SAUL and genetic testing

[Carol Saul]

I'm considering starting along this line as my husband's gt gt gt grandfather, Robert Saul, doesn't appear to fit any of the known groups of Sauls and I would like to try and find out where the family originates. The only information I have on him is his marriage in Liverpool in 1798 so he could have arrived there from anywhere! He was a tailor and married May Johnson [this becomes Johnston on their only child's death record, said son William having moved up to Annan]. Has anyone done, or looked into, DNA testing? I understand one can assign tests to either a geographic area or a surname, and that there is a Soule group. At the moment "my" lot are always Saul although I realise that may change if I can ever get any further back. As I'm getting a bit swamped and confused with information I thought I'd see if anyone else has done, or thought of doing this testing for Saul.

[William Saul]

I have indulged in this activity, that is getting a genetic test. I contracted with a company based upon their web site called '23&Me' at a time when they were offering the service at a discount. My paternal (Saul) group was reported as
R1b1b2a1a2f* Haplogroup for the typing of my Y-DNA
You can enter this, or at least the first few characters into a web search engine to read what this means. Try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_R1b_(Y-DNA)
Don't expect that specific results will be given, just general, and try various web sites to read differing reports or opinions. Although many years of data has already been accumlated, much more will be required to really tag human migrations. If you learn anything worthwhile I would be pleased to learn about it!
William Saul