DNA, Jamaica, and Bollings

Since posting (21 Oct 2014) the observation of a close DNA match between me and a Jamaican Ford descendant (genetic distance of 2 for a 67-marker yDNA STR test), I have observed an even closer match (genetic distance of 1 for 67 markers) between that Ford descendant and a Tapscott who has never left England. In both cases the DNA difference lies in marker CDYb. The Jamaican Ford descendant shows 37-37 for CDY; the Tapscott living in England shows 37-38 for CDY; I show 37-39 for CDY. Since CDY is a fast-mutating marker, the fact that we differ only in this one marker strengthens the probability that the Fords of St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, and the Tapscotts of England and the U.S., have a common ancestor, quite possibly linked to William Tapscott, the Rebel, who was transported from England to Jamaica around 1686.

What is interesting is that the Jamaican Ford descendant also shows close matches (distances of 1 for 67 markers) with three people descended from ancestors bearing the name Bolding or Bowling (members of Group 5 Bollings, http://www.bolling.net/). Two of these matches are known to show a difference only in the CDY marker (37-38 for both a Bolding descendant and a Bowling descendant compared with 37-37 for the Ford descendant). As you all know, we have found Bolling matches for Tapscotts in the Tapscott surname study. And, more recently, autosomal DNA results also indicate a match between Group 5 Bolling/Bowling/Bollin/Bolding descendants and Tapscott descendants.

It is becoming increasingly likely that the Bolling Group 5 family of Virginia, USA, the Tapscotts of Virginia and England, and the Fords of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, have a common ancestor through an all-male line, but I would like to confirm this with a paper study. At this point, I am leaning toward a Tapscott progenitor in England with William Tapscott the Rebel starting the Jamaican Fords and someone in early Virginia or possibly England starting the Bollings.

I have proposed a proof of the connection of the Tapscotts and the Jamaican Fords as a problem for the televised Genealogy Roadshow (http://genealogyroadshow.org/casting-page/); however, I suspect that this will not be chosen since (1) it involves records outside the U.S. (which may increase the amount of time that the Roadshow wishes to spend on a project) and (2) I am not a confirmed member of the Ford family of Jamaica and thus cannot give the question the personal feeling that the Roadshow likes. Others (a Jamaican Ford?) may want to propose this or another Tapscott genealogy question to the Roadshow. I would be glad to help.