Johnson Project Olive Group Olive Group Members Affiliated Families Early Virginia Research
What's New
August 2025 - This website is slowly being rebuilt after it disappeared - Please be patient
Currently there are issues with Joining any of the projects at FTDNA. They are also making changing with transfering at-DNA results.
The Johnson DNA Project at Family Tree DNA
Note: Throughout this website Johnson, Johnston, johnstone, and various other spellings are often treated as Johnson.
The "T" has been added and dropped fairly frequently by families over the years.
There are over 3,000 members in the Johnson Project from all over the world.
The project was originally only for those men with the surname of Johnson, Johnston, and Johnstone who had taken a Y-DNA test at FTDNA since Y-DNA is passed from father to son.
Those with other Surnames that match Johnson are also allowed.
Y-DNA Results
Johnson/Johnston/Johnstone DNA Test Results - Y-DNA Colorized Chart
"Hap`group R1b-Family ZZE (Olive) - The Olive Group is my main area of focus
It has since been expanded to also include those that have taken an Autosomal / at-DNA test and are descended from Johnson ancestors.
Interested in Joining
Males - order a Y-DNA test with or without Family Finder
Anyone -
Order FamilyFinder
or Transfer Your at-DNA to FTDNA at Unlock Premium Features
Then go to Johnson DNA Project and click Join
Existing Project Members
Please Sign into the Johnson DNA Project & see Changing the Project Administrative privileges
A Brief History
This was one of the Pioneer Y-DNA Projects
Originally three Johnsons were tested to see if two descendants (kits 416 & 417) of the Michael Johnson that died in 1719 were related to a descendant of John Johnson (kit 717). They did not match.
This meant that Edward was not a male line cousin to John as was stated by Dr. Lorand V. Johnson, and as so many have believed.
According to Lorand there was a letter from Mary Keith as she left London for Virginia, saying that they were being accompanied by her cousin Edward Johnson. If Michael Johnson is indeed a son of Edward as many believe, this study would indicate that the Edward referred to in the letter (if there was such a letter) does not refer to this Edward or that the relationship was not based on a Johnson connection.
See the Discussion on Dr. Lorand V. Johnson & his Caskieben claims
DNA Results have disproved the Caskieben connections claimed by Lorand.
In Oct 2021 donations were received to upgrade the Caskieben Kit #954415 to a Big-Y.
On 22 Feb. 2022 the Y-111 results for Kit 973177, a 2nd cousin of Kit #954415 was received and the results are identical except that DYS638 is a 12 vs 11.
See the Caskieben Lineage.
As the project grew, a complex website was created for each DNA group and included some family trees and a lot of other information.
An archived version of some of that site can still be seen at Archive of the original J/J/J Project (Prior 2016): J/J/J: A Pioneer DNA Surname Project
In 2016 the site was quickly discontinued due to various privacy concerns and changes in FTDNA's requirements.
Olive Group & me
I had recruited my 4th cousin who was the only male Johnson left on my known line. He tested into the Olive Group.
After the original website disappeared, I created this website for the Olive Group and recruited additional people to be tested to help verify some of the research.
The Olive Group is small part of the Johnson DNA Project at Family Tree DNA concentrating on the family in Early Virginia.
I am expanding it a "LITTLE BIT" to also try and help with other Early Virginia groups and Scotland.
In 2021 I recruited a proven descendant of the Caskieben Clan to be tested to either verify or disprove Lorand's claims. His results (Kit # 954415) did not match any of the Early Virginia groups claiming descent. His second cousin's test verified the results. View the Caskieben line of descent.
Early Virginia Johnsons DNA Groups
White Oak Group - descendants of Michael & Edward Johnson - Facebook (Closed) Group - ALLIED FAMILIES OF Johnson, Jonston Johnson;Johnston,Johnstone
President LBJ - descendants with kits 132728 & 132729
Olive Group - descendants of Benjamin & Margery and John & Elizabeth along with Benjamin & Mary Moorman, & James "Seneca" & Millie Moorman who are descended from John & Elizabeth. - Website: Olive Group
Mulberry Group - somewhat related with some claiming descent from William Johnson & Sarah Massie
Johnstons of Annandale - Facebook group - Their claims are not documented
Y-DNA Results
White Oak I-M253 13 22 14 10 13-15 11 16 11 12 11 28 15 08-09 08 11 23 16 20 30 12-14-15-17
Caskieben Line R-M269 13 23 14 11 12-15 12 12 12 13 13 29 17 08-09 11 11 25 15 19 30 15-15-17-17 > Scotland*
E1b1 Family A E-M35 13 24 13 10 15-18 11 12 12 13 11 31 15 09-09 11 11 26 14 20 32 16-16-17-18
(President Lyndon Baines)
Olive R-M269 13 24 15 10 12-14 12 12 12 14 13 30 17 09-10 11 11 25 14 20 30 14-16-17-17 > maybe England*
Mulberry R-M269+ 13 24 14 11 11-14 12 12 12 14 13 30 16 09-10 11 11 24 15 19 31 14-15-16-17 > Ireland*
Scarlett Oak I2a2a 15 23 15 10 15-16 11 13 11 14 12 32 14 08-10 11 11 25 14 20 27 11-14-14-16
(President Andrew Johnson)
>* based up Big Y tests and SNP Tracker
It is difficult to tell which Immigrant’s descendants are in what group. Obviously they are not all descended from a common ancestor and none of them match the Caskieben Line.
Note many of the claimed lineages are based in part on the questionable publications. We really need to get original records, if possible, to verify the lines.
Unfortunately, the Y-DNA results (even at 67 or 111 markers) have not identified the Most Recent Common Ancestor in many of the Groups and even the subgroups.
As a result, Autosomal or at-DNA is being used to try and help determine the relationships between the Olive Group members.
One of main problems with that is that many of the connections being found between the descendants of John and James are through the Moorman family which is heavily intermarried with the Johnsons. See the Moorman Family descendant chart and the Moorman DNA Project.
The other problem is that it is 6 to 8 generations back to the known ancestors and even further back to a common ancestor, so the at-DNA values are very small in most cases.
See Early Virginia Johnsons – What to do now? - for some ideas.
Benjamin Johnsons - Some of them that are not in the Olive Group