Otis Families of America

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The purpose of this Otis Surname DNA Project is to identify different Otis family groups.  

Three distinct groups have evolved since this project began in 2016: (1) the Otis family established by Robert1 Otis, supposedly of Dublin, Ireland who settled in Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut; (2) the Oates/Otis family some of which, but not all, descend from James1 Oates, who was an attorney settling in the Carolina Colony c1690, traditionally claimed to be from the Cornish Oates family, but perhaps a member of the Yorkshire Oates family; (3) the Otis family from Glastonbury, Somerset, England which came to New England during the Great Migration of the 1630s, with John1 Otis, (son of RichardA Otis 1550-1611) first settling in Hingham and then Barnstable, Massachusetts Colony, and John’s nephew, Richard1 Otis, (the son of his brother Stephen Otis who did not emigrate) who settled in Dover, NH.

The major genealogy of Groups (1) and (3) of these Otis groups is, A Genealogy and Historical Memoir of the Otis Family in America, compiled by William A. Otis (1924).  The Y-DNA testing has proved that these are two separate and distinct groups.  See note under Group (3).


GROUP 1: Otis of Lyme, CT

Robert1 Otis, the originator of the first group, is said to have been born c1707 in Ireland.  He appears in Lyme, CT where he married (1) Margaret Sabin, daughter of Israel Sabin and Mary Ormsby.  They had three sons: Stephen2, Robert2and Richard2; and a daughter Clarinda Anna. Robert1 married (2) Lydia [unknown] and is said to have had another son, a second Robert2.  Robert1 married (3) Sarah Fox, by whom there were no children.

Four testers among the descendants of Robert1 Otis, b. c1717 perhaps in Ireland, have matched within a genetic distance of two in 37 marker Y-DNA tests.  Robert1 appears in Lyme, CT and married Margaret Sabin, daughter of Israel Sabin and Mary Ormsby on 8 Aug 1737 in Barrington, RI.  They had three sons and a daughter: (1) Stephen2, b. 1738 in Barrington, RI; (2) Robert2, b. 1740 in Lyme, CT; (3) Richard2, b. 1745 in Lyme, CT; and (4) Clarinda, b. 1748 in Lyme, CT.   One of the testers (#499076) is descended from Stephen2, one tester (#556875) is descended from Robert2, and two of the testers (#216437 and #407220) are descended from Richard2.  These close matches are evidence of a Y-DNA group; therefore this first matching group is given the designation of Group 1.

William A. Otis in the 1924 Otis Genealogy stated that Robert1 married second to Lydia [unknown] and that they had a son, another Robert2, b. 1764 in Lyme, CT.  There is confusion over these two sons, by different mothers, named Robert—if this second Robert was really the son of Robert1or if he was the son of Robert2. Likewise, is the above tester #556875 actually descended from Robert1 and Margaret’s son, Robert2, or Robert1 and Lydia’s son, Robert2?  DNA analysis will not answer this question and it may remain unresolved.

See comments under GROUP 3 that disproves the longstanding belief that Robertwas descended from the Otis group of Glastonbury.


GROUP 2:  The prevailing surname in this group is Oates/Oats, and less frequently Otis.  

Three testers form this group (#184754), (#731325) and (#774860), all matching within a genetic distance of 0 to 3, out of 37 markers, with two other testers in the Family Tree DNA universe, both of whom have also been invited to join the Otis Families of America Project.  Predominantly, with the exception of one, they all appear to be descended from the Carolina colonist, James Oates, b. 16??, d. 1703.  Tradition has placed James Oates as having come from Cornwall, but those researching this family think it more likely that he was part of the Yorkshire Oates family.  This group was identified second and therefore is given the designation of Group 2.  There is also an Oates/Oats project found at https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/oates-vs-oats/about . 


GROUP 3:  Otis of Glastonbury, England.

 

This Otis group traces back to RichardA Otis, b. say 1550, d. 1611 of Glastonbury, Somerset, England.  His will dated 17 Nov 1611 mentions sons, Stephen, John, and Thomas. 

 

William A. Otis in his A Genealogy and Historical Memoir of the Otis Family in America, claimed that Thomas Otis, son of RichardA Otis (c1550-1611) of Glastonbury was somehow the ancestor of Robert Otis of Lyme, CT of the above Group 1, however the Y-DNA analysis debunks this claim.

 

Testers (#433219) and (#924529) are both descended from John2 Otis, son of John1 Otis (c1581-1657) of Scituate and Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 

 

Two other testers (#IN45067) and (#MI26603), neither of whom has the surname Otis, are descended from Jean Baptiste (Otis), renamed son of Richard2 Otis, who had moved with his family in 1655 from Boston to current day Dover, NH.  Richard2 Otis, in A Genealogy and Historical Memoir of the Otis Family in America is indicated to be the son of Stephen1 Otis (d. 1637), brother of John1 Otis.  Jean Baptiste was among several kidnapped by Abnakis Native Americans in their 1689 massacre of Dover and eventually left at the seminary in Montreal, Québec.  Jean Baptiste and his sister Francoise were given these French names in their new situation, each marrying into Québec families.

 

There is a definite match among these testers.  Testers (#433219) and (#924529), at the 37-marker level have a genetic distance of 1 between them, and they have genetic distances of 2 and 3 with the other two testers, which is consistent with the approximately 450 year time period since the two lines diverged.  

 

William A. Otis in his A Genealogy and Historical Memoir of the Otis Family in America, claimed that Thomas Otis, son of Richard Otis (c1550-1611) of Glastonbury, was somehow the ancestor of Robert Otis of Lyme, CT of the above Group 1.  Further, Group 1 has a Haplogroup of R-M269 and Group 3 has a Haplogroup of I-M253.  Therefore, these differences refute the notion that there is a family relationship between these two groups.  It is interesting to note, however, that there is a connection between one of the Richard1 Otis (of Lyme, CT) lines of descent with the John1 Otis group.  Erastus3 Otis (Richard2, Robert1) married Elizabeth “Betsy” Curtiss, a great granddaughter of Bethia4 Otis (Joseph3, John2, John1) and husband, Rev. Samuel Moseley.

 

[last updated 3-24-2021]


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