Below we will group the different test kits and associated paper research patrilines by their respective haplogroups and subclades (as determined by Y-SNP testing), and within the haplogroups and subclades also by families. Haplogroups can be understood as genetic clans, large groups of people that based on their Y-DNA share a common ancestor (in our case a paternal one) that lived many thousands of years ago, far beyond the genealogical timeframe. These haplogroups are themselves branches of the human paternal genetic tree (Y-DNA haplogroup tree or Y-phylogenetic tree) and they come together in one man, the Y-chromosomal Adam, the most recent common paternal ancestor of all currently living people. He lived between 237,000 to 581,000 years ago. At the highest levels there are 20 haplogroups, labeled A to T, with haplogroup A being the cradle of humanity in Africa. The haplogroups in turn branch off in subclades, a smaller and more recent kind of haplogroups, which also branch off, etc. etc., until you arrive at the individual surname families of the recent history and genealogical timeframe. Each node or branch point in this human paternal genetic tree represents a male who inherited the Y-DNA from his father, but with one new SNP mutation, which he in turn passed on via the Y-DNA to all of his male patrilineal descendants, this way starting a new more recent and smaller 'genetic clan'. Within a patriline, the more recent or the younger the SNP mutation is, the more downstream it is said to be from earlier more upstream SNPs in that patriline. By comparing the Y-SNP test results of as many as possible men it is possible to reconstruct this human paternal genetic tree, estimate the time when the SNP first appeared (and a new branch or lineage was created) and reveal historical migration patterns of these different ancestral branches. A minimal representation of the Y-phylogenetic tree can be found here.

R1b-P312/S116 > [...] > ZZ11 > DF27/S250 > ZZ12 > Z2552 > YP4295 > A6457

Haplogroup R1b (ca. 22,800 years ago, defined by SNP M343; most frequent Y-haplogroup in Western Europe) and positive test for subsequent downstream known SNPs M269 (ca. 6,500 years ago), P312 (ca. 4,900 years old; one of two predominant branches of R1b in Europe, mostly found on the Iberian peninsula, the British Isles, Italy and France; often associated with Celtic origin), ZZ11, DF27 (ca. 4,400 years ago), ZZ12, Z2552 (ca. 4,400 years ago), YP4295 (ca. 4,300 years ago), A6457.

Family Van Eessen/Vaneessen/Vanheessen

At the start of this project, we only have one participant, with surname Vanheessen. He belongs to haplogroup R-P312 > [...] > DF27 > [...] > A6457. His current fit in the P312 clade or branch of the human genetic tree can be viewed in Alex Williamson's Ytree (surname van Eessen). This participant's patriline traces back to his most distant known ancestor Nicolaas van Eessen, who lived during the 17th century in the small polder parish Slijpe at the Flemish North Sea Coast in the present-day Belgian province of West Flanders. According to genealogical paper research, all people of Flemish origin with the surnames Vanheessen, Van Eessen and Vaneessen are related and share this Nicolaas van Eessen as their most distant known ancestor.

In order to confirm this, we would need at least one male candidate with surname Van Eessen and one male candidate with surname Vaneessen to test as well. If you are interested please get in touch.

If we have test results for at least 3 not very closely related people of this particular West Flemish family (i.e. one from each surname variant) and these results do match, then we know for sure that all branches are genetically related and that Nicolaas van Eessen, the most distant know ancestor according to paper research, indeed also belong to the above mentioned haplogroup and subclades. It is possible that the results do not match because of a so called Non-Paternity Event (NPE): a short list of possible scenarios that could have lead to an NPE can be found here. In a 2013 study Larmuseau et al. have estimated that rates of misattributed paternity during the last 400 years in Flanders were only 1-2%, implying that the legal genealogies rarely differ from the biological ones. So, if there was an NPE, than likely not in more than one surname branch: with 3 candidates tested, at least 2 of them should match in order to know the haplogroup and subclades of the family and the most distant known ancestor. But of course, the more candidates, e.g. 2 with surname Vanheessen, 2 with surname Van Eessen, and 2 with surname Vaneessen (but in each case not very directly related to the other candidate), the better it is since the it only makes the picture clearer.

Kit #561279 paper research patriline

1. Nicolaas van Eessen (b. c. 1610 p.o.b. unknown, likely near Reninge - d. 1669 Slijpe) x 1655 Janneken de Ruysschere (3rd marriage)
2. Joos van Eessen (b. 1664 Slijpe - d. 1730 Slijpe) x 1703 Arnolda de Pottere (2nd marriage)
3. Nicolaas van Eessen (b. 1713 Slijpe - d. 1772 Leffinge) x 1742 Joanna Verscheure
4. Pieter Vaneessen (b. 1742 Leffinge - d. 1818 Gistel) x 1769 Maria Goethals
5. Francis Van Eessen (b. 1780 Gistel - d. 1864 Gistel) x 1804 Cecilia Mestdagh
6. Francis Van Eessen (b. 1805 Gistel - d. 1855 Gistel) x 1839 Maria Devos
7. Karel Vanheessen (b. 1849 Gistel - d. 1919 Gistel) x 1879 Pauline Vanmaele
8. Emiel Vanheessen (b. 1880 Gistel - d. 1957 Gistel) x 1912 Clotilde Lingier
9. Kit donor grandparents
10. Kit donor parents
11. Kit donor Vanheessen

Family Van Eessene

In 1600 Joannes van Eessene was born in Reninge (present-day West Flanders, near the border with French Flanders). My hypothesis is that this van Eessene family, of which Joannes is a member, might be related to the above family that has Nicolaas van Eessen as most distant known ancestor. As far as I know, this second family from Reninge does not have any living patrilineal descendants on the territory of present-day Belgium. However, Joannes van Eessene migrated to Leiden, in the present-day Dutch province of South Holland, around 1620 and married there with several children and grandchildren.

In order to confirm the hypothesis that these two families are related, we are also looking for people with similar surname in Leiden or the broad environment (South or North Holland) or even in the Netherlands in general, who could be direct male descendants of this Joannes van Eessene. If your are interested to test, please get in touch.

Any test results (of a number of candidates) will then either confirm or rule out belonging to haplogroup R-P312 > [...] > DF27 > [...] > A6457, as well as a Y-STR match, and therefore relatedness of the 'ancestral' Flemish family and the Dutch family.

These are the first generations of Joannes' family in Leiden (only male lines), in case this could help to link your paper research genealogy:

1. Joannes van Eessene (b. 1600 Reninge - d. 1679 Leiden)
x 1623 Dina Francken
1. Pieter Jans van Essen (also: van Eessen, van Esen, van Eesen, van Eesche; b. 1634 Leiden)
x (1) 1661 Ode Jeremias
1. Jeremia van Eessen (b. 1662 Leiden)
2. Jan van Eessen (b. 1666 Leiden)
x (2) 1670 Fytge Cornelisdr
1. Cornelius van Eessen (b. 1676 Leiden)
2. Jan van Eesse (also: van Eessen; b. 1638 Leiden)
3. Jacob van Eessen (also: van Neesen, van Essen, van Esen, van Eesen; b. 1640 Leiden - d. before 24 May 1681 Leiden)
x 1670 Geertge Jansdr
1. Jan van Essen (b. 1674 Leiden)
4. to be completed...

A nephew of Joannes, Jacobus van Eessen (born in Reninge), also settled in Leiden and got married there to Sara Segersdr in 1646. They certainly had one son Jacobus van Eessen (born in 1646 in Leiden). Maybe he also still has direct male descendants currently alive.

Family de Heese/etc.

At the end of the 16th century there was a family de Heese in Hondschoten, in French Flanders, at the border with Belgium and near Reninge. Around 1590, Harman de Heese (born c. 1570 in Hondschoten) and three of his sisters had settled in Leiden. They all got married and Harman continued the male surname line. Given the vicinity of the place of origin with that of the above families and the similarity of the surname, there is also a chance that this family might be related.

In order to confirm the hypothesis that these two families are related, we are also looking for people with similar surname in Leiden or the broad environment (South or North Holland) or even in the Netherlands in general, who could be direct male descendants of this Harman de Heese. If your are interested to test, please get in touch.

Any test results (of a number of candidates) will then either confirm or rule out belonging to haplogroup R-P312 > [...] > DF27 > [...] > A6457, as well as a Y-STR match, and therefore relatedness of the 'ancestral' Flemish family and the Dutch family.

His - most likely incomplete - family tree (up to c. 1730-1740) can be found here, in case this could help to link your paper research genealogy. In this tree the surname is also mentioned as: de Hese, Hesens, Heese, van Heesen, Heesen, Hezen, Heezen, Heren.

Other families with surname variants to be added

Any other people with variants of the surname are welcome to get in touch and to participate in the project. We will then add any results on this page.