This is a new “work in progress” which will cover most every DNA subgroup in the project and is hoping to answer most all Grant DNA questions.

The Clan Chiefs (going back to c.1350) were all members of the haplogroup R-Z17274 which dates to approx 1300 according to FTDNA.  Every known branch of the Clan Chief tree carries this haplogroup, so if you want to confirm your connection to this family please test for this SNP.  In my opinion it is of a Norman or Flemish origin, and not Scandinavian.  If you believe the original Chiefly line failed at some point and was replaced by that of an Andrew Stewart, this would be his DNA signature.  It does NOT match the Royal Stewart line.  The current Clan Grant Chief carries this haplogroup as does that of the senior line of Grant of Tullochgorm, showing that the line has been unbroken for at least 600+ years.

Because of the extensive DNA testing done by the various Grants in our Project, we can also identify exclusive haplogroups for many of the branches of this Chiefly tree.  They include:

Grant of Corriemonie: R-A578

Grant of Glenmoriston: R-1227

Grant of Glenlochy: R-Y24898

Grant of Dalvey: R-Y63034

Other Grant branches have been identified with various SNPs but the seniority of these SNPs has not been established yet.  It does appear that Tullochgorm is the oldest branch, and Dalvey and Glenlochy have also been proven as branches (apparently this was up for date at some point?).

Clan Chiaran (Grants of Auchnarrow, Dellachapple, and Glenbeg) has been identified as R-Y130104, which dates to approx. 1400 AD.  You will see their group labeled as such in the DNA Results page.  If you want to confirm membership to this family, test for R-Y130104 and maybe its father haplogroup R-BY38841 as well.  Hank Grant has a wonderful history of them here: https://clangrant-us.org/test_site/sites/default/files/clangrant_files/docs/Branch%20-%20Clan%20Chiaran.pdf

Clan Allan (Grants of Auchernach in the Parish of Abernethy) has been identified as R-YP6488, which dates to approx 1150 AD.  It’s son haplogroup is R-BY26344 (c.1500 AD).  The Clan’s tradition is that they were the descendants of a younger son of an early Chief, perhaps in the 13^th century.  They are also representatives of the original Clan Chief line according to some of the Clan histories.  Their haplogroup would support any Viking origin theories.

A Ulysses Grant descendant has not been tested yet.  However, Ulysses claimed Matthew Grant (born 1601) as his earliest ancestor and there has never been a debate on this to my knowledge.  Matthew had 3 surviving sons, and this project has descendants of all 3 within it’s ranks.  They are indeed matches to each other, and a descendant of the oldest and youngest sons of Matthew have tested via Big Y’s.  The youngest haplogroup they share would also be carried by Matthew Grant, and that haplogroup is R-BY16583.  Test for this SNP if you want to prove a genetic connection to Ulysses.

On our DNA Results page, you will see subgroups in many different colors.  (from the top of the results page, moving downward) a light blue subgroup is likely Norse Viking in origin.  Dark green are the Chiefly kits.  A lighter green are kits of Celtic origins, which would include Pictish highlander types as well.  There are a lot of these, and it is what we would expect genetically from the Grants that would be the native inhabitants of the various Clan Grant lands.  The dark blue are likely Anglo-Saxon origin kits and are generally found in England rather than Scotland.  I will discuss many more of the subgroups in the coming months of 2024.