Pam Hawley Marlin February 2026
Hawley Family Ancestry. A few weeks ago (January 2026), I received my Dad’s "Big Y-700" DNA test results from Family Tree DNA. In the short time since, I’ve been deeply immersed in the data, learning, relearning, and sometimes wrestling with the basics of genetics and Y-DNA structure. What has already emerged is both affirming and surprising: Dad is unquestionably of the Hawley paternal line, but he may descend from a different Hawley ancestor than I originally expected. These results have opened a new path of discovery, pointing toward deeper layers of Hawley history yet to be uncovered. I strongly encourage other Hawley men to join in this effort. If you are considering DNA testing, save your money and go straight to the Big Y-700 test.
My interest in family history began at a very young age. My great-grandmother, Emma Elizabeth Hawley, regaled me with tales of her childhood adventures, which inevitably prompted questions, especially about the origins of the Hawley family. As she talked, I taped together several pieces of 8×10 paper and, with pen and ruler in hand, dutifully drew my first family tree. That modest effort marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for all things historical, with the search for my Hawley ancestors always at the forefront.
Fast forward to the mid-1990s, when my research efforts received an unexpected boost with the arrival of the
internet. Suddenly, genealogy could be pursued from my own living room, without the cost of time and travel.
As the internet grew, so did my excitement at the sheer number of resources becoming available online. While
my true passion remained handling aged documents and photographs in person, online research made the process faster
and more efficient. The scattered pieces of my genealogical puzzle could now be gathered and fitted together, with far greater
ease.
It was not long until online research revealed that I was not the only person interested in this particular Hawley line. Another relative had already tackled it in the 1950s, producing a multi-page document that traced my branch of the Hawley family back to Joseph Hawley of Connecticut, the Hawley family patriarch. It was an extraordinary find! All that remained, I thought, was to verify the work with primary sources and a solid paper trail. That confidence proved short-lived, however. While much of the tree appeared carefully researched and remarkably accurate, a troubling disconnect emerged around 1787, at the parentage of my fifth great-grandfather, John Hawley. It was an obstacle I could not resolve. I had encountered what every genealogist dreads: a brick wall.
Alongside the growth of the internet, advances were also being made in DNA analysis. First used in criminal investigations in the 1980s, DNA testing eventually became available to consumers. Almost without realizing it, my genealogical journey had progressed from handwritten charts to online records, and now to DNA. Suddenly, I had thousands of genetic relatives and yet another powerful clue in my ongoing effort to break through my now decades old Hawley family brick wall.
Through my work with the Society of the Hawley Family (now entering its second century!), I was encouraged to test my father, R. Hawley's, Y-DNA through Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). Unlike autosomal DNA, which blends genetic material from both parents, the Y chromosome stands alone, passed virtually unchanged from father to son and preserving a stable record of paternal ancestry. AncestryDNA and My Heritage focus solely on autosomal DNA testing.
Based on the known lines of Joseph Hawley of Stratford, Connecticut (1603 - 1690), and his brother Thomas Hawley of Roxbury, Massachusetts (1609-1676), the Society maintains a FTDNA Hawley Surname Project, which focuses on tracing the paternal lines of the Hawley brothers.
Faced with my Hawley family brick wall, I decided to indulge in FTDNA's most expensive test, the Big Y-700. The Big Y-700 is the most comprehensive Y-DNA test available, designed to build a highly detailed picture of a man’s direct paternal line. Little did I know this choice would plunge me into a tangled world of STRs, SNPs, and genetic distances. Undeterred, I was, and still am, determined to make sense of it all.
There’s no doubt that the complexity of DNA testing can feel overwhelming and intimidating. As part of my effort to better understand it, I turned to Blaine T. Bettinger’s book, The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, as well as The Genealogist's Guide to Y-DNA Testing for Genetic Genealogy by David Vance. Although I am unable to fully explain the complexity of this level of DNA testing, this overview reflects the basics of what I’ve learned so far on this journey to understand the Hawley family paternal line and its origins.
Family Tree DNA’s Big Y-700 analyzes both Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) and thousands of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), it identifies precise haplogroups, uncovers new family branches, and estimates Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA). This test makes it useful for tracing a man’s direct paternal line far back in time, even hundreds or thousands of years, to a single ancient ancestor shared by all men, often called “Y-chromosome Adam.”
I needed the FTDNA Big Y test to answer two key questions: was my father truly related to the Hawleys, and if so, where did he fall on the Hawley family tree? More specifically, was he, just as the earlier paper-based research suggested, descended from Joseph Hawley, the Connecticut patriarch?
The first results to arrive from my father’s FTDNA Big Y test were the initial STR marker matches. STR testing examines the number of repeats in short, repeating segments of DNA - markers that mutate relatively quickly and are therefore well suited for identifying recent relationships within a genealogical timeframe (~15 generations). These markers are prone to "stutter" mutations, meaning they can change relatively quickly, sometimes increasing or decreasing in value and even "back-mutating" to an earlier state by random chance.
My father’s STR matches, which included numerous Hawleys (and proved his genetic relationship to that surname), appeared at multiple marker levels: 12, 25, 37, 67, and 111 markers. At the 12-marker level, he had an impressive 720 matches, but that number narrowed dramatically to just 16 at the 111-marker level (Dad has 134 Big Y-700 testers who match him at the 12-marker level.). This steep drop reflects both the smaller number of men who test at higher levels and the increased precision those results provide.
STRs are fast-mutating and SNPs are slow and stable.
Along with the STR marker results, the test reports include another key measure called Genetic Distance (GD). Genetic Distance simply counts how many differences, called mutations, exist between two men’s STR results at a given marker level. Fewer differences mean a more recent TMRCA. When the GD becomes too large, it is unlikely that two men share a common ancestor within a genealogical time frame, which is why each testing level has an upper GD limit. The TMRCA is a valuable tool that I look forward to exploring more deeply with the Joseph and Thomas Hawley lines.
At the 37-marker level (Y-37), my father was an exact match (GD = 0) with two men I’ll call A-Hawley and B-Hawley. A GD of zero means that all 37 STR markers were identical, no mutations at all. In addition, Dad was a one-step match (GD = 1) with C-Hawley, indicating a single mutation somewhere among the 37 markers. These three men represented his closest matches at this level. The rest of the matches were a GD of 2 or more.
The higher the number of markers tested, the finer the resolution. When I looked at the 67-marker level (Y-67), only B-Hawley from the lower marker group had tested at that level, and my father was still an exact match (GD = 0). This is especially meaningful because a higher marker exact match can potentially narrow the TMRCA. The other two men (A-Hawley and C-Hawley) had not tested at the 67-marker level, so no comparison was possible there (they have since passed away). To further refine these results, a Y-DNA upgrade for B-Hawley to the Y-111 marker level or Big Y-700 would be helpful.
For Y-STR testing, FTDNA uses a time predictor based on the GD between two men at a given marker level. This produces an estimate of when their TMRCA likely lived, with the time range varying depending on both the number of markers tested and how closely the STR values match.
It is also worth noting that at the 37- and 67-marker levels, Dad, A-Hawley, and B-Hawley, along with another unnamed Hawley match (a descendant of Thomas Hawley of Roxbury, Massachusetts), all share a two-step difference at marker DYS570, with a value of 16 compared to the modal value of 18. Because DYS570 is a rapidly mutating marker, the presence of the same off-modal value (16 instead of 18) across these individuals may further support a distinct sub-branch within the Hawley family.
| Matches: 37-marker | Test | DYS570 | GD | TMRCA | Haplogroup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dad | Big Y | 16 | N/A | N/A | R-FT20553 (terminal) |
| A-Hawley | Y-37 | 16 | 0 | 1600-1950 CE* (95% probability) 1800 CE (likely) | R-M269 (not Big Y) |
| B-Hawley | Y-67 | 16 | 0 | 1600-1950 CE (95% probability) 1800 CE (likely) | R-M269 (not Big Y) |
| C-Hawley | Y-37 | Unk | 1 step | 1450 and 1900 CE (95% probability) 1750 CE (likely) | R-DF96 (not Big Y) |
| Hawley (unnamed) | Y-67 | 16 | 2 steps | 1250 and 1850 CE (95% probability) 1650 CE (likely) | R-M269 (not Big Y) |
| Match: 67-marker | Test | DYS570 | GD | TMRCA | Haplogroup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-Hawley | Y-67 | 16 | 0 | 1700 and 1950 CE (95% probability) 1850 CE (likely) | R-M269 (not big Y) |
| Hawley (unnamed) | Y-67 | 16 | 2 steps | 1450 and 1900 CE (95% probability) 1700 CE (likely) | R-M269 (not Big Y) |
*CE stands for Common Era (or sometimes Current Era) and is used to label years on the Gregorian/Julian calendar, marking the same time period as AD (Anno Domini).
Given how closely Matches A, B, and C aligned, I began researching each of their family lines. Although they had posted simplified trees, I reconstructed them in greater detail using Ancestry.com. This records based research confirmed that all three descend from Thomas Hawley of Roxbury, Massachusetts, brother of Joseph Hawley, the Hawley family patriarch.
Taken together, the Y-DNA evidence and documented family trees strongly suggest that my father descends from the Thomas Hawley line rather than Joseph’s. Future research will focus on the shared TMRCA (around 1800 CE) in hopes of breaking through my brick wall. Additional Big Y-700 testing by at least one of these matches could further strengthen the case for the Thomas Hawley line.
At the 111-marker level, my father currently has 16 matches. With this many markers in play, GD becomes more meaningful, allowing for finer distinctions between paternal lines. Of these matches, five carry the Hawley surname, while the remaining testers represent other surnames, likely connections that predate the adoption of fixed surnames.
My father’s closest Y-111 match is D-Hawley, a descendant of Joseph Hawley, the Hawley family patriarch. At the 37-marker level, Dad’s GD to D-Hawley was three steps, producing an estimated TMRCA of around 1500 CE. At 67 markers, the GD remained three steps, shifting the TMRCA slightly later to approximately 1600 CE. At the Y-111 level, the GD increases to six steps (GD = 6), still pointing to a shared ancestor around 1600 CE. At the lower STR marker levels, D-Hawley does not appear to be as closely related to Dad as A, B, and C Hawley, potentially lending additional support to a separate sibling branch, possibly the Thomas Hawley line (Note: A, B, and C Hawley did not test at the 111-marker or Big Y-700 level).
Beyond D-Hawley, the next closest matches at the 111-marker level fall at a GD of seven, with additional matches extending outward to FTDNA's maximum matching threshold of GD = 10.
Overall, the Y-111 results did not provide new lineage-defining clues, beyond confirming my father’s genetic closeness to a descendant of Joseph Hawley, the Hawley family patriarch. It would have been particularly informative if the men who were close matches at the 37 and 67 STR levels had also tested at the 111-marker level, allowing for a more direct comparison across marker depths.
| Matches: 111-marker | Test | GD | TMRCA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dad | Big Y-700 | N/A | N/A |
| D-Hawley (Joseph Hawley descendant) | Big Y-700 | 6 steps | 1350 and 1800 CE (95% probability) 1600 CE (likely) |
| E-Hawley | Big Y-700 | 7 steps | 1200 and 1750 CE (95% probability) 1500 CE (likely) |
| A-Reid | Big Y-700 | 7 steps | 1200 and 1750 CE (95% probability) 1500 CE (likely) |
| F-Hawley | Big Y-700 | 9 steps | 950 and 1650 CE (95% probability) 1350 CE (likely) |
About a month after receiving Dad’s Y-DNA STR results, the long-awaited Big Y-700 results arrived (January 2026). In addition to expanding his STR analysis by 589 additional markers, for a total of 700, the Big Y-700 examines the Y chromosome at a much deeper level by identifying unique SNP mutations, also known as genetic variants.
Some of these SNPs are “named,” meaning they define established branches on the Y-DNA haplotree. Others are “private” variants that may be unique to a particular paternal line, at least until additional matches are discovered and new branches can be formed. By identifying these variants, the test helps bridge the gap between traditional genealogical records of the past 300–400 years and our more distant ancestral origins.
At present, Dad has nine Big Y-700 matches. As expected, D-Hawley, E-Hawley, A-Reid, and F-Hawley appear as his closest matches, confirming what the earlier STR results had already suggested. On Dad’s match list, I could see the exact number of non-matching variants for each match, along with Dad's one "private" variant, a SNP unique to him and not yet shared with anyone else. It’s important to note that if Dad’s close male relatives also take the Big Y-700 test and share the same variant currently listed as private, it could eventually define a new downstream haplogroup under R-FT20553, effectively establishing a distinct Hawley sub-branch on the global Y-DNA tree.
One Big Y-700 result was especially interesting. A-Reid, who appeared more distant at the 111-marker level with a GD of seven, turned out to have only three non-matching variants with Dad at the Big Y-700 level. This suggests a closer TMRCA than with matches who show five or more non-matching variants. The variants themselves are a deeper layer of the story that I have yet to fully explore.
The remaining five matches were more distantly related and carried different surnames. Interestingly, several of these men did not appear in Dad’s 111-marker results because their STR GD exceeded the FTDNA cutoff of 10.
| Matches: Up to 700 markers (Big Y-700) | Test | Big Y-700 Differences | Haplogroup | Variants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dad | Big Y-700 | N/A | R-FT20553 (terminal) | 1 Private |
| D-Hawley (Joseph Hawley descendant) | Big Y-700 | 1 in 615 markers | R-FT20553 (terminal) | 6 non-matching |
| E-Hawley | Big Y-700 | 1 in 637 markers | R-FT20553 (terminal) | 5 non-matching |
| A-Reid | Big Y-700 | 1 in 602 markers | R-FT20553 (terminal) | 3 non-matching |
| F-Hawley | Big Y-700 | 1 in 611 markers | R-FT119575 (terminal) | 5 non-matching |
Another key insight from FTDNA's Big Y-700 test was the determination of Dad’s terminal haplogroup, identified as R-FT20553. A terminal haplogroup (or terminal SNP) is the most specific, youngest branch of a person’s Y-chromosome DNA phylogenetic tree, representing the end point, or lowest “leaf,” currently discovered for an individual. Haplogroups represent branches on the Y-DNA tree, grouping together men who descend from the same direct paternal ancestor. Each haplogroup is defined by a shared genetic mutation, a permanent genetic signature passed from father to son, that links generations across centuries.
FamilyTreeDNA’s Big Y-700 Discover Haplogroup reports provide a far deeper exploration of Dad’s terminal haplogroup, R-FT20553, than earlier Y-DNA results alone. These reports move beyond simple match lists and place his paternal line within a broader historical and genetic framework. Two of the most visually helpful tools are the Match Time Tree (Figure 1) and the Big Block Tree (Figure 5).
The Match Time Tree is a time-scaled genealogical tree that compares Dad’s Y-DNA results with other men who have taken the Big Y test and share common SNP variants. Each branching point represents a shared mutation, and each branch is placed along a horizontal timeline estimating when that mutation likely occurred. The tree also provides TMRCA ranges, helping estimate when two lines likely diverged.
The Big Block Tree, by contrast, focuses less on time and more on the structure of the Y-DNA haplotree itself. Each “block” represents one or more SNP mutations that define a specific branch. Larger blocks often indicate multiple shared mutations before a split occurred, while smaller downstream blocks reflect more recent branching. This view helps visualize how R-FT20553 fits within the broader R haplogroup structure and illustrates the sequence of mutations that formed Dad’s direct paternal line over centuries and millennia.
These Discovery reports also trace his earliest ancestral migrations from ancient Europe into historic England. At present, haplogroup R-FT20553 represents a relatively recent branch on the Y-DNA tree, estimated to have formed around 1750 CE. As shown in the Ancestral Path report (Figure 2), working backward through time allows Dad’s paternal lineage to be followed into the Middle Ages (around 1050 CE, haplogroup R-FT16047), then into the Roman Imperial era (circa 200 CE, R-BY128866), and even further into the ancient Metal Ages, with upstream markers dating roughly between 1900 BCE and 700 BCE.
These time-based haplogroup estimates are visually illustrated in the Ancestral Path report (Figure 2) as well as the Globetrekker Map (Figure 3) and Migration Map (Figure 4). Using a combination of ancient DNA from archaeological remains and tester-reported paternal origins, FTDNA generates best-fit geographic estimates for where each branch most likely formed. As more men test and additional data is incorporated, these estimates may continue to evolve.
The migration path traced from Y-Adam down to Dad’s terminal haplogroup, R-FT20553, ultimately places his most recent ancestral cluster near Derbyshire, England. Note: The Derbyshire location is currently based in part on tester-reported ancestry from the Joseph Hawley patriarch line and may be refined as additional UK testers participate.
Figure 1. The Big Y-700 Match Time Tree scale show dad with Big Y-700 DNA matches on a time scale
(across the top), the tree updates as new testers are added. Each branch includes a TMRCA range
(marked by a slashed line) corresponding to the timeline above.
LARGER VIEW
Figure 2.The Big Y-700 Ancestral Path report (condensed view). These haplogroups can be
compared to the Globetrekker maps below.
Figure 3. Big Y-700 Globetrekker Map.
LARGER VIEW
Figure 3a. A close up of the above Big Y-700 Globetrekker map.
LARGER VIEW.
Figure 4. Big Y-700 Migration Map includes archaelogical remains.
LARGER VIEW
Figure 5. The Big Y-700 Big Block Tree illustrates
the current terminal paternal branch for the Hawley lineage, defined by eight "named" SNPs
(FT15465, FT21518, etc) and currently containing three direct matches (A-Reid, E-Hawley, and D-Hawley).
The tree identifies the genetic proximity to sister branch R-FT119575 (shared with the F-Hawley and Brewer)
and cousin branches R-Y60097 (Baird) and R-Y72619 (Phelps). This modern lineage, established
around 1750 CE, traces its descent from a Middle Ages ancestor in the English Midlands
(Haplogroup R-FT16047, c. 1050 CE).
LARGER VIEW
In conclusion, the FTDNA Big Y-700 test has been truly eye-opening. Most importantly, it confirmed that Dad belongs to the established Hawley paternal line, not just through STR matches, but through deeper SNP evidence that firmly anchors him within the Hawley genetic framework. That confirmation alone removed several long-standing “bricks” from my Hawley brick wall.
At the same time, the results show that the work is not finished. The refined SNP structure now allows us to distinguish between closely related Hawley branches and, for me, expanding research into a Thomas Hawley line that I had not previously explored. Rather than narrowing the story, the Big Y-700 has broadened it, giving me a clearer framework for moving forward.
That said, this level of testing is not equally productive for everyone. Some men receive few close matches, and the value often depends on how many others in the surname group have tested. In the case of the Hawleys, however, there is already a solid base of participants. For that reason, each additional tester at FTDNA significantly strengthens the Hawley Y-DNA tree and enhances our ability to identify distinct sub-branches and clarify relationships.
Finally, Big Y-700 testing is not just about the past; it is an investment in the future. Each result contributes to the ever-growing Y-DNA Haplotree, helping define new branches and place families more precisely within the broader paternal story. With every new Hawley tester, our position on that tree becomes clearer, one more brick removed, and one more branch defined.