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Getting Started.

When I got interested in genetics for genealogy (DNA) the first thoughts that came to mind were DNA testing of criminals and how incredibly personal it all is. A paper trail is so nice and safe. I can keep it to myself. Also, there was a certain comfort in not knowing for absolute certain where I fit into the family or, god forbid, that I might not be a St. Clair after all. Scarry thought after investing 4 years and a lot of money in searching records in the U.S., Scotland and England.

It took me about 6 months of reading books and websites to convince myself to do it. And, in the end, what prompted me was looking at my 9 year old son and wanting the knowledge of our lineage to be something I hand down, for certain, to each and every member of my family that follow.

After much reading, I realized that the results of this DNA work are simply not usable for anything other than genealogy. And after exploring the FamilyTreeDNA site I realized there are an incredible number of people out there to help and with whom I can quickly and easily compare results.

I ordered the kit without really knowing specifically what would follow. The results came in for the 12-marker part of the 25-marker test and I was immediately surprised that I did not connect with my friend Stan, whom descends on paper from the same person, an Alexander Sinkler of Glasgow. It was a dark day for me. I thought all those years of paper research were wasted.

It also sparked me to get more serious about a few generations in the 1800's that I had neglected, assuming they had been traced well enough by others. In other words, I had committed the cardinal sin of genealogy - not doing my own original research and relying on the work of others. As a result of the work I did in those dark days, I learned a great deal about the family in Bedford in the 1800's. And that new focus helped me and the paper research a great deal. New documents were found. New people discovered.

Stan and I connected when the final results of the 25-marker test came in. Our genetic distance is only 2. That was a big relief. We're not certain what it means yet, but as more of you join we'll all be better able to figure these things out.

Some other fascinating things that have popped up right away - Stan has several genetic connections to the Barton family. I have none. Our document research has turned up many connections with our Alexander Sinkler to Bartons. A man named Valentine Barton sold him land in Prince William County. A man named Barton was on the ship Alexander crossed on in 1698, Ye Loyalty. And Bartons lived very close to Alexander.

So when he discovered genetic relationships, it began to get very interesting. It's these kinds of connections that make this sort of research so rewarding. I have a connection genetically to a family from Caithness. We all know how important that area is to St. Clairs and Sinclairs.

I'll sum it up this way. There are things in life that make you say "I wish I'd done it sooner." This is one of those things. If you have concerns about what you'll find, or won't find; concerns about privacy; concerns about any aspect of DNA genealogy, contact me. We can talk it through. I hope you'll decide what I decided - Unlike so many generations of my ancestors who left no written record, I will not let the history of all my forefathers go unwritten or unremembered. I will cronicle the unique story of my bloodline and offer the certainty of it as a gift to every Sinclair/St. Clair who follows.

Thank you,

Steve St. Clair