Re: Proof of Lineage to Gen. Robert E. Lee?

Nella:

There are three known descendants of the Lees of Virginia line (Robert E. Lee's crew) that have been DNA tested.Their results are remarkably similar, as they should be.Yes, theirhaplotype is I1a, so if your participant is an R1a or R1b (as am I), any male-line-of-descent connection with the Lees of Virginia is far, far back in the mists of time.

Even other I1a haplotypes can be so distantly related as to be insignificant.For example, many Lees in the Southern USA are related to a fellow known as John Lee of Nansemond.These people have I1a haplotypes, but there is enough of a variation with the Lee of Virginia DNA profile as to put any connection between the lines back into the time period where surnames were not used.And just what would that mean?

One thing to remember is that this sort of testing only tracks the male line of descent.Your line MIGHT be related to The General via a female linkage someplace, e.g. his daughter or aunt or some maternal uncle or whatever.YDNA will tell you nothing about that sort of thing.

I advised you privately to have your male representative DNA tested.You can use Ancestry.com or FTDNA or one of several other reputable labs.Some folks, including myself, periodically take the participants of one lab's tests and compare it against that of other labs.Occasionally we find matches that don't show up in the individual labs' Family Studies.That said, I recommend strongly two things: Join one of the Studies (you'll get a discount and some help comparing your results, as well as some help connecting with fellow researchers), and purchase at least a 35-marker test (FDNA has a 37, Ancestry has a 46).Anything less is a waste of money.

When the results come back - from whatever lab - email me and I can tell you if you match with the Lees of VA.

Re some of the results that people have talked about for lineages leading back to Robert E. Lee: They're mostly garbage.Wishful thinking.Wild assumptions.Almost every Lee line out there has had a legend in the family that they were related to The General.Books have been written, websites have been created, DAR submissions made, etc. and all of that has reinforced some very bad research.Don't believe that you have a connection until you prove it yourself with original research.DNA testing is one of those tools to help you.

Good luck,
Dennis Lee
Wimberley, TX