Genetic genealogy is not a substitute for documentary research; it is a powerful, independent line of evidence that can corroborate—or occasionally challenge—traditional conclusions.
At CFS we focus primarily on Y-DNA that follows the direct paternal line and is therefore central to surname studies;
The Clay Family Society sponsors and administers a coordinated Y-DNA Clay Project hosted at FamilyTreeDNA. This project emphasizes higher-resolution testing (e.g., Big-Y) because low-resolution results often generate more ambiguity than clarity.
FamilyTreeDNA Y-DNA Clay Project (Opens in a new tab)
New to DNA? Most Clay men begin with a Y-67 or Y-111 test and may later upgrade to Big Y-700 as their research progresses.
Following are results of our Clay Big Y -700 testers descending from John Clay (1613 VA immigrant):
- Haplogroup R-BY74161 – A mutation held by John Clay 1613 – 11 testers
- Haplogroup R-FTC6744 – Unknown descendant of R-BY74161 – 2 testers
- Haplogroup R-FTD30649 – Descendant of R-BY74161 – A mutation held by John M Clay (1821-1902) – 2 testers
- Haplogroup R-BY189101 – Descendant of R-FTD30649 – A mutation held by Andrew Clay (1881-1928) – 2 testers
The John Clay 1613 Integrated Genealogies and Big-Y DNA Haplotree
The complete Haplotree for John Clay 1613 as well as Haplotrees for Jonas Clay 1643, Other New England Clays, England Clays and Other Europe Clays are available to members. Also available to members is the integration of all those Haplotrees into what we call The Ancient Clays Haplotree. It shows how and where all the different Clay Big-Y branches connect – all the way back to everyones currently inferred common paternal ancestor (“Y-chromosomal Adam”) – who some call Y-Adam.
Ethics and privacy are integral to our genetics program. Participation is voluntary, results are shared only with consent, and no raw DNA data is made public. Published summaries use anonymized kit identifiers or aggregate findings. Members retain full ownership of their test results, and CFS adheres to best practices for data stewardship consistent with modern genealogical standards and applicable privacy regulations.
We encourages members to view genetics as one evidentiary pillar alongside land records, probate, tax lists, military service, and local history. When genetic and documentary evidence converge, confidence increases; when they diverge, the correct response is further research—not forced conclusions.
Why DNA Is Useful — and Limited
DNA testing helps answer specific questions that records alone cannot, but it does not replace documentary research. The Clay Family Society uses DNA to test hypotheses, not to manufacture ancestors.