This is just to bring you all up to date with a preliminary conclusion emerging out of the Manx Y-DNA study, which you may be interested in.

A number of Kinley men have tested and included their Y-DNA results in the Manx study. The Kinley testing shows that they are originally of Scandinavian origin and belong to Haplogroup I2a2b. Very recently testing has been completed on two Corkill men, also with ancestry on the Isle of Man and they also appear to belong to the same Haplogroup designation.

I have done some analysis now on the Y-STR data for these two families and now we can clearly see that the Kinley’s and the Corkills share a common ancestor around 1100-1300 AD

The interpretation of these results can only mean that these two families, with names that do not appear to have anything in common with each other, must be the descendants of different sons of a Viking invader who settled on the IOM around that time.

The earliest record of the name Kinley on the IOM is from 1511 – and the Manx philology reference books (JJ Kneen et al) suggest that the name was earlier Mac Fynlo, Kynley and Kinloe – and originally derived from Mac Fhionnlogha. Early forms of Corkill were Mac Corkyll (1408), Mac Corkell and Corkil – and the meaning was judged to be “Son of Thorkell” – so indeed with some hints of a Norse origin here.

I hope that you find this of interest, as it represents a good example of some of the new discoveries and understanding that are emerging from the Manx Y-DNA study.

Men from the following families are specifically required still to be tested as part of the study:-

Caley, Clague, Clarke, Cregeen, Crennell, Cringle, Corkish, Curphey, Kennaugh, Kennish Kinnish, Kinrade, Leece, Martin, Quayle, Quine, Radcliffe, Sayle, Shimmin and Skillicorn

Anyone who has a relative from any of these families who wishes to take part should then please contact me via the Study website (www.manxdna.co.uk).

The website also contains details of the complete list of family names and shows those other names which still also require testing, as well as allowing anyone to contribute towards the cost of Y-DNA testing for any Manx family they may be connected to.

Many thanks

John