About us
Last updated: October 2018
There are only a handful of STOKESBURY lines (and variant spellings such as Stokesberry, Stokesbary, Stretchberry, Stottsberry, Stotesbury, Stuchbury, Stutchbury, Strichbury, Stooksbury, Stookesberry, and others) in the United States. All of the branches lead back to England, although some came through Ireland. Some branches spread clear to Australia. We have been able to tie many of the U.S. branches together, and have begun to figure out where they fit in the larger scope of the family structure, and equally important, we have determined who is not related to whom. It is important to note that the Stotesbury family is NOT related to the Stutchbury family; and that Stutchbury was the original name for all of the other variations of most U.S.branches will spellings except Stotesbury.
It has been gratifying to make some progress on these issues. For some lines, DNA testing has helped validate research that is already supported by solid documentation. For other lines, it has provided 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 prove to be the only way to tie the far-flung families together.
While we long suspected the origin of the family name was England, it has been the breakthroughs achieved through this DNA surname project that have confirmed that assumption. So far, we have identified four distinct, UNRELATED family groups that originated in and around the lost village of Stuchbury, in Northamptonshire, England. You can learn more about the different families on the "News" tab.
We invite males with any variation of the surname to participate in our project. The tests (a simple, inner cheek swab) look at particular locations 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 (or a variant) surname all the way up the paternal line. If you are a female and wish to have your line participate in the project -- a male cousin, uncle, brother or nephew with the family name, can provide the DNA for your line.
Please consider this: 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 of members of our project. 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:
Family 1: Stutchbury & Stokesbury variations
Jack Babcock, IA in honor of Ralph, Marguerite & Arvid Stokesbary
Tonia Bolinger Brock, TN
Dale L. Lawrence, Sr., OH
Nancy Offield, MO, in honor of William Harvey Stokesberry, grandfather
Aaron Palmer, Knoxville, TN
Stokesbary Reunion, IA
Ruth Law & Patti Baker, in memory of Clint & Ada Stokesbary, IA
Jack Stokesberry, IA
Teri Stokesberry Williams, CA
Linda Stokesbury Brennan, MI & LA in honor of J. C. Stokesbury, grandfather
Liz Stookesberry Myers, CA in memory of Earl Stookesberry
Mark Stooksberry, TN
Michael Stooksberry, TN
Geoffrey James Stutchbury, Australia
Family 2: Stotesbury & one Stokesbury
John T. Stokesbury, CN
Barbara Stotesbury Dabroski, FL
John A. Stotesbury, Finland
Richard Stotesbury, England
Cintra E. Wilcox, TX
Family 3 & 4: Stuchberry & Stutchbury
Nick Stuchberry, Canada
Robin E. Stutchbury, Australia
If you are interested in joining our DNA study, click on the black "Join this group" button at the right top of the page (in the landscape photo). Or contact the project administrator Admin@Stokesbury.org for additional information. The test is just a simple swab of the inside of the cheek and there is no discomfort at all. There are many benefits of being a member of the group, not least among them that you join a group of people who are actively working together on our family histories.
We recommend that you order a 111-marker test. If you order the 37-marker test, you can always upgrade later on, but it costs a bit more in the long run to do it that way. The top-of-the-line DNA test today is the Y700 test. While expensive, it is the most definitive test ever. But check with the administrator first, for a more detailed understanding of whether that is the right test for you.
When you order your DNA test--you will receive a test kit through the mail. You then follow the simple instructions which include simply swabbing the inside of the cheek, and mail the test kit back to Family Tree DNA. It is as simple as that. Results are available in about six weeks, and the project administrator will interpret the results and consult with you. You will be able to contact all of your matches and together, you can continue to work on your family history.
Contact the project administrator for further information on this project, or if you have any questions: Admin@Stokesbury.org.
Please note: The project administrator is a volunteer who initiated the project, and coordinates, interprets and reports 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.