Project Surnames
Dudley
Project Background
Genealogical records indicate that the first Dudley immigrant into New England was probably Thomas Dudley who arrived in the colonies in 1630. He became Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and fathered Joseph Dudley who became a Provincial Governor of New Hampshire. In 1639, William Dudley left Ockley, England and helped found the town of Guilford, Connecticut where many descendants still live. In 1663, Francis Dudley (origin unknown)settled in Concord, Massachusetts, and in 1673 John Dudley (origin unknown) removed from Boston, Massachusetts to Guilford, Connecticut. Dudleys also appear early in Virginia, South Carolina and Kentucky, but their points of origin are not always known. The William Dudley Family Association serves as a collection point and repository for information particularly on the descendants of William Dudley but also the other Dudleys. The use of DNA information will hopefully prove helpful in resolving several issues the paper trail has not been able to solve.