DNA Research Pertaining to Bryan Fannin, Sr. of Amelia County, Va. and Other Fannings
As you know most paper sources of information on the early Fannins has been exhausted. Perhaps the continued work with the Fanning DNA Project will one day open a lot of doors for our history. It has already given us some real good insight into several lost branches of the family and has also helped refute some long held mis-information regarding the connection to the Edmund Fanning line of Connecticut. As of August of 2009, two proven descendants of Edmund Fanning of Stonington, Conn. have had their DNA tested. The results prove conclusively that the Edmund Fanning family is in no way connected to the Bryan Fannin family of Amelia County, Virginia. Not only do the allele markers fail to match, but the two lines are in two separate haplogroups. Bryan’s haplogroup is R1b1b2, whereas Edmund’s is l1. You will find further information on alleles & haplogroups at the end of this article.
Even as I write, we are expecting new test results from a Sussex Co., Va. Fannin, who descends from Bryan Fannin, Jr. and Rachel Rottenberry. We recently received the results on a Tallapoosa Co., Alabama Fannin whose family came from Georgia. His DNA shows a match to others who descend from Bryan Fannin, Sr. of Amelia Co., Va. We are not sure how the Alabama Fannin descends from Bryan, Sr. at this time, but it must be through either Bryan’s son Laughlin Fannin or his son Jehu Fannin.
We have also found that two descendants of Middleton Fanning match the other descendants of Bryan Fannin, Sr. of Amelia Co., Va. Again, just how they connect is still unknown, but the genetic connection to Old Bryan is certain. They, too, may connect through Laughlin or Jehu. Possibly in time we will have enough tests completed to form a mosaic that clearly shows the connection.
Old Bryan’s son, Achilles Fannin, Sr., has been well represented in the Fanning DNA Project. At least seven descendants of Achilles Fannin, Sr. have been tested – one from Ohio by way of Boyd Co., Ky., one from Carter Co., Ky., one from Floyd Co., Ky. by way of W.V., two from Morgan Co., Ky., one from Missouri by way of Wythe Co., Va. There are several others who have tested and match Old Bryan’s line, but their connections are uncertain at this time. One is from Johnson Co., Ky by way of West Virginia and one is adopted and does not know his real parents’ names or where they lived. More testing from Achilles’ line may solve some long kept secrets.
One person has tested who descends from James Fannin(g) of SC. This line is also distantly connected to Chestnut Creek John Fanning & Old Bryan Fannin. This line goes on to Abraham Fannin of Georgia. It is part of the family that includes Col. James Fannin of Goliad, Texas fame.
A significant number of the project tests are from descendants of Chestnut Creek John Fanning of Wythe Co., Va. There are thirteen tests for this family and different lines within this family are clearly being demonstrated. The fascinating part of this for Old Bryan’s descendants is that this line shows a clear connection to Old Bryan Fannin somewhere within a genealogical time frame. Perhaps Chestnut Creek John Fanning & Old Bryan Fannin, Sr. were close cousins. In comparing 37 markers, the probability that tests F-1 & F-27 (Chestnut Creek John’s line) and tests F-2, F-4 & F-8 (Old Bryan’s line) share a common ancestor within the last eight generations is 89% and a 97% probability within twelve generations.
Another fascinating aspect of the Fanning DNA Project has been the distant genetic connection between Chestnut Creek John Fanning’s markers, James Fanning’s markers and Bryan Fannin, Sr.’s markers to several Fannings who have roots in County Leitrim, Ireland. One person is from Daviess Co., Indiana and descends from Fenagh Parish, Co. Leitrim, Ireland. One is from Rhode Island and descends from Sruhaun, Fenagh Parish, Co. Leitrim. One has recently tested from Dublin and he descends from Scardawn, Fenagh Parish, Co. Leitrim. We are awaiting the results of this last test, as well as, another Irish test received
recently.
There has always been a question as to the connection of Benoni Fanning of Maryland to Old Bryan Fannin, Sr. of Amelia Co.,Va. One of Benoni’s descendants has tested and does not match Bryan, Chestnut Creek John, James of S.C., Edmund of Connecticut or any of the Irish lines. Another descendant of Benoni has recently tested and we are awaiting the results to see if they confirm the first test.
In addition, we have tests by Fannings from Australia, Spain & England; none of these match Old Bryan’s line.
So you see there is a lot going on in the Fanning DNA Project and much of it relates to the descendants of Bryan & Elizabeth
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Fannin of Amelia County, Va. circa 1698-1765. I hope this stirs you to either have your DNA tested or contribute to having others tested, either by locating male descendants who would test or by making a financial contribution to the project for others to be tested.
Family Tree DNA has been running several special sales on tests each year. Maybe that would help some of you to decide to test. Please go to the Fanning DNA Project webpage for details at: www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/f/fanning.
DEFINITIONS
Allele - A DNA sequence that repeats at a certain locus (plural Loci) or place. The allele value is the number of times the sequence repeats. Pronounced uh-LEEL.
Two Sample Test Results:
Here you will note the two highlighted markers where alleles fail to match:
Loci 393 390 19 391 385a 385b 426 388 439 389-1 392 389-2 |
Test # 1 13 25 14 10 11 13 12 12 12 13 14 29
Test # 2 13 25 12 12 11 13 12 12 12 13 14 29
Haplogroup - A genetic population group associated with early human migrations and which can today be associated with a geographic region. It is important to note that even though female and male haplogroups may have the same letters, their definitions are different.
LINEAGE HAPLOGROUP
Bryan’s line R1b1b2
Edmund’s line l1
A person adopted by Fannins J2
Haplotype - One person's set of values for the markers that have been tested. Two individuals that match exactly on all markers have the same haplotype.
Example from the Fanning DNA Project:
Test Subject’s Name Test # Allele numbers associated with first 12 markers of the DNA sequence
Pat Fannin F-2 13 25 14 10 11 13 12 12 12 13 14 29
Albert Fannin F-4 13 25 14 10 11 13 12 12 12 13 14 29
Albert & Pat Fannin share the same Haplotype and are part of the R1b1b2 haplogroup, which is a common Irish haplogroup.
Best Regards,
J Patric Fannin 
