Genealogy Chat

Have you looked into the possibility of the COOPER Surname DNA Project finding a genetic link of your line with other Cooper researchers' lines who are already in the group? It helped me break through a brickwall I had for thirty years. Please check out the Group's website at: http://www2.arkansas.net/~bcooper2k/ managed by the Group Administrator, Hiram Ben Cooper, who is an uncompensated volunteer, and has been a very diligent researcher for many, many years. The purpose is to find out if people with the Cooper surname share a common ancestor, as well as identifying the different lines and possible points of origin for them. The COOPER Surname DNA Project is continuously seeking for other male researchers surnamed COOPER, or female researchers who have living male fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles, sons, grandsons, cousins..etc. who are surnamed COOPER, or are male children of biological fathers surnamed COOPER, to become a part of this growing project. We now have 106 members in the group. There have been about 52 different lines of COOPER identified to date. Many of these have found previously unknown relatives who are also researching the family, and found opportunity to share new information with others members who are their genetic matches. We are also very interested in persons who have roots in the UK. The well-discounted lab fee goes 100% to the service provider, in our case, Family Tree DNA (www.familytreedna.com). The DNA sample collection process uses a simple, painless, bloodless, mouth swab with a little swab that looks like a cross between a cotton swab and a mini-toothbrush. If interested, please contact us via the following email address: [email protected] (this is to contact H. Ben Cooper-Group Administrator) Best Regards, Gary W. Cooper Co-Administrator (uncompensated volunteer) COOPER Surname DNA Project

WHAT THE ** IS THIS?????????????????? gr ????????????????

Dea, I think its an advert....LOL!! And not a very impressive one either to my mind - pay your money and find out you are related to one other person named Cooper. Marjorie

It is not necessarily an 'advert'. There are quite a lot of projects investigating single surnames for links through DNA. They are usually American based but I would very much like to see some research on the different clusters of my surname and various others in the ancestry. MB

Pretty serious stuff actually - along the lines used on the BBC programmes ascertaining Viking bloodlines in Lincolnshire.

Sorry Martin, but I think there is a BIG difference between posting a message on here saying 'Any Coopers who are interested in DNA testing can email me' and this. I am very cynical about these projects. Although they undoubtedly do what they say they will do - compare your DNA with all the others in the group, and then tell you whether or not you have a common ancestor - well, so what? If you have done a careful family tree in the traditional way, you should already know that. If you haven't, then what are you hoping to gain? A quick ride on someone else's tree? It is unfortunate, to my mind, that the surname Cooper has been chosen here. Cooper is an 'Occupational' name and there must have been Coopers in every town and village in Britain for the last thousand years, all independant lines and nothing to do with any other Coopers. As you say, these projects are mostly US based, reflecting the fact that htey have hit a big brick wall and want YOU to pay to get them out of it! Personally, I would prefer to spend the money on getting a good handful of certificates. Marjorie

It all depends on what they are charging. If they have got a good deal then it could be good value though it is almost certainly going to be a US company so not very relevant here. As someone writes, Cooper is not a good surname to investigate unless you get a very large sample. My family comes from Bolton and I would be interested to know if they are connected to other groups of Briscoes in various parts of the country. The trouble is that any Americans running a DNA investigation could probably be more interested in proving that they are descended from one of the Cumberland Briscoes who crossed the Atlantic in the 1600s. MB

I fully agree with what you have said, Marjorie. Cooper was/is also a common traveller name, especially around Hampshire/Dorset/Sussex. Strangely enough, if you are a Cooper living in Britain, there's more than a good chance your direct ancestors came from Britain, not America!!! If you are American - surely the immigration records will point you in the right direction. maggie