STAPLES & VIA - VIRGINIA PLANTERS - GENETIC CONNECTION

25 AUGUST 2009

Arthur B. Staples, Jr., GA, Staples Surname & DNA Project (SSDP)

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~staplessurname

Y-DNA MATCHES: Tested participants Haplogroup and Haplotype or genetic signature is defined by the DNA testing company.
Y-DNA matches can be easily analyzed by creating a Haplogroup Founder Modal, based on the Haplogroup of the tested participants, which will identify Genetic Family Tree and Family Branch Mutations that are changes from the Haplogroup Founder Modal in tested participants Haplotypes. This process is extremely valuable when analyzing small group's of participants.   

To discover if there is a Genetic Family Tree match it is important that the Genetic Family Tree Mutations match. However, based on past SSDP studies, it is possible that one out of several may have a one-step mutation but no two-step mutations.

Y-DNA results showing a match within a Genetic Family Tree are Biological and therefore cannot tell us who the common ancestor is that the tested participants match. Only pedigrees with family relationships proven at each generation by primary & secondary genealogical recorded information can tell us who, when and where the match took place.

Matches with other surnames may indicate a Genetic Family Tree relationship prior to the surname era of recording births and marriages for common people in England (1538) and thus if one participant has a pedigree back far enough in time it will help identify the ancestral home.   

HAPLOGROUP FOUNDER MODAL TABLE MUTATION HIGHLIGHTS:
YELLOW = Genetic Family Tree Mutations from the founder modal that the vast majority of the family group have;

BLUE = Genetic Family Branch Mutations from the founder group that the vast majority of the family group does not share; 

RED = Rare Genetic Mutations of 10% or less frequency of a population sample.  Rare mutations limit the number of matches in a database as the smaller the population percentage the less people will share the marker value. However if the rare mutation is within a genetic family tree mutation it strengthens the genetic family tree uniqueness.

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TABLE NOTES:
[1] Mutation Frequency Rank & approximate Percentage from  'R1b-U106/S21+Research Group' Individual Allele Statistics (PDF Forma, Chart) R-U106 and R-M269 Allele Percentage Histograms By Clinton Platt, 06 May 2009.
[2]Y-DNA data from the SSDP and the VIA DNA PROJECT - 'FTDNA', Elaine Via, GA;

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GENETIC DISTANCE (GD):
We are primarily interested in the Y67-DNA results within a certain GD of participants that share our surname (or Variant). However, there are many documented reasons why some family surnames changed during the surname era. During this surname time frame our Genetic Family Tree has remained basically the same. When a match is found to our Y67 Haplotype within a satisfactory Genetic Distance and also matches our Haplogroup Founder Modal genetic Family Tree mutations, it proves a biological relationship regardless of surnames.

Currently, our studies using a Haplogroup Founder Modal with pedigreed participants to a common ancestor show that while it possible to have a GD of up to 8 Mutations between participants, there is only a maximum GD of 4 to the head of the Genetic Family Tree. The Genetic Family Tree mutations are shared by the vast majority of members, however an occasional one-step mutation may show up, but no two-step mutations. Almost all of the mutations between participants are Genetic Family Branch mutations.

Rare mutations or mutations that have a Founder Modal Haplogroup sample frequency of 10% or less present in the Genetic Family Tree strengthen the groups' tree and the Genetic Family Branch mutations strengthen the participant's genetic branch because they limit the number of people who have the mutations.

Thus using a Haplogroup Founder Modal with mutation rankings and frequency percent to determine the Genetic Family Tree and its various Family Branch mutations, coupled with pedigrees to the most recent common ancestor results in a proven method of ancestral relationship        

PROVING A PEDIGREE:
Regardless of whether you are just beginning your genealogy research or a experienced family historian I recommend the following book.  GENEALOGICAL PROOF STANDARD, Building a Solid Case, by Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG (2005), “Dedicated to every genealogist with an ‘unsolved’ problem. That would include us all. I would think!” ISBN 0-929626-15-X.


SURNAMES & PEDIGREES:
SURNAMES: "The process by which surnames became fixed was prolonged and complicated. The fashion spread in southern England and East Anglia during the second half of the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century, but took another century to become widespread in northern England and lowland Scotland. By the 15th century most English people had acquired fixed hereditary surnames. But Welsh names did not take an English form until the 16th Century."
RE: Taken from The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History, received from Lionel West, Exeter, Devon Co., England.

PEDIGREES: Recorded information of children and parents at each generation is required to prove an unbroken lineage within a pedigree. In England the practice of recording surnames for marriages and christenings' for common people was started by the Church of England during the 16th century (1538) and spread very slowly.

Note: Since we need a proven pedigree at each generation to identify our ancestral lineage, most of us who descend from the common people of England will be extremely fortunate if we can prove our ancestral lineage back into to the 1500's.  
   
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STUDY:
FTDNA Y67-DNA is the only biological information provider for discovering and proving our Family History, however, it cannot tell us who our common ancestors are. Only genealogy records can tell us who, when and where our ancestors came from. This study takes into account both of these family history information providers.

Y-DNA DATA:
The method of using the matching participants Haplogroup to generate a Founder Modal that is used to determine genetic family tree and branch mutations, as shown in this study, is an important analytical tool that leads to an accurate picture of genetic distance and thus - biological relationships.  

The study shows a very close genetic relationship between FTDNA #'s 44268 & 56051 with only two one-step mutations in 67 Markers. In addition the other two VIA participants lend support, one at Y12 and the other at Y37.

Genetic Family Tree mutations strengthen the proof of a relationship between participants 44268 & 56051 with four mutations at about 10%; one at about 5%; and three at about 3% of the 3,000 plus R-M269 Haplotype population study by Clinton Platt, 06 May 2009.

We do not know when this relationship took place. It could have been in England before the 1538 surname era, or in Virginia. Only pedigrees showing the common ancestor can give us this information.

CONFLICT WITH SOME VIA DNA PROJECT LISTED PEDIGREES' TO Y-DNA HAPLOGROUPS (21 Aug 09):
1) VIA HAPLOGROUPS (Hg):
 (Hg): Hg age is taken from the book "Deep Ancestry" (2006) by Dr. Spencer Wells, head of the NGS - Genographic Project. ISBN: 9780792262152
There are four Hg's listed for the FTDNA - Via Project.
a) Hg I12, b. about 20,000 yrs ago;
b) Hg J2, offshoot of Hg J, b. about 15,000 yrs ago;
c) Hg R1a1, b. about 10-15,000 yrs ago,
d) Hg R1b1b2, descending from R1b, b. about 30,000 years ago.
All of these Hg's are thousands of years old and considered Pre-History.

Genetic scientists state that it is impossible for any ancestor to belong to more than one major Hg (i.e.; I, J, R1a, R1b), thus if a participant's pedigree shows any surname ancestor belonging to more than one Hg there is a problem within someone's pedigree.
Examples:
a) John Via, 1710/1723-1785, is listed three times in Hg R1b1b2 (42087, 156939 & 157289 and twice in Hg J2 (50048 & 45239).
b) Gideon Via Sr., > William Via Sr., is listed by 46438 in Hg R1b12 and 58163 in Hg J2.
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2) VIA & STAPLES MATCHES WITHIN VIA HAPLOGROUP R1b1b2:
Two participants list Stephen Sparrel Jackson Via, #109129, 12-markers & 46438, 37-markers. One participant lists John Via Sr. 1759-1834, #56051, 67-markers. All three of these participants match each other's Y-DNA at their respective markers.

Three other members match each other at their respective number of matches, #156939, #157289, #42087. Two of these Hg R1b1b2 participants #157289 & #42087 descend from John Via 1710/1723-1785, the third #156939 does not list an ancestor.

The genetic distance between these two Hg R1b1b2 groups' genetic distance shows they have not been genetically related for over 500 years.

This leaves participants 109129, 46438 & 56051 as a unique group not genetically related to any of the other current (20 Aug 09) participants within the Via DNA Project.

GENEALOGICAL RECORDS:
STAPLES: Participant 44268 descends from William STAPLES (c1675-c1755) of Hanover County, Virginia. William had 4 son's John, David, Samuel and Issac. This family's history is given by Gretchen Elizabeth (Staples) Kroll in her book William Staples (circa 1675 -circa 1755 of Hanover County, Virginia, Volume 1 & 2 (2005).

VIA: Via Participant # 56051, Harold Edward "Eddie" Via, has provided his Pedigree Chart. The 8th generation great-grandfather of Eddie Via is John Via, b 1759 in VA, d 1834, Franklin County, VA.  m 1784, Buckingham Co., VA, Sarah Wright b abt 1761, Buckingham Co., VA. >
Anderson Via Sr., b 1798, Franklin Co., VA, d 1874, Franklin, Co., VA, m 1824, Franklin Co., VA, Jane "Jensie" West, b 1805, Franklin Co., VA, d 1890 Franklin Co., VA., Dau of Littleberry & Polly (Moore) Vest >
Stephan Sparell Jackson Via, b 1828, Frankln Co., VA, d 1883, Patrick Co., VA, m 1850, Patrick Co., VA, Mary Jane Cockram, b 1833, Patrick Co., VA, d 1925, Elgood, Mercer Co., WV., Dau of Edward & Mary Ann (Rakes) Cockram, Jr  >
George Washington Via, b 1851, Patrick Co., VA, d 1939, Beckley, Raleigh Co., WV, m 1876, Mariah Elizabeth "Babe" Chaney, b 154, Patrick, Co., VA, d 1897, Glyn Lyn, Giles, Co.,VA. > John Jefferson Via ....
    

Via Participant #46438 descends from George Washington Via through his son William Alexander Via.

Via Participant #109129 descends from Stephen Sparrel Jackson Via through his son Joseph Jackson Via.

Three other VIA's listed in their R1b12 Haplogroup descend from a John VIA, 1710/1723-1785, however based on genetic distance,  their Y-DNA results show them to be from another VIA genetic family and have no genetic relationship to Via  participants #'s 56051, 46438 & 109129.

STAPLES & VIA: Via Deed Abstract, Albemarle Co. VA, 15 Feb 1755 John VIA land survey Virginia Surveyor's Plat Book 1, Part 1, Virginia Archives Microfilm #393, 1744-1755, p 333, 125 acre Survey by John Staples Surv. John Staples Survey for John via: Information copied 16 Aug 09 from Early Via Family - http://www.geocities.com/pre1800vias/ - Early Via Name Index. John Via  [This is the John Via that according to earlier researchers was born about 1710 and who married Mary Powhatan, although no such record has been found]. 15 Feb 1755 Survey of 125 acres of land on Appomattox River, Buckingham or Albemarle Co. VA
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Gretchen Kroll writes 15 August 2009 - John Staples, of course, did so many surveys since he was assistant surveyor in Albemarle from 1754 through 1758 -- and then [a full] surveyor in Albemarle from 1759 until 1761 -- and then was surveyor for Buckingham County from 1761 until his death. (When he was a surveyor in Albemarle, that county also included the areas that became Amherst and Buckingham in 1761.)

In Gretchen Kroll's book, 1:16, John Staples, d 22 Oct 1766 in Buckingham Co., VA, son of William (c1675-c1755) is listed as an assistant surveyor in 1754 in Albemarle Co, VA., working under Peter Jefferson, head surveyor.  On page 1:15, although John never married he had two children by his mistress, Elizabeth Whitaker. James Whitaker, b 1763; used his mothers surname; Jane Staples, born before 1766; died by 1834.      

In Buckingham Co., VA, 1787 Tax list has both a William Staples and a John via is listed. Gretchen Kroll writes 15 August 2009 - The William Staples who was on the tax list you mentioned (1787) in Buckingham was a son of David (who was one of the four brothers, sons of Wm. of Hanover).  This William (s/o David) had a first wife whose name is unknown to us (my book 1:56).  He had one or two children before marrying Martha Tompkins in 1786 in Albemarle.  But could that possibly have been a way for a Via connection? But, then, I am sure there are MANY ways it could have happened, because we don't know everything about the mothers' and grandmothers' lines. 

In Patrick Co., VA, 15 May 1816, Bond of Richard Via to marry Franky Via, dau of William Via as witnessed and recorded by Samuel Staples. Gretchen Kroll writes 15 Aug 2009 - The Samuel Staples you mentioned, of Patrick County, who witnessed and recorded the Via marriage bond, was the Clerk of the Court.  He was a son of Samuel and Molly (Chambers) Staples -- this latter Samuel being a brother of John2 (The Surveyor).

Gretchen Kroll writes 15 August 2009 - The Via family is familiar to me in Buckingham County and other counties.  They lived in the area of "Plain Dealing," also, where Thomas Staples built the first (log) part of that home.  And, coincidentally, I have worked with a Via widow from that area!

The connection of Via to Staples is very interesting.  The Via family members were present, also, in Hanover County, where William and his four sons lived before the sons moved on.

CONCLUSION:
GENETIC DISTANCE: Both participants match at all 14 Founder Modal Genetic Family Tree mutations, 7 of the Family Tree Mutations are at a mutation frequency of 10% or less. The one Genetic Family Branch Mutation is at markers #'s 24 & 35, resulting in a Y67 Genetic distance of 3 (64/67) showing a close genetic relationship.

MOST RECENT COMMON ANCESTOR (MRCA): Based on the pedigree information submitted, William Staples of Hanover Co., VA was born in England c 1675; based on the Pedigree of Harold Edward Via and the information presented by the Via DNA Project, for the FTDNA R1b1b2 group, (MRCA) of the three Via participants is Stephen Sparrel Jackson Via, born 1828.

If there is a Genetic relationship between the Staples and Via families it would have happened before the birth of their MRCA, Stephen Sparrel Jackson Via in 1828. If the relationship happened in Virginia it would have happened between the assumed arrival of William Staples sometime in the mid to late-1690 and 1828.
 

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