created 1997

How to Participate

The Barbee Surname DNA Project is open to all who want to further the understanding of their Barbee heritage. Since only males have a Y-Chromosome that is passed from father to son, DNA donors must be males who are Barbee's (or variant spellings) by birth with a Barbee male line of descent. If you are female, or your last name isn't Barbee you can participate in the project by

• sponsoring a male Barbee relative such as a brother, father, grandfather, uncle or cousin (no matter how distant),
• contributing to the scholarship fund to help finance testing, or
• volunteering to help administer the project, analyze data, contribute research, etc.

Choosing a Y-DNA Test

The DNA is collected by swabbing the inside of the DNA donor's cheek using a Q-tip like device .  The swab is then forwarded to the laboratory for analysis.  The Barbee DNA Project occassionally changes DNA testing laboratories in order to get the most competitive prices or services.

The lab charges a fee for performing the DNA test and collects it directly from you. Please remember that this is strictly a volunteer project and we do not make any money off of the DNA testing. In fact, most members of the project have contributed their own money to further the goals of the project. Before you decide not to participate because of the cost, please let me know. There are usually scholarship funds available to test documented descendants of Andrew and William Barbee or any Barbee (or spelling variation) with roots in Europe. For others, I may be able to find someone who is willing to help with the cost. We really do need and want your participation!

The table below shows the recommended laboratory tests and special group prices for a Y-DNA Paternal Test for members of the Barbee Surname DNA Project as of November 2008. Prices have fallen quite a bit since the project began in 2004. I recommend checking the Order from Family Tree DNA link for current prices which usually include any current discounts. I also suggest that you let me know before ordering. Occassionally, the lab gives me a few gift certificates to hand out.

Holiday specials - DNA tests make a great gift for anyone who is interested in their family history. The lab is offering new participants a $30 discount off the Y-DNA 37 or 67 prices shown in the table below if you order by 12/31/2008.

Other discounts - The lab typically offers discounts for new participants or upgrades periodically during the year and always during the holiday season. Sometimes they happen too quickly for me to post the information here. If you would like to be put on a wait list for a discount let me know. My email address is at the bottom of each page.

# of Markers	Family Tree DNA	Comments
Y-DNA 12	$99.00	I recommend this test only if the participant is located outside of the United States or if the surname is NOT spelled Barbee. If the test indicates a likely relationship to Barbees from the United States, then the participant will need to upgrade to one of the other tests.
Y-DNA 37	$149.00	Highly Recommended, especially for the Andrew and William Barbee lines. This may allow us to identify particular branches of a family where a connection might exist.
Y-DNA 67	$248.00

If your Barbee family has lived in the United States for several generations, then you are likely related to the early Andrew or William Barbee lines that arrived in Virginia in the mid-1600s. For these participants, I recommend testing at least 37 markers. To some extent, testing more markers is better because we are more likely to be able to identify differences between branches of a family. The reason for this is that markers mutate slowly over many generations, but some markers mutate more quickly than others. The 37 marker and 67 marker tests are designed to give a combination of slow and fast moving markers. The slow moving markers help confirm the family relationship, while the fast moving markers may help identify DNA differences among the branches of the family. We are currently experimenting with 67 markers tests to determine whether there is any added benefit.

Siblings or cousins may wish to pool their resources to order one of the higher marker tests.

How to Join the Barbee Surname DNA Project

• Order from Family Tree DNA. The first part of the registration form identifies the DNA donor and where to send the test kit and certificate containing the test results. The contact information is in case FamilyTree DNA has questions (who do you want them to email or call?) For those sponsoring someone else, I recommend using your email address so you will be notified of the personal page at Family Tree DNA that has the test results. You can pay by credit card or be billed by invoice. FamilyTree DNA will not process the DNA sample until payment is received. The second page of the registration collects the credit card info or the billing address. The DNA collection kit will be sent to the participant directly from the lab on the following day. Once the kit and payment have been returned to FamilyTree DNA expect your results in about 8 weeks. The DNA donor will receive a certificate and FamilyTree DNA will email you when your results are posted to your personal web page.

Once you have requested your test kit please send me the following information (my email address is at the bottom of each page):

• your lineage. Please include dates, places and spouses. I need the living generations so that I know how many generations removed the DNA donor is from his last known ancestor. However, I will not post information about living generations.
• your privacy preferences. Do you wish to identify your test results and ancestry information with a contact name, email address, and/or web site?
• your permission for the project administrator to order and pay for additional tests on your DNA sample for the benefit of the project. This permission is not required, but is extremely helpful. DNA testing for genealogy purposes is evolving quickly and new tests become available. If we lose contact with the DNA donor or cannot contact him quickly, without advance permission we may lose out on an opportunity. The lab stores a person's DNA for 25 years just for this purpose. In a worst case scenario, if a participant dies, his descendants and long lost relatives may miss out on vital information contained in his stored DNA sample.

Privacy and Other Frequent Questions

Test results are only meaningful when compared to others. There is nothing that can be used to steal ones identity since a specific person cannot be identified by the results. Likewise, these are not the same tests used by law enforcement to track down criminals.

However, privacy is an important matter to both me and the testing companies. Please read the following links at the company websites regarding privacy and other common questions you may have:

• FamilyTreeDNA - Frequently Asked Questions
• FamilyTreeDNA's Privacy Statement

This is strictly a volunteer project. The project administrator receives no financial benefit from your participation in this project.and is not affiliated with the company(s) providing the testing. The major benefiting parties are you and other Barbee descendants in search of their roots.  If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please feel free to email one of the project administrators, Janet Barbee or Greg Barbee.

Be Notified When New Information is Added to this Page - Enter your email address in the menu at the left and click "Be Notified". Then, sign up for a free account at Change Detection. After you have a Change Detection account, simply enter your email address and click "Be Notified" on each page at Barbee's Crossroads that you would like to monitor. It may be particularly useful to monitor the Welcome, DNA Results and What's New? pages which are updated most frequently.