06A Common Ancestor of James Phelps d. 1786 Caswell, NC, John Phelps d. 1794 Halifax, VA & William Phelps d. 1811 Albemarle, VA (IF NEEDED, CLICK THE EXTENDED PAGE NUMBERS BELOW 06A

3/24/2018 Scroll down to view the hypothesized family tree based on the most recent SNP testing.

11/6/2017: Based on extended and expensive SNP testing of the Phelps in section 06 , who are all M44 haplogroup, the Phelps listed in this line is now defined by SNP BY4136+

KEY WEB PAGES FOR THIS GROUP OF PHELPS (click to link)

  • NEW 2019 Phelps project for these lines (under development) HERE Join if you suspect you are a descendant

  • SNPs and Genealogy HERE

  • M44 Phelps lines condensed STR and SNP analysis HERE

  • Detailed advanced SNP analysis HERE

Overview July 2017 revised 11/2019

In 2016 and 2017 extensive yDNA testing gave clear evidence that these three paternal Phelps were related by a common ancestor. The testing began with the usual STR marker comparisons which grouped these descendants along with others - all having a unique haplogroup of M44 (E1a1). Additional and costly BIG Y SNP testing by descendants of a number of Phelps lines, with analysis by Yfull.Com, followed by descendant individual SNP testing, clearly indicated a single SNP that identifies those with a common ancestor within the last 500 years or so. The descendants of these three patriarchs have that SNP . In the Halifax line, additional genealogy records pointed to the relationship.

Note that none of these Phelps are known to have the SNP A6108 found in some Albemarle Co lines or the FGC68754 found in the Baltimore Felps line.

Please click the indexed 06A1 through 06A3 on the left to view the details of each line.

The haplogroup of all the members of this line can reasonably be assumed to be E1a1 (M44) because of the extended testing of many members and the very similar ydna of all of them. While SNP testing is needed (M44) to prove this, FTDNA in 2011 expressed their belief that all members are of the same subclade

Doug Phelps

The deduced family tree based on the most recent SNP testing.

View the tree diagram Likely 3 brothers diagram.docx here showing this with SNPs (or in the downloadable pdf - in the FILEs section below)

0??? A Thomas of Albemarle (not yet identified) owned land that became the property of William d. 1811 of Albemarle co, VA below See kit 67919 under the James page. (per JC Rogers).

1. Hypothesized “William” and his 3 sons below. See supporting information note below Logically he had SNP BY4136

2. William Phelps d. 1811. Lived in Buckingham Co, VA (formerly Albemarle) Descendant Kit 67919 Has 12 at DYS439 - Has an unexpected 35 at DYS449 Negative A6108 at FTDNA. Tested negative for Baltimore Felps and Thomas of ALbemarle d 1751 SNPs. but positive BY4136 and negative for BY4135 and BY4137 of the James of Caswell snps TESTED AT YSEQ #6111. (Does not want to test more at FTDNA)

2. John Phelps of Halifax d 1794 d: 1794 in Halifax, Atrim Parish , m. Drusilla Kit number 662857 (corrected 2019) DYS449=34 SNP By4136+ Negative BY by4135

2. James Phelps of Caswell County d. 1786. DYS449=34 Using snp testing of descendants of several sons James is triangulated to deduce he is BY4135+ and BY4136+ BY4137-

NOTE:

The hypothesis of the above “William as the father of the three hypothesized brothers: John of Halifax, James of Caswell, and William d.1811 is accepted only by two kits: Doug and Walter Phelps (2017) It is based on 2017 SNP testing and related facts.

Supporting information:

  • The Eldest son of John of Halifax d. 1794's was William (see the John d. 1794 web page). James of Caswell’s oldest son was also a William, b. about 1754. Typically, the oldest son was named for the grandfather. William d. 1811 “may” have had a son named William b. c. 1770 perhaps moved to KY (see the William page). He also had 5 more sons including a James.

  • Since Halifax County, VA very nearly bordered James' property and since the NC-VA line in this area had been in dispute until fairly recent times, one would suspect that James' parents or relatives would appear in Halifax or nearby.

  • The Phelps of Caswell were often connected to Halifax. An interesting Halifax deed was reported by Tamra Phelps, Somerset, KY: “A deed between Reuben Phelps, James’ son, and the heirs of William Wesley, including Eleanor Wesley Dye, Shadrack Dye’s wife, is in Halifax Co, VA (10-20-1813, in court 6-27-1814). Isham Phelps [who we now know was Reuben’s son] witnessed this deed but in 1850 he lives in Caswell CO, NC. “ The Dyes married into the Phelps family.

  • John Phelps of Halifax d. 1794 was trusted by James to record his will (now proven). He witnessed to James’ will. He lived just across the state line from James See map

  • A James and Thomas Philips appear in two Halifax tax lists: James Philips in 1784 and Thomas Philips in 1783. It is very conceivable that these two Philips were in fact James of Caswell and Thomas Phelps (the older Thomas of Caswell not son of James) who were reporting property in both NC and VA

  • Provided by Walter Phelps: James' will names his mother to live on property. So it is not valid to consider that his mother was Drursilla of wife of John of Halifax Phelps d. 1794 in Halifax, Atrim Parish Also, dates of death for James and John were only 8 years apart and the d.o.b. of their children overlap. That sounds more like brothers than father-son

    • Viewable files below

      • John Phelps of Halifax WROTE James's will - See "file Sec of State James Phelps will pagers" below. Abstracts of "Early Records of NC Vol 1 Probates, admn, inventories." Secretary of State file S108.263 provided by Mark Phelps.

      • Abstract of the recorded Oct 1786 will paper See file below "John Phelps James Phelps will- by Mark and Doug Phelps

      • The recorded Oct 1786 images sent to the Sec of State papers. See file below "SecOfState -S.108.263". Provided by Doug Phelps

However ……there is an unidentified John Phelps who migrated to Pulaski, KY where was Ambrose, Obediah and Larkin Phelps, sons of James of Caswell. By 1810 they are listed originally in the census as Felps. The Somerset, Pulaski census of 1810 lists a Jno Felps with wife each born before 1765. He is reported (by researcher Brenda Emory) to have died due to an estate inventory there in 1823. The 1820 census names only a younger Jno Phelps with wife born 1776-1795 with a son and daughter b. 1811-1819. Of course there are many William Phelps who migrated to other parts