About us
Active Goals
1. Help identify and study descendants of Claes Cornelissen Van Schouw:
- Male-line descendants whose Y-DNA matches that of the Van Schouw family group;
- Others whose ancestry can be better understood via collaboration with project members.
- Help verify and/or correct published genealogies. (See also the Bulletin page.)
2. Explore the European Roots of the Van Schouw family group:
- Establish and update the Van Schouws' haplotype (i.e., the family group's unique 'branch' on the 'Tree of Mankind'--genetic attributes that differentiate Van Schouw descendants from all other family groups). Doing this requires at least two project participants to upgrade their Y-DNA tests to Big Y-700. Because Peterson is a subordinate line of Garrabrant, one upgrade subject would need to be from the Clawson line and one from either Garrabrant or Peterson.
- Identify related family groups--those who genetically match the Van Schouw family group (share a common male-line ancestor who lived prior to Claes Cornelissen Van Schouw), with the goal of sharing information that may give insigt into the family prior to emigration from Europe.
3. Identify and/or prove any derivative lines of the Van Schouw family group, i.e., male lines of descent from Van Schouw that have surnames other than Garrabrant, Clawson, or Peterson.
4. Prove uncertain relationship on the male line (i.e., identities where Y-DNA may provide unique clues or evidence). Uncertain identities include the parents of:
- Peter Clawson, born 1758, died 1836 Shelby Co OH
- Garret Clawson, born 1759, died 1830 Fayette Co PA
- John Clawson, born 1765, died 1827 Preble Co OH
- Thomas Clawson, born 1768, died 1836 Fountain Co IN
- Josiah Clawson, born 1775 in PA and died 1827 in Fountain Co IN
(Please contact the project administrator if you know of other unproven male-line relationships.)
5. Improve the value of the project via good administration:
- Judiciously expand project membership. Ideally, the project would have at least one known male-line descendant from each surviving early (say, pre-Revolutionary) branch of the Van Schouw family. While close living male-line relatives of project members are certainly welcome to test and join the project, they would not likely provide substantial new insight into Van Schouw genealogy, since their Y-DNA would be very similar to that of their close relative(s) who are already in the project.
- Establish a project general fund for strategic testing (i.e., of men whose Y-DNA data may further another Goal, but who would not test solely using personal funds).
- Enlist at least one co-administrator (with the minimal goal of ensuring continuity, and the supplemental goal of advancing project goals). The optimal number of admins/co-admins may be three--one from each major surname in the Van Schouw family group. interested individuals are asked to contact the project administrator.
- As appropriate, encourage members to consider participation in related Y-DNA projects, including, but perhaps not limited to:
Completed Goals:
- Prove that Clawson, Garrabrant and Peterson are indeed all lines of the Van Schouw family group, with living male-line descendants. (Details TBP.)
- To test the hypothesis that Wyckoff is a male-line branch of the Van Schouw family group. Y-DNA results of several Wyckoff male-line descendants do not match those of Van Schouw male-line descendants. That evidence is not dispositive; however, given the lack of documentary evidence suggesting that Wyckoff is a branch, the hypothesis can be set aside unless and until supporting evidence emerges.