Who is this Project for?

Membership of the Bindon Project is open to anyone with an interest in the Bindon surname (or its spelling variations). This includes people who have Bindon ancestry who do not have the Bindon surname (such as adoptees).

The site is designed and hosted by Family Tree DNA and is biased towards the Y-DNA [see below] results of males with the Bindon surname. The administrators, however, encourage participation by anyone interested in the family or the DNA results, male or female.

Why are there spelling variations?

Very few people were literate centuries ago. Those who were literate didn't pay much attention to consistent spelling. Those who were illiterate only left records written by priests, judges etc. who just wrote the name as they heard it. Census records and parish registers from the 1800s make it very clear that the same person could be recorded under several different spellings during their lifetime. For some of us the difference between Bindon and Benden or Binding etc. can be only about 150 years. This Project will generally use the name “Bindon” to cover all potential spelling variations, but all spelling variations are included.

Where does the surname originate?

The name was most prevalent in South West England (Somerset and Devon) with a prominent family appearing in Ireland in the 1600s. One aim of this Project is to ascertain if the surname originated in a single place or multiple places. The exact origin of the name, however, is likely to remain a mystery.

What is Y-DNA and why is it the focus of this Project?

Humans have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs (one copy from each parent). One of them is known as the “Y-chromosome” and is unique to men. It gets passed from father to son almost unchanged (unlike all the other chromosomes which are usually a mix of both parents’ DNA) which makes it ideal for researching distant relationships between men on what is “the surname line” in most western societies. Two Bindon men will, if they had the same “Mr Bindon” ancestor, have an almost identical Y chromosome even if the shared ancestor lived many hundreds of years ago. All of the other chromosomes usually “recombine” with DNA from mothers at every generation, so even third cousins might not share DNA on the other 45 chromosomes if they have a different mix of DNA from the shared ancestors. But the Y-chromosome captures the ancient male “Mr Bindon”.

Which test should I take?

If you are a Bindon male, we strongly recommend taking the Y-DNA67 or Y-DNA111 test because they are more detailed and allow better comparisons. The Y-DNA37 test is sufficient for joining the project but it might only place you in a broad group of Bindons with a shared ancestor many centuries ago. The more detailed Y-DNA67 or Y-DNA111 test would probably show more recent DNA mutations and link you to a subgroup with a more recent shared ancestor. The tests can be upgraded at a later date using the same DNA sample, but the total price (first test plus upgrade) will be slightly more than ordering the better test at the beginning.

If in doubt, contact an administrator for specific, personalized advice.

Whether you are male or female, we also recommend the “Family Finder” test. This test will find links to all sides of your family. This is not a “Bindon-specific” test and the results might be hard to interpret, especially if none of your close Bindon cousins have taken the same test, but it’s still a great test to take. Results of this test can’t be shown in the Project, but you can allow administrators to view your results and offer advice.

Why should I take a Y-DNA test?

The Bindon surname is currently used by various “clans” defined by their first known Bindon/Binding/Binden/Bendon ancestor. Many of these “clans” are probably related, but the founder may have had a common name like John Bindon and there may be no written records to indicate where that founder came from before he suddenly appeared in the records of a different area. It’s hoped that DNA testing via this Project will prove which “clans” really are related. If enough Bindon (etc) males test it should eventually be possible to even work out roughly when the related “clans” shared an ancestor.

Will the Y-DNA test show me who my Bindon ancestor was?

No. This type of DNA test can only give a yes/no answer to a question about whether or not two men share an ancestor on the direct male line within recent centuries. The test you take (Y-DNA37, Y-DNA67 or Y-DNA111) will affect how confident you can be about the predicted relationship, but it is only ever an estimate. Two men can differ by one mutation, but there is no way of knowing (unless other relatives test) if that mutation came from your father or from a 5-times-great-grandfather. But the test might allocate you to a “clan” of Bindons.

Why are the Y-DNA results in subgroups?

Subgroups with very similar results are unlikely to be a feature of this project until a significant number of people have joined and taken at least the Y-DNA67 test.

However there is already evidence that not all people with the Bindon surname share the same “Mr Bindon” ancestor. These will form subgroups in the Project’s results.

Can women join this Project?

Yes. Women can join and participate. Unfortunately the “results” page will only show men’s Y-DNA results until this company changes its policy. In the meantime, women can join, participate, assist, and allow the Project’s administrators to access their DNA results.

What is the "General Fund"?

The “General Fund” is money that Project administrators and members have pre-paid to Family Tree DNA for the purpose of future DNA testing. Donations to the fund are entirely voluntary. If you decide to donate you can specify the purpose of the donation (e.g. “towards a test for John Bindon”) or just give a general donation left to the administrator's’ discretion. All funds are held by FamilyTreeDNA and can't be used for any purpose other than DNA tests ordered via this Project.

Potential uses of the funds (subject to consent):

• Ordering a new test for somebody who is potentially significant to the research, but unable to afford a test.

• Upgrading a test on behalf of another member.

• Paying for SNP tests for people in your subgroup.

• Sharing the costs of major DNA tests which may benefit multiple cousins of the person being tested.

Are there extra tests I can take?

Probably. The additional tests are quite specific to each individual so please contact the administrators if you'd like to know more. We may contact you, or the subgroup you've been assigned to, if there are other tests which could be beneficial to you and/or to the Project. You would never be obliged take further tests. Even if there is an offer to pay for further testing through the “General Fund” you do not need to consent to the test.

Are there any risks?

1. Could authorities like the police or health insurers look at my DNA results?

FamilyTreeDNA has a confidentiality promise and will not disclose your personal data without a court warrant. Health insurers are prohibited from seeking or using DNA data. The police could seek a warrant but the request would almost certainly be denied.

However, without directly accessing your data, it is possible that law enforcement agencies (and similar) may upload DNA found at the scene of a serious crime (normally murder) to see if it matches anyone in the FTDNA database. This does not give them access to your data, but could indicate some sort of family link to the unidentified suspect or victim. This would not incriminate you but could help to solve a crime and/or allow a family to claim the remains of a missing relative.

2. Are there other risks?

A “risk” of all DNA testing is that the truth is revealed. Some people discover that they are not biologically related to people they call family, and other people find unexpected new family members revealing secret adoptions or affairs generations ago. It’s rare, but it does happen.

Ethics / Conduct

• Members and administrators have a joint responsibility to maintain confidentiality and to show mutual respect.

• Members must make sure, via their profile preferences, that Project Administrators can access their results (otherwise membership of the Project serves no purpose).

• Without prejudice to FamilyTreeDNA rules below, each tester (or their assignee) will be treated as the “owner” of the DNA sample they supplied. No additional tests will be ordered by Project Administrators without express permission. However, the results of tests are governed separately.

FTDNA Rules [This is a summary. Check the FTDNA small print for further details]

• If you paid for your test(s) yourself you have 100% control. You maintain the right to block Project Admins from seeing your results, or to remove yourself from the Project entirely.