Barack Obama's acceptance speech

Extended . . . .

Haven't tested yet? Do NOT miss this!!

You have only four more days to take advantage of FTDNA's Summer Sale that is indeed Sizzling!!

Note especially the price for the 37 marker test, $119!!

The usual price for their 12 marker test is $99.    The 12 marker test has a high probability for false positives, false matches.    Even the 25 marker test has the possibility for a false match.    The 37 marker test is that which we recommend in this Project to best avoid that possibility.

To see the (almost) complete offering you may Click this Link.   I say 'almost' because their first offering failed to list the 67 marker test which is also included in the sale at $218.

You may order through this link.    If you need any help Email me here.    Unfortunately, I am (again) going to be away from Friday till Monday and I'm pretty sure I won't have any email access this time.    While I'm gone Carol will be very happy to assist you should you need it.    Your last day to take advantage of this opportunity is August 31st.

What we live for. . . .

New members and new results are the life's blood of a DNA Project.    And we have one of each!

Edgar Lewis Berry has joined us as our 134th member and participant #125.    Edgar expects to match the Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys.

Emmett's, #119, Y-DNA13-25 markers were reported this afternoon and have been posted.    Emmett also needs new members since his results match none of our current participants.

All of you in Emmett's shoes, without matches in the Project, should use this FTDNA Sale to your advantage and get some of those you think or hope will match to sign up.    Remeber, though, it expires in five days!

131, 132 and 133

Yep.    Three new members.    Billy James Berry, #122, and Harold Bernard Berry, #123, are new Y-DNA37 purchases taking advantage of the FTDNA sale and both expected to match the Orange Co., NC Berrys which will give that family ten persons tested.

Our 133rd participant, on the other hand, is William C. Stribling, #124, who comes to us with 37 markers already reported because he matches no Striblings but does match exactly four Berry Plain Berrys.    This warrants further investigation and we believe that membership in this Project will facilitate that.
It seems pretty clear from these matches that Bill is genetically a Berry Plain Berry.

And here's their obligatory TMRCA -

n.b.

Sometimes n.b. means nota bene and sometimes it means 'newsy bits'.    This time it's the latter.

Drove yesterday to Fulford and Soule cemeteries in Hyde Co. for the Swan Quarter Project. An 80+ mile trip, each way, but, I think, successful.    Now to get the photos into presentable format to get them online.    Strangely, these two cemeteries have more Berrys than you can shake a stick at while two other cemeteries that I stopped at while driving between the two had none at all??!!!    Go figure.

Here's a teaser.
Berrys here.
None here.
Another bit is that Emmett Berry's, #119, Y-DNA1-12 markers of his Y-DNA67 order came back yesterday.    Unfortunately, no matches and, even worse, Emmett is no closer than a genetic distance of 10 from anyone else in the Project.    Additionally, I believe that Emmett is the only E1b1b1 in the Project!

Now's the time to recruit or sponsor more Berrys to test while FTDNA's Sizzling Summer Sale is still going on!

We are now 130

Doug Barry, #121, an Ancestry.com testee, has joined the Project and is our 130th member.    Doug has 30 markers and this may be good news for Philip, #10, whom he matches 29/30.    Philip is our adoptee and this certainly seems worth exploring.    John should probably do the free SMGF test which , as best I can figure it, might give him an additional 7 or so markers to compare with Philip's.

In addition, John Barry, #114, has ordered his Y-Refine12to37 and an mtDNA test.    These should be sent to the lab this afternoon after which time we'll have an idea when to expect these results.

I'm Very Impressed

Gordon and Theresa Berry from New Zealand, Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys, are traveling from New Zealand to Ireland, with side trips to England and Turkey, then to Japan and then, I guess, home.    Because I didn't have my wits about me when they asked for my 'travel schedule' I gave them my schedule of when we have to board the dogs, completely forgetting about Berry Beach Week when we are gone but take the dogs with us -- which was the time they picked for their trip so that they could stop by to see me.    Undaunted, they rented a car in D.C. and drove down to the Outer Banks.   

I'm sure glad they did because they're a delightful couple.    . . . and I envy their trip!    Theresa is a fastidious researcher who doesn't accept 'maybe' as an answer.    Among other sources, she's determined to find a particular will she believes will provide answers to some of her (our?) unresolved questions.    Included in their travels about Ireland will also be a visit to Eglish Castlewhich likely plays a prominent role in Berry family history only after the departure of the 'American' Augusta/Washington Co. Berrys for the colonies.    But a place I would visit also.

Thanks for searching us out, Theresa and Gordon.    Bon Voyage!

At the beach

As you can see, I do have internet access -- after a fashion.    This house doesn't have wifi (what was my daughter thinking when she booked it?) but some neaby places do.    I can usually find at least one unlocked network that I can hook onto -- not fast but somewhat useable.    Sort of like the old dial-up days.    Lots of sitting and waiting for a page to load or an email to get gone.

One person has taken advantage of FTDNA's 'Sizzling Summer Sale'!    Sue Badeaux has sponsored her Uncle, Joseph Cecil Berry, Jr., for the 37 marker test and I have logged them into the Project as #109.    For now, Joseph's yAncestry has been included with the Unassigned folks.    Joseph is our 129th member.

Who's next?

Berry Beach Week again

We missed last year and I don't remember why.    Our last trip was two years ago but we're going again this year.    We're missing a couple of folks this year.    A son is in NY working on the Olympics for NBC and a grandson in Florida in school.    The upside is that that means more fish for the rest of us, two daughters, four grandkids and four dogs.

We have a house in Rodanthe and it should be a little different this year since I believe we have internet access and I do have my Black Friday MacBook.    I'm hoping to be offline only during the drive down today.

Sort of expect Augusta/Washington Co. Gordon Berry from New Zealand to pop by, maybe Tuesday.

Also plan to re-survey the Soule Cemetery in Hyde Co., (Swan Quarter Berrys) and do the Fulford Cemetery where I believe there are also a significant number of Berrys.

Sizzling Summer Sale

This FTDNA promotion is geared towards bringing new members to our projects by offering the following incentives:


Y-DNA12+mtDNA promotion price of $99;   (normally $189)

Y-DNA25+mtDNA promotion price of $148 (normally $238)

Y-DNA37 orders price REDUCED to $119 (normally $189)

Y-DNA37+mtDNAPlus orders price REDUCED to $189 (normally $339) [BEST BUY!]

Y-DNA67+mtDNAPlus orders price REDUCED to $288 (normally $409)

mtDNAPlus price REDUCED to $149 (normally $189)

This promotion goes into effect immediately and will be available until August 31st, 11:59PM CST.

Additionally, FTDNA is increasing its shipping charge to $4, effective immediately.

Results

The final few markers for both Brent Berry's, #4, and Wiley Berry's, #18, 67 marker upgrades just arrived, this time with notice from FTDNA of their arrival.    I suppose the notice is because these markers complete their upgrade orders.

Brent is a Madison Co. Berry and the upgrade markers all exactly match the four others in that family who have tested to 67 markers.

In addition, Donald Berry, #120, an Augusta/Washington Co. Berry, received his Y-Refine25to37 upgrade results.    Interesting.    As soon as I can get the cladogram generating software running again I'll update the Comparison Charts page.

These new results remind me to remind you that whenever you get new results, be sure to upload them to ySearch .    It's very easy to do.    Simply click on the darkened line that says 'Click here to upload' found in your 'Matches' tab on your FTDNA personal page.

08-08-08 Results!

Brent Berry, #4, and Wiley Person Berry, #18, each received their Y-DNA38-47 and Y-DNA48-60 markers yesterday.    I suppose they might be called Olympic results.    Again, however, 'Stealth Results'.    That is, they just showed up without any notification.    Perhaps that's because they're still partial results but I seem to recall (usually) being notified in the past whenever any results were posted.

Brent is a Madison Co. Berry and Wiley an Orange Co., NC Berry.    Brent's results continue to match others in his family.    Wiley is the first in his family to order the 67 marker upgrade.

I sure know how to pick 'em

When it comes to choosing times to be out of touch, I couldn't have picked better.    Our last results were Donald's, #120, reported July 22, since which date we've had no new results, no new upgrades and no new participants.    Bummer!

I'm not yet fully back as I'm still at Augusta taking fiddle lessons but I wanted to tell you the little news we do have.    Last Saturday, while at Clifftop, I visited the Fayette Co. Berry's reunion in Layland, WV.    I met Dave, #40, there and expected to see John, #113, but he apparently couldn't make it.    We did collect a SMGF test sample from Alex Berry.    I've got his info but I'll not include it in the Project until we see some test results from SMGF, whenever that is.

In that area of Fayette Co., WV, there was a coal mining town named Beury, now a ghost town, and a Beury Mountain, both presumably named after Colonel Joseph Beury, one of the early developers of the New River coalfields.    I hope someone will undertake to locate a Beury surnamed male to test to see if there is any relationship there with the Fayette Co. Berrys.