23andMe

600,000 SNPs for $999?

What is the difference between genotyping and sequencing?

Though you may hear both terms in reference to obtaining information about DNA, genotyping and sequencing refer to slightly different things.

Genotyping is the process of determining which genetic variants an individual possesses.    Genotyping can be performed through a variety of different methods, depending on the variants of interest and resources available.    At 23andMe, we look at SNPs, and a good way of looking at many SNPs in a single individual is a recently developed technology called a “DNA chip.”

Sequencing is a method used to determine the exact sequence of a certain length of DNA.    Depending on the location, a given stretch may include some DNA that varies between individuals, like SNPs, in addition to regions that are constant.    So sequencing is one way to genotype someone, but not the only way.

You might wonder, then, why we don't just sequence everyone's entire genome, and find every single genetic variant they possess.    Unfortunately, sequencing technology has not yet progressed to the point where it is feasible to sequence an entire genome quickly and cheaply.    It took the Human Genome Project over 10 years' work by multiple labs to sequence the three billion base pair genomes of just a few individuals.    For now, genotyping technologies such as those used by 23andMe provide an efficient and cost-effective way of obtaining more than enough genetic information for scientists — and you — to study.
Copyright © 2007 23andMe, Inc. All rights reserved

At its most basic level the human genetic sequence is a three-billion letter string of A's, T's, G's and C's (the code of DNA).    Most of that sequence is the same in everyone.    But there are an estimated 10 million places in the genome where a single letter of the sequence sometimes differs from one person to the next.

BeadChip

The Illumina HumanHap 550+ BeadChip, analyzes more than 550,000 SNPs that cover the entire genome.    Although this is still only a fraction of the 10 million SNPs that are estimated to be in the human genome, these 550,000 are specially selected because they provide a lot of information about other nearby SNPs.    This maximizes the information we can get from every SNP we analyze, while keeping the cost low.

In addition, we have hand-picked more than 30,000 additional SNPs of particular interest from the scientific literature and added them to the chip.

23andMe looks at nearly 600,000 SNPs scattered across the 23 pairs of chromosomes that constitute the human genetic sequence.    We also look at a few thousand places on the mitochondrial DNA, an odd loop of genetic material outside the nucleus that is involved in producing energy for the cell.

Ron Scott has compiled an interesting list of phenotypes tested by 23andMe which may be seen by clicking here.

Our newest member may be green.

John V. Berry just joined us last night as our 110th member (participant #105) with a Y-DNA67 order.    John expects to match the Spartanburg Co., SC Berrys and you can see his yAncestry on their page.    It will be good if he does because it will give legitimacy to that family.    To this point it only has two members, one of whom has only tested 12 markers so we're really just 'hoping' that the DNA is showing a relationship.    John's results will remove all doubt as to a genetic relationship with the 25 marker tester, at least.

On the Black Friday front, my pair of 1 GB DRAM cards were delivered yesterday and I'm hoping the laptop will be delivered today.    Things will be much nicer (for me) using that machine!

Tuesday

Gordon's, #99, results came in yesterday showing the first difference we've seen in the Y-DNA38-67 test for the Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys.    I promise I'll do a cladogram as soon as my new laptop arrives.    Even though we'll have only five haplotypes to compare.

John's, #42, Y-DNA13-25 results also arrived yesterday.    Although John has no matches to date, now with 25 markers there should be no ambiguity when that first one does show up.

Gordon and John should both go to their FTDNA personal pages, Y-DNA Matches tab, to click the 'Click here to upload to Ysearch.org' line to post their new markers to Ysearch.    If either of you need any help with that, just click here to let me know.

In case any of you know anyone interested in a NEW 25 marker Y-DNA test or a NEW mtDNA test, we still have two $15 gift certificates for each to use before December 31st.

Benton County Berrys

The Benton County Berry database has been updated and facelifted and its new version can be seen here.    You will recall that the Benton County Berrys are the descendants of Samuel Berry and Nancy Crow.    The parentage of Samuel Berry has, thus far, been one of the enduring Berry mysteries.

Circumstantial evidence pointed to a genetic relationship with the Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys but DNA testing has proven the error of that belief.    The genetic distance between the Benton County Berrys and the Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys at the 37 marker level is 52, not to mention that their haplogroups are R1b and I1a, respectively.

So now its up to the traditional genealogists to unravel this puzzle, helped, of course, by the ability to genetically test their hypotheses.

a dna connection

We have another new participant.    Charles D. Berry has joined the Project as participant #104 and will be testing 43 markers at DNA Heritage.    He is expecting to match the Madison Co. Berrys.

Oh yeah.    The wireless router I bought Black Friday?    First thing Saturday morning the UPS lady showed up on my doorstep with it!    Can't beat Apple!

Wonder what Cyber Monday will be like?

Black Friday

I went shopping - online, of course.


Look out now!

gobble gobble

As expected, David's, #101, sample was shipped to the lab last evening in batch 233 with an expected results date of Jan. 18, 2008.    Here's our current pipeline -

I also understand that Donald's, #103, kit is posted back to FTDNA from Scotland.    Hope it gets here in time for the next batch next Wednesday!

How To: Search the SMGF mtDNA database

courtesy Ann Turner, co-author Trace Your Roots With DNA, founder of Rootsweb's Genealogy-DNA mailing list.
=====
Open the SMGF mtDNA Search window by clicking here.

Pick "Other" for the testing company.

Check all HV regions.

Click on "Search by surname" and enter the least common name in your pedigree.

Click on "Clear Values".

Click on Search.

Locate the record with your pedigree. You can usually tell by looking at the surnames and locations, but you can click on the pedigree icon if necessary.

Print out the results screen. It shows where ANY record on the results page has a difference from the CRS.    The CRS value is shown in a faint gray font.

Look at the columns where your pedigree shows a purple box (i.e. a difference
from the CRS).

I like to turn the printout sideways and jot down the most likely substitution right by the locus (the vertical blue numbers).    I use a ruler or another piece of paper as a guideline to be sure I'm lining things up right.

If the CRS is C, put T
If the CRS is T, put C
If the CRS is G, put A
If the CRS is A, put G

If you have insertions compared to the CRS at 16193, 309 or 315 (numbers after a decimal point), put C.

If you have a deletion compared to the CRS at 523 & 524, put "d".

If you have an insertion at 524, put A for 524.1 and C for 524.2 (and keep the A-C pattern going if you have more than one set of insertions).

Click on "Search Again" and enter all the positions where you wrote down a change.    That counts as one query against your daily quota.

Click on "Search."

The vast majority of the time, you will see a perfect match for your sample.    If the most likely substitution didn't work, then try the remaining bases until you achieve a perfect match.

Click on "Search Again".

This time click the radio button on "Search by Differences" so the surname gets grayed out.    To confirm your search, click on "None."

Click on "Search" to see your matches.    If you don't have many matches, you might like to broaden your search to one or two differences.    Some mismatches (e.g. insertions at 309.1C) are rather insignificant.

If your pedigree does not show up, this may be because you only have partial results.    Check again when the next database update is released.

=====

Let me know if I've skipped a crucial step, or if you encounter some cases that aren't covered.

If you have mtDNA results from another testing company, you can enter those directly and see if your pedigree shows up in the SMGF database.

=====

Once you have found yourself by identifying your pedigree send me a TinyURL for your results.

To do that, copy the gigantic URL that appears on the results page.

Open TinyURL by clicking here and paste your gigantic URL into the box indicated.

Click "Make a TinyURL!"

Copy your result and then click here and paste your result into the email to me for posting to the Berry Family DNA Project mtResults page.

quiet

Only that David's, #101, sample has been returned to FTDNA.    Now it will be sent to the lab tomorrow evening and then we'll have an expected results date.

Just in case any of you ever wondered what Bennett Greenspan looks like -

Augusta mystery guy revealed and SMGF results (cont.)

Google is a little scary!    Within hours of posting yesterday's blog the blog post itself became a result of my Google search for the Augusta mystery guy.    I am happy to report that he is a mystery no longer.    He is James W. Berry, PhD, Professor Emeritus, 1996, Butler University, biologist, currently the Editor of Journal of Arachnology, and the Editor of Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, and now #102 in the Project.    Welcome, Jim.

But, try as I might, I don't seem to be able to glean any additional Y-DNA Berry results from the SMGF database.    I've looked at all those we had previously accounted for and reported on and no additional allele results were posted for any of them.    I'd be pleased to be corrected if anyone sees anything that I've missed.

As to the mtDNA results, I don't exactly know what to do with them, if anything.    A search by (approximate) surname yields 250 results with some form of the surname Berry somewhere in the matrilineal line (still think 'matrilineal line' is redundant, but it does seem to convey what I want to describe).    A search by (exact) surname yields 59 results.    I'll keep looking.

A new Augusta mystery guy

A new, as yet unidentified, guy has shown up in the SMGF database matching the Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys!    Here's his pedigree:
The gravestones for many of these folks can be seen on the Green Spring cemetery webpage.

Here's his yAncestry:

Here's his results on SMGF:

Here are his markers on the Berry Family DNA Project website:

Here's a related obituary:

John C. Berry

LEXINGTON, N.C. -- Rev. John Charles Berry, 69, of Webb Road, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002, at his home after an illness of a year and a half.

Mr. Berry was born in Washington County, Va., on July 21, 1933, to Joseph King Berry Sr. and Mary Haseltine Harrison Berry.    He attended Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., before serving in the U.S. Army Intelligence for two and a half years.    He graduated from Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem with a bachelor of religion and a bachelor of theology.    He received his master's degree in Christian education from Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C.    He retired after many years as administrator of Christian schools and served as dean for Calvary Baptist Bible College.    He was a member of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Welcome.

Surviving are spouse, Ann Talley Berry of the home; sons, John William Berry and wife Donna of Lexington, Joseph King Berry II and wife Stacey, all of Lexington, and Thomas Talley Berry and wife, Christina of King; daughters, Donna Berry Padon and husband, Marvin of Lexington and Merri Berry Holmes and husband, John of Rocky Mount; eight grandchildren, Megan Holmes, Heidi Holmes, Kelsey Holmes and Katie Holmes, all of Rocky Mount, Morgan Berry, Landon Berry and Julianna Padon, all of Lexington, and Arianna Berry of King; brother, Dr. James Berry and wife, Betsy of Gainesville, Fla.; sisters, Joan Clark and husband, Dr. Sam Clark of Glade Spring, Va., and Yvonna Brown and husband, Preston of Abingdon.

Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 27, 2002, in Calvary Baptist Church in King conducted by Rev. Roger, Baker, Rev. Barry Surratt and Rev. Floyd Holmes.    Military graveside services will be conducted by Highlands Fellowship Honor Guard 4 p.m. Friday at Green Spring Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Abingdon.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Davidson Funeral Home and at other times at the home on Webb Road.

To continue spreading God's Word, family requests of those who send a memorial that it go to Gideons, P.O. Box 285, Lexington, NC 27293.

Davidson Funeral Home of Lexington is in charge of arrangements.

Bristol, VA - December 26, 2002 Obituaries: BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Uploaded to the USGenWeb Archives with permission

Who is our mystery guy?    Maybe Dr. James Berry of Gainesville, FL?

SMGF

New results were posted to the SMGF Y-DNA and mtDNA databases yesterday.    I'm working through them as quickly as I can.     Looks like maybe some new markers for some already there and maybe even a couple new Berrys.

Haven't had much of a chance to take a thorough look at the mtDNA database yet either.    As soon as I have something I'll post it here.    Stay tuned.

A couple of smalls

No big news today.    A couple small items of interest.

Laurence', #9, mtDNAPlus (HVR1, HVR2) was finally shipped off to the lab last evening and he now has an expected results date of 12/31/2007.    If past experience is any guide, it should be a couple weeks earlier than that.

Gordon's, #99, results for his Y-DNA48-60 marker panel, previously expected Nov. 23, have been delayed with this explanation, "This test failed to yield results for your sample.    Your sample is being rerun now.    Results from this round of testing are expected by Dec. 7, 2007."

Y-DNA48-60 must be a difficult panel.    We've seen delays for it before.

G1G1

Give one get one.    This is so good!    I had another thought for today's blog until I saw this program that is so important and is time limited.

Basically, OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) is a project to equip the world's poorest children with a learning tool.    Founded by MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte as a vehicle to promote global education by tapping into children's innate capacities to learn, share, and create on their own, its aim is to provide them a tool with which children in even the most remote regions of the globe will be given the opportunity to tap into their own potential, to be exposed to a whole world of ideas, and to contribute to a more productive and saner world community.

That tool is the XO laptop.
You can help.    All you have to do is put off the DNA test you were thinking about and invest in the well being of the poorest and least advantaged of our world's children.    The whole concept can be examined here.

Surely you can also think of a child that you know for your own 'Get One' laptop.    I did.

Here's the link to contribute.

A Scot and a Mystery

A Scot and a mystery.    We had two new 'sign-ups' for Y-DNA testing in the Berry Project at FTDNA yesterday.

The first could be a real coup!    Patrick, #60, has been doing some really diligent searching for living Berrys who might be able to test whether his family descended from a Berrynarbor branch of the family in northern Devon and went to Wales and then Ireland.    Hopefully he's found such a person in Donald Berry who will be participant #103 with a Y-DNA37 test.

Oh, by the way, Donald's test took the second $30 gift certificate so we now have two Y-DNA25 and two mtDNA certificates left, each worth $15 toward one of those tests, details here.    Remember, don't delay  --   first come, first served.

Now the mystery.    The other 'sign-up' was by a fellow named Edwards for a Y-DNA12 test for "tbd" Berry.    TBD?    Is that 'to be determined'?    I wrote to inquire but haven't heard back yet.    Could be interesting -- or not.

Everyone needs a little mystery.

Veterans Day "Thanks" is not enough

They're just 11 percent of the U.S. adult population, but a report finds that veterans make up one in four homeless people.

And the problem is not confined to middle-aged and elderly veterans. The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars.

Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.

The Alliance to End Homelessness bases the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. Data from 2005 estimated that about 194,000 homeless people out of 744,000 on any given night were veterans.

Some advocates said such an early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future.

Somebody 'splain this to me . . .

Last March, Dennis, #89, came into the Project with a 12 marker result from the Genographic Project and a pair of Y-HAP-Backbone results M170+ P19+ and a Haplogroup I designation.    My suspicion is that FTDNA was unable to predict Dennis' haplogroup so did the Y-HAP tests on their own under their SNP Assurance program, namely, "If your group has a member for whom we could not predict the haplogroup with 100% confidence, we will run that DNA sample through our Backbone SNP test for free" and guaranteeing haplogroup prediction or confirmation to the depth A, B, C, D, E, E3a, E3b, F, G, H, I, J, K, K2, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, R1a, R1b, R2.

OK.    Why then yesterday did Dennis get another Y-HAP-Backbone result M253+ taking him to a confirmed Hg I1a?    Dennis doesn't respond so I'm asking if anyone can shed any light on what's going on?

Serendipity?

This may answer the question I just posed above.    But since I don't think I understand what Lawrence is saying, I'm not sure if it does or not.    I'll leave that to you.

Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 12:06:03 -0600
From: "Lawrence Mayka"
Subject: [DNA] FTDNA clearing away nonspecific I predictions
To: genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com

From November 8 to November 9, 16 members of my project saw their public haplogroup prediction (as listed on our project web site) go from I or '-' to I1a, I1b, or I1c.    My first thought is that this is a recognition of the fact that many old test results of I were due simply to lack of further testing (for I1a, I1b, or I1c), and that such older I results should not in themselves drag down a current customer's haplogroup prediction.    I know also that in some cases, FTDNA has recently run some additional free SNP tests on older kits (e.g., to refine an I to I1c).

As you may know, FTDNA has one algorithm for posting a customer's haplogroup prediction on his own Haplogroup tab, and a stricter algorithm for posting a haplogroup prediction on a public web site such as those generated for FTDNA-sponsored projects.    This newsletter from 2004 describes the two algorithms, although they may have been refined somewhat since then:

http://www.familytreedna.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show

Note that this algorithm refinement should not affect the SNP Assurance Program, because that program defines haplogroup uncertainty in terms of the Genographic Project's algorithm.    Of course, that project may decide to refine its algorithm too.

REALLY POSTED BY LANGOLIER AT 9:21 PM  ♣     

You snooze, you lose

Well, it seems that none of the 12 marker folks that I tried to reach with my post yesterday heeded my call to arms.    Ah, well.    Someday.

On the brighter side, Ben Henderson thinks/hopes that he has found a representative of family line five out of what he thinks may be six for our Orange Co., NC Berrys and David Lee Berry is our participant #101 accounting for one of our $30 Y-DNA37 gift certificates.    Let's hope it works out.

So, one $30 certificate gone, one to go.    Remember, first come, first served.

Open message to participants 13, 20, 33, 41, 42, 52, 53, 56, 59, 63, 67, 70, 73, 78, 81, 85, 87, 89, 91, 94 and 100

What will your 12 marker test tell you?    Very little!    It will tell you that you are not related to another person if you do not match.

But what if you do match?    All that match will tell you is that you might be related to him.

If you don't match anyone at 12 markers will upgrading to a 37 marker test make you match someone?    No, but it will guarantee that when that match does come along, and it will, you will absolutely be related to that person.

What if that new match has a different surname?    Depending on the closeness of that match, you would still probably be related to that person.    If the match were 37/37, I would bet on it, different surname or not.

The upgrade from 12 markers to 37 markers costs less than 100 bucks.    $99 to be exact.    25 more markers for the same as or less than you spent on your first 12.    Give yourself a Christmas present and order your upgrade before 5:00 p.m. Mountain time today to give it a chance to arrive on time.

Carol and I are both volunteers to this Project with no financial interest whatsoever in your testing.    We both do, however, have an interest in seeing you all get meaningful results.

A New Way To Recognize DNA

Scientists led by Mike Hannon at the University of Birmingham and Miquel Coll at the Spanish Research Council in Barcelona have discovered a new way that drugs can attach themselves to DNA, which is a crucial step forward for researchers who are developing drugs to combat cancer and other diseases.

DNA contains the information which encodes life itself;   its double-helical structure was recognised 50 years ago.    Scientists soon started designing drugs to target DNA and used them to treat diseases such as cancer, viral infections and sleeping sickness.    In the 1960s, scientists discovered three different classes of clinical drug, each of which recognised DNA in a different way.    Subsequent drugs have used only these three ways to recognise the DNA.    Now the Birmingham and Barcelona teams have found a fourth which is completely different and opens up entirely new possibilities for drug design.

The scientists have developed a synthetic drug agent that targets and binds to the centre of a 3-way junction in the DNA.    These 3-way junction structures are formed where three double-helical regions join together.    They are particularly exciting as they have been found to be present in diseases, such as some Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy, in viruses and whenever DNA replicates itself, for example, during cancer growth.

First of all, the Birmingham team created a nanosize synthetic drug in the shape of a twisted cylinder.    Together with researchers in the UK, Spain and Norway they showed that it had unprecedented effects on DNA.    Now molecular level pictures taken by the Barcelona team have shown that it binds itself in a new way to the DNA, by fixing itself to the centre of a DNA junction, which had three strands.    It is all held together because the cylinder is positively charged and the DNA is negatively charged.    In addition the drug is a perfect fit in the heart of the junction:    a round peg in a round hole.

DNA is the genetic code in humans which carries all the information needed by our bodies in order to function properly.    It is divided into units of genes.    When a disease is present, genes are either working too hard or not enough, so to combat this, scientists are looking for ways to target those genes to turn them off or on or to make them work slower or faster.    A number of current anti-cancer drugs target disease at DNA level, but they are not specific in their approach and this means that they can cause unpleasant side effects.    Moreover some of these drugs suffer from developed resistance as the body learns how to deal with drugs that act in a particular way.    By creating drugs which act in completely different ways this acquired resistance could be overcome.

Professor Mike Hannon, from the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemistry, says, ‘This is a significant step in drug design for DNA recognition and it is an absolutely crucial step forward for medical science researchers worldwide who are working on new drug targets for cancer and other diseases.    This discovery will revolutionise the way that we think about how to design molecules to interact with DNA.    It will send chemical drug research off on a new tangent.    By targeting specific structures in the DNA scientists may finally start to achieve control over the way our genetic information is processed and apply that to fight disease’.

Professor Miquel Coll’s team from the Spanish Research Council in Barcelona was able to obtain the molecular level picture of how the drug interacts with the DNA using a technique called X-ray crystallography at the European Synchrotron facility at Grenoble in France.    Professor Miquel Coll says, ‘In 1999 we solved the structure of the four-way DNA junction  -also called Holliday junction-  which is how two DNA helices can ‘recombine’ (swop genetic information) and which is important in producing genetic diversity in humans and other organisms.    But that junction was rather compact, without cavities or holes that could be used for drug binding.    Now we have discovered that three-way DNA junctions are much more suitable for drug design:    they leave a central cavity where a drug can fit perfectly and this opens a door for the design of new and quite unprecedented anti-DNA agents.’

http://www.buzz.bham.ac.uk/Buzz_74.pdf
http://www.chem.bham.ac.uk/about/recent.shtml

FTDNA Holiday Promotion

FTDNA has again made available to each surname project a $120 gift in the form of six (6) Gift Certificates which may be used for NEW DNA testing.   We have

Two (2)   $30 certificates for Y-DNA37
Two (2)   $15 certificates for Y-DNA25
Two (2)   $15 certificates for mtDNA

To use the certificate:

• Place the new kit order via the INVOICE PAYMENT method.
  
• Email juliew@familytreedna.com the kit number once the order is complete and which gift certificate to use from your project.
  
• The test price will be adjusted to reflect the gift certificate discount.
  
• PLEASE DO NOT USE CREDIT CARDS WITH THIS PROMOTION AS THE CARD WILL BE CHARGED THE FULL AMOUNT.

The Order must be placed and paid for between November 6, 2007 and December 31, 2007.

These gift certificates are NOT redeemable for cash, with any other offers or for existing kit upgrades.

If you've been considering testing, you should jump on this right away.   It will be first come, first served.

With the gift certificates, your kit prices are:

37 markers              $159
25 markers              $133
mtDNA                     $114
mtDNAPlus             $174
mtFullSequence      $480

If you'd like to get in on this, get in touch with me right away.   As I said, First come, First served.   Click here to email me.

A taste of a different, but related, Augusta

You all will recall that I spent last week in West Virginia at the Augusta Heritage Center.    From time to time I'll just squeeze in a little taste of what went on there.

This is my fiddle teacher, Dave Bing, accompanied by my friend, Pam Lund, playing one of the Hammons family tunes, Yew Piney Mountain.

And this is my friend, Lester McCumbers, playing Ida Red.    If Lester is not now West Virginia's oldest fiddle player, he's very near to it.

All these folks are just the nicest people I've ever been privileged to know.    As they were growing up the old players shared their music with them and their interest now is to pass it along.

Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys

Of the 16 members of the Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys, 14 have tested at least 37 markers.    Here's the cladogram for those results:

I've made no attempt to analyze this cladogram.    I'm not sure that I could.    Anyone have any thoughts about whether this shows lines within this Family?

Keep in mind that the U.S. Berrys in this family first show up here around 1740, presumably from Ireland;   the Canadian branch, represented by Cameron, #50, emigrated from Ireland to Canada about 1870;   the New Zealand branch, represented by Gordon, #99, emigrated there from Ireland about 1876;   and the Australian Berry branch, represented by Patrick, #60, emigrated from Ireland to Australia, via South Africa, in the 1880s.    According to their yAncestries, Gordon and Patrick have a common ancestor, Sterling Berry 1771-1828, five generations back and all three have a common ancestor, Thomas Berry c1737-1815, six generations back for Patrick and Gordon, but only five generations back for Cameron.

For the U.S. Berrys, the best we can do (for those lines that we can even get back near a boat) would be a common ancestor with Cameron, Patrick and Gordon about nine generations back  -  could easily be more.    What would be very helpful would be to find some Berrys currently living in Ireland who match the Augusta/Washington Co. Berry line.    I guess the first step in that quest would be to find some Irish Berrys to test.    I don't recall ever seeing an Irish visitor to this blog.    I can only track the last 100 [out of 8,064 total] and the closest in that group is one visitor from York in the U.K.