mayor al –
 
Let me tell a story about someone in my family using DNA testing to show a relationship that was long suspected but never proven.  It was the idea of one of my relatives who I now think of as “my smart cousin.”   She did the work and the running – I just gave a sample.
 
My family name has been in what is now the USA for about 370 years when three men with that name settled in New England.  There were  traditions that they were brothers but no proof.  A comprehensive geneaological study was completed  in the 1890’s and books published but no proof was found of the supposed connection between the first three who came here.  Part of the problem was that the family name could not be traced across the Atlantic.  Anyway, I’ll call those first three settlers A, B, and C.  My smart cousin and I are descended from “C” and the paper trail is good. 
 
My smart cousin met a man descended from “B” and he also had a good paper trail and he underwent DNA testing as did her brother.  They match in enough markers to show a recent connection.  (Actually the results were identical for markers tested.) My smart cousin then approached me and asked that I have the DNA tests which I did.  It so happens that her brother and I have the same family and given names because we are both named for the same ancestor.  To prevent someone from someday asking if the test results and records were mixed up, my tests  were made in a different lab than her with result that all three of us, the man descended from “B” and the two of us from “C,” were found to have the same markers.
 
I don’t know that my smart cousin has published the results of this exercize.  I would cite the article if I knew.
 
DNA testing is not my bag. but I think it has been shown that the family tradition of at least two lines of people with my name are related.  Maybe some one else will bring in people descended from “A” someday.  It is also possible that that will help with research  into the origins of the family name.
 
Oh, one more thing.  From our common great-grandfather’s time at least, no hanky pank in two lines descended from “C,” right?
 
I hope you will share with us future developments so far as research about your family is concerned.