Group 2

Hi, Joan,

This is Nancy Kiser, volunteer administrator of the Phillips DNA project. We will forward your message to all of the members of Group 2 to make sure everyone sees it. Hopefully, some of them will respond.

Your brother actually matches everyone in Group 2, but he matches some closer than others. Your brother descends from Reuben Clementine Phillips who died in Anson Co NC in 1781, as do two other members of Group 2.

Here is some general information about the DNA of Group 2. This group belongs to the Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype, which is the most common DNA signature in Western Europe and the British Isles. Because it is so common, it has been impossible thus far to pinpoint exactly where it originated, but a lot of research is being done right now to try to differentiate between different branches. Most of the new research is being done on a specific type of DNA called SNPs.

Group 2 is our largest family group with over 30 members. Many members can trace their Phillips lines back to Maryland. Three different branches can be identified through DNA: the Philomen branch, the Reuben branch, and the London/Mississippi branch. The Philomen branch can be distinguished by the value of 14 for DYS442 while the Reuben branch has a value of 13 for DYS442. Your brother belongs to the Reuben branch. The London/Mississippi branch can be identified by the value of 15 for DYS19, 30 for DYS449 and 10 for DYS460. I call this branch the London/Mississippi branch because one of the members is a British man whose Phillips line traces back to London and the other two members have roots in Mississippi.

I am hoping that someone in Group 2 will step forward and take a leadership role in analyzing the DNA of the group and correlating the DNA with the known genealogy of the various branches of the family. It would be helpful if that person already has a deep knowledge of the genealogy of Group 2. We can train him in DNA analysis. If anyone wants to volunteer to do that, please let us know.

Best regards,
Nancy Kiser