CLINE JOHNSON

DNA PROJECT

UPDATE: September 10, 2008 - DNA tests performed by ancestry.com confirm that William Cline Johnson's father was a Cline from the Peter Cline family of the Tug River.  Ancestry.com conducted two 46-marker y-chromosome tests: one for Harry Dale Cline, a direct male descendant of Peter Cline through his son Michael; and a second test for Larry Wayne Cline, a direct male descendant of William Cline Johnson.  The results were remarkable.  Of the 46 markers, Harry Dale Cline and Larry Wayne Cline matched 45 of the 46 markers.  The mismatched marker was off by only one number, indicating a very recent mutation.  Ancestry.com computed their Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) as within five generations.  In other words, Harry Dale Cline's and Larry Wayne Cline's ggg or gg grandfather is the same man.  

THE CLINES

Our male line is directly descended from Peter Cline (1756-1843).  Based upon all of the available evidence, it is our position that William's father is most likely Michael Cline, son of Peter Cline.  It is also possible that William's father could be one of Michael's two oldest sons, Henry Tucker Cline or Peter Harper Cline.  If William was indeed born in 1820 and not 1825, Michael's other sons appear to be too young to have fathered William.

DNA Comparisons with Other Cline families:

Wythe County, VA Clines - Nicholas Cline:  DNA tests confirm that we are not closely related to these Clines.

Ohio River Clines (WV/OH) - Hans George Cline: although they are also haplogroup G, it appears that we are not closely related to these Clines.

North Carolina Clines - Sebastian Cline:  as with Hans George Cline, above, although they are also haplogroup G, it appears that we are not closely related to these Clines.  This group is, however, closely related to the Ohio River Clines.

THE JOHNSONS 

The DNA test also proves that William's mother must have been a Johnson and supports the documentary evidence that William was born illegitimate.  Under the common law of the time, illegitimate children typically took the name of their mother for legal purposes, although they were often known by their father's surname.  This is exactly the case with William Cline Johnson.  Based on the available evidence, our position is that William's mother is Eleanor "Nelly" Johnson Harper, daughter of Isaac Johnston.

DNA RESULTS

The first number/letter is the genetic marker tested; the number after the dash is the allele value which is specific to the person being tested.  For example, the first marker, "19a" has an allele value of "16."  The more allele numbers you match with another person, the more closely related you are.  Larry W. Cline's and H. Dale Cline's allele numbers matched exactly except marker 446.  At 446, Larry W. Cline has a value of 21; H. Dale Cline has a value of 20.  This indicates a very recent mutation. 

19a-16;   19b--;  385a-14;  385b-14;  388-13; 389I- 13;  389II-29; 390-22; 391-10; 392-11; 393-13; 426-11; 437-16; 438-10; 439-11; 441-15; 442-16; 444-12; 445-10; 446-21; 447-23; 448-21; 449-30; 452-26; 454-11; 455-11; 456-15; 458-17; 459a-9; 459b-9; 460-10; 461-11; 462-12; 463-21; 464a-12; 464b-13; 464c-13; 464d-13; 464e-14; 464f ---; GGAAT1B07-11; YCAIIa-20; YCAIIb-21; Y-GATA-A10-13; 635-20; Y-GATA-H4.1--22