A small group of genealogists, who were interested in the INNERST surname, working together by email, have established a pedigree chart beginning with Johannes Enners, who arrived in this country in 1749. Johannes' eldest son was Jacob Inners (as the name appears in subsequent documents) and it is from this ancestor that we feel most Inners/Innerst males descended. Jacob, through two marriages, had 18 offspring, of which 10 were male. Two died without marrying. One married but seemingly had no children. Descendents have been identified for the other seven males. (Anyone who is interested in this DNA project may obtain copies of this pedigree chart, showing Jacob's descendents by contacting the Site Administrator.)
Researching a surname can give us a little, or a lot, of information, but much of it is general, incomplete, and sometimes erroneous. DNA testing, on the other hand, can give us concrete evidence for identifying and separating family lines. Y-chromosome DNA tesing is especially helpful because the male Y-chromosome is handed down father to son, virtually unchanged through the generations. The accessibility and affordability of family DNA testing is doubtless the greatest technical advance in the history of genealogical research because, -- at long, long last -- we have a tool to break down those brick walls, we all encounter in our research.
If you are a male with the surname INNERST (or any variation of that name), we invite you to join us.