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Subject: [BROWN] Brown DNA Study: Progress Report
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 09:42:23 EDT

Dear Brown Researchers & Descendants:

The BROWN-and-Allied-Surnames DNA Project was recently off-line for about a
week, due to a cyber attack by anti-war hackers. We're happy to report now
that the project's web site is fully operational again, and you're cordially
invited to visit us at:

http://www.questgenealogy.com/dna-brown.htm

Unfortunately, the recent E-terrorist activities destroyed the server used by

the project's ISP. In turn, this destruction caused the loss of some names on

our mailing list. We have tried to rebuild the mailing list, but not all of
the old addresses were successfully recovered.

So if you were formerly a member of our mailing list but have not received
Brown Project traffic in the last few days, we hope you'll rejoin. You may do

so by sending an Email to the Project Administrator, Randall Colston, at:



Newcomers are also invited and encouraged to join the project's mailing list
-- again by sending an Email to Randall at the address above. There is no
cost or obligation to join, merely that you are interested in the genealogy
of one or more families carrying the "Brown" surname or one of its variants,
such as Braun, Browne, Brun, Browning and the like.

In particular, we call your attention to the fact that the project has
collected a good deal of "non-DNA" genealogy on various Brown families. So
you may find it worthwhile to join us even if your interest in DNA is
nonexistent. In fact, at least a couple of participants have made substantial

research progress merely by exchanging non-DNA genealogical info with one
another.

As regards specific progress, the Brown DNA Project has distributed a total
of 46 test kits, and the participating lab (University of Arizona) has
returned results for 38 participants.

Of this number, 14 members have found "perfect" matches (12/12 or 25/25) with

at least one other participant. Almost all these matches were entirely
unexpected, and several have led to real "breakthroughs" in the participants'

own research.

An additional 12 members have found partial matches (9/12 or better) with at
least one other participant. Finally, 12 members with completed lab results
have not yet found matches or partial matches -- although we're confident
their chances will be excellent as the Project continues to expand.

Our web site displays the 14 matches and 12 partial matches in clusters of
nine separate groups -- which upon further investigation may (or may not!)
turn out to be nine separate Brown lines. Moreover, as future matches are
found for the currently "unmatched" participants, we think it's virtually
certain that other distinct Brown lines will emerge.

We would like to acknowledge here an important limitation: Matches of 9/12
are normally not considered significant for genealogical purposes, and 10/12
matches are borderline at best. On the other hand the fact that the
individuals concerned all share a common surname is, in our opinion, a valid
justification for grouping them so as to give guidance for additional
research -- whether via DNA or via conventional "paper trail" genealogy.

We welcome your questions about, and comments on, the Brown DNA Project.

And if you have any interest at all in Brown genealogy, we hope not only that

you'll join our mailing list, but also that you'll help us recruit additional

participants!

Jim Brown
Arlington VA

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