The SHELDON DNA PROJECT

Combines the latest in genetic genealogy testing with more traditional genealogy research to unlock the secrets of our SHELDON forbears and their origins.

Last Updated in May of 2022 we have over 200 members from around the globe.

Group A: This group consists of the descendants of Godfrey Sheldon of Maine, John Sheldon of Providence, Rhode Island, and (Richard SHELDON is now Under this group) of New Jersey as well as the Sheldon’s originating in Bakewell, near the hamlet of Sheldon in Derbyshire, England.

• A1: John of Providence, Rhode Island

• A2: Godfrey of Maine 

• A3: Bakewell, Derby, England –One tester so far, but a very strong match to the rest of Group A.

Group B: Haplogroup R1b>U106>Z156>DF96>S11515>S15663>BY12505>FGC62079>BY35166 This group consists of the descendants of Isaac SHELDON of Windsor, Connecticut and Northampton, Massachusetts, and of John Sheldon of South Kingstown

• B1: FGC74427 Isaac  of Windsor, Connecticut, also known as the Northampton line.

• B2: FGC73741 John of Kingstown, Rhode Island, also known as the South Kingston line.

Group C: Haplogroup: R1b>U106>Z381>Z301>Z30>Z346>FGC11784 not related to Group B in the last 1000 years. Only two individuals in this test group, they are in the UK and trace to Rowley Regis and West Bromwich, Staffordshire.

Group D: Haplogroup R1b Predicted M269>L21>DF13> Z39589>DF41> MC21 (S15663- ) Potsdam, New York

Group E: Haplogroup I M253: Burmington, WARWICKSHIRE, England

Group F: Haplogroup (predicted): R1b>M269>L21>DF13>Z39589>DF41>MC21 Four testers trace their Sheldon names to two separate men in the Birmingham area in the late 18th century – John Sheldon (1787-1860), and James Sheldon (1772-1832). However, their results have very strong connections with the MONTGOMERY family out of Argyllshire, Scotland. We currently suspect this is an early 18th-century NPE (non-paternal event), in which a person from the Montgomery family adopted the Sheldon surname. This individual may have been the father or grandfather of the above John and James.

• F1: Haplogroup J M172>L26>PF7413 WARWICKSHIRE: Birmingham from Argyllshire, Scotland? (MONTGOMERY)

Group G: Haplogroup R1b Birmingham, WARWICKSHIRE, England. This group is related by area not specifically DNA at this point. All are from the Tipton-Birmingham area but fall into different DNA groups at this time.

• G1: R1b M269 Tipton, Birmingham Area, WARWICKSHIRE, England

• G2: R1b M269 Tipton, Birmingham Area, WARWICKSHIRE, England

• G3: R1b M269 Tipton, Birmingham Area, WARWICKSHIRE, England

• G4: R1b M269 Tipton, Birmingham Area, WARWICKSHIRE, England

Group H: Haplogroup R1b Likely SHANNON NPE now SHELDON from Ireland

Note: YDNA testing is only useful to our project for males bearing the surname SHELDON. For both men and women having SHELDON ancestors a Family Finder test may provide insight and we welcome that as well.

Please contact the project administrators directly or any of us through SheldonGenealogy.org for help with genealogy and DNA questions. Family Tree DNA Projects are not affiliated with any specific genealogical organization and all individuals with an interest in SHELDONs are welcome to join the Family Tree DNA SHELDON project. All projects are the property of Family Tree DNA. All projects are founded by individuals with Family Tree DNA approval. They are maintained by individual volunteers. No membership in ANY Organization is required and members of any organization are welcome to join. We abide by the Group Project Administrators Guidelines found here. "Projects may have an externally-hosted website maintained by a Group Project Administrator(s) where results are displayed. Although we hold these externally hosted websites to the same requirements as FamilyTree DNA hosted pages, Family Tree DNA has no control or responsibility over said websites. All requests related to external Group Project sites need to be communicated directly to the administrators of those websites." No website has been authorized to host anything other than publicly viewable screenshots of SHELDON DNA results in order to maintain the integrity of people's private data.

THE HISTORY OF THE FTDNA SHELDON PROJECT

The SHELDON DNA project was started by Bruce Robertson in July of 2006 with just one member.  By 2009 there were 20 members of the FTDNA Sheldon Project. Peter Jeffries became an Administrator of the project in April of 2010. Kelly Wheaton contacted Jean and Peter Jeffries in 2014 asking if they wanted help in organizing the project results. She was invited to be an Administrator in September of 2014 and took over the management of the group shortly thereafter. She is the author of the Beginner’s Guide to Genetic Genealogy and manages a total of seven DNA projects. Dale Sheldon joined as an Administrator in October of 2017 and Sue Sheldon in February of 2018.  They have been working closely with Kelly since then. Neale Sheldon representing English testers joined the FTDNA Sheldon project in August of 2022. 

The Sheldon DNA Project accepts atDNA from Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder, Ancestry, MyHeritage, 23andMe, and LivingDNA. However, our main focus is the Y-chromosome which is passed down from father to son, to son, and so forth. The Y chromosome is unique and unlike atDNA in that it does not go through recombinations, so the YDNA 10 or 20 generations back is nearly identical to a man tested today. The Y chromosome only has small mutations every few generations so it is possible to create a tree of the Sheldon Y-chromosome through time for the various different Sheldon lineages. Y-DNA results of Sheldon surnamed men can show who shares a direct patrilineal ancestor and who does not. In combination with traditional genealogy, we have a new tool for closing the gaps when the paper trail goes dead. We can even use a simple Y-SNP test to determine which line a man belongs to in the absence of a firm paper trail. This allows us to help many Sheldon’s who do not know where they come from. 

All individuals and organizations are encouraged to collaborate with the Sheldon FTDNA project. Questions and suggestions are always welcomed.