We now have 17 people that have volunteered their DNA to be part of our project, with the results from all of the participants currently available. We have received samples from 12 different families, with results from all 12 available. So far, there are two distinct families. Ten of the twelve individual branches are related to each other, based on DNA sampling. Go here to see a summary of how the Southdean Hobkirk, Hopekirk, Peebles Hobkirk, Peebles Hopkirk, Sunderland Hopkirk, Glasgow Hopkirk, Jedburgh Habkirk/Hobkirk, Largs/Jedburgh Hopkirk, Nairobi Hopkirk and Melrose Hopkirk lines are all related. The Hobkirk Family of Cavers is a unique family and the Hobkirk Family of Stokesley & Newcastle may be more distantly related.
If you plan on using Family Tree DNA, please first contact John Hopkirk, at: hopkirk@hopkirk.org to make sure your sample is needed. We don't want you to purchase a sample kit for a line for which we already have enough information, and sometimes I'm told about discounts that may be available, so please email me before purchasing. Also, we have volunteers willing to pay for most of the remaining families test kit, so please contact me at hopkirk@hopkirk.org if you are interested in participating.
The following families have not yet been tested:
Ashkirk Hobkirk(One known candidate for testing)
Florida Hobkirk
Roberton Hobkirk
Wilton Hobkirk
We believe there is no eligible candidate for the following families:
Ancrum & Hawick Hobkirk (no known eligible candidate for
testing)
Durham Hobkirk (no known eligible candidate for testing)
Westminster Hobkirk (no known eligible candidate for testing)
Whitby Hobkirk (no known eligible candidate for testing)
Colorado Hopkirk (no known eligible candidate for testing)
If you belong to one of the four remaining untested families and you are an eligible cnadidate for testing, please contact John Hopkirk at hopkirk@hopkirk.org We have volunteers available to pay for th testing of all 4 untested families.
To view the company we use for testing, go to http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Hopkirk/default.aspx, to view our results so far.
If you qualify for testing, the testing kit is easy to use, with easy to follow instructions. You just need to scrap the inside of your check with the swab supplied, place it in the mailing pooch and return it. That's it!
SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE DETERMINED:
With our current results, we are starting to piece together the probable DNA markers of the very first Hoppchirk from prior to the year 1200. The person from whom we would all have descended.
If we could get more families to volunteer, we may be able to solve some questions as to where some of the families came from originally, such as the Florida Hobkirks. Where did they come from before arriving in the South Carolina area of the USA in the 1700's?
The Habkirk line has the most markers in common with all the other families, and are very closely related to the Largs and Melrose branches. All three families have close ties to Jedburgh. Jedburgh is not far from the Village of Hobkirk, but it would appear that their part of the family first went from Hobkirk to Dalkeith, near Edinburgh, and then son Thomas(1625-??) went to Melrose in 1647. A younger son, Alexander(1627-??) remained in the Edinburgh area.
The Largs Hopkirk branch and the Jedburgh Habkirk/Hobkirk branch each have only one marker different from the most common markers of the family as a whole, of the 37 markers tested.
There is also only a one marker difference between the Largs and Melrose branches. The mutation occurred on the Melrose line, since that marker on the Largs line is identical to the marker on all the other lines.
We know the Hopkirk Coat of Arms states that the family originally came from Germany. We have still not resolved this issue.
If we are a place name family, then we WILL have some branches that have different DNA.
WHO ARE THE CURRENT FAMILY PARTICIPANTS?
So far 6 with the surname Hopkirk, 1 Hopekirk, 5 Hobkirk, and one Habkirk have volunteered for DNA testing. Hopefully a few more from some of the other Hobkirk lines will step up to the plate soon. (That is a baseball term for those not living in the USA).
The results of your sample will not be made public, by name. The results as they compare to other branches of the family will be listed here.
What if you are not a continual direct male descendent, but would like to help further the research into our family origins and history. You can participate!
To see the current test results to-date, go here. To see about donating a DNA sample go here, and type in Hopkirk in the upper right hand corner. Then select the "Hopkirk" project. For a more detailed analysis of the results, to date, go here. To view a spreadsheet of how the families tested so far are related to each other, go here.
What can I do to help?
1) If you are a continual direct male descendent(you are probably a male with the last name of H__kirk) you can volunteer a sample.
2) You want a specific male member of your family to participate, but they can’t afford it. You can donate toward the cost for that person.
3) You can donate to testing for a specific family grouping, and make it in memory of someone.
4) You can donate to the project in general, and/or make the donation in memery of someone and have the funds be applied as the administrator of the Project determines is most beneficial.
DONATE TO THE PROJECT!!
Although the test subject must be a direct male descendant, you can help by donating toward the cost of testing by going to: http://www.familytreedna.com/contribution.html
and making a donation of any amount. The website above also allows you to make a donation in memory of someone. Be sure to state on the form that you are donating to the Hopkirk Project.
If you make a donation and would like to have it applied to a specific person or family grouping test, please email John K. Hopkirk at hopkirk@hopkirk.org so the funds may be applied correctly. Your name will be listed here as a donor, if you don’t request to remain anonymous.
At this point in time, we are not looking for any DNA donors from many of the family groups, but we will gladly accept financial contributions. We are looking for DNA donors from the five groups listed above. If you are part of the Glasgow/Dalkeith group, please contact John K. Hopkirk at the above email address before purchasing a DNA kit. You may be too closely related to our current sample providers, and you would, therefore, be redundant.
Our thanks to the following financial donors for helping to get this project off the ground:
John S. Hopkirk(NZ)
Eric Hopkirk(UK)
John K. Hopkirk(USA)
Donald A. Hopkirk(NZ)
John D. Hopkirk(USA)
Paddy Hopkirk(UK)
Chris Smith(USA)
David Hobkirk(USA)
William Habkirk(USA)
William H. Hobkirk(Colorado, USA)
This page was last updated on 4 October 2010
