Specific examples of the questions we would like to answer within this DNA project are: 

1. Are all Bedfordshire (UK) WHITBREAD families related and how long ago did each one separate? 

2. Are the Essex WHITBREADs related to the Bedfordshire families? 

3. How are the different Kentish WHITEBREAD families related and did any originate in Sussex? 

4. From which of these UK families do families now living in other countries descend? 

5. Are the US WHITEBREADs of German ancestry (originally WEISBROD) at all related to the UK families? Are they related to WEISBRODs currently living in Germany?

In general, what can a DNA study achieve? It can: 

• Validate "paper-based" research 

• Find any mistaken connections in existing knowledge

• Determine which family branches are related

• Bridge gaps in the paper records

• Confirm or find previously unknown name variants 

• Sort out multiple families found in the same location, e.g. London

• Discover information which may solve research problems, and/or resolve brick walls

• Confirm or get clues regarding migrations

• Confirm suspected events, such as illegitimacy and adoption

• Discover information to define the major branches of the tree going back to the origin of the surname

• Discover information about the evolution of the surname

• Discover clues regarding the origin of the surname

• Combine results with research in early records to determine the number of points of origin for the surname 

This page was last updated on 9th January 2019.