The results of the Cree YDNA Project are described on this page in terms of what they mean for each of the participants from the UK Cree lines. To preserve anonymity I have given each test subject in the Cree Project a code and you can find out your code if you know your kit number from the table on the right. Otherwise you can email Mike Spathaky at the address on the Contact page of this web site.

Your full YDNA profile is shown marker by marker on the downloadable spreadsheet. You will need to know your FTDNA kit number in order to identify which profile is yours.

Click on your code letter in this table to see an analysis of your personal YDNA test result.

Code Kit# Line#

F 225403 10b

G 264144 14

H 266051 10b

I 208191 17

J U3541 10c

K 38270 17

L 243951 1

M 266775 1

Q 267873 23

R 267874 23

S 280003 7

Related articles:
Review Part 1
Review Part 2
Analysis
Appendix

Download file:
Spreadsheet of Cree YDNA profiles

Test Subject F

Your genealogy tells us that you belong to Cree Branch 10b, the Aberdalgie branch in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at your great-grandfather's details and clicking on the father's name at each generation until no father is mentioned.

As you may know your DNA profile is a perfect match with that of Test subject G a descendant of the Sprotbrough Yorkshire line (Line 14). This normally means that you have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born in the 90 years before your birth. However G's genealogy is known back to about 1744 and yours even further, without any link so the link must be a bit further back then the theoretical probability suggests. I am optimistic about finding it.

You have a 36 out of 37 marker match with three other participants in the Project, coded as H, I and J. This is as close a match as you can get without being an exact (37/37) match and means that you have common ancestors with each of H, I and J who were born in about the year 1700. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1700). H is also from Branch 10b; I from Line 17, the Robert Cree line of Newtownards, County Down; and J is from the Fife and Devon Line (Line 10c).

The combined closeness of matches within the whole Scotland group suggests a date within the period of genealogical records for a common ancestor of them all. It may be possible to find the genealogical links.

Test Subject G

Your genealogy tells us that you are a descendant of the Sprotbrough Yorkshire line (Line 14) in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at your great-grandfather's details and clicking on the father's name at each generation until no father is mentioned.

As you may know your DNA profile is a perfect match with that of Test subject F who belongs to Cree Branch 10b, the Aberdalgie branch This normally means that you have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born in the 90 years before your birth. However your genealogy is known back to about 1744 and F's goes even further, without any link so the link must be a bit further back then the theoretical probability suggests. I am optimistic about finding it.

Test Subject H

Your genealogy tells us that you belong to Cree Branch 10b, the Aberdalgie branch in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at your great-grandfather David Cree's details and clicking on the father's name at each generation until no father is mentioned.

You have a 36 out of 37 marker match with two other participants in the Project, coded as F and G. This is as close a match as you can get without being an exact (37/37) match and means that you have a common ancestor with each of F and G who was born in about the year 1700. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1700). F is also from Branch 10b, and G from Line 14, the Sprotborough, Yorkshire, line.

You have slightly less close matches 35/37 with two further participants, I and J. Of these I is descended from a County Down, Ireland, line (Line 17) and J from the Fife and Devon line (no Branch 10c). While this theoretically gives a common ancestor before the year 1600 (at 50% probability level), these estimations are known to be unreliable. My hunch is that the combined closeness of matches within the whole Scotland group suggests a later date for a common ancestor of then all.

Test Subject I

Your genealogy tells us that you are a descendant of the Newtownards Cree Line (Line 17) in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at your great-grandfather's details and clicking on the father's name at each generation until no father is mentioned.

36 of the 37 markers of K's test profile match with yours. Test subject K also belongs to the Newtownards Cree Line (Line 17). This normally means that you have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born since about 1700. The fact that you are closely related means there as been a mutation in the genetic profile of one of you - probably K because your profile is closer than jis to other members of the Scotland group. The facts that his match is as close as 36/37 markers and that are both matched to our Scottish Crees preclude completely the possibility of a non-paternity event in your close family.

The mutation has resulted in K's profile being more distant from those of other members of the Scotland group than would otherwise be the case. It is useful therefore to consider your profile in relation to other test subjects in the Scotland group. You have a 36/37 match with two other members (apart from K) and a 35/37 match with two others.

The 36/37 matches are with test subjects F and G. Test subject F is descended from Thomas Crie of the Aberdalgie, Perthshire (Line 10b) while test subject G belongs to the Sprotbrough Yorkshire line (Line 14). A match this close suggests a 50% probability of a common ancestor at around the year 1700. Your genealogy is known back to about this time as do F's and G's. No link is known in this time scale so the connection must be a only a bit further back. I am optimistic that we will find documentary evidence of it.

You have a 35 out of 37 marker match with test subjects H and J. This means that you have common ancestors who were born around the year 1600. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1700). H is from the line of Thomas Crie of the Aberdalgie, Perthshire (Line 10b) and J from that of Thomas Cray of Kingskettle, the Fife and Devon line (now Branch 10c). A 35/37 match suggests a common Cree ancestor born around 1600 (again at a 50% probability level). Finding documentary evidence so far back is less certain but still possible.

However the combined closeness of matches within the whole Scotland group suggests to me a date within the period of genealogical records for a common ancestor of them all. It may be possible to find the genealogical links.

Test Subject J

Your genealogy tells us that you are a descendant of the Fife and Devon Line (Line 10c) in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at your great-grandfather's details and clicking on the father's name at each generation until no father is mentioned.

Your DNA profile has a close match with those of two other Cree test subjects and a fairly close match with two others.

36 of the 37 markers of your test profile match with test subjects F and G. Test subject F belongs to Cree Branch 10b, the Aberdalgie branch. Test subject G belongs to the Sprotbrough Yorkshire line (Line 14).

This normally means that you have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born since about 1700. Your genealogy is known back to about this time as do F's and G's. No link is known in this time scale but the connection must be a just a bit further back. I am optimistic about finding it.

You have a 35 out of 37 marker match with test subjects H and I. This means that you have common ancestors who were born around the year 1600. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1700). H is from Branch 10b and I from Line 17, the Robert Cree line of Newtownards, County Down.

Test Subject K

Your DNA profile has a close match (36/37 markers) with those of one other Cree test subject and a fairly close match (35/37) with two others and a slightly less close match (34/37) with a further two.

36 of the 37 markers of your test profile match with test subject I. Test subject I also belongs to the Newtownards Cree Line (Line 17). This normally means that you have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born since about 1700. The fact that you are closely related means there as been a mutation in the genetic profile of either you or test subject I - probably yours because his profile is closer than yours to other members of the Scotland group. The facts that your match is as close as 36/37 markers and that are both matched to our Scottish Crees preclude completely the possibility of a non-paternity event in your close family.

The mutation has resulted in your profile being more distant from those of other members of the Scotland group than would otherwise be the case. It is useful therefore to consider I's profile in relation to other test subjects in the Scotland group. He has a 36/37 match with two other members (apart from you) and a 35/37 match with two others.

Test subject I has a 36/37 match with test subjects F and G. Test subject F is descended from Thomas Crie of the Aberdalgie, Perthshire (Line 10b) while test subject G belongs to the Sprotbrough Yorkshire line (Line 14). A match this close suggests a 50% probability of a common ancestor at around the year 1700. Your genealogy is known back to about this time as do F's and G's. No link is known in this time scale so the connection must be a only a bit further back. I am optimistic that we will find documentary evidence of it.

Test subject I has 35 out of 37 marker matches with test subjects H and J. This means that you and he have an ancestor in common with H and J who was born around the year 1600. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1700). H is from the line of Thomas Crie of the Aberdalgie, Perthshire (Line 10b) and J from that of Thomas Cray of Kingskettle, the Fife and Devon line (now Branch 10c). A 35/37 match suggests a common Cree ancestor born around 1600 (again at a 50% probability level). Finding documentary evidence so far back is less certain but still possible.

Test Subject L

Your genealogy tells us that you belong to Cree Line 1, the Bolsover line in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at your great-grandfather's details and clicking on the father's name at each generation until no father is mentioned. So we get back to Alexander Mackree.

The only other member of the Bolsover line who has done the DNA test is Test Subject M. The two YDNA test results did not match with other Cree results. This is as expected and consistent with the line being separate from other Cree lines. The big surprise is that they did not match with each other. You and M probably do not have a common male-line ancestor within the last 4800 years! To all intents and and purposes you are not related.

Our ancestry is known to be fairly distant from that of M. However we thought they coincided with a common ancestor James Cree (born 1644), son of the above Alexander Mackree. James was born "only" about 370 years before us.

The YDNA results however show that somewhere along the line (either our line or M's) there has been a non-paternity event - someone was given the name Cree whose real father was not named Cree - perhaps through adoption, illegitimacy or some other circumstance.

The testing company has looked for a match for your YDNA across the whole of its dataase. A further surprise is that your DNA matches that of two people in the USA who have the surnames Humphrey and Humphries. This suggests that the non-paternity event occurred in our ancestral branch rather than that of our supposed distant cousin M. It also suggests that the non-paternity event was the birth of a son who was named Cree to a Humphries father (rather than the other way round).

I have searched the records of Bolsover to see if there has ever been a Humphrey or Humphries in that area. Indeed there was! The Family Search web site shows a Thomas and Anne Humphry who married in Bolsover in December 1779 and baptised two daughters in the parish church in January and August 1780. They subsequently had seven more children from 1784 to 1793 in nearby parishes. So we have a working hypothesis that this Thomas Humphries also fathered a son who was given the surname Cree. If this is true that son is likely to be our ancestor (another) James Cree who I had thought was born around 1779. His details are shown at http://www.cree.name/person.htm?id=97. You will see from this that I already had some uncertainty about his ancestry.

I am actively looking to see if we can make a link between Thomas Humphry of Bolsover and the American DNA test subjects whose YDNA matches yours.

Test Subject M

The only other member of our line who has done the DNA test is Test Subject L (who is closely related to me). The two YDNA test results did not match with other Cree results. This is as expected and consistent with the line being separate from other Cree lines. The big surprise is that they did not match with each other. You and L probably do not have a common male-line ancestor within the last 4800 years! To all intents and and purposes you are not related.

Your ancestry is known to be fairly distant from that of L. However we thought they coincided with a common ancestor James Cree (born 1644), son of the above Alexander Mackree. James was born "only" about 370 years before us.

The YDNA results however show that somewhere along the line (either your line or L's) there has been a non-paternity event - someone was given the name Cree whose real father was not named Cree - perhaps through adoption, illegitimacy or some other circumstance.

The testing company has looked for a match for your YDNA and L's across the whole of its database. A further surprise is that L's DNA matches that of two people in the USA who have the surnames Humphrey and Humphries. This suggests that the non-paternity event occurred in his ancestral branch rather than that of yours. It also suggests that the non-paternity event was the birth of a son who was named Cree to a Humphries father (rather than the other way round). I have searched the records of Bolsover to see if there has ever been a Humphrey or Humphries in that area.

Indeed there was! The Family Search web site shows a Thomas and Anne Humphry who married in Bolsover in December 1779 and baptised two daughters in the parish church in January and August 1780. They subsequently had seven more children from 1784 to 1793 in nearby parishes. So we have a working hypoothesis that this Thomas Humphries also fathered a son who was given the surname Cree. If this is true that son is likely to be L's ancestor (another) James Cree who I had thought was born around 1779. His details are shown at http://www.cree.name/person.htm?id=97. You will see from this that I already had some uncertainty about his ancestry.

I am actively looking to see if we can make a link between Thomas Humphry of Bolsover and the American DNA test subjects whose YDNA matches L's.

Test Subject Q

We already know from your genealogy that you are a descendant of the Lisburn Cree Line (Line 23) in the List of Cree lines and branches. Details of your genealogy can be be seen starting with the person details of your great-grandfather William Cree who was a weaver in Lisburn County Antrim.

Comparison with the test results of other participants in the Cree YDNA Project shows you are quite closely related to test subjects H and I.

You have a 36/37 match with test subject H. He belongs to the Cree Line (Line 10b) of Thomas Cree of Aberdalgie, Perthshire, Scotland. This means that you and he have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born since about 1700. This is a real breakthrough for our research into the Irish Cree lines as you are the first person actually living in Ireland to show a match this close to the Scottish lines.

36 of the 37 markers of your test profile also match with I's profile. Test subject I belongs to the Newtownards Cree Line (Line 17). This is also the line that Trevor Cree belongs to. This means that you and he have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born since about 1700.

You are slightly less closely related to test subjects F, G and K but this is still quite close and is definitely significant. These 35/37 matches with them mean that you have common ancestors who were born around the year 1600. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1600):

F is from the line of Thomas Crie of the Aberdalgie, Perthshire (Line 10b).
G is descended from William Cree of Sprotbrough, Yorkshire (Line 14).
(F and G show an exact (37/37) with each other so Lines 10b and 14 are very closely related.)
K is a close family relation of I and thus also descended from Robert Cree of Newtownards.

The combined closeness of matches within the whole Scotland-Ulster group suggests to me a date within the period of genealogical records for a common ancestor of them all. It may be possible to find the genealogical links.

Test Subject R

We already know from your genealogy that you are a descendant of the Bangor Cree Line (Line 16) in the List of Cree lines and branches. Details of your genealogy can be be seen starting with the person details of your great-grandfather Hugh Cree Jr. of Bangor, County Down.

It appears that your YDNA profile is quite unique. It is substantially different to any other profile in the Cree Project. There are no close (or even distant) matches. This will no doubt be a disappointment to you as it is to me. There are two possible situations that could account for this result.

First is the possibility that your Cree line - that of Hugh Cree, weaver of Bangor - is genetically completely separate from other Cree lines, most of which have now had at least one test subject. This seems unlikely but could result from the surname Cree having been a variation of a different surname such as McCrea.

Secondly it is possible that the surname Cree was passed down to Hugh and then on to you from one of our known Cree lines but the male DNA profile has not been passed down by the same route. This can happen if there is an adoption, or someone changes their surname, or if a son takes the surname from someone who is not their biological father. One of these "non-paternity" events may have happened at any time in your ancestry, possibly many generations ago even before Hugh Cree, weaver of Bangor.

The testing company FTDNA tells us that you have no close matches within their entire database. This is an unusual occurrence and one I have not come across in my limited experience. The closest match is with a Daniel Frederick Nesbitt, but only 33 markers of the 37 tested agree, so the common ancestor of Mr Nesbitt and yourself is likely to be about 17 generations (say over 500 years) ago.

A further point of interest is that your deep ancestry profile belongs to type R1a1a (also referred to as Haplogroup R-M17). This haplotype has a small presence in Britain and Ireland, mainly in Scotland and the north of Ireland. It has been suggested that this haplotype was brought to Britain by the Vikings. So you may have Viking ancestry!

Test Subject S

Your genealogy tells us that you are a descendant of the line of Cree glovers of Perth, Scotland line (Line 7) in the List of Cree lines and branches. You can trace your genealogy in the Cree On-Line Genealogy Database by starting at the details of your father Andrew Cree at http://www.cree.name/person.htm?id=6779 and clicking on his father's name and so on at each generation until no father is mentioned. This brings you to William Crie, a burgess of Perth who was born before 1580!

The result of your test is that your DNA profile has a perfect match that of Test subject H who belongs to Cree Branch 10b, the Aberdalgie branch This normally means that you have a 50/50 chance of having a common ancestor born in the 90 years before your birth. However your genealogy is known back to about 1580 and H's goes back to about 1690 without any link so the link must be further back then the theoretical probability suggests. I am optimistic about finding it.

You have a 36 out of 37 marker match with three futher participants in the Project, coded as F, G and Q. This is as close a match as you can get without being an exact (37/37) match and means that you have common ancestors with each of F, G and Q who were born in about the year 1700. (This is at a 50% probabilty level, meaning that there is a 50% probablity that your common ancestor was born more recently than 1700). F is, like H, from Branch 10b; G from Line 14, the line of Sprotbrough, Yorkshire; and Q is from the William Cree line of Lisburn, County Down, Ireland (Line 23b).