Group 3

Lineages/Members

• 44944 John Vance (b.bef.1787?, prob. Donegal) m.Mary Allison
  
• 84477 William Vance (b.1818, Derry – d.1893, Ontario)
  
• 56896 Alexander Vance (b.bef.1885, Woodlands or Momeen, Donegal)
  
• 91181 John Vance (b.c.1745/1750 - d.1801, Vermont)
  
• 146310 David Vance (b.bef.1760, Ireland - d.1804, Nova Scotia)
  

DNA Analysis

DNA Results

The five members of Group 3 are never farther apart than a genetic distance of 1 on 12 markers. Four of the five members have upgraded to 37 markers, where the genetic distance between any two members ranges from 1 to 4. There have not been more than 2 mutations away from the presumed ancestral haplotype in any of the 4 men who have tested 37 markers. These results are fully consistent with a common ancestor in the roughly 400 years in which the Irish Vance surname is known to have been in use.

This group does not closely match any other members of the Vance DNA Project. On 37 markers, the next closest match is a genetic distance of 10 from 91181, 12 from 44944, 13 from 56896, and 14 from 84477. This genetic distance indicates that a common direct male line of descent within a genealogically meaningful time frame is improbable.

Matches with Other Surnames:
This group does not have any matches in Ysearch within a genetic distance of 6 or less on 37 markers.

Observations on Marker Values:
Group 3 has a distinct 12-marker haplotype characterized by the combined presence of the two following unique values:

This combination is rare enough that we have treated 12 markers as sufficient for determining membership in this group for males with the Vance surname.

On 25 markers, this group is characterized by two further unique values:

Haplogroup:
None of the members of Group 3 have had a SNP test. They certainly belong to the R1b haplogroup, and very likely to the R1b1b2 haplogroup, defined by the M269 SNP.

A scan of Ysearch for individuals within a genetic distance of 6 on the first 25 markers yields over 100 individuals; of these, the only ones to report SNP results for a subclade of R1b1b2 all reported that they have the M222 SNP, which defines a subclade of P312/S116. Although this would seem to indicate that Group 3 probably carries the M222 SNP, haplogroup predictions for R1b are frequently not reliable based on STR values alone.

According to the M222 project, the M222 SNP “is associated with many individuals whose roots lie in the counties of Northwest Ireland, Ulster and Lowland Scotland.”

The International Society of Genetic Genealogy maintains an up-to-date SNP tree on the R haplogroup here: http://www.isogg.org/tree/ISOGG_HapgrpR09.html.

Genealogical Overview:
Three of the five lineages in Group 3 are able to trace back to an ancestor in northern Ireland and all the earliest known ancestors in the group had traditions of Scots-Irish descent. No genealogical connections have been established yet between any of the lineages in this group. Nevertheless, by allowing us to group them together, DNA evidence has turned up some interesting clues.

Donegal, Ireland: 44944 and 56896
Both 44944 and 56896 trace their ancestry to Donegal. The earliest known ancestor of 44944 is John Vance who married Mary Allison; he lived in the latter half of the 18th century. John’s grandson (the great-grandfather of 44944) was Alexander Vance, who was born in Donegal in 1831 and who emigrated with his wife to Branch County, Michigan, not long after their marriage in November 1851. The earliest known ancestor of 56896 was Alexander Vance, who was born sometime in the late 19th century in Woodlands or Momeen. (The period of his birth is deduced from the 1903 birthdate of his son Robert.)

The names Robert, Alexander, and Matthew appear in the families of 56896 and 44944. Given their proximity and shared naming patterns, it is natural to wonder whether 56896 might also be a descendant of John Vance/Mary Allison.

In light of the Momeen connection, the following web site may be of interest: http://thor.prohosting.com/~hughw/abercorn.txt. It contains a list of tenants on the Abercorn Donegal Estate in 1794. A John Vance and Robert Vance are listed in Momeen. Could one of these men be the ancestor of 56896? Is the John Vance on the Abercorn list the same John Vance who married Mary Allison? A Joseph Allison is also listed in Momeen. Is he the father of Mary Allison?

A much later record (1857 Griffith’s Valuation – Taughboyne Parish, Co Donegal), mentions Andrew Vance, John Vance, and Matthew Vance in Momeen, and a Robert Vance in the nearby town of Carnshannagh. Could one of these Vances be the father of Alexander Vance, ancestor of 56896?

Derry, Ireland: 84477
William Vance, the earliest known ancestor of 84477, was born in Derry in 1818; he emigrated to Ontario, Canada, in 1835. Nothing specific is known about his origins in Derry. Derry is not far from Momeen, which is in the eastern portion of Donegal.

David Vance of Nova Scotia
The earliest known ancestor of 146310 is David Vance, who settled in Nova Scotia in the 1760s. David presumably came straight from northern Ireland as part of the great Scots-Irish migration to Nova Scotia, since he was listed in the 1771 census as being born in Ireland. It is unclear whether he is related to two other Vances involved in the early settlement of Nova Scotia: John Vance and Arthur Vance.

Other Early Vances of Nova Scotia: John and Arthur
John Vance settled in Nova Scotia around the same time as David. As with David, he is presumed to have come directly from Ireland due to information provided on the 1771 Nova Scotia census. The following source provides information on some of John’s descendants: http://nsgna.ednet.ns.ca/miller/Miller.pdf. It appears to be taken from Thomas Miller’s Historical and genealogical record of the first settlers of Colchester County, for which a preview is available on Google Books.

Arthur Vance, a merchant in Londonderry, Ireland, did not settle in Nova Scotia, but was involved as a settlement promoter and land owner. In 1765, a few years after the initial settlement, Arthur and his business partners bought up a tract of 150,000 acres in Nova Scotia with Alexander McNutt and others. They intended to lease it out or sell it to settlers from Ulster. Arthur Vance was a merchant in Derry and a partner in the firm Vance, Caldwell, and Vance. He is mentioned in Balbirnie:

. . . another new name near this time, Arthur, we find in the City of Derry, a merchant, granting a valuable lease in 1766 ; we take this gentleman to have been the son and sole executor of Robert Vance, of Tullydish, Parish of Faun, County Donegal, whose will is dated 9th September, 1748, where he constitutes his son, Arthur, his executor. Arthur's "son and heir, Robert," succeeded him at Derry ; no further notice is to be found of this family, but they appear to have been highly respectable merchants, as in 1773, Robert grants a lease for £1327. This family, we presume, were descended from Patrick Vance, of Lifficulty, who died in 1697, and whose children, it will be recollected, were not designated by their names in his will, or Robert, of Tullydish, may have been a ninth son of Patrick, the eldest son of Rev. J. Vans. 

Arthur Vance apparently died at sea between 1771 and 1774. His son Robert remained in Derry and took Arthur’s place at the firm of Vance, Caldwell, and Vance, which failed in 1785. Two sources available via Google Books provide some interesting information about this Arthur Vance: Reports of cases judged in the Supreme court of Pennsylvania and A history of the county of Pictou, Nova Scotia.
 
The name Arthur Vance, a relatively rare one among Vances, also turns up in a will from Chester County, PA:

VANCE, JOHN.  New London Twp. Chester Co, PA July 3, 1775.  October 3, 1785.
Provides of wife Rebecca Vance, otherwise McNutt. To daughters Ann, Jane and Rebecca 5 shillings each. To son Robert's 2 sons John and Arthur Vance wearing apparel and to his daughter, Ann, £5, etc. To son John's 2 sons Arthur and John 5 shillings each. To son George all cash, bonds, etc., also executor. Wit: George Campbell, Thomas Bines.

The name Arthur and his marriage to a McNutt are suggestive of a relationship, but no connection has been confirmed. The Caldwells who were partners of Arthur Vance appear to be the brothers of a Caldwell who was settled in Philadelphia, [see Reports of cases. . ., noted above.] and it is certainly possible that relatives of Alexander McNutt and Arthur Vance also settled nearby.

John Vance of Vermont
The earliest known ancestor of 91181 is John Vance, who died in Topsham, VT, in 1801. In History of Ryegate, VT (1913) and Past and Present of Will Co, IL (1900), it is noted that John Vance came to Vermont from Connecticut.

Past and Present of Will Co, IL: “As early as 1700 the Vance family was established in Connecticut from the north of Ireland. John Vance removed from Connecticut to Caledonia County, VT, of which he was a pioneer farmer. His son, David, was born in Connecticut in 1778, and for many years served as a captain of Vermont militia, also for fourteen successive years represented his district in the state legislature. He died in Caledonia County at 75 years of age. Next in line of descent was Aaron, a native of Groton, Caledonia Co, VT, born in 1812 and by occupation a farmer. . . .

History of Ryegate: “This family originated in the north of Ireland, the emigrant ancestor settling in Connecticut. The first to settle in Vermont was John, who came to Caledonia County at an early date. David2 (John1) b. in Conn. 1778, settled in the west part of Groton and became quite wealthy . . .

We have reason to doubt these accounts, which were written over 100 years after John Vance’s arrival in Vermont. A search of the 1790 US census reveals 9 Vances in New England, but none in Connecticut. (There are a handful of Vances in Massachusetts, a couple in New Hampshire, one in Rhode Island, and a few in Vermont.) In addition, all the primary evidence tends to point to New Hampshire rather than Connecticut as a source for most of the Vermont Vances.

Vances of Londonderry, NH
A David Vance emigrated to New Hampshire in 1733 and his brother John Vance followed him in 1738. They were residents of Londonderry, NH, which had been founded as a Scots-Irish enclave. David Vance became a selectman of the town, and served in that role from 1741 to 1744. Here is an abstract of his will, as contained in the October 1999 VFA newsletter:

David Vance of Londonderry- 13 Sept 1745 – 27 November 1745. Wife Mary Vance, third part of estate, children remainder of personal estate. Son William, ½ of real estate, other half equally between daughters Mary and Jean. To brother John Vance, various articles of clothing. To sister Sarah Vance, a crepe gown. To cousin David Vance, £10. To brother John Humphrey, my fustin coat and jacket. If all children should die without heirs, £500 to wife and remainder to brother John and his heirs. To father Will Humphrey and mother Humphrey, mourning clothes. Executors and guardians of children: father Humphrey, Capt. Moses Barnat, Leut. Hugh Wilson. Witt: Witt: Robt Cochran, Jon Mitchel Jr. Samuel Moore

Available via Google Books, The history of Londonderry, comprising the towns of Derry and Londonderry, N. H. provides further information about a later generation of Vances in New Hampshire. In March 1776 at Londonderry, William Vance, John Vance, and James Vance all signed an oath to oppose the British. In the previous year, John Vance was mustered as part of a company of Londonderry men who joined troops after the Battle of Lexington. In August 1776, he was mustered for service in Canada. By 1777, he was a sergeant in the Continental army.

NH-VT Connections
The soldier John Vance who is mentioned in The History of Londonderry is probably the same John Vance who moved to Vermont, where, in 1806, he changed his name to John Smith. The name change is noted in the Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, which is available via Google Books. It is also noted in his pension record:

John is listed as being from Orange County, VT, and later his specific location is given as Newbury. A bible record is affixed to the pension record:

John Smith b.13 February 1758
Sarah Kingkaid b.2 December 1761
m.6 April 1780
The births of their children as followeth
James Smith b.10 February 1781 m.Polly Rogers, 29 May 1803
Abigail Smith b.21 February 1783 m.Thomas Jenneas, 26 December 1803
m.Robert Fulton, 15 February 1826
Samuel Smith b.8 Sept 1785 m.Ruth Ladd, 27 Nov 1802; d.21 Oct 1813
Mary Smith b.1 Jan 1788
Sarah Smith b.25 Apr 1790
Nancy Smith b.17 Jun 1792
Joseph Smith b.12 August 1794
Ruth Smith b.21 Sept. 1795
John Smith b.16 Sept 1798
Charles Johnston Smith 15 July 1800
Elizabeth Smith 31 Aug 1802
Thomas Jenness Smith 16 Jul 1804

In the pension record the government act that changed his name is referenced:

John Smith who enlisted by the name of John Vance, but which name he procured to be altered by Act of the Legislature of Vermont to John Smith

The record goes on to state “That he enlisted in the army of the united states immediately on hearing of the battle at Lexington in the year 1775 . . . at Londonderry in the state of new hampshire . . .” [Emphasis mine.] The record details subsequent discharges and reenlistments and then notes that “he came to Newbury in February 1780 to visit his friends and with a view of settling.” He reiterates that he was “born in Hempstead in New Hampshire in the year 1758,” that he enlisted at Londonderry and came to reside in Newbury 52 years ago (i.e., 1780).

Newbury, VT, is only 20 miles from Topsham (where John, the earliest ancestor of 91181, died) and just 15 miles from Groton, where John of Topsham’s son David lived. Haverhill, NH, where John Vance/Smith and Sarah Kinkaid were married in 1780, was right across the border from Newbury.

In A History of Newbury, Vermont, the Vances of 91181’s lineage figure prominently. The book contains a record of the immediate family of 91181’s ancestor Aaron Vance under the family of his wife, Lucinda Ann Tucker. The following other Vance items from the book are worth mentioning: John and James Vance were listed as privates “In Newbury from May, 1779, to May, 1781,” and John Vance Jr. was named a private in the service in May 1781. It is also noted that a John Vance, John Vance Jr., and James Vance were signers of a petition in 1791 to bring a minister to Topsham.

John Vance/Smith eventually became a Colonel in the Vermont militia. His biography is included in the History of Newbury, in which it is noted that “Col. Smith was prominent in his day, a man of pronounced opinions, and accumulated a comfortable property . . . for more than a century his family has been prominent in town affairs.” The family of John of Topsham (91181) was also prominent, his son David (ancestor of 91181) being a captain of the militia and a representative in the legislature. The two men also lived in extremely close proximity: according to the History of Newbury, some of John Vance/Smith’s children even lived in Topsham.

It is clear from The History of Newbury that in the 1780s/1790s, there were at least three Vances in the Newbury-Topsham area: John Vance, John Vance Jr., and James Vance. These are also the only Vances who appear on the 1790 census in Vermont, all in Newbury, Orange County, and they all signed the same petition in 1791. It seems probable that they all knew each other. John Vance of Topsham (91181) and John Vance/Smith were likely the two John Vances listed on the 1790 census and the 1791 petition, and James was probably another Vance from Londonderry, NH. He is likely the man referenced in a rootsweb message by Patrick Black (plblack@thedam.com), who noted that a James Vance (b 1769, Londonderry NH) moved with his wife, Hannah Abbot, to Glover, VT, between 1797 and 1800. This James Vance may also have been the same man who signed the oath against the British in Londonderry in 1776, as noted in The history of Londonderry, comprising the towns of Derry and Londonderry, N. H.

New Hampshire – Nova Scotia Connection
Alexander McNutt, who was involved in the initial settlement of Nova Scotia as a promoter, was listed as one of the “freeholders and inhabitants” of Londonderry, NH, in 1758. Among his first settlement ventures in Nova Scotia, was a group of 50 families from Londonderry, who settled in the region near Truro in the spring of 1761 and founded yet another Londonderry. Truro and Londonderry are in the same neighborhood as Great Village, which is where the ancestor of 145310 first settled and where his family lived for generations. The New Hampshire-Nova Scotia connection is interesting in light of the DNA match between 91181 and 145310.