Since the DNA Project started in September 2008, it has grown quickly to comprise over 90 members. Of these, we have over 60 who tested for Y-DNA,  from which we have already identified 9 different KIRKMAN/KIRMAN lines! You can see the actual Y-DNA results in the Groups here.

USA Kirkmans- This group includes all participating USA Kirkmans descended from George Kirkman b bef 1684. The USA tree we have has been growing rapidly and now contains more than 7500 members over 14 generations. There is much that is new & original in this tree, and many errors on other USA Internet Trees have been eliminated. There are 24 Project Members in this group. Intriguingly, several the members of the Group do not have the Kirkman surname - they have the McDaniel, Richard & Archer surnames, and the McDaniel Y-DNA matches one of the other Kirkmans in this group perfectly. This may mean that there was a “non-paternal”event, such as an illegitimate birth or adoption, by a male Kirkman or McDaniel/Richards/Archer, probably in the 17th century. 

Midlands Kirkmans from Derbyshire/Leicestershire– Descendants of William & Henry Kirkman, born before 1500 in Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. It includes Twyford & Leicestershire Kirkmans as well as those from Derbyshire. The tree we have includes over 6,400 individuals over 19 generations. There are 5 Project Members in this group.

Lancashire/Cheshire Kirkmans - This group includes all Kirkmans emanating from Lancashire, including Ainsworth, Bolton, & Middleton. It now has 15 members, following a breakthrough resulting from the 37 marker Y-DNA result for a new member with origins in Southern England. This potentially links the several different trees together, one of which is from a quite different UK geographic location! One of the group members has a tree which includes over 10,000 individuals. We also have trees for the Kirkmans from this line who emigrated to Walla Walla, Washington, and the Soap manufacturing Kirkmans of New York.

Scottish/Australian Kirkmans – Only 1 person is yet in this group. Work is successfully proceeding to take the paper Genealogy research further back, with an identified prospective link to Henry Kirkman in the 1st Royal Dragoons, who married in 1806 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and later moved with his regiment to Dundalk, Ireland, in 1807. His grandson Henry emigrated to Australia around 1849. He was a miner at EurekaGold Fields, Calliope, and the son of John Kirkman born abt 1800, a Woolen Manufacturer, & Mary Thompson.

Danish Kirkmans - 2 person are in this group. This is for USA & other Kirkmans who are descended from Neils Albrecht Kirkemann, born about 1805-1810 in Kalundborg, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Yorkshire Kirkmans- 4 people are in this group, including another USA Kirkman tree emanating from Major Thomas Kirkman (1758-1813), of Dublin, Cork & Tennessee. Yorkshire is north east of Lancashire in England, and might have been expected to be linked to the Lancashire Kirkmans, but from the DNA results to date, this is clearly not the case. Until recently, the oldest identified ancestor was Thomas Kirkman born 1764, South Cave, Yorkshire, England. As a direct result of DNA testing, this group now goes back to James Kirkman b abt 1711. He was a Quarter Master in the 20th Foot Regiment, and died in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1788. Also included are the Portsmouth Kirkmans, & North Nottinghamshire Kirkmans

Lincolnshire Kirkmans– 2 people, one with Kirkman surname and one with Kerman surname are in separate groups originating in Lincolnshire, England. The Kerman member is successfully working on identifying his origins in Europe through successively deeper FTDNA tests to find his origins in Europe. There is a large footprint of Kirkmans in Lincolnshire, which despite close geographical connections to the Midlands Kirkman, are not yet shown to be related.

Musical Kirkmans from Germany & London- These Kirkmans might have been connected to the Danish Kirkmans, but again Y-DNA testing show they are from a different branch. They originate from Bischweiler, Alsace, Germany in the early 1600's. At the moment, there is 1 member in this group

You can see more about these Groups here Kirkman Branches. Without DNA testing, it would have been impossible to be certain the Trees involved did not contain link errors, or even linked up at all!