Here's our story - the Barton DNA Project was started in 2001 and soon became the focal point of extensive cooperation and sharing within the Barton families. The merger of genetic information with traditional genealogy was an exciting breakthrough. In some cases, it answered questions that traditional research couldn't answer. Probably more importantly, it energized and expanded the group of people working on the histories of the Barton families. Today, we have one of the largest Surname DNA Projects in the world, but more importantly, we have a large community of Barton researchers working together to share their information and puzzle out issues. We have a Barton family-wide Historical Society, a newsletter, a database, a website, a DNA project with sponsorships to focus testing and a set of family websites. (Barton was #36 worldwide in the last ranking - we have 189 in the project)
Our learning evolved into the World Families Network in early 2004, where we created a website to help other Surname Projects by sharing our learning and providing a place to find general information. This was initially a passive helping through information and an offering of a free site to support surname projects with no internet website.
Since late 2004, we have been establishing projects to help more families have the same opportunities we have enjoyed. We only start projects where one does not already exist at Family Tree DNA - the premier DNA testing company (and our partner). We receive a modest compensation from FTDNA for this service - which we hope will allow us to keep doing this indefinitely.
Our overall plan is to start, and then nurture the projects, to find good leadership to take them over, to provide the project admin with ever-improving tools to manage their project, and to have fun doing something we enjoy. (Finding that common ancestor, proving a long held theory, or puzzling out a surprising result are all exciting to us.)
| Richard Barton, MD A physician for over 20 years, Dr. Barton is also a long time amateur genealogist and computer enthusiast. World Families Network is a natural outgrowth of his involvement with the Barton Historical Society and its goals...
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 | Terry Barton An Engineer who earned his MBA in mid-career, Terry is retired from the corporate world and works full time on WorldFamilies.net these days. He also provides engineering consulting, volunteers at his church and speaks as a Master Gardener. Terry is President of Barton Historical Society and Coordinator of the Barton DNA Project... |
Some of our Ancestral Surname Projects:
Allard, Armistead
Barton, Biggs, Birdsong, Blow, Briscoe, Bynum
Cheney, Clewis, Conway, Cresap
Deberry, Dillard
Edgerly
Fleete
Geer, Goudelock
Harlan, Hassell, Heald, Hinekley, Hockley, Hodges, Hornsby
Isom
Jennett
Kerby, Kilbourne, Kirby
Lathrop
Marriott, Mizell, Murff
Nance, Newsome, Norwood
Ogle, Oldham
Poindexter
Ramsford, Rentz, Robeson
Seat, Shackleford, Sheppard, Sherbourne, Sneed, Sowerby
Taaffe, Tate, Thompson, Tidmore, Tyler
Vess
Waddell, Wakeham, Wisinger, Woodard, Woodward, Wortham