One Y-DNA test would sort the hypotheses
| If a Big Y-700 test of a male-line descendant of Holland or John Higgins Sr. | What it would mean |
|---|---|
| Falls within R-BY60733 | Same paternal line as the Virginia John Higgins (c.1760–1809); a branch of R-M222, the lineage most associated with northwest Ireland |
| Matches a descendant of Ananias | Holland’s line and the William–Ananias line were kin |
| Another branch, near English-documented testers | An English Higgins origin; the Holston link fails |
| Matches men of another surname | A break in the surname line at some point, possibly at the binding-out |
Source. FamilyTreeDNA, R-BY60733; Higgins surname project.
Method and data
Method. R-BY60733 has eleven tested descendants; FamilyTreeDNA dates their common ancestor to about 1650, with a 95 percent range of 1535–1770. Three report England as their earliest known origin and one the United States.
Download higgins-of-cane-river-exhibit-12-y-dna-outcomes.csv