Analyzing a Cluster Chart

There are now three main methods or tools to create DNA Match Clustering charts: the Leeds Method, AutoClustering, and the Collins Leeds Method (CLM). The primary goal is to create clusters of DNA matches (or cousins) who all share a common ancestor or ancestral couple. But, do they work? Do these clusters actually point to common ancestors?

Above is a DNA Match Cluster chart (this one is a CLM chart) for my dad. (I printed it out as I prefer to work with paper.) These clusters – each represented by a different color – are arranged in size from largest to smallest. The grey cells outside of the clusters helps us see which clusters are closely related.

(For this analysis, I chose to only work with clusters who have at least 3 members which gave me 7 clusters.)

Notes: I have worked with these DNA matches a lot and have been able to add many of these cousins into my tree. Also, the four people on the left – Andy Stewart, Bessie Merrill, Emil Peters, and Myrtle Coppenbarger – are my dad’s grandparents in ‘traditional’ order.

CLUSTER 1 (Dark Blue): Coppenbarger, Bennett, Bookout

• • 17 members
  • 291 to 51 cM range
  • can place 14 of 17 cousins on tree
  • 13 of those 14 descend from J R Coppenbarger & Elizabeth Bennett
  • 1 of those 14 descends from Elizabeth Bennett’s brother (& she matches 10 of the 17 cousins)
  • Conclusion: Coppenbarger/Bennett and, back a generation father, Bennett/Bookout
  • UPDATE: While creating this post, I sent messages to most of the people I could not place on my tree. I have now heard from one of the 3 I couldn’t place from this group. They are also a descendant of the same brother of Elizabeth Bennett!

CLUSTER 2 (Orange): Peters, Werther, Reinhardt

• • 13 members
  • 182 to 51 cM range
  • can place 9 of 14 cousins on tree
  • 2 of these 9 descend from Carl Peters & Guntherine Werther
  • 7 of these 9 descend from Johann Werther & Amalie Reinhardt
  • Conclusion: Peters/Werther and, back a generation farther, Werther/Reinhardt

CLUSTER 3 (Blue): Peters, Werther, Bingher

• • 7 members
  • 172 to 54 cM range
  • can place 3 of 9 cousins on tree
  • 2 of these 3 descend from Carl Peters & Guntherine Werther
  • 1 of these 3 descends from Joachim Peters & Henriette Bingher
  • Conclusion: Peters/Werther and, back a generation farther, Peters/Bingher

CLUSTER 4 (Dark Green): Merrill, Smith(?), Fulkerson

• • 5 members
  • 129 to 50 cM range
  • can place 2 of 5 cousins on tree
  • 1 descends from James Merrill’s parents, Nicholas Merrill & Eleanor Smith(?) (not shown)
  • 1 descends from Nicholas’ parents, Jacob Merrill & Elizabeth Fulkerson (not shown)
  • Conclusion: Merrill/Smith(?) and, back a generation farther, Merrill/Fulkerson

CLUSTER 5 (Dark Red): Bennett, Bookout, Vaughan

• • 4 members
  • 57 to 51 cM range
  • can place 2 of 4 cousins on tree
  • 1 descends from parents of Ellender Bookout, John Bookout & Sally Vaughan (not shown)
  • 1 descends from Henry Bennett & Elizabeth Bookout
  • Conclusion: Bennett/Bookout and, back a generation farther, Bookout/Vaughan

CLUSTER 6 (Teal): Reinhardt?

• • 3 members
  • 80 to 62 cM range
  • can place 0 of 3 on tree, BUT… I think this small group might be key to one of my brick walls!
  • Conclusion: Because of a person that appears in all of their trees and the relationship (indicated by grey squares) between this cluster and the Orange and Dark Blue clusters, I believe this group might descend from a brother of my brick wall, Amalie Reinhardt

CLUSTER 7 (Pink): Stewart, McClintock/McClintic

• • 3 members
  • 235 to 70 cM range
  • can place 1 of 3 on tree
  • 1 is a descendant of Alexander Stewart & Catherine McClintock
  • Conclusion: Stewart and/or McClintock descendants

Next, I’m going to analyze my dad’s DNA matches again but this time using 40 to 400 cM instead of 50 to 400 cM. I’ve already printed it out (on 6 pages!) and noticed one interesting find… in cluster 1 I had the one cousin who was descended from Elizabeth Bennett’s brother unlike all of the others in that cluster. In my new chart, that cousin has dropped out of this cluster and is now part of a different, new cluster!