About us
The ARTERBURN Family in America was previously researched and the branches and several generations
of descendants identified and first published in The Arterburn Cousins (1977). Our primary goal in DNA
testing has been to determine our Y-Haplogroup (Y-SNP), which would confirm the human population of
our ancient ancestral roots and therewith disclose the Old World origin prior to the arrival in America of our
earliest patrilineal ancestor, which had not been discovered by the authors of The Arterburn Cousins.
Our primary goal was effectively achieved through BIG Y – 500 SNP testing in 2018 (members may log-in
to see Y-DNA Results Overview and SNPs pages at DNA Results, on side bar) that yielded our terminal
Y-SNP and Y-Haplogroup, R-Y46, a subclade of R-Y47 and R-Z94, which identified our genetically
most recent common ancestor (MRCA). The Y-Haplogroups of other ARTERBURN patrilineal male
descendants who have also been tested, as displayed on our Y-DNA Results Overview chart, are variously
represented as R-Y46, R-Y47, or R-Z94 because of different Y-SNP test protocols in effect when each were
originally tested. All are confirmed Y-SNPs in our lineage on our branch of the Y-Haplogroup Tree, and
all of our descendants also exhibit the ARTERBURN genetic profile, our Y-Haplotype, represented by
matching Y-STR test results with negligible genetic distance as displayed by the (DYS) marker values in the
the first and second sections (i.e., sections {1} and {2}) of our chart at Y-DNA Results Overview.
An upgrade to BIG Y – 700 [1] was necessary to confirm new subclades that will make possible discovery
of more recent ancestors on our branch of the Y-Haplogroup Tree. The initial phase of this upgrade has been
completed, thanks to the generous support of contributors to our Project. As a result, our Y-Haplogroup has
been advanced to a new subclade represented by Y-SNP, R-Y931, which now identifies our current most
recent common ancestor (MRCA). See The R-Y931 Story, below. [2]
This BIG Y – 700 upgrade is a legacy gift to ARTERBURN descendants yet unborn whomay desire to know their deepest ancestral roots as our branch of the Y-Haplogroup Tree
A descendant of Jemima (Arterburn) Collins has reported Ancestry DNA test results that indicates an
ancestral geographical link to the region identified as the Gulf of Khambhat, on the West Coast of
India, which borders the Indian state of Gujarat. European commercial interests, including the English
East India Company, were established on India’s West Coast early in the 17th century. This geographical
link derived from global DNA testing may ultimately correlate with our Y-SNP test results to more clearly
reveal our in-country ancestral home of origin as more of our Indian ancestors (MRCA) are identified on our
branch of the Y-Haplogroup Tree. We may reasonably surmise that the father (b. ca. 1660 or earlier) of John
Williams (b. ca. 1685, almost certainly in the Americas–most likely in Virginia or Maryland) was likely our
ancestor who emigrated, whatever his birth name and personal circumstances, during this period of English
traders going to and from India. Apparently an indentured child servant himself, John Williams may have
been assigned his mother's maiden surname, as she may have been unmarried as an indentured servant when
John was born, even if his Indian father had been known to the court when as a child John's indenture and
name were presumably recorded, initially. As alluded in a later court record, Joanna Hodgson probably
had John's original "papers" of indenture when she first “purchased” him as a boy about six years old,
but whatever revelations about his origins might have been therein are forever lost to us unless perchance
an undiscovered court record has survived (cf. Arterburn, 2019).
The genetic evidence of our Old World patrilineal origin in India, with confirmed Y-SNPs, R-Y47, R-Y46,
and R-Y931 that represent more recent subclades in the older R1a1 Y-Haplogroup [3] is consistent with
the historical evidence as documented in 18th and 19th-century public records of Maryland, Virginia,
[1] Family Tree DNA (FTDNA): BIG Y – 700
[2] Family Tree DNA (FTDNA): The R-Y931 Story
[3] The Indian Origin of Paternal Haplogroup R1a1
Sharma, S., Rai, E., Sharma, P. et al. Journal of Human Genetics 54(1): 47-55 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1038/jhg.2008.2
[4] Find a Grave: Peter Arterburn (1711-1803)
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See Also:
International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG): Y-Chromosome DNA
International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG): Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree 2019-2020 (Last Updated: 11 July 2020)
International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG): Y-DNA Haplogroup R and Subclades (Last Updated: 1 August 2020)
Line #32 : Y-Haplogroup R = R-M207 [20,000 BCE]
Line #36 : Y-Haplogroup R Subclade R1a1 = R-M459 [12,000 BCE]
Line #584 : Y-Haplogroup R Subclade R1a1a1b2a = R-Z94 [2,500 BCE]
Line #647 : Y-Haplogroup R Subclade R1a1a1b2a2a1b = R-Y47 [1,900 BCE]
Line #648 : Y-Haplogroup R Subclade R1a1a1b2a2a1b1 = R-Y46 [1,400 BCE]
. . . . . . . . : Y-Haplogroup R Subclade R-Y931 [1,400 BCE] ***
*** (Subclade R-Y931 was discovered after this ISOGG chart was last updated, 1 August 2020. Dates of origin are
provided by FTDNA and are current estimates, and may be updated in the future as testing data continue to accumulate.
BCE = Before Common Era.)
(NOTE: Current nomenclature now uses only Y-SNPs instead of extended letter/numeral combinations
to identify all Y-Haplogroup Subclades. The public Y-SNPs that identify other descending subclades of
Y-Haplogroup "R" for which ARTERBURN tested positive by FTDNA that intervene between R-M207
and R-Y46 as displayed on this ISOGG chart can be found on our SNPs page at DNA Results, sidebar.)
Family Tree DNA (FTDNA): Y-DNA Haplotree
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