Welcome to the John Daniel Morrison (1820-1896) Y-DNA project! I am Jill Nock, an Accredited Genealogist working for Family Locket on behalf of our client, Tracey Brackett (great-grandchild of Willie Payne Morrison).
This project seeks Y-DNA testers to place John Daniel Morrison’s line within the larger Morrison haplogroup and determine if John was related to Archibald Morrison (1751-1841), who was reportedly born and died in Kilninian, Argyll, Scotland.
I’m looking for men who represent an all-male line of descent through these sons of John Daniel Morrison, who lived in Pike County, Alabama:
William Angus Morrison (1845-1901) who married 1) Martha J. Fowler (1846-?), and 2) Cynthia Morrison (1848-?)
John D. Morrison (1846-?) who married Sarah Sims (1856-?)
Jefferson D. Morrison (1861-1930) who married Ida Barlow (1871-1963)
Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking for men who carry the Morrison surname who descend from William, John, or Jefferson through a direct paternal line – that means your father, your father’s father, and so on must have had this surname. Women cannot take a Y-DNA test as they don’t have a Y chromosome, but they can help by encouraging their fathers, brothers, uncles, or male cousins who qualify to participate. Even if you’re not actively researching your family history, your Y-DNA results could be the missing piece that helps connect multiple family branches.
How Does It Work?
Y-DNA testing offers a unique window into your direct paternal ancestry – the father’s father’s father’s line that typically follows your surname. Unlike other DNA tests, Y-DNA is passed down virtually unchanged from father to son, generation after generation. It is an incredibly powerful tool for confirming family connections and breaking through brick walls in your family tree.
The image below from the International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki shows the path of Y-DNA inheritance.
When you take a Y-DNA test, you’ll receive results that show your haplogroup (your ancient paternal ancestry) and a list of genetic matches – other men who share a common paternal ancestor with you. The test looks at specific markers on the Y chromosome, and the number of matching markers between two men can help estimate how recently they share a common ancestor. For example, if two men match on 37 out of 37 markers, they likely share a common ancestor within the past 6-10 generations. This makes Y-DNA testing particularly valuable for surname projects and verifying paper trail research.
By joining our Y-DNA project, you can help contribute to a broader understanding of your family line. Many genealogists have knocked down decades-old brick walls through Y-DNA testing, discovering that their documented ancestor wasn’t who they thought or confirming family legends about their origins. Your DNA could be the key to solving these kinds of genealogical puzzles for yourself and others who share your paternal line.
How To Get Involved
Your Y-DNA test results will not be published without your permission, and you may elect to participate in this project using a non-identifying pseudonym, such as William1 or John2, to represent your paternal line and your number within that line. Please contact me at DNATestingProjects@gmail.com.
Learn more about me at FamilyLocket.com.