Taking note of Mark's Query on Bing's AI in the previous post, I put a similar query to Google:

"clans douglas drysdale dna genealogy"

Quote:

Based on genealogical and DNA evidence, the Scottish surname Drysdale is considered a sept of Clan Douglas, with historical origins predating this association. DNA projects can help descendants confirm and investigate their specific connections to either the Douglas lineage or other Drysdale families.

Drysdale origins: A sept of Douglas
The relationship between the Drysdale and Douglas names is complex, with both traditional accounts and DNA data shedding light on their shared history.

Drysdale's connection to Douglas: Traditional accounts state that some Drysdales are descended from three Douglas brothers who, in 1503, were exiled from Dryfesdale in Dumfriesshire after a conflict. They resettled in Fife, adopting the Drysdale name.

Drysdale's earlier origin: The name Drysdale (originally Dryfesdale) was in use before the 1503 event. The name is locational, deriving from the Dryfe Water valley in Dumfriesshire, where a church was dedicated as early as 1116. This suggests that not all Drysdale lines originate from the Douglas brothers.

Sept relationship: Because of these various origins, the Clan Douglas Society of North America (CDSNA) classifies Drysdale as a sept, or an allied family, of Clan Douglas. This classification acknowledges a historical association rather than assuming all Drysdales are direct paternal descendants of the Douglas clan.

DNA evidence for Douglas and Drysdale
Genetic genealogy projects have helped confirm and distinguish between different Douglas and Drysdale lines.

Douglas DNA Project: The Douglas Archives run an ongoing DNA project that uses Y-DNA testing to explore the different lineages within the clan. By comparing the Y-DNA (passed from father to son) of modern descendants to known historical lines, they can confirm connections to different branches, such as the Earls of Drumlanrig/Queensberry and the Earls of Morton.

Multiple lineages: DNA testing has shown that the Douglas clan is composed of several distinct Y-DNA lineages. For example, some proven lines, such as the Drumlanrig/Queensberry/Morton Douglases, belong to the R1a haplogroup. Other lineages have different haplogroups, such as E3b, suggesting multiple historical origins for families bearing the Douglas surname.

Identifying specific branches: The Douglas DNA project has successfully distinguished between different branches. For example, by testing descendants of Domini Douglas and the Earls of Morton, researchers proved that their Y-DNA profiles do not match. This confirmed that Domini was likely not a paternal descendant of the same line as the Earls of Morton, a finding consistent with his mother being Irish.

How to use DNA for genealogy
For those with Douglas or Drysdale ancestry, DNA testing can provide valuable genealogical insights.

Y-DNA testing: A male Drysdale or Douglas can take a Y-DNA test to trace his direct paternal line. The results can then be compared to the larger Douglas DNA project database to see if he matches any of the documented Douglas lineages. A non-match could suggest the line descends from an earlier Dryfesdale family or another unassociated line.

.........etc.

Unquote

Best regards

My deduction on DNA research is that not enough Drysdales have tested their DNA.

But this certainly not my area of expertise!

Hi William,

You are probably right about that and I don't know of any documented male Drysdales showing male Douglas ancestry.

Meanwhile, I haven't tested mine and don't intend to.

In today's society, such data is not secure and if sold on or otherwise disseminated to unscrupulous third parties - who knows what "they" can do with it.

But I agree, from a genealogical sense, it would be interesting to see what DNA testing across a wide spectrum of Drysdale families would reveal.

Best regards