Bill and Thea Weedman recently contacted us and advised they wanted to pursue DNA testing. Here is what they said:

“Thea and I are thinking about taking DNA testing for both the paternal and maternal sides (both for male and only maternal for female). There is an excellent article in the November/December issue of AARP, The magazine. If you do not receive the magazine, you can check out www.aarpmagazine.org. There are several companies listed and we are considering www.familytreedna.com; we recall that you had written something about the Weedman males participating in a project but have not been able to find the information. On the Family Tree DNA web site, there is a one member Weedman DNA participant, I don't know if this is you or some one else.”

That prompted a deeper look into the possibility of DNA testing for genealogical purposes and I am convinced this could be an excellent tool in our pursuit of our ancestry.

Current Status:

We currently have three participants who have submitted their test and received results. A fourth person has ordered their kit and will be submitting the sample to the lab shortly. He is a descendant of the Jacob Weedman line. Two others have indicated intent to participate including one who descends from the Olaf Weedman (Swedish line) and another with the surname, Widmann.

Bill Weedman, mentioned above, who lives in Encinitas, CA and Nick Weedman of Flat Rock, NC have test results that are an exact match. According to Family Tree DNA, if our 12 sites that were tested are a perfect match (and they are) and if we share a common surname, it means there is a 99.9% chance we share a common ancestor. Bill and Nick both descend from Christian Weedman, Jr. and Christian is considered our Most Recent Common Ancestor. Our haplotype indicates our origin was in Northern Africa with a likely migration to Europe.

Earl Joseph Weedman, who descends from Philip William Weedman who was the patriarch of what we often refer to as the Florida Weedman line has also received his results. The test results do not match with those of Bill and Nick Weedman. Accordingly, it appears we do not share a common male ancestor for hundreds of years.

As disappointing as it was to learn that Earl Weedman's line and those of Christian Weedman, Jr. don't share a common ancestor, learning this does fulfill one of our objectives which was to learn in the Florida Weedman line is related to the Christian Weedman, Sr. line.

We are extremely pleased with the initial participation and encourage more family members to join. A larger data base will add credence to the results of the project.

One of the 50+ matches shared by Bill and Nick Weedman is Curtis Loftin who has created a web site that is superb in explaining the basics of DNA testing and discusses the matches we all share. To see his site, click here.

Here are some objectives that could be pursued with such a project:

1. Determine if the Christian Weedman, Sr. line has any relationship with the Florida Weedman line. We know where the Florida line originated in Germany and if we establish there is a common male ancestor within a reasonable number of generations, we might have a better clue of our origins. The preliminary indication is there is no recent relationship between the two lines as a result of the test results from Earl Joseph Weedman.

2. Determine if the three apparent Swedish Weedman lines do indeed have a common ancestor. We know there were apparently three brothers who came to this country but proof they were siblings has not been established. There may not be male descendants of each of the three brothers but there are from two.

3. Determine if the Christian Weedman, Sr. line has a common male ancestor with the Swedish lines.

4. Determine if the Widman(n) family and the Christian Weedman, Sr. lines share a common male ancestor. If this proves correct, it may show that the original spelling of our surname was in fact, Widman or Widmann.

5. Determine if the Weidman family which has numerous connections in Lancaster County, PA is closely related to the Christian Weedman, Sr. family.

6. Prove the relationship between the lines of Philip Weedman, Sr. and Barnard Wiedeman who arrived on the same ship (the Commerce) in 1803. We are seeking a participant volunteer from the line of Barnard Wiedeman.

It should be noted that we are unable to find where any of the Widman(n) or Weidman family has done any testing and it will be a challenge to find participants from those families.

What is the cost to participate?

For the month of July only, Family Tree DNA is running a special discount offer for yDNA37 tests. See their site for more details.

How do I participate?

Go to www.familytreedna.com and purchase a test kit from them. Be sure to specify that you are part of the Weedman Family Tree DNA project.

How can we follow results for the total project?

Results will be posted on this page. We will not have access to any information other than test results so hopefully privacy is not an issue.

Who do I contact for additional information?

Contact Nick Weedman (click here to send an e-mail) for information on the family project. Contact Family Tree DNA (click here to send them an e-mail) for resolution of technical quesions.

This page was last updated on July 11, 2009.

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