Wednesday 7 August 2013

Debbie Kennett - Presentation 1) DNA for beginners: the three tests; and Presentation 2) Chromosomes, conquerors and castles: DNA testing and the Cruise/Cruse/Cruwys one-name study

Name - Debbie Kennett

Biographical details
I am a member of the Guild of One-Name Studies, the Society of Genealogists, the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Society of Authors and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. 

I also belong to three local family history societies: the Berkshire Family History Society, the Devon Family History Society, and the Somerset and Dorset Family History Society.

I was appointed as an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London in July 2013.

I am the author of two books, both published by the History Press:
- DNA and Social Networking (2011) (http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/genealogy-books/family-history-dna.html)
- The Surnames Handbook (2012) (http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/genealogy-books/the-surnames-handbook.html).

Day Job - My background is in publishing. I now work as a freelance editor, proofreader, genealogist and writer.

How did you get into genealogy?
I started my family history research in 2001 after the death of my father-in-law. We inherited a collection of family photos but were unable to put names to faces. I started writing letters and sending e-mails to relatives to ask for help with identification. I soon became addicted to genealogy. I’d been fascinated by my rare maiden name CRUWYS since childhood, and this interest gradually developed into a full-blown one-name study.

What about your involvement with genetic genealogy?
I first became involved in the world of genetic genealogy in 2007 when I launched my first DNA project – a Y-chromosome DNA project for the surnames Cruse, Cruise, Cruwys and associated variant spellings. I started the Devon DNA Project in March 2009. I joined the mtDNA Haplogroup U4 Project as a co-administrator in September 2009, and became the Group Administrator in 2013. In 2010 I founded the ISOGG Wiki in collaboration with Tom Hutchison, and continue to be a major contributor. The Wiki has now developed into a major educational resource for genetic genealogy.

So what will you be talking about?
I will be presenting two talks. My first talk will be aimed at beginners and will explain the three different types of DNA test that can be used as an aid to family history research: Y-DNA testing, mitochondrial DNA testing and autosomal DNA testing.

My second presentation will provide an overview of my CRUISE/CRUWYS/CRUSE one-name study and DNA Project. CRUISE/CRUYS is a Norman surname that first appeared in Ireland around the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1169. The family were once powerful nobles with lands in County Meath and Dublin. The surname is still found at the greatest concentration in Dublin today. The related surname CRUWYS can be traced back to the small parish of Cruwys Morchard in North Devon in the twelfth century. The family have been Lords of the Manor continuously from the 1200s to the present day. I will show how Y-DNA testing can be used to explore whether or not different variant spellings are related and how it can fill in the gaps where the paper records have not survived.

What DNA tests will be discussed?
My first talk will cover all three of the main tests.
My second talk will focus on the Y-DNA test.

To what surnames is this topic relevant?
CRUISE, CRUWYS, CRUSE and all their variants (in my second talk).

Where can people get more information about you or your topic?


Download Debbie's slides here
- DNA for Beginners
- Chromosomes, Conquerors, & Castles: DNA testing and the Cruise/Cruse/Cruwys one-name study

Download Debbie's handout here - this gives a very useful list of resources.

Watch Debbie's presentations below.



DNA for beginners: the three tests
Published on 19 Oct 2013
Debbie discusses the basics of DNA testing and explains how each of the three main DNA tests work - Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Saturday 19th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.


CRUISE/CRUYS is a Norman surname that first appeared in Ireland around the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1169. The family were once powerful nobles with lands in County Meath and Dublin. The surname is still found at the greatest concentration in Dublin today. The related surname CRUWYS can be traced back to the small parish of Cruwys Morchard in North Devon in the twelfth century. The family have been Lords of the Manor continuously from the 1200s to the present day. Debbie shows how Y-DNA testing can be used to explore whether or not different variant spellings are related and how it can fill in the gaps where the paper records have not survived.

Presented at Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013 on Friday 18th Oct 2013. Please note that these GGI2013 videos are copyrighted to the presenter and should only be used for personal study. They are not to be used for any other purpose without the presenters express permission. Also, please note that because this is a rapidly advancing field, the content may quickly become outdated.

The lectures were sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA and organised by ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).



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