The Grigsby Family, as verified in church records, wills and other genealogical documents, has been an established family in Virginia since the 1600s. While traditional genealogy methods are a cornerstone of proving lineage in Grigsby family pedigrees, establishing a genetic connection to the original immigrant through DNA testing has been undertaken to substantiate lineage as conclusively as possible with significant supporting evidence.

The Grigsby Y-DNA Project started in 2008 with subjects who underwent Y-67 DNA testing at FTDNA. providing 67 site STR information, followed in later years by additional tests, including Y-111 STR, the Big Y, Big Y-500 and Big Y-700 tests, culminating in both STR and SNP data for subjects, some of whom could give primary source documentation for families dating back to the 1600s.

Initial testing indicated a possible relation among participants, leading to the later STR and SNP testing. The study focused on SNP FGC48457. The advent of the Big Y, Big Y-500 and Big Y-700 tests, as they became available from Family Tree DNA after 2013, allowed for expanded analysis of the hypothesized relationships among subjects. We found that the SNP data provided from testing to be both valid and reliable, based upon additional testing and analysis.

Consequently, Grigsby lineages in America were extensively confirmed through Y-DNA testing and SNP analysis with the ability to identify whether or not a subject was descended from a single identifiable individual who was born in 1623 (known as “Immigrant John Grigsby, who by his will acknowledged his five sons by name) four of whom are responsible for having produced the patrilineal test pool subjects that have formed the basis of this study. In three of the four lines, downstream branches have been identified by downstream SNPs. Grigsby lineages not descending from “Immigrant” John born in 1623, resulting from immigration from England well after the year 1800 were also identified by SNP analysis. All Grigsby surname Y-DNA test subjects, to date, whose lineage is traced to the period 1660-1800 are patrilineal descendants of the “Immigrant” John Grigsby (1623-1730) and exhibit the SNP FGC48457along with other SNPs such as JFS0012, JFS0014, JFS0015, JFS0016, found only in the four patrilineal lines of descent from “Immigrant” John Grigsby. In some lines, additional branching was also determined by a downstream SNP. Grigsby lineages not descending from the “Immigrant” John Grigsby born in 1623 were also identifiable based upon the SNP test results.