My name is Robert Burke (robertburke@juno.com), and I am the administrator of this project. Please contact me if you have interest in the Womack DNA project. You can also get information at our Womack Genealogy Board.
Our purpose is to use DNA Testing to confirm documented Womack lines, and to help those who have hit the proverbial "brick wall" in their Womack research to find genetic links. Many Womack researchers believe that most non-African-American Womacks in the United States descend from five Womack brothers who lived in colonial Virginia in the late 1600s. Many people have traced their Womack lineage back to one of these brothers. Another goal of this project is to try to find links to Womack lines which remained in England.
| First Name | D
Y S 19 |
D
Y S 385a |
D
Y S 385b |
D
Y S 388 |
D
Y S 389i |
D
Y S 389ii |
D
Y S 390 |
D
Y S 391 |
D
Y S 392 |
D
Y S 393 |
D
Y S 425 |
D
Y S 426 |
D
Y S 437 |
D
Y S 438 |
D
Y S 439 |
D
Y S 460 |
D
Y S 461 |
D
Y S 462 |
D
Y S 635 |
G
A T A A10 |
G
A T A H4.1 |
|
| A - Richard Womack and Mary Puckett | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ernest L | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
12
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Alvis H | 14
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
12
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Darrel L | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Donald F | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
na
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Farris W | 14
|
na
|
na
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
na
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Joel | 14
|
na
|
na
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
na
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Roger G | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
14
|
22
|
|
| Carlos U | 14
|
11
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
14
|
12
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
12
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Samuel W | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
0
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Robert D | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
na
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
12
|
11
|
25
|
15
|
22
|
|
| Virgil E | 14
|
11
|
14
|
12
|
13
|
29
|
23
|
11
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
10
|
na
|
na
|
na
|
na
|
na
|
|
| B - Abraham Womack (died 1733 in Henrico Co, VA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jack F | 14
|
14
|
15
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Mark D | 14
|
14
|
15
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Steve | 14
|
14
|
15
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Nelson | 14
|
na
|
na
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
na
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Alton W | 14
|
14
|
15
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
12
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Paul G | 14
|
14
|
15
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
12
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Brian | 14
|
14
|
15
|
12
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
12
|
12
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
12
|
22
|
16
|
21
|
|
| Jay B | 14
|
14
|
15
|
14
|
12
|
27
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
na
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
21
|
15
|
21
|
|
| Ralph E | 14
|
na
|
na
|
14
|
12
|
28
|
23
|
10
|
11
|
13
|
na
|
11
|
16
|
10
|
11
|
10
|
12
|
13
|
22
|
15
|
21
|
|
| C - John Womack and Mary Akin | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warren W | 13
|
12
|
14
|
12
|
14
|
31
|
24
|
10
|
13
|
13
|
12
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
12
|
11
|
12
|
11
|
23
|
14
|
22
|
|
| Fred D | 13
|
12
|
14
|
12
|
14
|
30
|
24
|
10
|
13
|
13
|
12
|
14
|
15
|
9
|
12
|
11
|
12
|
11
|
23
|
14
|
22
|
|
| Ray | 13
|
na
|
na
|
12
|
14
|
30
|
24
|
10
|
13
|
13
|
na
|
12
|
15
|
12
|
12
|
11
|
12
|
11
|
23
|
14
|
22
|
|
Markers DYS-385a and DYS-385b are not used to compare DNA between people, so we can consider any differences in these markers as insignificant. This is a good thing, considering that Sam and Fred's DYS-385a and DYS-385b were not successfully tested. Update 12 Jul 2006 - I updated results for Sam and Fred from when they re-tested.
Update 15 Feb 2008 - Added Don's test results. Note that Don took a 43-marker test, and I only added the 20 markers which his test had in common with the original 21-marker test (Don was not tested for DYS425 since that marker is no longer used).
Update 11 June 2008 - Added test results for Farris and Joel (brother of Susan
Owens). Farris and Joel chose 23 markers to test from the 43 offered by
DNA Heritage. Most of the 23 chosen are shown above, but there were a couple
more not shown, since the original testing group did not use these. For the
couple of markers not shown, Farris, Joel, and Don Womack all match exactly
(all are descendants of Bird Womack of Georgia). Farris and Joel did not test
for DYS425, since DNA Heritage no longer uses that marker. Also, Farris and
Joel did not test for DYS-385a and DYS-385b, since these markers are
insignificant.
Update 13 Aug 2008 - Added Nelson's test results. - 23 marker test, see notes for Farris and Joel (above) about markers.
Nelson descends from William Womack of Rutherford Co, NC who married Lucy Womack, daughter of Thomas Womack and Louvisa Rice.
Changes to existing DNA results (15 Feb 2008):
I have grouped the tests according to who I think is the common ancestor. Note that I added Jack's results from his test as part of the Blanton project.
I know some people are not going to like this, but we have three very distinct Womack haplotypes. What this means, is that there is no way whatsoever that these three groups are genetically related. Furthermore, the "split" seems to go very far back, to colonial Virginia. It is very possible that Abraham, Richard, and John were not related by blood. Rather, they may have been adopted, possibly by the elusive William "the Immigrant" Womack.
Jack relayed to me some words from Bob Stafford, who has traced his family back to colonial Virginia. Here is what Bob said: I have to believe that adoption was a major cause of the diverse results for Colonial VA families, although we don't really have any hard evidence. Up until 1750 there was a low ratio of women to men. People had short lifespans due to the many tropical diseases. If a husband died, the widow would marry very quickly. Some of the children could take on the new surname for whatever reason. This might be even more likely, if a posthumous child was born inside the new marriage.
I can add a little to that, since I have been reading up on colonial Virginia history. The Jamestown colony simply refused to grow for almost 50 years after it was founded. Although thousands of people came to Virginia from England, the population remained very low, because so many died. I have no doubt there were lots of orphan children, and many were taken into unrelated families.
So, we have three distinct Womack haplotypes, although we know that historically they all came from the same area and time. It may be a mystery that is never solved, or perhaps some Womacks in England have the same haplotypes as one of three American Womack haplotypes. Personally, I am not going to worry about it. In fact, it is very helpful in grouping various lines together.
In each line, there is a person or people who have DNA that is most like the others. I think this means that their DNA is most like the common ancestor, though I'm not absolutely sure about that. I will now talk about each of the three groups.
In this group, Ernest, Alvis, Darrel, Don, Farris, Joel, and Sam are all exact matches (not including insignificant markers). Ernest and Alvis are the same and differ by one from the others. Roger also differs by 1. Carlos differs by 3, which probably indicates a faulty test.
This is the most consistent group. Basically, Jack, Mark, and Steve are exact matches. Paul and Alton are exact matches, and differ from Jack/Mark/Steve by just one marker. So this forms a pretty tight group. Jack has concluded that Thomas Womack (who was married to Louvisa Rice) was a descendant of Abraham Womack (died 1733 in Henrico Co, VA). This comes from Jack's research, his involvement in the Blanton project, and this project.
Warren and Fred differ by three markers (not including DYS-385a and DYS-385b, which are not used in comparisons, and which the lab never finished for Fred anyhow). As with Sam's test, I think Fred's test was mishandled, and I think a second test might show fewer differences between Fred and Warren.
The following people are participating in the Womack Surname Project. For each person, I have their name, home town, and their Womack lineage.
First off, only men with the Womack last name (or alternate spelling such as Warmack, Wommack, etc) can take the test, since it relies on Y-DNA (in other words, DNA on the Y chromosome) which only males have. If you are not a male Womack (or Warmack, etc), you can pay for the test for someone who is.
We use DNA Heritage for our testing (http://www.dnaheritage.com/). I believe they in turn use Sorenson Genomics for the lab work.
The total cost is $137.77 (as of July 2009). This is for a 23-marker test that will give adequate results to compare with the DNA of other male Womacks (including alternate spellings such as Warmack, Wommack, etc) who tested earlier. You can also pay $189 if you would like the full 43-marker test. This is nice to have, but not necessary. More markers mean more accuaracy, but you should not need that much accuaracy to show which of the three Womack groups you belong to.
I can sign you up for the test. I need a mailing address and phone number to fill out the form on DNA Heritage. If you are paying for someone else to take the test, I need that person's mailing address.
The test kit will get mailed to you (or to the person taking the test), and it has everything you need, including instructions and a return envelope. It is basically a cotton swab (like a big Q-tip) and a tube of saline water with a cap on the end. You rub the swab on the inside of your cheek, drop the swab into the tube, put the cap back on, put the tube in the return envelope, and mail it back to DNA Heritage. Once they receive the test kit, they will send you an email asking for payment, and you can pay online with a credit card. Once they are paid, they analyze your DNA, and email you when the results are ready, usually in 3 weeks or less. They also send a nice certificate with your results through the regular mail.
DNA Heritage has some answers to common questions here: http://www.dnaheritage.com/faqs.asp (your test will be a Y-STR test)
To recap, I need:
I will also eventally need the lineage of you or the person taking the test, see the examples on this page. Just go back as far as you know. You can get this to me later. Once the results come in, I will ask your permission to post the results on this page.
Let me know if I can clarify anything.
- Robert Burke
This chart shows the first few generations of Womacks in America. Note that it only shows male Womacks, not their wives or daughters.
Important NOTE: Although in the chart I call Haplotype A "Richard Womack and Mary Puckett", we do not know for sure that Richard Womack (#17 below) who married Mary Puckett had the same Y-DNA as his son Richard Jr (married Elizabeth LNU, maybe Puckett). We know Richard Jr's DNA for certain, because we know the DNA of three of his sons (Richard III, Alexander Sr, and Thomas Sr). We need a DNA test from a descendant of William Womack, son of Richard Womack and Mary Puckett. If that is the same as the descendants of Richard Jr, then we will know Richard Sr's DNA type.
Likewise, we cannot say for certain anything about John Womack (#26) who married Mary Akin. From the current tests, we just know the DNA of his son, William.
We do know for sure the Y-DNA of Abraham Womack Sr (#02 below), because we have DNA test from descendants of all three of his sons (through six of his grandsons). Some people have confused the DNA tests with the Thomas Womack / Louvisa Rice issue. Thomas Womack and Archer Blanton were born out of wedlock to Abraham Womack (#09 in the chart below) and Ann Blanton. In addition, Abraham had two legitimate sons by two different wives - Abraham Jr (married Elizabeth Stubblefield) and Abner (married Agnes Reed). The DNA of descendants of Thomas Womack & Louvisa Rice matches that of descendants of Abraham (#02) from other lines. Thus, the Womack DNA split happened long before the Abraham Womack and Ann Blanton affair.