Pamunkey Hendrick DNA Project
This is a subset of a much broader project encompassing all lineages of the Hendrick, Hendricks, Hendrix, and Hendryx surnames. Information about this larger project can be found here.
Origins of the Pamunkey Hendrick Family
Pamunkey Hendrick descendants have proven to be unrelated, or at best very distantly related, to other groups with a similar surname. Nineteen participants who identify themselves as definite or probable descendants of Pamunkey Hendrick ancestors have been tested to date. (The test is a painless analysis of saliva to identify values for number of specific elements in the Y-chromosome.)
Their test results indicate a Norse origin for the family in the distant past -- that is, a set of distinctive DNA results that indicate an origin perhaps 3,000 years ago in or near what is now Denmark. (This origin would, of course, predate the use of familial surnames by many centuries.) While we cannot say for sure where the Pamunkey family's Hendrick surname originated, we can observe that persons with the same DNA markers are in modern times heavily concentrated in Sweden and Norway, with somewhat lesser concentrations in surrounding countries. Interestingly, two apparently unrelated participants of Swedish origin are a perfect 68-of-68 match to some of these Pumunkey Hendricks.
The DNA results also suggest that it may be possible to identify a few distinct branches within this family. That is, some branches of this family appear to exhibit distinctive mutations that may help to resolve the genealogies of a few of the participants. For a more complete explanation of these results, contact the study administrator.
Results to Date:
Pamunkey Hendrick DNA Results (as of 3/31/2011)
Tentative Lineage Chart for Pamunkey Hendrick DNA Participants (as of 3/31/2011)
More Information:
Contact the Project Administrator