Bruce wrote: > This I take to mean that the individuals who kindly provided their DNA > samples claimed to be descendants of one of the two Williams, but did not > provide real proof of it. It's a little more complicated than that. For one thing, there is also Group 1, which claims descent from William of Rehoboth, but doesn't match either 2 or 3. Everybody has "proof" at some level, but they can't all be right. The members of Group 1 seem to be willing to reconsider their evidence in light of the DNA mismatch, but most of the others have not been put through the wringer yet. As more participants join up, we will benefit from the other side of the coin: surely, they can't all be wrong! The more branches are tested and found to match, the more secure the tentative conclusion will be. Note: all male Carpenters, especially those with lines traced back to the 17th century, are encouraged to join. In case anybody has lost the URL for the project, here it is: http://members.cox.net/johnrcarpenter/index.htm John Chandler