James Saintsing first appears in colonial America in the mid 18th century via land records and Albemarle Parish birth registry for Surry County, Virginia. James was born prior to 1720 and it is believed that he was born in Europe and that he was of Dutch origin. He and his descendants migrated to North Carolina prior to the Revolutionary War and during the early 19th century, some descendants continued their journey into York County, South Carolina and Henry County, Georgia. By the end of the 19th century, desdendants of James Saintsing were in Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. There was also a Pennsylvania branch of  Sensenig (various spellings). The VA branch is Haplogroup I1; the PA branch is E1b1b1a1b; and a German branch is I2a.