Some Notes for the Study of One Haplotype Cluster of Haplogroup I1a in Scotland and Northumberland
by
Peter J. Roberts
Updated 10th April, 2004





The study refers to the following phylogenetic tree:

http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/strnet8.jpg
 

This tree is constructed using 25 marker results from ybase, ysearch, and FTDNA customers who are close matches with ROBERTS (see kit 08867 at http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/robertsdna.htm#Results )

For the following trees:
STEWART is Stewart
HAMILT is Hamilton
DUNHAM is Dunham
B&M is Brinlee and Marsh
ALLIS2 is Allison (Clan MacFarlane or MacAlister?)
ALLIS1 is Allison (Clan MacFarlane or MacAlister?)
ALLS is (Clan MacFarlane or MacAlister??)
BAKER1 is Baker (Clan MacMillan)
BAKER2 is Baker (Clan MacMillan)
BROWN (Clan MacMillan or Clan Lamont?)
REEB is Reid? (Clan Donnachaidh)
REID is (Clan Donnachiadh)
ROBERT is Roberts (Clan Donnachaidh)
WHITE is (Clan Lamont)
MAY is (Clan MacDonald)
MARTIN is (Clan Cameron or Clan MacDonald?)
BERRY is (Clan Forbes)
PAGE1 is Page
PAGE2 is Page
HULL1 through 6 is Hull
GORDO is Gordon
ADAMSO is Adamson
MORTON is (Clan Douglas)
GLENNO is Glennon (Glenn, Clan Douglas)
HAMIL is Hamilton
 

ROBERTS traces his ancestry to Belfast, Ireland and is a 24/25 match with a REID who traces his ancestry to Scotland (both surnames are associated with Clan Donnachaidh).  ROBERTS is also a 24/25 match with a REEB who traces his ancestry to France.  REEB was part of a surname project consisting of other French REEBs but he is not close to any of them.  He may be a descendant of a REID who was exiled in France or Scottish soldier sent there.  REEB and ROBERTS are between BAKERs 1 and 2.  ROBERTS is a 24/25 match with BAKER1 and REEB is a 24/25 match with BAKER2.

The BAKER surname is associated with Clan MacMillan (see http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/macmill2.html ).  Clan MacMillan held lands on the western half of Loch Tay (Loch Tayside) from the reign of Malcolm IV to about 1350 when the chief and some of his clansmen migrated to South Knapdale.  Loch Tay  was at different times within or next to Clan Donnachaidh lands. (see: http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Sites.htm and http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/atholl.jpg).  The ancestor of the BAKERs is said to have settled in Glendaruel (see: http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Sites.htm) in the north west of Cowal near Clan MacFarlane and Clan Lamont.  BAKER1 is a 24/25 match with an ALLISON (ALLIS1).  The ALLISON surname is associated with Clan MacFarlane, see http://www.macfarlane.org/septs.htm.  BAKER1 is also a 23/25 match with a WHITE and the WHITE surname is associated with Clan Lamont.  BAKER2 is also a 23/25 match with a BROWN.  The BROWN surname is also associated with Clan MacMillan (or Clan Lamont).  In the early 14th century a member of the MacMillan was granted the lands of Glendaruel (Glen Daruel) (see http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Browns.htm).

BAKER1 and REEB are both 23/25 matches with MARTINs which is a surname associated with Clan Cameron.  In the early 1500's, Clan MacMillan of Knapdale became tenants of Clan Campbell.  Consequently, members of Clan MacMillan established a branch of the family in Lochaber (see: http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Sites.htm ).  These members of Clan MacMillan are said to descend from John, eldest son of Malcolm Mor, 1st of Knap.  Clan Cameron let Murlagan and the neighbouring farms on Loch Arkaigside to the MacMillans for "sword-service."  They became known as the Macmillans of Murlagan and were some of Clan Cameron's staunchest followers.  (See http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Genealogy/Murlagan.htm, http://www.clanmacmillan.org/History.htm,http://www.clanmacmillan.org/History.htm, and http://www.clan-cameron.org/septs.html#MacMILLAN).

There is a probable explanation for the introduction of a I1a haplogroup line within Clan Donnachaidh.  In 1057, Duncan's eldest son, Malcolm, successfully led an English Saxon army to defeat MacBeth and regain the Scottish throne as Malcolm III.  After Malcolm III's death in 1093, his son, King Duncan II, was murdered by Malcolm's brother (Donald Bane).  Another of Malcolm's sons, Edgar, secured the throne in 1097 with the help of another English army of Saxon and Normans.  Malcolm, another son of Malcolm III, is the recognized progenitor of Clan Donnachaidh. It is possible that one of these Saxon soldiers became part of  Clan Donnachaidh and is the ancestor of ROBERTS, REID, and REEB.  One of this ancestor's descendants became a part of Clan MacMillan when they were neighbors on Loch Tay.  The two BAKERs could be descendants of that man who joined Clan MacMillan.  Members of Clan MacMillan later moved to Knapdale and Glendaruel and then later to Loch Arkaigside. This helps explain the relationship with the ALLISONs of Clan MacFarlane and the WHITE of Clan Lamont and the MARTINs of Clan Cameron.

The origin for this haplotype cluster might even be Archill, the son of Egfrith (other spellings are Arkil/Arkyle/Archil, the son of Aykfrith).  Archill was a  Northumberland noble or  lord who is recorded as living near York in Southern Northumberland.  He fled to Scotland in 1070 to escape William the Conqueror and found refuge at the court of Malcolm Canmore (Malcolm III) whose son (also named Malcolm) is the recognized progenitor of Clan Donnachaidh. Archill is belived to be the progenitor of Clan MacFarlane. Gilchrist, the great-great-grandson of Archill, is also believed to have possessed lands around Loch Tay.  See http://www.kintyremag.co.uk/2000/43/page2.html, http://www.amcray.net/hgm/LUSS1.htm
 

Evidence to support a Northumberland origin for this cluster is provided by close matches with the HULL surname and Clans GORDON, DOUGLAS and HAMILTON.  The following phylogenetic tree adds six different HULL surname haplotypes.

http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/strnethull.jpg

The HULL surname is presumably taken from the township of Hull which was formerly named Wyke Upon Hull and in 1293 was named Kingston Upon Hull and was located in Southern Northumberland about 34 miles Southwest of York.  The original town came into existence in the late 1100's.  see http://website.lineone.net/~ktaylor297/index8a.htm.

The addition of the these haplotypes indicates the cluster's ancestral halptype is represented by B&M (Brinlee and Marsh).   HULLs 1 and  HULL4 are a 22/25 match with the ancestral haplotype and a 19/25 match with each other.  Similarly, HULL5 is a 21/25 match with the ancestral haplotype and 20/25 match with HULLs 1 and 4.  HULL3 may not fit the pattern since he is a 20/25 match with the ancestral haplotype and 21/25 match with HULL 1, 18/25 match with HULL 5, and a 17/25 match with HULL4.  Although one of HULL3s mutations is a double step (at DYS19) there may still be too many mismatches to share a common ancestor with these other HULLs within the last 700 to 800 years.

ALLISON1 is a 24/25 match with the presumed ancestral haplotype (B&M). ALLISON1 is also a 23/25 match with several HULLs labeled HULL1 and a 22/25 match several more HULLs labeled HULLs 2 and 6.  Both ALLISONs are between HULLs 1 and 2 which indicates that the ancestor of these HULLs is from the ancestor of the ALLISONs (i.e. Archill's line of Northumberland).
 

The following phylogenetic tree adds two different GORDON surname haplotypes and one ADAMSON haplotype to the cluster.  HULLs 3 and 4 have been removed to help simplify the tree.

http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/strnetgordon3.jpg

ADAMSON is a surname associated with Clan Gordon.   GORDON1 is a 22/25 match with the ancestral haplotype (B&M) and GORDON4 is a 22/25 match with ROBERTS and a 21/25 match with B&M.  GORDONs 1 and 4 are an 18/25 match with each other other.  The progenitor of Clan Gordon is believed to have been a favorite knight of Malcolm III who came from Berwickshire, in Northern Northumberland and the Gordon name is derived from the parish of Gordon in Berwickshire. (see http://www.houseofgordon.com/clangordon.htm,  http://www.houseofgordon.com/history.htm, http://www.mearnscraft.co.uk/berwick.htm and  http://65.1911encyclopedia.org/B/BE/BERWICKSHIRE.htm).  ADAMSON is a 22/25 match with BAKER1.  As mentioned earlier, the Baker surname is associated with Clan MacMillan.  The MacMillans of Brockloch are believed to be the descendants of Caine, great-grandson of Gilchrist (who's great great grandfather was Archill) (see www.clanmacmillan.org/Genealogy/Brockloch.htm).   The Gordons of Kenmure and Lochinvar and the MacMillans of Brockloch all held lands in Galloway (see http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Sites.htm, http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/families/gordons_kenmure.htm and http://www.houseofgordon.com/clanmap2.gif ).  The MacMillans in Galloway lost much of their lands for supporting Clan Douglas in the 15th Century.  In the 16th century MacMillans in the Glenkens (in Galloway) are recorded as followers and relatives by marriage of the Gordons. (See http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Genealogy/Brockloch.htm)
 

The following phylogenetic tree adds one haplotype with the GLENNON surname and another with the MORTON surname, both of which are associated with Clan Douglas.

http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/strnetdouglas.jpg

GLENNON is a 24/25 match with the ancestral haplotype (B&M) and MORTON is a 21/25 match with B&M.  GLENNON and MORTON are a 20/25 match with each other.  MORTON and GORDON 1 also appear to share a common ancestor more recently than the ancestral haplotype.  Clan Douglas and Clan Gordon both share ancestral origins in Berwickshire.  Sir William (le Hardi) Douglas, was Constable of Berwick Castle in 1297 (see http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Heritage/FSCNS/Scots_NS/Clans/Douglas/Origin_Douglas/Origin_Douglas.html). William's uncle was Andrew de Douglas is the progenitor of the Morton line of Douglases (see http://www.douglashistory.com/history/early/early_home.htm).
 

The following phylogenetic tree adds 3 different HAMILTON lines containing 6 different haploytpes.  The lines of Clans Gordon and Douglas have been removed to help simplify the tree.

http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/strnethamilton.jpg

The first HAMILTON line constists of HAMILTONs 1, 2, and 3.  HAMILTON1 is a 24/25 match with the ancestral haplotype (B&M).  HAMILTONs 2 and 3 are a 24/25 match with HAMILTON 1 and a 23/25 match with B&M.  The second line is represented by HAMILTON 13 who is a 22/25 match with B&M, a 21/25 match with HAMILTON 1, and a 20/25 match with HAMILTONs 2 and 3.  The third line is consists of HAMILTONs 11 and 12 who are a 24/25 match with each other.  HAMITON 11 is a 22/25 match with B&M, a 21/25 match HAMILTON 1, and a 19/25 match with HAMILTON 13.

The family of Thomas de Hameldon had estates in Northumberland in 1170.  His eldest son Robert de Hameldon was a knight of Northumberland in 1207.  Hameldon is located about 15 miles Southwest of  from Berwick (upon Tweed), Berwickshire.  Robert's son Gilbert de Blosseville, or de Hameldon had a son Walter Fitz-Gilbert de Hameldon who was one of the barons of Scotland and obtained the barony of Cadzow, afterwards Hamilton.

It is notable that Clan MacFarlane claims descent from Archill from Northumberland and a branch of Clan MacMillan claims descent from 5th great grandson of Archill.  Archhill is known to have been from Northumberland and the HULL surname and Clans Gordon, Douglas, and HAMILTON all have roots there.
 
 
 

Return to the Roberts Surname DNA Project
 



Peter J. Roberts at peterebay@yahoo.com
Last Modified: 10 April 2004