VA.
58674 had originally proposed a connection to Henry Fox and Anne West through their son Thomas Fox. The genetic distance of 24 at 67 markers is too great to support this contention. Like 80721 and 48275, he has that 13 at DYS492 that indicates Haplogroup R1b1c9* (S21+) but he has now been tested by Ethnoancestry and found to be S21-.
John B. Fox of Orange Co., VA, Descendants
Another of our Southern Fox group, 93795 is a match for 26653 at 12 markers. Both trace back to John B. Fox, b: 1745 in Orange County, VA, who married Ann Barber. The common ancestor is their son Henry Fox, b. 1801, and they are third cousins, once removed. A typical R1b1c haplotype, 93975 has no other close matches in the project. Tested at 37 markers, his closest 37-marker match in the Fox Project is 65065 at a GD of 13.
Other Southern R1b Foxes
We have yet to find a match for a large group of these Southern R1b Foxes.
38215, by virtue of close geographical proximity, had thought that his ancestor, John Fox (1678-1748), of Essex Co., VA, was the son of John Fox (1652-1703) who married Mary Tunstall and the grandson of Henry Fox and Anne West. At 67 markers he is a GD of 31 from 48275, so this connection is disproven. His closest match at 67 markers is 28579 (GD=21.) He now postulates descent from the British Forz family and is actively seeking other Foxes to test. He is 12 at DYS 492 and thus probably S21-.
24011, tested at 12 markers, is a descendant of William Eires Fox, born 1758 in Virginia. His results have recently been augmented to 21 markers based on SMGF testing but he still has no close matches within the project.
30540, a descendant of David Fox of SC and TN, has been tested at 67 markers but has no close matches within the project. His closest match is 93372 with a GD = 18 at 67 markers. He was originally referred to the project by 24011 because of common geographical location of ancestors. He is a 13 at DYS 492 indicating possibly S21+ (R1b1c9.)
45680, a descendant of Gatus Fox of Tennessee, has been tested at 37 markers with no project matches. His closest project member is 50481 with a GD of 15 at 37 markers.
59573, tested at 12 markers is descended from George C. Fox of Amarillo, TX, born before 1898. He is a typical R1b1c but his closest matches in the project are a GD of 2 at 12 markers. He has also tested mtDNA and is estimated to be mtDNA Haplogroup T*.
59807, a descendant of Francis Fox, 1785, Columbia, SC, has been tested at 37 markers and is Haplogroup R1b1c (estimated.) His results also appear to be unique with a GD of 19 from 48275 and 85202. His closest match within the project is 50481 with a GD of 15 at 37 markers.
88154, a descendant of William Fox, b 1836 in Warwick Co., VA, is another predicted Haplogroup R1b1c. His closest matches (31 for 37) are named Tucker (English) and Pridgeon (French) and Neal Fox reports that they form a distinctive cluster. Within the Fox Project his closest match (only 23 for 37) is 28579. He has some very distinctive results in the first 12 markers but is close to modal for the rest.
107545 is another of our R1b1c Foxes with Southern US ancestry who has yet to find a match. His most distant known ancestor was William D. Fox, 1887, Alabama. He might have had ancestors in the Bahamas.
Two other Southern US Haplogroup R1b1c Foxes have been identified in the SMGF database and partial results are available. Ancestors are: Benjamin Fox, VA, 1839 and John Fox, Jr., VA, 1780. As yet, no close matches are found for them in the Fox Project.
Haplogroup R1b - Other R1b
This group includes those in Haplogroup R1b (probably all R1b1c) with Northern US, British or German ancestry plus one from Romania and several who have given no ancestry. Only one match has been found for this group and it came quite unexpectedly with the addition of a descendant of Henry Fox of Gloucestershire, England.
Henry Fox, Gloucestershire 1750, Relatives
80721 was a third member of the Fox group living in Choctaw County, Mississippi, in the late 1800s. In this case the great grandfather was Thomas J. Fox b 1820 Walton Co GA. In the case of 56980 and 62766, first cousins, the great grandfather was James Davis Fox, born 1824 in Alabama. There are two one-step mutations, at DYS 448 and CDYa. These men have now been joined by 121692, a well documented British descendant of Henry Fox, b 1750 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. He adds an additional mutation at GATA H4. At 37 markers the comparison is as follows:
56980: DYS448 = 18 CDYa = 38 GATA H4 = 12
62766: DYS448 = 19 CDYa = 38 GATA H4 = 12
80721: DYS448 = 19 CDYa = 37 GATA H4 = 12
121692: DYS448 = 19 CDYa = 38 GATA H4 = 11
The haplotype of the MRCA can be inferred by triangulation to be the same as 62766.
80721 has been tested at 67 markers and so will 121692, eventually. Results are incomplete but we know there are additional single step mutations at DYS 413a (23 vs 22) and DYS 534 (14 vs 15.) MCRA calculations indicate that the MRCA more likely came before Henry Fox, 1750, than after. All that is required now is to develop the paper trail that connects these Foxes.
56980, 62776 and 80721 had originally proposed a Henry Fox/Anne West connection that would have put them as fourth cousins of 48275 but were a genetic distance of 10 in 37 markers, 17 at 67 markers. There is certainly a connection there but it is a lot farther back than thought as the difference in ancestry attests (German vs English.). They are also a GD of 5 in 30 markers with the SMGF Fox from NY. 80721 is 13 at DYS 492 and thus probably U106/S21+, as is 48275.
Prior to the addition of 121692, the working hypothesis had been that Thomas J. and James D. Fox were brothers, sons of Johan Fuchs, an immigrant from Perish, Germany. If so, there would have been two mutations in 37 markers in 10 transmission events for a mutation rate of 2/(37*10) = 0.0054. This is higher than normal but still well within the expected range. There is also some speculation that Johan Fuchs had two other sons, Jesse and Daniel, and a descendant of Jesse Fox, 114418, was encouraged to join the project. Test results show that this Jesse is from a different family entirely.
Other R1b Yet to be Matched
No matches have yet been found for other members of this group within the project, but one (48088) has provided data for a cousin tested by Oxford Ancestors and two, found in the SMGF database, had John Fox, born 1827 in Monroe, NY, as the common ancestor. Both of these did match exactly on the markers tested.
28579 claims descent from a brother of Sir Stephen Fox, William Fox of Wiltshire, England. He has now been tested at 67 markers and is a genetic distance of 20 or more with the null439 Foxes, who also claim a connection with Sir Stephen. Based on cluster analysis by Neal Fox, he was predicted to be S28+. He was tested for the S28 SNP by Ethnoancestry and, indeed, found to be S28+. One of his closest matches is named Faux, who has also tested S28+ (Haplogroup R1b1c10.) He was tested in 2002 by Jobling and King and also has partial results in the SMGF database, giving a total of 72 markers in all.
50481, a descendant of Valentine Fox, born 1535 in Fordwich, Kent, England, has been tested at 67 markers. At a genetic distance (GD) of 15, he is the closest yet tested to the null439 Fox group, though not a null result himself and probably not R1b1c9 (12 at DYS 492 and thus estimated S21-.) His closest matches outside the Fox surname are with Stewarts and Stuarts, including some “Royal Bastards,” and he suspects an illegitimate connection to King Charles II. His haplotype is reasonably close to that of two Fox descendants of John Fox (b 1827 in Monroe, NY,) found in the SMGF database, where he is a GD of 5 with 28 markers in common. He is a GD of 7 from the R1b1 Atlantic Modal Haplotype (37 markers.) He also has results in the SMGF database, giving him a total of 77 markers tested.
48088, tested at 12 markers, has also supplied results from Oxford Ancestors on a fourth cousin, once removed, both tracing back to William Fox born 1597 in Nottinghamshire, England. They match at the 10 markers in common.
65065 is of Irish origin. He has been tested at 37 markers and has clearly a typical R1b1c haplotype but is unrelated to other project members or the NW Irish modal. Within the Fox Project his closest match (GD=9 at 37 markers) is 28579
38430, ancestry Lancashire England, has done the most extensive testing at FTDNA, namely: Y-DNA 67 markers, mt DNA Plus, Deep R1b SNP, Autosomal Panel 1, DeepSNP-R1b1c U Series, mtHVR2 to Mega, and finally Y-SNP Panel 1-b b (rs34276300, rs9785659, rs9786283,) which is still under testing and could change his Haplogroup subclade. He is Y-Haplogroup R1b1b2* according to FTDNA and ISOGG (M173+ M207+ M269+ M343+ P25+ M126- M153- M160- M18- M222- M37- M65- M73- P107- P66- SRY2627- U106- U152- U198-) and mtDNA Haplogroup T2b. Since he is 12 at DYS 492, the U106/S21 negative result was to be expected.
He is a member of the following projects in addition to the Fox Project: Ireland-Heritage, Ireland mtDNA, R1b and mtDNA T FGS (full genome sequence.) He has also been tested by Relative Genetics at 74 STR markers. His closest Fox Project match at 67 markers is 58674 (GD=23) and some of the Van Vossen clan at 37 markers.
He has done mtDNA full genome sequencing (FGS) and has also done Autosomal Testing - Panel 1, which may eventually lead to a better understanding of his overall family heritage.
70235, ancestry Clermont Co. OH, has tested at 67 markers and his closest project matches are 28579 (GD = 22) and some of the R1b Southern Fox group. He is 12 at DYS 492, so is estimated to be Haplogroup R1b1c* (S21-.)
93372 is a descendant of Matthias Fox who died in 1690 in Borg, Saarland, Germany. He has been tested at 67 markers and is 13 at DYS 492, indicating probable R1b1c9* status (S21+.) Tradition says that his ancestors were originally British and moved to Germany in the mid 1600s when the depopulated Saar was trying to attract residents. He fits a Frisian cluster with ancestors located in England and Wales as well as Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The family tradition is not denied and, in fact, is given some support by Y-DNA testing.
A Genebase result has been obtained from a Fox whose ancestry goes back to York, England, and may include name variations such as Faux. He is typical R1b1c but has no close matches in the project.
Other 12 marker results in Haplogroup R1b include two Y-DNA transfers from the National Geographic’s Genographic Project. N28347 was SNP tested as Haplogroup R1b1c and his ancestry is German. N32673 has chosen not to disclose his ancestry as has member 48443. Member 62724 is also in Haplogroup R1b1c and his ancestry is Romanian. 59573 traces back to George C. Fox of Amarillo, TX, before 1898.
Taken as a group, these results continue to demonstrate the wide divergence in Fox Family DNA haplotypes within the R1b Haplogroup.
Haplogroup I
Interestingly, more Fox family connections have been found in Haplogroup I than in any other Haplogroup. Using 2007 ISOGG Tree nomenclature, Haplogroup I results have been segregated into Haplogroups I1a, I1b2a (old I1c)and Other Haplogroup I, on the basis of differences in their haplotypes, using the Athey Haplogroup predictor and the tables of Ken Nordtvedt, an expert on Haplogroup I. Only very limited SNP testing has been done.
Haplogroup I1a:
This very common Haplogroup is defined a number of equivalent SNPs: M253, M307, M450, P30 and P40, S62, S63, S64, S65, S66, S107, S108, S109, S110 and S111. It is called Haplogroup I1 in the 2008 ISOGG and YCC Haplogroup trees. Nordtvedt has divided this group into 28 clusters, the main distinctions being Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Ultra Norse. There are also some Eastern European clusters. The Fox project Haplogroup I1a contingent now consists of 18 project members plus 4 more Foxes found in the SMGF database (one of the project members also has results from SMGF.) Origin is both British and German. There are a number of close matches in this group.
Thomas Fox of Concord, MA, Descendants
We now have four Foxes in the project and three more from the SMGF database who trace back to Thomas Fox (1619-1658), who came to Concord, MA, from England in the early 1600s. 69617 and N27705 both trace back to Thomas' son Eliphalet and their most recent common ancestor is Eliphalet's son Nathaniel (1682-1765.) They are 6th cousins once removed. 92618 is descended from Thomas' son Samuel and is an 11th generation descendant of Thomas Fox. 70474 has not given his pedigree except to say he is descended from Thomas Fox. 69617, 70474 and 92618 are all at a genetic distance of 1 at 37 markers (with values of 39, 40 and 41 respectively at CDYb) and their 12 marker results match those of N27705. At the 28 markers in common, their 37 marker results duplicate those of the three Foxes in the SMGF database. Two of these descend from Thomas' son Isaac and are 3rd cousins. The third, like 92618, descends from Thomas' son Samuel and they appear to be seventh cousins, the most recent common ancestor being Samuel's son Isaac. All three SMGF pedigrees list Samuel Fox (b abt 1593 of Enfield, Middlesex County, England) as the father of Thomas Fox of Concord.
92618 is the first of this group in Haplogroup I1a to be tested at 67 markers. At 37 markers, he is a genetic distance of 1 from 69617 and 70474. This Fox line fits closely into Knordvedt's Ultra Norse cluster, indicating Viking ancestry and research by 92618 has indicated that Thomas Fox belonged to a Norwegian Church in London.
N34591, a Genographic project transfer, is another member of Haplogroup I1a and a 12 for 12 match with the above descendants of Thomas Fox of Concord, MA. Hopefully he will upgrade to 37 or more markers. His most distant known ancestor was Sylvestor Fox, born in Wisconsin and married to Mary Whipple. Sylvestor died on February 6, 1865, during the Civil War, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Interestingly, enough, 78547, a descendant of Louis LeRoy, b abt 1610 in Dieppe, Rouen, France, is a 33 for 37 match, though there are multistep deviations at CDYb. This member actually joined the Fox project for his mtDNA result because his most distant known female line ancestor was Mary Fox b. Jan 24, 1886, in Rosscommon, Ireland. There is no good reason to suspect a common male ancestor with the Thomas Fox descendants within the last 450 years but there may well be a connection before that time.
Elijah Fox Descendants
31167, 36288 and 56554 in Haplogroup I1a trace back to Elijah Fox, born about 1775 in North Carolina. Elijah apparently moved to Cocke County, Tennessee, and fathered three sons, Ransom, Absolom and John Fox. 36288 is a John Fox descendant and 56554 is an Absolom Fox descendant and they match at 37 markers. 31167 is another Absolom Fox descendant and is a GD = 1 from the others at 12 markers. Hopefully, 31167 will eventually upgrade to 37 markers.
76361 is an exact match with 56554 and 36288 at 37 markers but has yet to establish his connection to Eiljah Fox, being stuck at Allen Fox born in 1798 in Wilkes Co. NC. 76361 has been tested at 67 markers. All are estimated to be in Haplogroup I1a but none have had this confirmed by SNP testing. The best fit to Nordtvedt’s Haplogroup I clusters is the Anglo-Saxon version of I1a.
They have been joined by a Burris (N30820) who matches them closely (GD=3 at 37 markers) and has been allowed to join the project. These project members did not previously know each other and are still trying to figure out the paper trail connecting them.
Jacob Fuchs Descendants
24157 and 47889, in Haplogroup I1a, are fourth cousins twice removed, the most recent common ancestor being David Theobald Fox (1738-1823) of North Carolina. They are a match at 25 markers. David was the son of Jacob Fuchs (1703-1783), who immigrated from Germany (Alsace or Palatine?) to Bucks County, PA, in 1739.
86766 is a GD = 1 from 24157 at 37 markers. 24157 reports that 86766 is his third cousin with Josiah Burel Fox (1830-1900) of North Carolina and Missouri as the common ancestor. Josiah was a 4th generation descendant of Jacob Fuchs of Germany and Pennsylvania. Haplogroup I1a has been confirmed for 86766 by SNP testing (M253+.) The best fit to Nordtvedt’s Haplogroup I clusters are the Anglo-Saxon versions.
24106 is only a GD of 1 from these three at 12 markers and ought to consider an upgrade.
Other I1a Results
99981 is another Haplogroup I1a but does not match closely the others in this group. Tested at 67 markers, his most distant known ancestor is Herbert Fox, 1880, Norfolk, England, but one family researcher thought there might be a family connection with the Quaker founder, George Fox. George Fox had no offspring but may have had brothers or cousins who left descendants. His father, Christopher Fox, was a weaver from Fenny Drayton, about 25 miles south of Leicester, England.
Haplogroup I1b2a (Old I1c)
This Haplogroup defined by the SNP markers M223 and S24. The new 2008 ISOGG and YCC Trees have it as I2b1. It is common in England and on the Continent. Nordtvedt has divided this group into 8 main clusters – Root1, Root2, Root3, Cont1, Cont1a, Cont2a, Cont2b and Cont2c. Further subclades are I1b2a1 defined by M284 and I1b2a2, defined by M379.
Lancashire Vikings?
31754 and 36120 are both old Haplogroup I1c and both have ancestors hailing from Lancashire, England. They are a GD of 6 at 37 markers. 85639, whose ancestor is Johnny Fox of Stokes Co., NC, matches them both with a GD = 4 at 37 markers. There are mismatches at only seven markers, as follows:
DYS 19 388 439 460 570 CDYb 442 GD from Modal
31754 16 13 12 12 18 40 12 3
36120 15 14 11 11 18 39 11 3
85639 15 13 11 11 17 40 12 1
Modal 15 13 11 11 18 40 12 0
It is apparent that these men form a cluster and that 85639 is only one mutation from the modal result for this cluster, which appears to match Nordtvedt’s I1b2a-Cont.2b very closely. The Lancashire Foxes have been tentatively traced to a group of Vikings who left Dublin, Ireland, to seek refuge in Lancashire in the year 918 AD.
31754 has also been tested by DNA-Fingerprint and has a number of additional markers, markers which continue to support I1b2a-Cont.2b. He has now elected to upgrade to 67 markers – results pending.
Another member (89347) of Haplogroup I1b2a (old I1c) has now been tested at 67 markers. He traces back to George Fox who married Mary Wood at Christ Church in Philadelphia, PA, on August 4, 1751. He is well removed from other members of this Haplogroup I subclade, except for N22211, who is of Irish ancestry. They are an 11 for 12 match.
Three more Haplogroup I1c members are transfers from the Genographic Project. One of these (N16652) – upgraded to 37 markers – has given his ancestor as William Fox born 1791 in Salem County, New Jersey. The other two N22211 and N23128 were each tested at 12 markers. N22211 indicates Irish descent. N23128 has not indicated his ancestry.
Other Haplogroup I:
Descendants of Richard Fox and Hannah Williamson
71539 is a documented descendant of Col. Richard Fox (d 1771) and Hannah Williamson of Virginia. Grouped in "Other Haplogroup I." The relationship with 68387, a descendant of Joaquin Fox, who moved from New Orleans to Mexico in the mid-1800s, has yet to be established. The two match exactly at 37 markers. 68387 has been deep SNP tested by FTDNA and is M170+ M258+ P19+ P38+ M161- M21- M223- M227- M253- M26- M307- M72- P30- P37.2-, indicating Haplogroup I1. He has also been STR tested at 67 markers and our prediction is that he is Haplogroup I1b2* (I2b* in 2008 ISOGG Tree). He appears to be in Haplogroup cluster I1b2*-A by comparison with the tables of Ken Nordvedt. Testing for S series SNPs (S30 and S31) would resolve the issue.
Others Not Further Identified
N30890, with a 12-marker haplotype, was SNP tested as Haplogroup I but the subclade not determined. His ancestry is German but that is all that is known.
Other Haplogroups:
Haplogroup G2
24750, tested at 12 markers, is assigned Haplogroup G2. He is a descendant of Franz Joseph Fox and his son Gideon Fox, both of whom came from Germany to Pulaski County, Indiana sometime around 1836. N28014, also G2, has indicated the Ukraine as his ancestry.
We have found a Fox who appears to be Haplogroup G2 in the SMGF database. The most distant ancestor listed is Adam Fox of Philadelphia, born before 1800.
Haplogroup R1a
46155, tested at 37 markers, has been assigned Haplogroup R1a. This is an eastern version of Haplogroup R, which is well represented in European males, including some of Viking descent. The earliest known ancestor of 46155 is Gottlieb Fox (b. Dec 1846, Germany; d. 19 Jul 1903, Belmont County, Ohio.
N57084, a Genographic Project transfer, is our second member of Haplogroup R1a1. Recruited by N16652 and another investigator interested in New Jersey Foxes, he is a direct descendant of Jeremiah Fox, 1829, of Salem, NJ, but traces back to Frederick Fox, ~1728, Palatinate, Germany.
Haplogroup E3b
We also have two transfers from the Genographic Project (N19397 and N23138) whose matches in the FTDNA database suggest Haplogroup E3b, found mainly in the Middle East. Ancestry is unknown.
Haplogroup Q
94524 is a descendant of Aron Fuchs of the Ukraine who moved to the United States in 1915 and changed his name to Harry Fox. He is a confirmed Haplogroup Q and his 25 marker STR haplotype is typical of this group. A number of his close matches are reportedly of Ashkenazi descent. He is a 24/25 match in Ysearch with a man from the Ukraine with the surname Lurie.
Haplogroup J
We now have three members of Haplogroup J in the project. This is a Mediterranean Haplogroup but exists all over Europe to some extent. The Romans are thought to have brought this Haplogroup to Britain. Thomas Jefferson was a member of this Haplogroup.
97877 is a 37 marker upgrade from Genebase. The Genebase results were matched and, combined, he now has a total of 56 markers tested. He is estimated to be Haplogroup J2a1-bk (Athey prediction.) His ancestor is Rankin Fox of Staley, NC, b 1881
110488, a descendant of William Francis Fox, born 1906 in SC was tested at 37 markers and also appears to be Haplogroup J2a1b. His SNP testing at FTYDNA confirms Haplogroup J2 (M172+). Testing M67 would confirm J2a1b (FTDNA originally called this J2f.)
N51825 is a 12 marker transfer from the Genographic Project who appears to fit Haplogroup J1. He fits the 6 marker Cohanim modal haplotype but deviates on 3 markers when extended to 12 markers. He has not given his ancestry but could probably join the Cohen project at FTDNA if he could establish some sort of paper trail. This haplotype is common among descendants of Aaron, the Jewish Patriarch.
Mitochondrial DNA Results
We have several new mtDNA postings bringing the total up to 25, including 16 men and 9 women. Seven are transfers from the Genographic Project, two of whom prefer to hide their ancestry. Again there are a wide range of results, including mtDNA haplogroups B2, H,HV*,J1b1, K, K1a1b, T*, T1, T2, T2b, U2, U4 and U5a1a. Differences from CRS (Cambridge Reference Sequence) are shown along with the projected mtDNA Haplogroup in the table. Most are typical European Mitochondrial Haplogroups. 31754, however, is Haplogroup B, which ties in with a Spanish/Indian Mexican descent on the female side. 38430 has done full genome sequencing and is Haplogroup T2b.
The only match is between 53477 and 56554, who are niece and uncle, respectively. 56554 is a member of the Y-Haplogroup I1a Fox family tracing back to Elijah Fox of NC and Cocke County, TN.
MtDNA results for 14179 and 24581 have been identified in the SMGF database.
14179 is Mitosearch MDBCN:
HVR1: 183-, 215G, 224C, 311C, 519C
HVR2: 073G, 152C, 263G, 315.1C, 497T, 524.1C, 524.2A
This is a firm K1a Haplogroup result because of the 497T, the ancestor being Euphemia Roach, born in Washington DC, in 1846.
24581 is Mitosearch DGMRU
HVR1: 183C,189C,193.1C, 356C, 519C
HVR2: 263G, 315.1C
This is a typical Haplotype H result, the most distant ancestor being Frances A. Johnston, born in 1826 in Putnam County, GA
Results from Other Labs:
Results from other labs are listed at the Alternative Fox Surname Project Website. They include results from Ethnoancestry, DNA-Fingerprint, Relative Genetics, Gene Bank and Sorenson.
The original Fox test data of Jobling and King at Leicester University have now been identified. One of these is a known descendant of Francis Fox, mentioned above, and is classified R1b1c9a. The other (28579) has joined the Fox Project and is listed with Other Haplogroup R1b. Originally tested at 16 markers, he has now upgraded to a total of 71 markers.
Additional testing at DNA-Fingerprint and Relative Genetics has cast doubt on the results at DYS 464,a,b,c,d for 25481, a member of the null439 Fox group. FTDNA continues to call it 14,14,16,16 but other results give him 14,16,16,16, which would match the other members of this group exactly at this marker. It is expected that FTDNA will shortly change their result.
14179 and 25481 both now appear in the SMGF database and have also have results from Relative Genetics (both use the Sorenson Lab for testing) While they were null at DYS 439, according to FTDNA, the duplicate Y-DNA test run by Relative Genetics, using different primers, actually shows a value of 12 repeats for DYS 439 (the value assumed by FTDNA.) They have upgraded to 67 markers at FTDNA, who show a genetic difference for them of 5 but this would reduce to 4, using the revised values for DYS 464 mentioned above. Their full haplotypes include 11 additional Relative Genetics markers not shown in the Y-haplotype tables and these results are identical.
A Fox tested by Genebank (Canada), ancestor Robert Fox of York, England, has supplied his results, which are typical R1b1c. He and several additional Fox families found in the Sorenson database are listed at the Fox Surname Project Website but not shown here. 24157 has had an additional 5 markers tested by Biotix, also not shown here.
SNP testing by Ethnoancestry has been mentioned throughout this discussion. They offer tests on a number of special SNPs that define important subclades of Haplogroups R and I that are not available elsewhere.
Most of our Y-DNA results, along with pedigrees, can be found in the Ysearch.org database - go there and search for the surname Fox.
Earlier Progress Reports are available at the Fox DNA Project - Family History & Genealogy Message Board