OVERVIEW
In communicating with Wannamaker cousins (including all variant spellings of the surname) with the intention of finding qualified males who would be willing to participate in Y-DNA testing, I have learned that many Wannamaker descendants just believe that we are all related. Subsequently, very few Wannamaker men, near and far, have been interested in Y-DNA testing. They didn’t see a need to prove what they already believed to be true.
Essentially, I tend to agree with this consensus. In fact, the same notion is expressed by the author, J. Scottowe Wannamaker, in his well-known book, The Wannamaker, Salley, Mackay and Bellinger Families (1937, p. 108). Based upon his correspondence with members of the extended Wannamaker family, he states that “it is the judgement of various members I contacted and of myself confirmed by these records that ancestors of… Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Ohio, came from the Lower Palatine of the Rhine Valley of Germany, and had the same ancestors…” As of 2017, I can say that the current Y-DNA test results indicate that this is very likely to be the case. However, not all of the Wannamaker lines and family groups are represented with a Y-DNA result.
The Wannamaker lines which are currently represented in the Y-DNA project actually do demonstrate a kinship between many family groups and answer some of the questions that have existed for over 300 years. But, even though it is likely that all Wannamakers descend from Hengin Wanmecher (1450) of Darmstadt, Germany, it would be best to have both Y-DNA and genealogical evidence to substantiate this presumption.
We should also keep in mind that many descendants still do not know exactly from where their German immigrant ancestors came. This was certainly true for the SC branch of the Wannamaker family. Thankfully, where the paper trail is lacking, Y-DNA results can “point us in the right direction” to help us find these answers. I’m excited to say, this year, I was able to find the original baptismal records for our immigrant ancestors which identified their hometowns and provided more genealogical evidence for our Y-DNA connections. Finally….after all these years!
Finding these answers definitely required a collaborative effort. In fact, Y-DNA testing is considered to be a “comparative science” since we find answers by comparing our results, sharing what we know, and working together toward common goals. Undoubtedly, it has become a very powerful tool for genealogical research, and I am of the opinion that had it not been for Y-DNA testing some questions would have remained unanswered for many more generations.
But, our work is not done. The more Y-DNA results we have, the more we can discover about the extended Wannamaker family. If you or another male relative would like to participate in the Wannamaker DNA Surname Project, you can learn about Y-DNA testing and/or order a test at Family Tree DNA.
Thank you for your interest. Please check back as I will continue to update this site. Also, feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
All the best,
Julia
Julia Wannamaker
juliawannamaker@gmail.com
Project Administrator
Family Tree DNA (FTDNA)
Wannamaker DNA Surname Project
August 2018
Wannamaker Genealogy 