This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Goff Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/5MZ.2ACEB/331.501.503.505 Message Board Post: Lisa, you emailed me last night concerning the Goff/Gough/Goffe DNA Study, which is underway. My message was kicked back by aol, so I thought I might reach you through the Ancestry.com Goff message board. Below is my email to you, which is applicable to all readers of the Goff message board: Lisa, Thanks for the email. From the date and place you mentioned, I don't believe Henry F. Goff is descended from any of the four Goff brothers of Western Virginia (i.e. James Goff, John Turton Goff, Thomas Goff or Salathiel Goff). However, that's OK and maybe even preferable for the DNA testing. I'll explain. I am descended from James Goff mentioned above. Despite a lot of searching, we have never been able to determine the parents or ancestry of these four Goff brothers. That's when I decided to use the momentum from the book Roy Lockhart and I published last year (The Four Goff Brothers of Western Virginia) and start this DNA Study to try to push the genealogy further back in time. We will soon have four male Goffs in the study, representing three of the four Goff brothers. With this group, we should be able to determine the Y chromosome DNA signature of the father of the four Goff brothers. The next step is to recruit male Goffs who are not descended from the four Goff brothers. By comparing the Y chromosome DNA signature of these seemingly unrelated Goffs, we will be able to determine if these different Goff families actually share a common ancestor. Of course, we will need to then find the link using historical documents, but the search will be made easier by knowing where to look. So far, I have made contact with the following Goff families: Samuel Goff (b. 1743, CT?) - some descendants have already been tested and results should be ready in the next month. Ishom Goff (b. 1809, SC) - the administrator of the website for this family has been working with me to recruit participants Wiley Goff (b. 1822, SC) - researcher of this family is searching for male Goff descendants to partipate in the study Joshua Gough/Goff (b. 1744, lived in what is now WV) - I have contacted a researcher to inquire about getting male Goff volunteers As you can see, the more male Goffs we can recruit from different Goff families, the more likely we can piece all of these families together again. The DNA sample is collected in your own home by simply rubbing a swab on the inside of your cheek and then mailing in the swab. I hope you can get some of your male Goff relatives to join our study. To signup, your male Goff relatives may go to http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=K13572&special=True&projecttype=S Lisa, thanks for asking about the DNA Study. Phil