About us
The Bosley Surname DNA project is intended for any male with a similar surname. See the list above for some other relevant surnames. Similar surnames with non-British origins (Bosslet, Beausoleil) are welcome. Males who are from an unbroken male line in one of these surnames will be most helpful in discovering your surname origins. Adoptions and other "nonpaternity events" (NPEs) such as "out of wedlock" births are a part of life; their documentation and confirmation will be important for future generations, so males with a relevant surname from families with histories of such events (such as Yemm) are welcome in this project.
The goal of Y-chromosome DNA testing is to prove whether or not two families are related, based on specific markers in the DNA of the Y chromosome. This can be in lieu of a "paper trail," where no historical records exist (although there may be family legends); it can also be done to confirm the validity of the documented paper trail. (Errors in records, or in their interpretation, DO occur.) Beyond just finding whether two families are related, DNA testing can sometimes be used to show which branches are closer to each other and which are more distant, allowing a group of families to be arranged into a larger tree covering many generations, showing which families probably branched off soon after the earliest common ancestor, and which branches split more recently.
It has long been claimed that the Bosley surname originated near the Manor of Bosley in Cheshire (called Boselega in the Domesday Book in 1086). However, based on surname distributions in censuses from the 1800s, as well as birth/marriage/death references to Bosleys before 1600, it seems more likely that there were SEVERAL distinct origins of Bosleys in England. It looks to me like the 3 hot spots for Bosleys (Berkshire, Herefordshire, & Somerset) may all be independent of each other, and also independent of Bosleys in Cheshire. See frequency /distribution maps from the 1881 census for the Bosley & similar (Basley, Bazley, Boseley, Bosely, Bossley) surnames here.
* Do Bosleys from Berkshire, Herefordshire, & Somerset all have distinct origins, or are Bosleys from all of these regions closely related? How far in the past was the most recent common ancestor?
* Are Bosleys from Cheshire a completely separate group from those of Berkshire /Herefordshire /Somerset? Are there several different Bosley lineages originating from Cheshire?
* For Bosleys in the melting-pots (metro areas like London /Middlesex, or in regions abroad, the former colonies), from WHICH group of Bosleys did your lineage originate?
* Do any of the similar-sounding surnames actually share origins?
With enough people tested for comparison, we can get very clear answers to questions like these.
A few people who now spell their name Bosley actually descend from the German Bosslet or the French & Canadian Beausoleil (sometimes a 'dit' name). Since there are no projects for these surnames, I will include them here, so that the same types of questions can be addressed for these surnames. When there is enough interest, eventually the different surnames can be spun off into their own projects.
Please contact the administrator for questions, or to join the project: Richard Thrift, rtx at cox dot net --Please put "Bosley DNA project" in the subject line. Disclaimer: I am a volunteer, I am not associated with FTDNA, and I do not make any money from these tests or this project.
Each participant's privacy is important. Participants are not identified on project sites by name, but by kit or ID number. The most distant known ancestor is shown. Participants may choose to upload a pedigree to display. For the sake of privacy of living persons, in these pedigrees by default FTDNA automatically hides the names and details of individuals born after 1900.
The DNA is collected in your home easily and painlessly from cheek cells, by gently swabbing the inside of the cheek. A kit nicely designed for the purpose is mailed to you, which you return to the company by mail.
The Y-chromosome is possessed only by males, and is transmitted from father to son, similar to the pattern that is typically observed with surnames. The DNA tested here is in a unique part of the Y chromosome where there are no genes. Although this DNA can change or mutate over several generations, the mutations tested here have NO effect on the individual. This DNA test is extremely limited, in the sense that it DOES NOT report on any genes at all. The Y chromosome DNA markers used for these studies provide NO information about genetically transmitted health issues, etc. [There is one very rare exception, found in 0.017% of results.]
Females do not carry the Y chromosome and so cannot transmit it to their descendants OR have it tested. But we still need you; often the only reason a male even considers joining is because a female in his family has urged him to do so. If you are a female and want to help, round up a male and get him to join, or help pay for his test. If you wish to help but don't have a specific individual you want to help pay for, at bottom left is a link for contributing to the project's general fund. Or, contact the administrator to discuss your interests. Great ways for anyone to help would include work on genealogy and family trees, gathering vital and census data from a region, or even web design related to the project.
A very good, clear, brief introduction to the use of DNA testing in genealogy is "Is the Answer in your Genes?" by Debbie Kennett. Another excellent (but more in-depth) resource is "I Have the Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?" (particularly the first two chapters). For more detailed explanations, see Genetics & Genealogy - An Introduction or DNA 101.
Reality check: People are sometimes under the impression that once they are tested they will immediately find a distant relative in the company's database, who will undoubtedly lead to the identity of their long-lost great-great (etc) grandfather. In fact it probably won't work out that way, at least not immediately (the databases are not that big). Sometimes people do find relatives quickly, but unless you see a family already in the database who you suspect is related (perhaps from the same locale and with the same surname), chances are it won't happen right away. You may need to wait until someone from the "right" branch drifts into the project -and this is exactly why the project web site is set up with resources such as links to family trees, the one-name study, etc: to encourage your potential matches to join the project. OR if you can't wait, in order to speed things up you may need to proactively search for suspected relatives (perhaps by searching the genealogy message boards, censuses, vital records, etc.) and -once you find them- convince them to be tested. BUT the results can be well worth the wait and the effort. Don't consider this a slam dunk, but rather part of an investigation. Sometimes this is the ONLY way to get those results.
If you have DNA results from companies other than FTDNA, we we will be able to work with your results, and we welcome your participation. Group members are encouraged to post your test results at YSearch.org for comparison against that database. FTDNA customers can have their data uploaded to YSearch easily, automatically and error-free from the "Matches" section of your personal FTDNA web page.
Please contact me at rtx at cox dot net
Richard Thrift
The goal of Y-chromosome DNA testing is to prove whether or not two families are related, based on specific markers in the DNA of the Y chromosome. This can be in lieu of a "paper trail," where no historical records exist (although there may be family legends); it can also be done to confirm the validity of the documented paper trail. (Errors in records, or in their interpretation, DO occur.) Beyond just finding whether two families are related, DNA testing can sometimes be used to show which branches are closer to each other and which are more distant, allowing a group of families to be arranged into a larger tree covering many generations, showing which families probably branched off soon after the earliest common ancestor, and which branches split more recently.
It has long been claimed that the Bosley surname originated near the Manor of Bosley in Cheshire (called Boselega in the Domesday Book in 1086). However, based on surname distributions in censuses from the 1800s, as well as birth/marriage/death references to Bosleys before 1600, it seems more likely that there were SEVERAL distinct origins of Bosleys in England. It looks to me like the 3 hot spots for Bosleys (Berkshire, Herefordshire, & Somerset) may all be independent of each other, and also independent of Bosleys in Cheshire. See frequency /distribution maps from the 1881 census for the Bosley & similar (Basley, Bazley, Boseley, Bosely, Bossley) surnames here.
* Do Bosleys from Berkshire, Herefordshire, & Somerset all have distinct origins, or are Bosleys from all of these regions closely related? How far in the past was the most recent common ancestor?
* Are Bosleys from Cheshire a completely separate group from those of Berkshire /Herefordshire /Somerset? Are there several different Bosley lineages originating from Cheshire?
* For Bosleys in the melting-pots (metro areas like London /Middlesex, or in regions abroad, the former colonies), from WHICH group of Bosleys did your lineage originate?
* Do any of the similar-sounding surnames actually share origins?
With enough people tested for comparison, we can get very clear answers to questions like these.
A few people who now spell their name Bosley actually descend from the German Bosslet or the French & Canadian Beausoleil (sometimes a 'dit' name). Since there are no projects for these surnames, I will include them here, so that the same types of questions can be addressed for these surnames. When there is enough interest, eventually the different surnames can be spun off into their own projects.
Please contact the administrator for questions, or to join the project: Richard Thrift, rtx at cox dot net --Please put "Bosley DNA project" in the subject line. Disclaimer: I am a volunteer, I am not associated with FTDNA, and I do not make any money from these tests or this project.
Each participant's privacy is important. Participants are not identified on project sites by name, but by kit or ID number. The most distant known ancestor is shown. Participants may choose to upload a pedigree to display. For the sake of privacy of living persons, in these pedigrees by default FTDNA automatically hides the names and details of individuals born after 1900.
The DNA is collected in your home easily and painlessly from cheek cells, by gently swabbing the inside of the cheek. A kit nicely designed for the purpose is mailed to you, which you return to the company by mail.
The Y-chromosome is possessed only by males, and is transmitted from father to son, similar to the pattern that is typically observed with surnames. The DNA tested here is in a unique part of the Y chromosome where there are no genes. Although this DNA can change or mutate over several generations, the mutations tested here have NO effect on the individual. This DNA test is extremely limited, in the sense that it DOES NOT report on any genes at all. The Y chromosome DNA markers used for these studies provide NO information about genetically transmitted health issues, etc. [There is one very rare exception, found in 0.017% of results.]
Females do not carry the Y chromosome and so cannot transmit it to their descendants OR have it tested. But we still need you; often the only reason a male even considers joining is because a female in his family has urged him to do so. If you are a female and want to help, round up a male and get him to join, or help pay for his test. If you wish to help but don't have a specific individual you want to help pay for, at bottom left is a link for contributing to the project's general fund. Or, contact the administrator to discuss your interests. Great ways for anyone to help would include work on genealogy and family trees, gathering vital and census data from a region, or even web design related to the project.
A very good, clear, brief introduction to the use of DNA testing in genealogy is "Is the Answer in your Genes?" by Debbie Kennett. Another excellent (but more in-depth) resource is "I Have the Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?" (particularly the first two chapters). For more detailed explanations, see Genetics & Genealogy - An Introduction or DNA 101.
Reality check: People are sometimes under the impression that once they are tested they will immediately find a distant relative in the company's database, who will undoubtedly lead to the identity of their long-lost great-great (etc) grandfather. In fact it probably won't work out that way, at least not immediately (the databases are not that big). Sometimes people do find relatives quickly, but unless you see a family already in the database who you suspect is related (perhaps from the same locale and with the same surname), chances are it won't happen right away. You may need to wait until someone from the "right" branch drifts into the project -and this is exactly why the project web site is set up with resources such as links to family trees, the one-name study, etc: to encourage your potential matches to join the project. OR if you can't wait, in order to speed things up you may need to proactively search for suspected relatives (perhaps by searching the genealogy message boards, censuses, vital records, etc.) and -once you find them- convince them to be tested. BUT the results can be well worth the wait and the effort. Don't consider this a slam dunk, but rather part of an investigation. Sometimes this is the ONLY way to get those results.
If you have DNA results from companies other than FTDNA, we we will be able to work with your results, and we welcome your participation. Group members are encouraged to post your test results at YSearch.org for comparison against that database. FTDNA customers can have their data uploaded to YSearch easily, automatically and error-free from the "Matches" section of your personal FTDNA web page.
Please contact me at rtx at cox dot net
Richard Thrift