RFA DNA

Most of the Rich DNA Project testing has been a 43 marker test done by DNA Heritage of Weymouth, Dorset,

England

. On April 19 2011 DNA Heritage ceased its operations and is in the process of transferring the domains DNAHeritage.com and Ybase.org to Family Tree DNA of Houston, Texas. Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) has posted a preliminary statement regarding the continuity of the existing surname projects. It is expected that all of the DNA Heritage testing which is in process will be completed and the results delivered to its customers.

The Rich Family DNA study now has data on 96 men with the Rich surname. Four more tests are in process and will hopefully be completed soon. These results represent at least 15 family lines with two or more matching individuals. An additional 13 men have not yet been matched possibly representing more Rich family lines. Most of these tests were carried out through DNA heritage although four were tested by FTDNA and data on 4 men was obtained from Sorenson Molecular genealogy.

The largest family group which has been identified is probably descended from Timothy Rich who emigrated from

England

to Goochland County, Virginia about 1730. Sixteen of these men have been tested, and two more have tests pending. These Rich men live mostly in North Carolina,

Georgia

, Tennessee and Alabama, although some have moved as far as Missouri, Indiana and Oregon. Two of these men do not presently have the Rich surname due to adoption or other circumstances. One family line retained the Reach spelling which my Georgia-raised wife tells me is one way Rich might be pronounced.

This part of the country has a number of problems with family records and the connection beyond 1800 are not easily traced. I have compiled the family data for this group and circulated it to the participants who are actively seeking to unravel the paper trails for these families. The most useful result of this project is the listing of contact information which has been shared among the related men and their interested relatives.

Another substantial family line is descended from Richard Rich and Sarah Robert of Dover, NH and Eastham, MA. Ten participants have been tested, with at least two descended from each of the four sons of Richard, who died in 1692. Among this group only 4 men have exactly matching data on all 43 markers. The other 6 men have no more than one or two deviations from the most common result (mode) for each marker. A paper has been written and submitted to “American Ancestors,” the quarterly magazine published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.

Seven descendants of Nicholas Rich of Salem, MA have been tested with quite substantial matching on at least 41 of 43 markers. Five men descended from Michael DeRich of Salem, MA match each other very well with only one deviation. Five more men descended from Thomas Rich of Brookfield, MA match each other in a similar manner. These three family progenitors were contemporaries with no obvious relationship, but all the results indicate that the three families must have a connection, possibly from before their residence in New England.

Six descendants of Charles Coulson Rich, one of the Mormon pioneers match each other very well. Three of these data sets were found on the Sorenson database which does not name the living persons who were tested. Three other men who are not descended from Charles Coulson Rich seem to match quite well with the others. It is likely that they are all descended from Joseph Rich of West Nottingham, PA. Joseph had been thought to be the son of William Rich of Talbot County, MD, but this family does not match with other descendants of William.

Four descendants of Jacob Rich of Fayette County, PA match each other very well. Five descendants of John Rich of Talbot County, MD match each other. Three descendants of Ishom Rich of Eastern North Carolina also match each other.

Two descendants of William Rich of Talbot County, MD match each other. Two descendants of John Rich of Maidstone, VT match. Two descendants of John and Samuel Rich of NJ and PA match. Two descendants of John Rich of Mt. Desert Island, ME match. An unexpected match occurred with a descendant of William Ritch, a Revolutionary War veteran from

Georgia

and a descendant of an Alonzo Rich of Alabama. One descendant of Thomas Rich of Devonport,

England

has been tested and another relative of this South African family has a test pending.

Unmatched Rich men from

New Zealand

Jamaica

, Maine, Connecticut, North Carolina,

Georgia

, and Alabama have been tested. All of the men mentioned so far belong to the same ethnic group (haplogroup). These people are descended from the families who sought refuge on the Iberian Peninsula (

Spain

) during the last ice age. They were isolated there for hundreds of years before the ice receded and they could migrate back North into

France

, Western Germany, the Low Countries and

Britain

The other 14 men, who have been tested, belong to other ethnic groups who were isolated in the Balkans or the Caucasus regions to the East. As the ice receded they migrated into Eastern or Southern Europe or Scandinavia. We have identified three family lines, two from

Germany

and one from Southern Europe. There are six unmatched men among these 14 and one test is pending.

The Rich DNA project is open ended and new participants can be added at any time. The exact arrangements with FTDNA have not yet been worked out. It appears that the 37 marker test will cost $149 when booked through the group. There are only 32 markers in common between FTDNA and the existing DNA Heritage results, but this should be enough to make valid genealogical conclusions.

You can learn more about Y-chromosome DNA testing at www.familytreedna.com or other internet web sites. Megan Smolenyak and Ann Turner have written an excellent book which explains genealogical DNA testing for the non-scientist. “Trace Your Roots with DNA,” Rodale, 2004 can be purchased through the Rich Family Association Bookstore.