THE ORIGINS OF WINNETT FAMILIES OF THE WORLD

A DNA study

THE RELATIONSHIPS OF FIVE WINNETT FAMILIES FROM DNA PROFILES

Y-chromosome DNA studies have revolutionized genealogy, enabling relationships between families with the same surname to be clarified in the absence of documentary evidence. The Y-chromosome is the only part of the male genome which is always passed from father to son, just as surnames are. Various “markers” on the chromosome can be compared. These markers are sequences of DNA which are similar between individuals, but are known to change (or mutate) over time. Therefore, if one starts with a certain form (also called an allele) of the marker in the ancestral chromosome, it may change into different forms in the various descendant families over time. The average rates of change of these markers have been worked out, and it is known that some change particularly rapidly, perhaps every few generations. Others are more “resistant” to change. If one finds that two individuals differ on many markers, particularly those which are resistant to change, then they are very unlikely to be related even if they share the same surname. If they only differ by a few, particularly the fast-changing ones, then they are likely to be related, and the probability of a common ancestor within a certain number of generations can be calculated. Each marker is given an identifying number, and a second number denotes which form, or allele of the marker has been detected.

The Winnett DNA Project with FamilytreeDNA has 11 members as of 2010. Five of these are clearly related, and the evidence suggests they share a common ancestor probably in the 1500’s. These five have all had 37 DNA markers tested. A chart has been constructed which shows how the markers may have changed over time in this family (see below).

The first two members to be tested, Andrew and David, were known to be related, both being descendants of Henry Winnett of Baltinglass, Ireland. He was born about 1725 and died aged nearly a hundred. He in turn was the grandson of William Winnett of co. Kildare, Ireland (c.1650-c.1717) whose father probably came from England.  Although Andrew and David had a very recent common ancestor, they differed on 3 DNA markers. Andrew’s line had one mutation which was not shared by the other four lines: marker number 442 had allele 13, whereas the other four lines had allele 12. David’s line had two mutations, although they were both on fast-changing markers (458 and 576). These mutations must have happened within 5 generations, between David and his great-great-grandfather Clement, as they are not shared by the other four lines.

William G and Arthur are descended from John Winnett of Massachusetts. He was born about 1770, and first appears in records in Bridgewater, Massachusetts in 1797. Where he came from originally is not known. However, Arthur differs from Andrew on only two markers: firstly, Andrew has the mutation on marker 442 which has already been mentioned; and Arthur has a mutation on the fast-changing marker 570 (which is shared by William G). The probability that Andrew and Arthur have a common ancestor within 10 generations is 53% and this rises to 73% within 12 generations. This makes it likely that Arthur is also a descendant of William Winnett of Kildare. No children of Henry Winnett fit the bill as possible ancestors of John Winnett of Massachusetts. One of Henry’s brothers however might. He had a brother called John who was a woolendraper in Dublin in the 1750’s. He married Mary Hassard in Dublin in 1754. He died only a year or two later, and what happened to Mary is not known. If she had a son from this short marriage, he could have been the father of John of Massachusetts, or even John himself. Interestingly, John’s first son in Massachusetts was called Jason, an uncommon name, but one used frequently in the Hassard family – Mary Hassard had a brother and a grandfather called Jason.

Jeffrey is descended from William Winnett of Pennsylvania. He first appears in records in 1774 when he married in Delware, so he may have been born about 1745. Family tradition says he came from Liverpool, and he was almost certainly English. Jeffrey is more distantly related to the other four lines. For instance he and Andrew mismatch on 3 markers, and one of these markers (a fast-changing one) has mutated three times (marker 458 probably started with allele 22 in the ancestor, and this has changed to 21, then 20, then 19 in Jeffrey’s line). The probability of Andrew and Jeffrey sharing a common ancestor within 13 generations is 58%. This is well within the time that people adopted surnames, so it seems certain that they are related.

So who was the common ancestor of these five people? It is unlikely that this question will ever be answered with certainty. However, some candidate families can be proposed. If one goes back 13 generations from Andrew or Jeffrey, one can imagine a possible common ancestor born in the mid-1500’s. There were certainly families called Winnett living in Britain at this time. The name, or very similar variants, existed in Scotland, London, Bedfordshire and Gloucestershire. In Gloucestershire, the name derived from a prominent and ancient family called Wynniatt, and the two names existed alongside each other, particularly in the 1500’s and 1600’s. It would not be surprising if the common ancestor arose there.

Examples of the name Winnett in Britain in the 1500’s

1514 William Wynnyett Kempley, Glos.
1524 John Wynet, Southwark, London
1539 Thomas Wynnyett Dymock, Glos.
1541 Wyllam Wynyat Dymock, Glos.
1545 Thomas Wynyat Dymock, Glos
1547 John Wynyat Dymock, Glos.
1555 Thomas Whinot Broadway, Worcs.
1558 Wyllyam Winett Dymock, Glos.
1567 Johannes Winett Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks.
1569 John Wynett St. Botolph Adgate, London
1581 Johan Wynnyeat Dymock, Glos.
1584 Guye Wyneat St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London
1584 John Wynot Ashdon, Essex
1586 Thomas Wynnyat Bromyard, Herefordshire
1587 George Waienett Leighton Buzzard, Beds.
1595 John Wynnyet Dymock, Glos.
1596 Wyllyam Wynnyet Dymock, Glos.
1596 William Wienott Leighton Buzzard, Beds.
1599 John Winnot Eaton Bray, Beds.
1599 Thomas Wynnot Eaton Bray, Beds.


Notes on the chart

•    After testing 37 markers, 32 have identical alleles in all 5 lines.

•    There are 5 markers in which different alleles appear in different lines.

•    There are several ways a chart could be constructed, so the one here is just a likely configuration.

•    At the top of the chart is the common ancestor, with the 5 differing markers and the likely ancestral alleles.

•    These are: 293/13, 458/22, 576/19, 570/17 and 442/12 – the italics denote the fast-changing markers.

•    A mutation is shown by * and the new allele – the mutation is shown beside an individual in whom it may have arisen, but of course it may have arisen in another generation nearby.

•    [     ] denotes an unnamed ancestor.

•    The year beneath each name is the year or approximate year of birth.

•    The earliest mutation appears in marker 393. The ancestral allele was either 12 or 13, but for sake of the chart it was decided that it was 13 and it mutated to 12 in Jeffrey's line.

•    As mentioned, the fast-changing marker 458 has changed 3 times in Jeffrey’s line. It appears to have changed once in David’s line, and twice in William G's line.