Keep DNA Project Progress Report

While there is a great deal of testing to be done by male participants with the last name Keep, the Keep Family DNA Project has in its early stages discovered John Keep of Longmeadow's (d. 1676) ancestral connection to the Walter Kep (b ca 1230) line in England. It is evident now that John's family lived in England and that he did not change his name upon arrival in this country, ending speculation about that. This connection had been sought for over 300 years without success, but DNA science and the Keep Family DNA Project has accomplished it very quickly. Much more American, British, and world-wide testing must be done in order to establish specific family lines.

Below are five example family lines. One is the Walter Kep/John L. Keep line beginning in 1230 in England. The others are of the John Keep of Longmeadow descendants--Marcus Floyd Keep, Charles Russell Keep, Donald Bruce Keep, and Paul Eugene Keep.

The DNA results above show that the ancestor of John Keep of Longmeadow is in the line of Walter Kep/John Lister Keep of England.

READ THIS CHART FROM THE BOTTOM UP

If you now compare the results of Marcus, #1, Charles, #2, and Paul Keep. #6, to the results of John L. Keep, #3, who lives in England, you can see the marker numbers for all three are identical to No. 43. In the remaining markers to 67 there are three 1-off differences, indicating that a common ancestor exisits. This extraordinary early result indicates that the Longmeadow John Keep's ancestor exists in John L. Keep's English ancestral line. (See that line below.) By achieving an identical match to another participant, the probability of sharing a common ancestry exists. The greater the number of matches in the number of markers tested the degree of probability increases. Consideration must also be given to variants in respect of markers that may appear in the test results, which may be caused by change or mutation of the Y- chromosome. A factor of one would still indicate a common ancestry, but any higher variation would suggest that there is no link. Unfortunately these early test results do not show the particular family line of John Keep of Longmeadow that leads to that common ancestor, nor which particular ancestor of John L. Keep it is. Much more DNA testing of participants is necessary.

Participant #4 was Peter Ronald Keep, who relocated to America from England during the 1960s. We know that Peter was born in 1935 at Hendon, England, and is descended from Walter Keep of Islingrton, Middlesex, England, who was born in in 1762. Only two of Peter’s twelve markers matched Marcus’ results, and therefore they do not share a common ancestry. The importance of Peter’s test is that it clearly demonstrates that a shared family name does not confer a shared lineage or a genetic link. Because of the expanded scope of our Project, Peter's results are important as further testing of Keeps world wide may well reveal additions to his family line. As more testing is done, it is hoped that other Keeps will discover their own family's genetic links.

Significant results are those of DonaldBruce Keep, #5, who like Marcus can trace an unbroken line back to John Keep of Longmeadow. Out of the 25 markers tested, 24 match Marcus’ results, but one varies by the factor of one. The same applies to John L. Keep’s tests, which puts a different perspective on the interpretation of Marcus and John’s tests. With the science still in its infancy, Donald’s result poses the question of the rate and frequency of variants in markers caused by change or mutation of the Y- chromosome. The more participants we attract to the project the greater our understanding and interpretation of the results and variants will become.

A major breakthrough in our knowledge of the Keep families has come with the testing of Nicholas Keep #7 David Keep #8, and William A. Keep #10. Nicolas and David have resulted in identical matches so far; however, they do not match those of Marcus, #1, Charles, #2, John #3, Bruce #5, or Paul #6. William has mismatches with Nicholas and David that indicate the common ancestor of this group of three is probably further in the past than the common ancestor of David and Nicolas. We can, therefore, now say with some certainty that there are at least two separate Keep families, namely the East Midlands/Longmeadow Keeps, and the Berkshire Keeps. When these results are considered against those for Peter Ronald Keep #4, there is a strong possibility of a third Keep clan. We will only know the answer to this question by having more male Keeps participate, including those from the East Midlands/Longmeadow Keeps, and the Berkshire Keeps.

Much has been published and broadcast about the pitfalls of DNA Y-chromosome research as a tool in genealogy, but these pitfalls centre around the use of the science to determine our deep ancestry or Haplogroups, i.e. who our ancestors were over 10,000 years ago. Whilst this is an interesting aside, it cannot detract from the tried and tested reliability of the marker comparisons that are being used here.

Many other projects provide detailed commentary about the tests and in depth explanations of the results, but we have elected to keep this section relatively simple. If you wish to find out more, we would recommend that you do so. We are not professing to be experts in this field, and until we started this project had a very little knowledge of what it entailed. However, in a relatively short period of time we have achieved some exceptional results, far beyond our original expectations and as such created a sound platform on which to advance the project to meet our set aims and objectives, namely to establish the parentage of John Keep of Longmeadow, to establish links to others who share our common surname, or variations on it, and to provide the means for all Keeps to establish connections.

DNA Test Results Explanation

Our initial tests involved Marcus Floyd Keep, #1, and his father, Charles Russell Keep, Jr., #2, descendants of John Keep of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and John L. Keep, #3, a descendant of Walter Kep of Astwood,Buckinghamshire, England. (See their ancestral lines on the lower part of this page.) As Marcus and his father are direct descendants of John Keep of Longmeadow, their DNA results provide the benchmark against which the other tests are compared. Those familiar with the nomenclature of DNA results will understand the column headings in the table. Others should simply look at the Marker numbers beside the Participants tested, which will allow you to see the matches in the columns. In the case of Marcus and his father, Charles, #s 1 & 2, we have an identical set of marker numbers, which is to be expected. This test confirmed that the non-recombinant or "junk" DNA of the male Y-chromosome contains our ancestral footprint, which is passed from father to son.

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Ancestral Lines of John Keep of Longmeadow and

the related English Family Line of Walter Kep

DNA TEST RESULTS

Important to notice: The chart presented here shows DNA testing results thus far. John Keep of Longmeadow descendants are #'s 1, 2, 5, 6, & 12, showing similar numbers, indicating this American family line relationship. #3 is an English Keep family line, showing the same similar numbers. This is the DNA evidence that the ancestral line of John Keep of Longmeadow intersects the English Keep family line of #3, proving the American/English link that has been sought for centuries. Therefore, the furthest back known ancestor of JK of LM is the same as that of the English Keep #3, Walter Kep of Astwood, England, b. ca. 1230. (See ancestral charts at the bottom of this page.)

Click here for Participant names, when permitted, and Ancestral information

Markers 1 - 37

Markers 38 - 67

*Haplogroup/Gene Family

Walter KEP

born about 1230

Astwood, Buckinghamshire

England

John KEP

born about 1260 Astwood

John KEP

born about 1290 Astwood

John KEPE

born about 1320 Astwood

John KEPE

born about 1350 Astwood

John KEPE

born about 1375

Bozeat, Northamptonshire

Thomas KEPE

born about 1400 Bozeat

William KEPE

born about 1425 Bozeat

William KEPE

born about 1450

Bozeat

William KEPE

born about 1480

Ecton

Northamptonshire

William KEPE

born 1520

Wellingborough

DNA testing of this Project has discovered that the Longmeadow John Keep's ancestor lies in the Walter Kep - John L. Keep family line on the far right ------>

column, and therefore all descendants of John Keep of LM have Walter Kep as their furthest back English ancestor. At this point, the names in the line of John Keep of Longmeadow leading to the family to the right are not known. Further testing and research are needed to discover these names.

John KEPE

born 1550 Ecton

William KEEP

born about 1585

Thomas KEEP

born 1610

John KEEP

of Longmeadow

Killed by Indians

26 Mar 1676

John KEEP

of Longmeadow

Killed by Indians

26 Mar 1676

John KEEP

of Longmeadow

Killed by Indians

26 Mar 1676

John KEEP

of Longmeadow

Killed by Indians

26 Mar 1676

John KEEP

born 1651

Wellingborough

Samuel KEEP

born 1670

Longmeadow

Mass.

Samuel KEEP

born 1670

Longmeadow

Mass.

Samuel KEEP

born 1670

Longmeadow

Mass.

Samuel KEEP

born 1670

Longmeadow

Mass.

Thomas KEEP

born 1682

Matthew KEEP

born 1722

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1700

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1700

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1700

Longmeadow

Thomas KEEP

born 1724

Matthew KEEP

born 1745

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1739

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1739

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1739

Longmeadow

Richard KEEP

born 1765

Transported to

Botany Bay 1807

Marsena KEEP

born 1769

Longmeadow

Samuel KEEP

born 1774

Longmeadow

Heber KEEP

born 1776

Longmeadow

Heber KEEP

born 1776

Longmeadow

Joseph KEEP

born 1794

Wootton

Marsena KEEP

born 1802

Keepville

Pennsylvania

Nathan Cooley KEEP

born 1800

Longmeadow

Henry Augustus

KEEP

born 1811

Longmeadow

Henry Augustus

KEEP

born 1811

Longmeadow

Joseph Keep

born 1821

Abner Newton KEEP

born 1834

Keepville, Penn.

John Haskell KEEP

born 1836

Boston, Mass.

Charles David

KEEP

born 1857

Alton, Illinois

Charles David

KEEP

born 1857

Alton, Illinois

Mark KEEP

born 1856

Cardington

Bedfordshire

Frank Elijah KEEP

born 1855

Keepville,Penn.

John Haskell KEEP

born 1869

Brooklyn, New York

Charles Russell

KEEP

born 1896

Hartford, Conn.

Charles Russell

KEEP

born 1896

Hartford,Conn.

Joseph Henry KEEP

born 1879

St Albans

Hertfordshire

Carlton Francis KEEP

born 1890

Hull, Iowa

Donald Bruce KEEP

born 1900

Well,New York

Charles Russell KEEP

born 1929

New York, N. Y.

Charles Russell KEEP

born 1929

New York, N. Y.

Arthur Joseph KEEP

born 1921

Higham Ferrers

Paul Leroy KEEP

born 1912

Sioux Falls

South Dakota

Donald Bruce KEEP

born 1927

Syracuse, New York

Marcus Floyd KEEP

born 1958

New York, N. Y.

John Lister KEEP

born 1949

Finedon

Northamptonshire

England

Paul Eugene KEEP

born 1934

Freeport, Illinois

Project participants are shown here in white boxes with their ancestral lines.

Paul Eugene KEEP

born 1955

Freeport, Illinois

ANCESTRAL LINES OF JOHN KEEP OF LONGMEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS,

Table of Contents

Marker	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	Ancestral Group
Partici- pant ID #																	D	Y	S	#
Partici- pant ID #	5 3 1	5 7 8	3 9 5 S 1 a	3 9 5 S 1 b	5 9 0	5 3 7	6 4 1	4 7 2	4 0 6 S 1	5 1 1	4 2 5	4 1 3 a	4 1 3 b	5 5 7	5 9 4	4 3 6	4 9 0	5 3 4	4 5 0	4 4 4	4 8 1	5 2 0	4 4 6	6 1 7	5 6 8	4 8 7	5 7 2	6 4 0	4 9 2	5 6 5
1	11	8	15	15	8	11	10	8	9	9	12	22	25	15	10	12	12	16	8	14	24	20	13	13	11	12	11	11	12	11	01
2	11	8	15	15	8	11	10	8	9	9	12	22	25	15	10	12	12	16	8	14	24	20	13	13	11	12	11	11	12	11	01
3	11	8	15	15	8	12	10	8	9	9	12	22	24	15	10	12	12	16	8	14	25	20	13	13	11	12	11	11	12	11	01
6	11	8	15	15	8	11	10	8	9	9	12	22	25	15	10	12	12	16	8	14	24	20	13	13	11	12	11	11	12	11	01
5	11	8	15	15	8	11	10	8	9	9	12	22	25	15	10	12	12	16	8	14	24	20	13	13	11	12	11	11	12	11	01
4																															02
7	11	9	15	16	8	10	10	8	10	10		23	23	16	10	12	12	17	8	12	23	20	13	12	11	13	11	11	13	12	03
8	11	9	15	16	8	10	10	8	10	10		23	23	16	10	12	12	17	8	12	23	20	13	12	11	13	11	11	13	12	03
10	11	9	15	16	8	10	10	8	10	10		23	23	17	10	12	12	17	8	12	23	20	13	12	11	13	11	11	13	12	03
11	11	9	15	16	8	10	10	8	10	10		23	23	17	10	12	12	17	8	12	23	20	13	12	11	13	11	11	13	12	03
9																															04

Marker		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	Ancestral Group
Partici- pant ID #																		D	Y	S	#
Partici- pant ID #	H a p l o *	3 9 3	3 9 0	1 9	3 9 1	3 8 5 a	3 8 5 d	4 2 6	3 8 8	4 3 9	3 8 9 I	3 9 2	3 8 9 ii	4 5 8	4 5 9 a	4 5 9 d	4 5 5	4 5 4	4 4 7	4 3 7	4 4 8	4 4 9	4 6 4 a	4 6 4 b	4 6 4 c	4 6 4 d	4 6 0	G A T A H 4	Y C A ll a	Y C A ll b	4 5 6	6 0 7	5 7 6	5 7 0	C D Y a	C D Y b	4 4 2	4 3 8
1	I1	14	22	15	10	13	14	11	14	11	12	11	28	15	8	9	8	11	22	16	19	28	13	13	15	15	10	10	18	21	14	14	17	20	34	35	12	10	01
2	I1	14	22	15	10	13	14	11	14	11	12	11	28	15	8	9	8	11	22	16	19	28	13	13	15	15	10	10	18	21	14	14	17	20	34	35	12	10