Y-111 test Results are in for my Cook line

Results posted for my family's Y-111 marker DNA test several weeks back and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it.  When we tested at 37 markers we were close to descendants of Shem Cooke(1722-1796 Amelia Co VA) but our Y results were also close to a group of Patterson men.  By "close", I mean ranging from a genetic distance of 0 to 2.  So I upgraded to a 67 marker test and began studying all of the matches and where they had settled.   Just out of curiosity I also looked at the matches at 25 markers and could see that it had even more who were from the line of Shem Cooke.   At 67 markers we were still a genetic distance of 0 with one of the men from the Patterson group and were at a genetic distance of 1 -3 with the Shem Cooke descendants.  With the upgrade to 111 markers, we are now at a genetic distance of 2 with the Patterson tester we matched at GD=0 in the 67 marker level.  Also at GD=2 is the Shem Cooke descendant who also has a small match with my brother's autosomal test.  This descendant of Shem is from a line that moved to Carroll Co GA during the early 1800s.  So, for now, I'm still studying records in the earliest place our Cook line is known to have been as well as studying the lines that came out of Lunenburg Virginia on to Granville Co North Carolina and later to parts of Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

I've put all of the close matches from each level who are from the Patterson or Cook(e) lines into a spreadsheet.

Even though I don't have all the answers yet that will make the direct connection between my 2nd Great Grandfather and his Cook linage I do have way more information on the lines and a better idea of where to look.  Also if you descend from any of the Cook(e)s who were in Bedford, Rutherford or Williamson Co TN thru the direct male line consider doing YDNA at the 37 marker level AND an autosomal DNA test.  If your Cook lines were from that area and you aren't thru a direct male line you can still take an autosomal test which might find a connection for you thru this or other lines.

I'd love to hear more discussion about what others are doing with their YDNA test results as far as analysis and findings.  I need to brainstorm/blog what to do next.