THE BACHMAN/BACHMANN/BAUGHMAN Y-CHROMOSOME STUDY

While visiting each other in 1998, J Ross Baughman and Dr. M. Ulrich "Ueli" Bachmann conceived the idea of possibly using genetics to study the relationship between their ancestral families. When y-chromosome testing became commercially available a few years later, the Bachmann/Bachman/Baughman y-chromosome project was organized with the goal of determining which of a number of descendants of Swiss and of early American Bachmann immigrants share common ancestors. Ross is descended from the immigrant Henry Bachmann/Baughman who was born in 1711 in the Old Castle area of Richterswil, Canton Zurich, Switzerland and who eventually settled in Virginia and produced a large family of descendants. Ross's research in the Swiss records had resulted in five books on Bachmann and Swiss history. He had found at least one other well-known immigrant, Hans Georg Bachman (b. 1686, settled in Saucon Township in Pennsylvania), had come from the same area of the same village. Ueli Bachmann is a Swiss resident of the same village as the American immigrants of nearly 300 years ago.

The first participant was invited to join in December of 2000, with the first results received in 2001. As of June 2009, nearly 60 descendants of American, German and Swiss Bachmanns have had their y-chromosomes tested. They began with the Oxford Ancestors lab, founded by Brian Sykes ("The Seven Daughters of Eve") and one of the earliest companies (May 2000) to offer y-chromosome testing to the public (http://www.oxfordancestors.com). The Bachman study was thus one of the first y-chromosome surname projects in this now rapidly growing field. Philip Ritter became involved in the project more recently. He holds a doctorate in anthropology from Stanford University and is a descendant of Johann Georg Bachmann (b. 1686) through his Baughman grandmother. He is also co-administrator of the Ritter and Hamman surname projects. Within the last few years, we have also begun using Family Tree DNA (FTDNA, http://www.familytreedna.com), which tests a larger number of markers than Oxford Ancestors. The results for the participants (as of June 2009) show twenty-five in four clusters representing four different Bachmann ancestors. There are three additional smaller clusters who likely share common ancestors plus six participants who so far remain unmatched. Hopefully future testing will find additional matches and help resolve the ancestral origins and relationships among the "orphan" lines.

THE RESULTS (Modified Oxford Ancestors Format)

The Results in FTDNA Format

Ancestor	ID	Estimated Haplogroup	DYS19 (DYS394)	DYS388	DYS390	DYS391	DYS392	DYS393	DYS389i	DYS389ii	DYS425	DYS426
Heinrich Bachmann, 1711 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O914	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Heinrich Bachmann, 1711 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	F20658	R1b 1	15	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Heinrich Bachmann, 1711 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O991	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Heinrich Bachmann, 1711 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	F92522	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Heinrich Bachmann, 1711 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O236	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Johannes Bachmann, 1800 (Alsace)	O452	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Hans Georg Bachmann, 1686 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O847	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Hans Georg Bachmann, 1686 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	F36392	R1b1 (confirmed)	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Hans Georg Bachmann, 1686 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	A1	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Jacob Bachman, 1761  (PA, lived Rensselaer Co., NY)	F21369	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Jacob Bachman, 1761  (PA, lived Rensselaer Co., NY)	F61547	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Valentine Bachman, 1820  (Easton, PA)	F58412	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Johannes Bachmann , ca. 1757 (Schonenberg, Canton Zurich)	O927	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Rudolf Bachmann, late 1800's (Lived in France and Vietnam)	E6027	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	[12]	13
Ignaz Bachmann, ca. 1788 (Berg Wolerau, Canton Schwyz)	O686	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Peter Bachmann, ca. 1655 (Finstersee, Canton Zug)	O461	R1b1	14	12	24	11	13	13	14	29	12	13
Alois Bachmann, 1790 (Hinwil, Canton Zurich)	O628	R1b1	14	12	25	11	13	13	13	28	12	13
Johannes Bachmann, 1745 (Canton Thurgau?/Lancaster, PA)	O355	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	12	12
Unknown Swiss (Zofingen, Canton Aargau)	O494	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	12	12
Jacob Bachman, 1696 (VA, KY)	O750	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	12	12
Jacob Bachman, 1696 (VA, KY)	O233	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	12	12
John Baughman , 1800 (Westmoreland, PA)	F21143	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	[12]	12
Jacob Baughman, 1766 in PA (lived Westmorland Co.,PA )	A2	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	[12]	12
John Baughman , ca. 1809 (Pennsylvania )	F113704	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	12	28	[12]	12
Rudolf Bachmann, ca. 1759 (Bottenwil, Canton Argau)	O370	R1b	14	12	23	11	13	13	13	29	12	12
Unknown Bachmann (?)	N3513	R1b	14	12	23	12	13	13	12	28	[12]	12
Hans Heinrich Bachmann, ca. 1592 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O892	J2	14	15	23	10	11	12	13	30	12	11
Hans Heinrich Bachmann, ca. 1592 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O484	J2	14	15	23	10	11	12	13	30	12	11
Hans Heinrich Bachmann, ca. 1592 (Old Castle, Canton Zurich)	O441	J2	14	15	23	10	11	12	13	30	12	11
Ancestor	ID	Estimated Haplogroup	DYS19 (DYS394)	DYS388	DYS390	DYS391	DYS392	DYS393	DYS389i	DYS389ii	DYS425	DYS426
Martin Bachmann, 1558 (Canton Bern)	O194	R1b	14	12	24	10	13	13	13	29	12	12
Martin Bachmann, 1558 (Canton Bern)	F133142	R1b	14	12	24	10	13	13	13	29	[12]	12
Unknown Bachman ( Probably Martin Bachmann )	F73573	R1b	14	12	24	10	13	13	13	29	[12]	12
Frederic Bachman, 1790 (Canton Bern)	F30619	R1b	14	12	23	10	13	13	13	29	[12]	12
Johann Christian Baughman, 1710 (Canton Bern/ York Co., PA)	O515	R1b	14	12	24	11	13	12	13	29	[12]	12
Stephen Baughman, ca. 1852 (KY?)	O747	R1b	15	12	24	11	13	12	13	29	12	12
Hans Heinrich Bachmann, ca. 1700 (Himwil, Canton Zurich)	O954	G2?	15	12	21	10	11	15	12	29	14	10
Valentine Bachmann, 1820 (Easton, PA)	F53164	G2? (G confirmed)	15	12	22	10	11	14	12	29		11
Michael Baughman, ca. 1690 (Lancaster Co., PA)	O321	I1	14	14	22	10	11	13	13	29	12	11
Jacob Baughman, ca. 1789 (PA, lived Clinton Co., IN)	F41085	I1 (confirmed)	14	14	22	10	11	13	13	29	[12]	11
Christian Baughman, ca. 1777 (lived Huntington Co., PA)	F107515	I1 (confirmed)	14	14	22	10	11	13	13	29	[12]	11
Ancestral information to come	F113340	I1	14	14	22	10	11	13	13	29	[12]	11
Henry Bachman, 1759 (Northampton, PA)	O329	I2b	15	13	23	10	12	15	13	29	12	11
Henry Bachman, 1759 (Northampton, PA)	F43333	I2b	15	13	23	10	12	15	13	29	[12]	11
Henry Bachman, 1759 (Northampton, PA)	F48365	I2b	15	13	23	10	12	15	13	29	[12]	11
Hans Rudolf Bachmann, 1634 (Osli, Breiten, Canton Zurich)	O792	R?	16	12	24	11	13	13	14	30	12	12
Christian Baughman, 1760’s, (PA, lived Tuscarawas Co., OH)	F20653	L (confirmed)	15	12	23	10	13	11	13	31	[12]	11
John Baughman, 1889 (African-American, KY)	O657	E3a	16	12	21	10	11	13	13	29	12	11
Valentine Bachmann, ca. 1820 (Bayern, Germany)	N23686	J2 (confirmed)	15	15	25	10	11	12	13	29	[12]	11
Ancestor	ID	Estimated Haplogroup	DYS19 (DYS394)	DYS388	DYS390	DYS391	DYS392	DYS393	DYS389i	DYS389ii	DYS425	DYS426
Most common values for haplogroup R1b (Atlantic Modal Haplotype)		R1b	14	12	24	11	13	13	14	29	12	12

 

NOTES

ID's. The ID’s of participants tested by Oxford Ancestors are prefixed with an “O” and were assigned randomly.  Participants tested by FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) were given an ID which has been prefixed with “F” or and "E" in the table above. FTDNA participants who joined as part of the National Geographic Society Genographic Study have been assigned a prefix of N. Participants tested by DNA Ancestry are prefixed with an "A" and were assigned in order.

 

Lineages. In order to view the lineage of each participant, click on the name of the ancestor in the first column. For descendants of 18th century American immigrants, the name of the ancestor is the immigrant ancestor. For Swiss nationals and more recent immigrant lines, the earliest known ancestor is shown. Lineages have been compiled from various sources and may not be complete or entirely accurate.

 

Result Values. The names of the markers tested are shown across the top row (e.g. "DSY390"). The values for those markers (number of repeats) are shown in the row for each participant (e.g. "24" for DYS390 for most of the participants in the first--yellow--cluster; "23" for all the participants in the second--blue--cluster). DYS389i here uses the standard method of reporting, which is three more than the number of values Oxford Ancestors traditionally reports. DYS389ii includes the repeats in DYS389i, so a change (mutation) in i will also increase or decrease the value of ii. Oxford Ancestors traditionally reports the difference between i and ii (i-ii). Family Tree DNA did not test DYS425, but since about 90% of Europeans have a value of 12 for this marker, we have included a 12 in brackets here. For more information on markers and a general introduction to y-chromosome studies using DNA for family history see The y-chromosome and genetic genealogy.

 

Clusters. Participants believed or known to share a common ancestor have been grouped together and colored similarly.  Gray shading, instead of colored, indicates where there is a different value from others in the group at that marker.  It implies that one line has had a mutation that the others have not had, although in two cases where two participants are grouped together (ID’s O194/F30619 and O515/O747) it is unknown which line may have had a mutation.  Where a common ancestor is suspected but not certain, a slightly different shade of coloring is used (as in the two groups just mentioned). In those cases, further markers would need to be tested to be more certain.

 

Haplogroups. Most of the Bachmann descendants so far tested belong to the R1b haplogroup.  Haplogroups are large sets of people who all descendant from a common ancestor thousands or tens of thousands of years ago—sometimes referred to as the “sons of Adam” in a figurative sense.  Haplogroup R1b is the most common haplogroup in Europe and is especially common along the Atlantic coast (reaching more than 80% of males in Ireland and parts of Spain).  We have included the most common (modal) values of R1b in the last row for comparison purposes, which is shaded gray where it differs from the first (yellow) group of Bachmann participants.  The R1b haplogroup is sometimes claimed to have been the haplogroup of the Aurignacians who were the first modern human to enter Europe at a time that the Neandertals were still common, as much as 30,000 years ago.  Alternately the R1b descendants may have been survivors of those first modern humans who took refuge in Spain during the last glacial maximum and then repopulated the western part of Europe after the Ice Ages ended, perhaps 10,000 years ago.  The third groups of participants (colored pink) have values that are likely haplogroup J2, which is associated with agricultural people of the Fertile Crescent, who entered Europe at a much later time.  It is also found among current Middle Eastern populations.  Participant O657 has values that are typical of haplogroup E3a, which is a common African haplogroup.  Participant O657 is African American and his results indicate that his patrilineal ancestor indeed was African rather than European.  Participants O321 and F41085 almost certainly belong to haplogroup I (and most likely I1a), which is the second most common haplogroup in Europe and is especially common in central and northern Europe.  Some believe that Halogroup I is associated with the Gravettian culture and members of that halogroup are believed to have helped repopulate Europe eight to ten thousand years ago from an ice-age refuge in the Balkans. Participants O329 and F43333 are most likely haplogroup I1c.  Participant 20653 has a very unusual set of values and had his haplogroup tested. He turned out to be L, a rather uncommon haplotype in Europe that is found mainly in India and Pakistan but also in some Middle Eastern populations (such as Turkey) from where it could have spread to Central Europe in pre or early historic times. Some others have less clear haplotypes, and would require further testing to be certain. A more detailed explanation of haplogroups can be found at The y-chromosome and genetic genealogy.

 

Participate? If you are a male with the Bachman/Baughman surname who descends directly though Bachmann/Bachman/Baughman males and are interested in joining the study, please contact J. Ross Baughman at j_ross_baughman@hotmail.com or Phil Ritter at philr@stanford.edu. Unfortunately females do not have the y-chromosome, and cannot participate directly, but may want to sponsor a father, brother, husband or other relative with the Bachman/Baughman surname.

 

Last Updated: June 2009, Philip Ritter