Wilcox and Wilcockson in early New England. The surname Wilcox seems to have been spelled Wilcocks, Willcox, Wilcock, and Wilcockson interchangeably on old records. DNA evidence has confirmed at least three distinct Wilcox/Wilcockson families in New England during the seventeenth century — the families of Edward Wilcox of Rhode Island; John Wilcox of Hartford, CT.; and William Wilcockson of Stratford, CT. DNA studies of the Y-chromosome from male descendants show that the earliest common ancestor between these three separate families was well before recorded history.[i]
Wilcox DNA site – https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/wilcox/about
The primary goal of the Wilcox group DNA project is to reinforce traditional genealogical research by testing the Y chromosome of males bearing some variant of the Wilcox surname.[ii] The Y-DNA patterns are passed from father to son, generally following the surname, and representing the father’s father’s (direct paternal) line only. Women, lacking a Y chromosome, are not candidates for this type of testing, but may recruit male Wilcox relatives.
Adding more test results will help other curious Wilcox family researchers identify their ancestors.
Y-DNA solving a Wilcox mystery from 1693. The three volunteer administrators for the Wilcox DNA group at FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) have been working for over a year to discover the truth of an apparently incorrect ancestry that previous genealogists have attributed to Daniel3 Wilcox, son of Stephen2 Wilcox (Edward1). Details about the mystery are at A Mystery from 1693. The study of this Wilcox family mystery utilizes results from the Big Y-700 test offered by FTDNA in combination with solid paper trails of the male descendants of Edward1 Wilcox. The Big Y-700 is the most complete and useful Y-DNA test, and is also the costliest at $449. Thanks to a generous contribution from a Wilcox Y-DNA project member, funds are available to offer fully paid Y-DNA tests to a few Wilcox men who descend from Daniel2 Wilcox. For more information, contact the volunteers at the contact form on this site or at the Wilcox family FTDNA site – https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/wilcox/about
Y-DNA project verifying Wilcox descendants. The Wilcox DNA group volunteer administrators at FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) are making steady progress in mapping the lineage for sons of Stephen2, son of Edward1 Wilcox. This information will help those Edward Wilcox descendants to verify the conventional research they have done, and can help those who have “brick walls” to focus their research. Genealogy research typically shows Stephen2 Wilcox with five sons, although one is now being questioned (see A Mystery From 1693). The chart below shows Stephen’s sons and daughters. Big Y-700 results have been compiled that uniquely identify three of the sons. The Wilcox DNA group is seeking male descendants of the other two sons, William3 and Edward3, who would be willing to participate in the project.
Funds are available to cover the cost of Y-DNA tests for a few Wilcox men who descend from William3 and Edward3. If you or someone you know might be interested in becoming part of this Wilcox family project, more information is available by completing the contact form on this site or by contacting project administrators at the Wilcox family FTDNA site.
How the Y-DNA test works. Testing your Y-DNA is an easy cheek swab. This is a painless procedure that only involves swabbing the inside of your cheek in the privacy of your own home. The swab kit is mailed back in the provided postage-paid envelope to FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) in Texas, which has created the world’s largest database of Y-DNA testers. The test results will be sent to you and to the Wilcox DNA project volunteer administrators, who will analyze the data and share their observations with you, including how you have helped Wilcox descendants solve mysteries and validate previous ancestry results.
Wilcox women cannot donate their DNA for a Y-DNA test because women do not have a Y chromosome. Men receive a Y chromosome from their father and an X chromosome from their mother. Men and only men inherit their father’s Y chromosome. It is passed down from father to son in an unbroken line all the way back to our earliest ancestors. This unique pattern of inheritance means genealogists can use Y-DNA testing to see how closely related two Wilcox males are on this paternal tree of mankind.
More information about FamilyTreeDNA is at https://www.familytreedna.com/ More about Y-DNA can be found at https://www.familytreedna.com/products/y-dna
What are you made of?
Follow the path of your direct male ancestors. The Y chromosome is passed down from father to son. Therefore, if you are a genetic male, you can use Y-DNA to determine where your direct paternal ancestors came from, their locations in historic times, and how they migrated throughout the world. Your Y-DNA matches from the world’s largest database of Y-DNA testers at FTDNA will share a common ancestor with you on your direct paternal line. That common ancestor can be recent (meaning within a generation or two) or more distant (living up to around 1,000 years ago).
The map below shows the migration route and haplogroup changes for one Wilcox descendant from about 4,000 BCE in the area of what is now Ukraine, and with the first appearance in what is now England in about 2,500 BCE. This is a partial image of a larger map which shows the migration pattern for the ancestors of this individual for the last 200,000 years. Their initial presence in Africa was followed by relocation east toward Asia in about 55,000 BCE.
Discover your patrilineal ancestors’ ancient migration path.
The Globetrekker is a new FamilyTreeDNA DiscoverTM Report that shows how your paternal line ancestors trekked across the globe. Learn more about Globetrekker and other FamilyTreeDNA DiscoverTM features at https://blog.familytreedna.com/tag/globetrekker/
[i] One experienced Wilcox yDNA researcher and analyst commented that “the common ancestor of Edward Wilcox of Rhode Island and the Stratford Wilcocksons lived about 5,000 years ago but we have to go back 46,000 years to tie in with descendants of John Wilcox of Hartford, CT.”
[ii] The Wilcox Group Project is directed by volunteer administrators, people who are working on their own genealogy and facilitate their Group Project members’ research using DNA test results. These volunteers agree to abide by FamilyTreeDNA’s Group Project Administrator Terms and Policies in addition to the site Terms of Service and Privacy Statement that apply to all customers.