|
|
Group Administrator: Linda Brennan linda@stokesbury.org
Project Surnames:| Stokenbury | Stokesbary | Stokesberry | Stokesbury | | Stookesberry | Stooksberry | Stooksbury | Stotesbury | | Stretchberry | Strichbury | Stuchbury | Stutchbury | |
Project Background: There are only a handful of STOKESBURY lines (and variant spellings such as Stokesberry, Stokesbary, Stretchberry, Stotesbury, Stuchbury, Stutchbury, Strichbury, Stooksbury, Stookesberry) in the United States. While the origin of the family name appears to be England, some of the branches apparently came through Ireland and some spread clear to Australia. In addition, there are several family legends of English or Irish ancestors which we have been unable to substantiate. We have never been able to tie many of the branches together, or to figure out where they fit in the larger scope of the family structure.
It is our hope that we will be able to make some progress on these issues through the use of the results of this DNA project. For some lines, DNA testing may help validate research which is already supported by solid documentation. For other lines, it may provide the much needed scientific proof of a common ancestor which cannot otherwise be proven due to the lack of extant paper records. For all of us, it may be the only way to tie the far-flung families together.
If you descend from any STOKESBURY (or any variant spelling), or think you might, or wish you did, participating in this DNA project could help your research considerably and provide some much needed proof and direction for further research.
We invite any males with the surname to participate. The tests are done on the Y-chromosome which is passed from father to son, and he to his son, etc., thus participants must be male and must have the STOKESBURY surname all the way down the line. If you are a female and wish to have your line participate in the project--a male cousin, uncle, brother, etc., with the family name, can provide the DNA for your line.
You may also contribute funds to help others who may not be able to afford to participate (click on the "General Fund Donation" link at the left to donate).The general fund is used only for DNA testing. No administrative expenses are paid from this fund.
In addition to the participants who have paid for their own tests, I'd like to thank the following people for their donations to the Stokesbury DNA general fund:
Jack Babcock, in honor of Ralph, Marguerite & Arvid Stokesbary
Liz Stookesberry Myers, CA in memory of Earl Stookesberry
Linda Stokesbury Brennan, MI & LA in honor of J. C. Stokesbury, grandfather
Nancy Offield, MO, in honor of William Harvey Stokesberry, grandfather
Dale L. Lawrence, Sr., OH
Tonia Bolinger Brock, TN
Aaron Palmer, Knoxville, TN
If you are interested in joining our DNA study, click on the "Join this group" link at the top of the blue column to the left. Or contact the project administrator (linda@stokesbury.org) for additional information. No vital body parts are required -- just a simple swab of the inside of the cheek and there is no discomfort at all. We have obtained a special group rate which is a lot less expensive than even a single research trip:
* 12-marker test--$99
* 25-marker test--$148
* 37-marker test--$189
* 67-marker test--$269
We highly recommend that you order a 25-marker or 37-marker test. But if you order the 12-marker test, you can always upgrade later on--however, it costs a little more to upgrade, than if you purchase the 25-marker or 37-marker test to begin with.
When you order your DNA test--you will receive a test kit through the mail. You then follow the simple instructions, and mail the test kit back to Family Tree DNA. It is as simple as that. Results are available in about 60 days, and the project administrator will interpret the results and consult with you.
Please note that the project administrator is a volunteer who initiated the project and helps to coordinate, interpret and report findings to the group participants. The project administrator is not an employee of Family Tree DNA and receives no compensation or incentives for her time.
Contact the project administrator for further information or if you have any questions: linda@stokesbury.org | Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 820 Houston, Texas 77008, USA
Phone: (713) 868-1438 | Fax: (832) 201-7147
Contact Us
All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project Project Goals: The Stokesbury surname gene project has been initiated to achieve the following goals:
1. To identify related lines within the United States, and around the world, including all the variant spellings such as Stokesbury, Stokesberry, Stokesbary, Stretchberry, Stotesbury, Stutchbury, Stuchbury, Stooksbury, Stookesberry. (Suffix doesn't really have that much importance—can be bury, berry, bary and sometimes bery and burry!)
2. To help determine the time frame for the common ancestors.
3. To help prove or disprove some of the common family legends that have been handed down through the generations.
4. To provide new directions for our family history research.
Contact the project administrator for further information or if you have any questions: linda@stokesbury.org | Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 820 Houston, Texas 77008, USA
Phone: (713) 868-1438 | Fax: (832) 201-7147
Contact Us
All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project Project News: If you are interested in joining our DNA study, please click on the "Join this group" link at the top of the blue column to the left. Or contact the project administrator (mailto:linda@stokesbury.org) for additional information.
_______________
February 2008
We have received the results from the two newest participants, the first from Ireland, and the second from Australia, and we have identified the families to which they belong.
Participant #9: A descendant of William STOKESBERRY (b. 1816 d. 05 08 1885; Farmer/butcher in Belfast, Ireland). This participant is Brian Stokesberry, Ireland; stoaksberry@utvinternet.com. Test results put this participant firmly in Family #2. Comparing his results with participants #3 (JT Stokesbury) & #4 (John A. Stotesbury), they predict the greatest probability for their most recent common ancestors between 6-10 generations ago. Comparing the results with participant #6 (Richard Stotesbury), their most recent common ancestor is probably 12-16 generations ago. This family continues to work on finding their common links.
Participant #10: This participant is a descendant of James Stutchbury (b. 1645, England). His name is Geoffrey James Stutchbury, Australia; geofstutch@bigpond.com. Results from this participant’s test constitute quite a breakthrough for the members of family #1. At the 12-marker level, we have a perfect match with four of the participants from this family. At this point we can say there is a very high probability that we share a common ancestor between 9-12 generations ago, or roughly 300+ years. Armed with this knowledge, we can see that certain historical records make more sense. Such as, the name of the earliest common ancestor of family 1 was recorded in Bucks County, PA, USA as Robert Stuchbury/Stutchbury. And when you see the name Stutchbury written in the old style cursive, you see that it could easily be misinterpreted as Stretchberry, which is the spelling that one branch of descendants adopted. It’s possible that the ancestors of family 1 originally came from the long-gone village of Stuchbury, which was located in the southern part of Northamptonshire in England about 20 miles southwest of Northampton and about 60 miles northwest of London. We anxiously await the results of the 25- and 37-marker levels, which will help further refine the probabilities.
Upgrade results: We also received the results of an upgrade to the 67-marker test for participant #1 (My father, Elwood L. Stokesbury, a descendant of Robert STOKESBERRY, b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. 1839 Ross Co, OH), and participant #2 (Teri William’s brother, Robert Stokesberry, a descendant of John STOKESBERRY, b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN). We wanted to further refine the probabilities and timeframes, since we had a 2-step difference in the results at the 37-marker level. While significant, the results at that level weren’t as conclusive as we would have liked. The results of the upgrade, however, predict the greatest probability for the most recent common ancestor at 6 generations ago. This result is consistent with the theory that John Stokesbury (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN), and Robert Stokesberry (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. 1839 Ross Co, OH) were brothers. They were most probably sons of John Strichberry from Shenandoah Co., VA. I further think that John from Shenandoah Co., VA is the same John Stokesbury who is in Loudoun Co., VA earlier, and that he is a son of Robert Stukesbury, Sr. (of Bucks, Co., PA and Loudoun Co., VA—the same man who is first identified in the records of Bucks Co. as Robert Stuchbury/Stutchbury), and his second wife Elizabeth Hewitt. (By the way, the original marriage license shows that Elizabeth Hewitt was a widow when she married Robert, Sr., so Hewitt was her married name, NOT her maiden name as some researchers had assumed.)
New participant expected: Last July, I presented two papers at the Stooksbury family reunion in Tennessee. One was on the Sir William myth, and the other was on the DNA testing and results to date. (If you’d like a copy of either of these papers, just let me know.) While there I met two brothers from Iowa who are descendants of the William Stokesberry line here in the U.S. The earliest proven ancestor in this line is sometimes referred to as “Sir” William Stokesberry, who was known to have been in Bucks Co., PA in 1763-1775; family legend says he was in this country as early as 1720. The two brothers spell their name Stookesberry and trace back to William Stokesberry, b. ca 1750-52; d. ca 1797-78, who is said to be the son of “Sir” William. They have agreed to participant and will proceed with ordering their test this spring. The results from this test will be particularly interesting and very informative. We should learn whether there is any relation to Robert Stukesbury, Sr., who was also in Bucks Co., from 1695-1757. We suspect a relationship, but this test will prove it one way or another.
_______________
May 2007
The latest DNA test results are in from a descendant of Jacob Stooksbury (born in Loudoun Co., VA in 1753, md. Elizabeth Moorehead). This test was partially funded thanks to a generous donation from Liz Stooksberry. The newest test results from Jacob Stooksbury's descendant show a close match with the descendants of Robert Stokesberry, Joshua Stokesbary and John Stokesberry. The families are definitely related, and this puts the descendants of Jacob firmly in the line that we have identified as Family 1. The results predict a common ancestor with the highest probability within the last 7-11 generations (approximately 200-300 years ago).
Some descendants of Jacob believe that they descend from Sir William Stokesberry, but these test results add to the evidence that Family 1 descends from Robert Stukesbury, Sr. (Bucks Co., PA and later Fairfax Co./Loudoun Co., VA). From court records and other documentation, we know that Jacob Stooksbury (born in Loudoun Co., VA in 1753) was the son of Robert Stukesberry, Jr, who was the son of Robert Stukesberry, Sr. (Bucks Co., PA and later Fairfax Co./Loudoun Co., VA). The results from this test lead us to believe that that John Strichberry (Stokesberry) from Shenandoah Co., VA) is the same John Stokesberry that we find in Loudoun County, VA between 1759-1782. Further evidence leads us to believe that this John was the son of Robert Stukesbury, Sr., and his second wife, Elizabeth Hewitt; therefore John would be the younger brother of Robert Stukesbury, Jr., and the uncle of Jacob.
_______________
December 2006
We just received the DNA test results from a descendant of Joshua Stokesberry (Licking Co., OH in 1820, md. Elizabeth Sinnett in 1818). Most descendants of Joshua spell the name Stokesbary. This test was funded thanks to generous donations from Nancy Offield, Dale Lawrence, and Linda Stokesbury Brennan.
The test results show a perfect match with the descendants of Robert Stokesberry (also in Licking Co., OH in 1820, md. Anna Baughman in 1812). The families are definitely related, and the results support the theory that Joshua and Robert were brothers. This puts the descendants of Joshua firmly in the line that we have identified as Family 1 (see Briefing #1). I have paid for and ordered the next level of test for this Stokesbary line, which will help us further increase the probability and narrow down the timeframe to the most recent common ancestor.
We have now identified three individuals that we suspect were brothers, and the DNA evidence tends to support this theory. The three brothers are:
1. Robert STOKESBERRY (b. ca 1780-90, prob. VA; d. 1839 Fayette Co, OH)(many descendants spell the name Stokesbury)
md. Anna Baughman, 1812 VA
2. John Stokesberry (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN)
md. Jane Moore, 1793 OH
3. Joshua Stokesbury (b. ca 1780-90; d. ?)
(many descendants spell the name Stokesbary)
md. Elizabeth Sennit, 1818 OH
We have speculated that the father of the three brothers was John Strichberry (Stokesberry) from Shenandoah Co., VA. Please note that this part is still not proven. To help substantiate this theory, it would be most useful to find a descendant of the STRETCHBERRY line to participate in the study (we believe another brother is William Stretchberry, and a sister is Sarah Stritchberry). If you know of any Stretchberry contacts, please let them know about the project.
___________
October 2006
We are currently awaiting the results from two new participants, one each from the following lines: Stokesbary and Stooksberry. We expect the results to be in sometime in November 2006. The results should be exciting. We will find out if Joshua Stokesbary is related to Robert Stokesberry as we suspect they are (both were in Licking Co., OH in 1820). And we will see if there is a connection between the descendants of Robert Stukesbury (Bucks Co., PA and Loudoun Co., VA, Circa 175) and the branch that includes the Robert Stokesberry mentioned earlier in this paragraph.
______________
November 2005
Results are in for the 6th participant, a descendant of Robert John Stotesbury (London, England, ca. early 1800s). He shows an exact match with participant #4, a descendant of Robert John Stotesbury (London, England, ca. early 1800s), and a one-step difference with participant #3, A descendant of John STOKESBURY (Freshford Parish, Kilkenny, Ireland, ca. early 1800s). Most probably participant #4 & 6 share a common ancestor between 200-300 years ago. The common ancestor with participant #3 may be up to 100 years earlier.
____________
October 2005
Results are in for the 4th participant, a descendant of Robert John Stotesbury (London, England, ca. early 1800s). His results show a probability of a common ancestor with the 3rd participant, a descendant of John STOKESBURY (Freshford Parish, Kilkenny, Ireland, ca. early 1800s). The two of them probably shared a common ancestor between 200-300 years ago. Because there was a one-step variance, the common ancestor was possibly between 300 and 400 years ago.
Results also have arrived for the 5th participant, a second known descendant of Robert Stokesberry (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. ca 1839 Fayette Co, OH). He shows an exact match with the participant #1, as expected. This fully validates the DNA of this branch of the family. He also shares a common ancestor with the 2nd participant, a descendant of John Stokesberry (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN).
______________
September 2005
Test results returned for the 3rd participant, a descendant of John STOKESBURY (Freshford Parish, Kilkenny, Ireland, ca. early 1800s). Results show no relationship to the first two participants.
___________
August 2005
Four additional participants are currently awaiting test results:
3. A descendant of John STOKESBURY (Freshford Parish, Kilkenny, Ireland, ca. early 1800s).
4. A descendant of Robert John Stotesbury (London, England, ca. early 1800s).
5. A second descendant of Robert Stokesberry (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. ca 1839 Fayette Co, OH). The results from this test will validate the results of the first descendant (#1) in this line who was tested.
6. A descendant of John Stotesbury (Deptford, Kent, England, d. 1834).
_____________
December 2004
Two participants have been tested:
1. A descendant of Robert Stokesberry (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. ca 1839 Fayette Co, OH).
2. A descendant of John Stokesberry (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN).
Test results show a high probability of a common ancestor between 200-300 years ago. Based on earlier research we had suspected that Robert Stokesberry and John Stokesberry were brothers. The DNA test results would tend to support that theory. | Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 820 Houston, Texas 77008, USA
Phone: (713) 868-1438 | Fax: (832) 201-7147
Contact Us
All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project Project Results: Click on the "Y Results" tab (above, right) to see the actual test results.
Here is a list of the participants so far:
Family 1:
1. A descendant of Robert STOKESBERRY (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. 1839 Ross Co, OH). Descendants of this line also use the STOKESBURY spelling. This participant is my father, Elwood Stokesbury, Sr., Michigan, USA; contact Linda Stokesbury Brennan, Linda@stokesbury.org.
2. A descendant of John STOKESBERRY (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN). This participant is Teri William's brother, Robert Stokesberry, California, USA; contact it Teri Williams, calteri@mac.com
5. A second descendant of Robert STOKESBERRY (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. 1839 Ross Co, OH—see participant 1). This participant's name is Jack Stokesberry, USA; JSTOKESBER@mchsi.com. He is a descendant of Harvey Stokesberry, son of Robert.
7. A descendant of Joshua Stokesbary (b. ca 1780-1790, prob. VA, d. bef. 1840). This participant is Jerome Stokesbary, USA; jkstokes@mchsi.com. Test sponsored by donations from Linda Stokesbury Brennan, Jack Babcock, Dale Lawrence & Nancy Offield.
8. A descendant of Jacob Stooksbury (b. 10 May 1753, Loudoun Co., VA, d. aft. 1839). Test sponsored in part by donations from Liz Stookesberry Myers.
10. A descendant of James Stutchbury (b. 1645, England). This participant is Geoffrey James Stutchbury, Australia; geofstutch@bigpond.com. Test sponsored in part by donations from Linda Stokesbury Brennan.
Family 2:
3. A descendant of John STOKESBURY (Freshford Parish, Kilkenny, Ireland, ca. early 1800s). JT Stokesbury; jtstokesbury@aol.com. The descendant in this line who participated, is from a USA Connecticut branch that came to this county via Ireland early- to mid-1800s.
4. A descendant of Robert STOTESBURY (Lambeth, England, b. ca. 1750). This participant lives in Finland now and his name is John A. Stotesbury; jstotesb@joyx.joensuu.fi. His ancestors go back to England.
6. A descendant of John STOTESBURY (Deptford, Kent, England, d. 1834). This participant is Richard Stotesbury, England; richard.stotesbury@virgin.net. He has written a book on his English Stotesburys.
9. A descendant of A descendant of William STOKESBERRY (b. 1816 d. 05 08 1885; Farmer/butcher in Belfast, Ireland). This participant is Brian Stokesberry, Ireland; stoaksberry@utvinternet.com.
____________
Discussion of Results for Family 1:
Results for participants 1 and 2:
The results for the first two participants show a very close match, with a high probability that they shared a common ancestor between 200-300 years ago. We had long speculated that the earliest proven ancestor in each of those two lines—John Stokesbury (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN), and Robert Stokesberry (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. 1839 Ross Co, OH)—were possibly brothers. That seems more probable now.
Upgrade for Participants #1 & #2:
The results are in for an upgrade to the 67-marker test for participant #1 and participant #2. We wanted to further refine the probabilities and timeframes, since we had a 2-step difference in the results at the 37-marker level. While significant, the results at that level weren’t as conclusive as we would have liked. The results of the upgrade, however, predict the greatest probability for the most recent common ancestor at 6 generations ago. This result is consistent with the theory that John Stokesbury (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN), and Robert Stokesberry (b. ca 1780, prob. VA; d. 1839 Ross Co, OH) were, in fact, brothers.
Results for participant #5:
This is another known descendant of Robert Stokesberry, and shows an exact match with participant #1, validating the DNA for that family. This is a critical piece of data for this family, proving a relationship that had been circumstantially shown, but no proof had been found to date.
Results for participant 7:
The test results show a perfect match with participants #1 & #5, descendants of Robert Stokesberry (also in Licking Co., OH in 1820). The families are definitely related, and the results support the theory that Joshua and Robert were brothers.
We have now identified three individuals that we suspect were brothers, and the DNA evidence tends to support this theory. The three brothers are:
1. Robert STOKESBERRY (b. ca 1780-90, prob. VA; d. 1839 Fayette Co, OH)
(Many descendants spell the name Stokesbury)
md. Anna Baughman, 1812 VA
2. John Stokesberry (b. 9 Jul 1772, VA; d. 22 Nov 1839, IN)
md. Jane Moore, 1793 OH
3. Joshua Stokesbury (b. ca 1780-90; d. ?)
(Many descendants spell the name Stokesbary)
md. Elizabeth Sennit, 1818 OH
We have also speculated that their father was John Strichberry (Stokesberry) from Shenandoah Co., VA. To help further substantiate that supposition, it would be most helpful to find a descendant of the Stretchberry line to participate in the study. If you know of any contacts in those lines, please let them know about the project.
Results for Participant #8:
The testing on participant #8, the Stooksbury/berry line, resulted in a major breakthrough and showed that they are definitely a part of Family 1. A very close match with participants 1 & 2 predicted the greatest probability that they shared a common ancestor 200-300 years ago. The most probable scenario is that the father of Jacob Stukesbury is Robert Stukesbury, Jr. who would have been the half brother of John Strichberry (Stokesberry), the ancestor of participants 1, 2, 5 & 7. John is most probably the son of Robert Stukesbury, Sr., and his second wife, Elizabeth Hewitt. This adds to the probability that Jacob is not a descendant of "Sir" William Stokesbury, as one family legend outlines.
Further testing could help prove the latter. We have found a descendant of William Stokesbury (of Bucks Co., VA) who is willing to participant. He is from the Clinton or Columbiana County, OH lines, and the test will take place in the spring of 2008.
Participant #10: Results from this participant’s test constitute another breakthrough for the members of family #1. At the 12-marker level, we have a perfect match with four of the participants from this family. At this point we can say there is a very high probability that we share a common ancestor between 9-12 generations ago, or roughly 300+ years. Armed with this knowledge, we can see that certain historical records make more sense. Such as, the name of the earliest common ancestor of family 1 was recorded in Bucks County, PA, USA as Robert Stuchbury/Stutchbury. And when you see the name Stutchbury written in the old style cursive, you see that it could easily be misinterpreted as Stretchberry, which is the spelling that one branch of descendants adopted. It’s possible that the ancestors of family 1 originally came from the long-gone village of Stuchbury, which was located in the southern part of Northamptonshire in England about 20 miles southwest of Northampton and about 60 miles northwest of London. We anxiously await the results of the 25- and 37-marker levels, which will help further refine the probabilities.
____________
Discussion of Results for Family 2:
Results for participant 3, 4 & 6:
The results for participant 3 show no correlation to the first two participants. There is probably no recent relationship between these two families. Chances are that they adopted a similar surname far back in time, but were not related.
Results for the 4th participant show a probability of a common ancestor with the 3rd participant. The two of them probably shared a common ancestor between 200-300 years ago, possibly as long as 300 to 400 years ago.
Results for the 6th participant match exactly with participant #4, showing that these three participants are part of the same family.
Results for Participant #9:
Test results put this participant firmly in Family #2. Comparing his results with participants #3 & #4 predict that the greatest probability for their most recent common ancestors would be between 6-10 generations ago. In comparing the results with participant #6, their most recent common ancestor is probably 12-16 generations ago
________________
We are currently actively seeking more participants, especially those with variant spellings of the name.
If you are interested in joining our DNA study, please click on the "Join this group" link at the top of the blue column to the left. Or contact the project administrator (linda@stokesbury.org) for additional information.
To contribute to the project, click on the “Contribute to the Surname Project General Fund" link at the top left.
Contact the project administrator for further information or if you have any questions: linda@stokesbury.org | Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 820 Houston, Texas 77008, USA
Phone: (713) 868-1438 | Fax: (832) 201-7147
Contact Us
All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 820 Houston, Texas 77008, USA
Phone: (713) 868-1438 | Fax: (832) 201-7147
Contact Us
All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
1445 North Loop West, Suite 820 Houston, Texas 77008, USA
Phone: (713) 868-1438 | Fax: (832) 201-7147
Contact Us
All Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
Project Background, Goals, Results and News are copyright of the specific Surname Project |
|