An excellent opportunity was given to us to include the Inskip/Inskeep/Inskipp surname in the University of Leicester’s ground breaking Roots of the British project run by Professor Mark Jobling, and Dr Turi King: the University is known as the home for ‘genetic signatures for surname research’. We therefore recruited men to take part in the study, whose ‘natural’ father had the surname Inskip, Inskeep, or Inskipp. Or those who thought that a bloodline male ancestor was an Inskip*.
INSKIP STUDY STATUS
November 2010
Recruitment for the Inskip Y-DNA Study in conjunction with Leicester University’s Roots of the British Project is now closed. We are in the process of doing the analysis, and results, both personal and collective, will be out at the start of 2011. Many thanks to all those who have taken part, we have had people from New Zealand to Canada, and have managed to cover nearly all of the key UK groups – the only failure was the oldest Yorkshire group, of which there are few. It will be fascinating to get more details on who are ancient ancestors were, and how we are all related. If anyone would like to do a Y-DNA test, I will be setting up a continuance of the project with a commercial Family History DNA company, if there is enough interest – however these will need to be paid for. If you are interested please let me know.
September 2010
Recruitment for the Inskip Y-DNA Study funded by the University of Leicester, in conjunction with the Roots of the British project will close at the end of October 2010, as we are now in the analysis stage. If anyone who qualifies would like to take part in this study please let me know before that date. In 2011 the study will continue to offer testing for family ancestry, for those interested, via a commercial family history DNA company: this will involve the payment of fees, as is the normal practice.
On the University of Leicester project we would particularly like to hear from men who think they come from the following Inskip family branches:-
Sussex, London, Durham/South Shields, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Devon/Cornwall, Australia.
These branches tend to be smaller and/or newer so descendants are harder to find. Volunteers will be leaving a valuable legacy to Inskips everywhere and for future generations
Personal profiles will be sent to all volunteers on the University of Leicester project at the end of 2010.
Previous Status
Between November 2009 and August 2010 40 volunteers have offered to help the project. Their contribution is very much appreciated, and we hope they will learn more about their own family history and be able to answer some of their particular family research questions. The volunteers have come from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Bedfordshire, Staffordshire, Sussex, The Wirral, North Wales and Leicestershire, and cover Inskip, Inskeep and Inskipp.
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PROJECT FAMILY HISTORY OBJECTIVE AND BENEFITS
The objective of the Inskip Study is to establish a ‘family Y-DNA signature’ for the different branches of Inskips (and variant names). This will help people interested in their ancestors identify, with reasonable certainty, which Inskip family branch they belong to, and, together with documentary family history, likely distant common ancestors. It will be particularly useful to people now and in the future who have hit the ‘proverbial’ brick wall, and cannot trace their family tree back any further. It should also help solve some family legends, and questions such are the Staffordshire and Bedfordshire Inskips linked? Do all the US Inskeeps come from the same ancestor? And, where did my London or Liverpool Inskips come from? It will be of particular interest to people who know or suspect that a distant male ancestor was not an Inskip ancient bloodline male: in turn, it will be useful information to know the later ‘genetic’ Y-DNA signature that is now part of the Inskip tree.
DEEP ANCESTRY
The Inskip Study will also tell us a more about the deeper history of the people who adopted the surname way back in the 12th/13th century. Where might they have come from? Were they ‘Ancient Britons’ from pre-Roman days, invading Angles, or Vikings roaming the Irish Sea? And, was there one common founder of the name, or several? The Roots of the British project has done a wide-ranging study of the ancient people of the North West of England, where the Inskip founders came from, and will be able to make useful comparisons.
VOLUNTEERS
To create this overall picture we need up to 90 male volunteers from any part of the world today. The DNA signatures we are looking at are those on the Y chromosome that are passed, ‘like a baton’, unchanged, from father to son. The aim is to get one or two men from the different Inskip/Inskeep/Inskipp branches who are not closely related, and see which ones have the same or similar Y chromosome DNA. The results of the Study will only be used for historical research , to understand both the Inskip family and the British people, therefore this test is free of charge. (Usually reliable genetic testing for family history research cost in the region of £100 and a variety of tests can be taken see, for example, Family Tree DNA.)
Each volunteer will not only help the overall research and the legacy it will leave for future generations, but they will also get a personal summary of their own results to add richness to their own family history knowledge and to pass on to their children and grandchildren.
THE TEST AND ETHICS
Taking part in the study will mean the University of Leicester sending you the simple equipment and instructions to take a brushing from the inside of the cheek – in layman’s terms it is the quick wipe of a cotton wool bud and takes no more than 10 minutes. This is then put in a sealed test tube and returned to Leicester in a pre-paid envelope. The tests are then carried out in the much respected Departments of Genetics at Leicester on just the Y chromosome DNA. As the Y-chromosome DNA signature is shared by men with the same ancestory, the tests cannot identify unique individuals; this is quite different to forensic tests for criminal investigations, or medical tests to establish paternity – both of which look at all 23 pairs of human chromosomes.
The Roots of the British Project is sponsored by The Wellcome Trust and has been reviewed by the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Research Ethics Committee. It is also compliant with Data Protection legislation. The results will only be used for historical research. We will keep everyone who takes part notified of when the results can be expected.
We will also ask a little bit about your documented family history back to your grandfather to tie you into a broad Inskip family branch and to ensure we do not test closely related volunteers. If you do not know this information we are happy to use our expertise, and have already been able to help several volunteers with their family research through our knowledge of the Inskip surname.
FIND OUT MORE – ESPECIALLY THE LADIES
If you would like to take part or discuss taking part then please contact Jennifer Kirkby, inskip@one-name.org I will be very happy to answer any questions you may have. You do not have to be male, but, if you are a lady family historian you will have to find an obliging male relative !!
FURTHER READING
Information about the science of the the Y-Chromosome tests and surnames by Prof Mark Jobling
Summary of the University of Leicester’s 40 Surname Study by Dr Turi King and Prof Mark Jobling
International Society of Genetic Geneology
* eg John Inskip changed his name to John Lade in the eighteenth century to inherit land from his Uncle, his descendents will be now called Lade, but any male will still have the Inskip Y-DNA signature.
Jennifer Inskip Kirkby
Terry Inskip
mikeinskip
