Our first goal was to identify and group Scranton descendents from four of the early Scranton Surname lines in America by using Y-DNA. The starting two Scranton Surname groups studied will be: 1.) Connecticut Scranton’s descended from John Scranton, (b. abt 1609) 1637 settled in Guilford, Connecticut. 2.) Rhode Island Scranton’s descended from Thomas Scranton, (b.1610) (His 1640’s likely spent in Newfoundland) 1657 settled in Warwick, Rhode Island. With data from this Y-DNA Project we hope to study how or if these two New England families are related. From our testing we now realize there are at least four family lines in country 1) 1637, 2) 1657, 3) abt. 1750, 4) 1790 and related at one point in England some over 24 generations ago. This is our first question: 1.) Was John and Thomas Scranton, brothers, cousins, or unrelated? Answer from testing ---- John of Guilford and Thomas of Warwick are from two different lines of Scranton, related, but very distant. Using traditional genealogy methods many Scranton in America are able to trace their ancestry to one of four early families in New England. Yet with these methods there arise problems and unresolved questions. This study will take on these unresolved questions in hopes of solving them for Scranton’s in need of answers. Here is an example: I am a descendent of Stukely Scranton (b. abt 1710 in Warwick, Rhode Island) whose Father was John Scranton who married Sarah Stafford (b.1671). The question is: From which Family Line did this John Scranton come from. Using traditional methods the answer seems simple at first. In John Osborn Austin’s Rhode Island book of who came before 1690, first published in 1887, he records on page 387; a Sarah Stafford (b.1671) marries a John Scranton of Thomas & Mary Scranton. There is a belief held by some Connecticut Scranton’s that their Thomas Scranton (b.1643), married outside of Guilford, Connecticut, had an unknown first wife Mary and a son John (b.1667). There is a Guilford Court record to support this claim. Guilford court records of May 1706 (page 540) "Whereas Thomas Scranton late of the towne of Guilford deed, did in his life time sell a small parcel of land and received the pay for it, but died before he had given a deed for it: this Court grants power to Elizabeth Scranton, widow and reliet* of the said Thomas Scranton, and John Scranton, eldest sonne of the said Thomas Scranton, to give assurance by deed of said land to him that hath so bought and paid for it." A son John and Thomas’s third wife Elizabeth are named as “reliet”*(spelled incorrectly, relict, definition, is widow, widowed or survivor) in court records over a land dispute after (b.1643) Thomas Scranton’s death. Thomas Scranton (b.1643) had no son named John by his second or third wife. Elizabeth is named in records as this third wife. Was there an unknown first wife and a son John? being To clear up if my line is from Rhode Island or Connecticut, my brother, also a ninth generation descendent of a Thomas Scranton (b.1641 or maybe 1643),is also being tested. We hope to settle some unanswered questions. Answer ---- Stukely Scranton (b. abt 1710 in Warwick, Rhode Island) whose Father was John Scranton who married Sarah Stafford (b.1671) are from the Warwick Rhode Island line.