Background

WHEATON SURNAME PROJECT

This a surname specific International Genetic Genealogical project. We use Y-STR (Paternal) markers to identify Wheaton Families by patriarchal ancestors for the surnames:

Wheaton, Wheeton, Whetene, Wheaten, Weeton, Weaton, Wheadon, Whedon, Wheedon, Wheden, Wheaden, Weedon, Weadon or variations. 

There are no geographic limitations on participation. We are also interested in other surnames that match any of our member profiles. We are now accepting Family Finder Results for anyone with Wheaton Heritage. No Promises this will yield anything helpful but worth a try.

At this time there does NOT appear to be ANY relationship with Whitley, Wheat, White, Whidden, Whitten Families or their derivatives. Please see those projects for help with those surnames.

Much more information is available on my website Wheaton Surname Resources

How You Can Help? How the Project Can Help You.

We are looking for Wheaton surnamed males (or variations above), who are willing to participate in DNA testing which may unravel the origins of the Wheaton and Wheadons more definitively. We currently have five distinct lines:  3 Wheaton, 1  Wheadon (which became Wheaton) and 1 Whetton (later Wheaton) some others not yet connected with a Patriarch. At the very least English and Australian families have been able to confirm genetic relationships and show relationships to American and Canadian families. We have 8 English/Australian tests which show 4 lines from Devon, England and 1 from Staffordshire.

If you have previously been tested by FTDNA Please join this group. If you have been tested elsewhere please join and share your data. There may be some surprises in store for some of us. Should be interesting to all no matter what turns up.

Current Needs

• Wheatons from Devonshire, England
  
• Whettons or Wettons from Staffordshire, England
  
• Weetons of Lancashire, England
  
• Wheedons of Norfolk, England
• Wheatons and Wheadons of Australia
  

• Descendants of all of Robert Wheaton's son Samuel originally from Massachusetts
  
• Descendants of Thomas Wheadon, especially Thomas' son John originally from Connecticut
  
• Descendants of Christopher Wheaton of Hull, Massachusetts 
  
• Wheatons and Wheadons of Newfoundland, Canada
• Wheatons and Wheadons of New Brunswick, Canada
• Unattached Wheaton anywhere      
  
  

BACKGROUND England: Wheaton Familes

In England the earliest recorded Wheaton that I have located is of a Roger le Whetene recorded at the Exeter Guildhall (Devon, England), in the year 1298. There he witnessed two deeds as a steward and bailiff. Records in Exeter mention a Gilbert le Whetene in 1323 and a John le Whetene in 1346 becoming freemen. The next record is of a John Whetene in the Dartmouth Archives (Devon, England) in 1409 and 1411, as a landowner mentioned in two deeds. By the year 1524 the Devon Subsidy Rolls lists 23 Whetons (Whetton) in Exeter and surrounding parishes. And in 1569 the Devon Muster Roll mentions fifteen Wheatons. In a period of 370 years the name le Whetene changed to Whetene, Wheton, and then to its present day Wheaton. Back in the 1970's I corresponded with the President (then retired) of the Wheaton Printing and Publishing Company of Exeter. We collaborated on these early Wheaton families. Please note there is no evidence to date to support the conclusion that Robert Wheaton was of Wales. Please see my article Conjectures below for more information.

The identified lines in England are:

Wheaton of SE Devon: Sidmouth

Wheaton of Devon: Coldridge, Winkleigh & Brixham

Wheaton of North Devon

Wheadon in Devon near Axminster

Whetton, Wetton of Staffordshire (later Wheaton in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire)

Weeton of Lancashire near Kirkham (no results)

Wheedon Norfolk (no results)

We have results for the first Five. We need representatives from the last two. Wheatons with ties to Devon are known to have migrated to Australia, Canada and the United States. There are Wheatons from Devon settling in nearby Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall. Then there are Wheaton familes in Bedford, Cambridge, Channel Islands, Huntingdon and Northumberland.
Whettons and Wheatons in Staffordshire.

BACKGROUND United States & Canada: Wheaton / Wheadon Families

There are two major Wheaton lines in the US and Canada. Those assumed to be descended from corresponding lines in England by color. To date all tested Canadian Wheatons have connected to Robert Wheaton:

Robert Wheaton bc. 1606 (presumed to be of Devon, England) who was at Salem, MA 1636, and Rehoboth, MA by 1646. From Robert came the founders of Wheaton College.

Thomas Wheadon bc.1635 Axminster, Devon, England who settled New Haven, Connecticut 1657.  Some descendants of Thomas adopted the Wheaton spelling. Actor Wil Wheaton and Wheaton Van Lines are from Thomas Wheadon.

BACKGROUND Australia: Wheaton Familes

There are are at least 5 Australian Wheaton families with roots in Devon England and one connected to the Huntingdonshire Wheaton family. So far we have connected one to:

Wheaton of SE Devon: Sidmouth

Recommended Resources

The most comprehensive website in the world for Wheaton Wheadon information is WHEATON ONE NAME SITE. This is Jean's labor of love so please do not ask her to do research for you, but do avail yourself of the fantastic treasure trove of information. You may send her families that do not appear or who connect to existing families, however patience is advised as this is a one person operation. My article "Conjectures on the Origins of the Wheatons and Bowens of Rehoboth Massachusettes...." is available here and at Wheaton Surname Resources

About Me

After making a thorough search and finding no Wheaton or Wheadon Projects I started this one in Feb 2011. I have been working on these families for nearly 40 years.

My own interest is that I am a descendant of Robert Wheaton's daughter Hannah as well as being married to a Wheaton whose line has been stuck in NY/NJ since the 1970's when I began researching. Through DNA Testing we have determined that my husband is also a descendant of Robert making my husband and I 9th cousins 2 or 3 times removed!

Please visit my website for much more information on the project including Breaking News and our Photo Gallery  Wheaton Surname Resources

Please click here to order a DNA test in the Wheaton Surname Project. Orders placed through the project are discounted. Please use buttons at top of page to join our Project. Thank you for your interest. Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions, ideas or concerns.

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