Group 4

Lineages

• Patrick Vance (d.c.1810, Fayette Co, KY) m.Elizabeth McCray

Members

• 47531 – Patrick Vance/Elizabeth McCray (John)
  
• 73288 – Patrick Vance/Elizabeth McCray (Wm, Joseph)
  
• 130228 – Patrick Vance/Elizabeth McCray (Wm, Robert)

DNA Analysis

DNA Results

Group 4 consists entirely of descendants of Patrick Vance (wife Elizabeth McCray), who died around 1810 in Fayette Co, KY. Two descendants of two different sons of Patrick’s son William are identical on 37 markers. This pair is a genetic distance of 2 on 37 markers from a descendant of Patrick’s son John. These results are fully consistent with the group’s documented common descent from Patrick within 8 generations.

The DNA evidence indicates that Patrick Vance was not a close genetic relative of any of the other Vance lineages in the DNA Project. The next closest match to Group 4 on 37 markers is a genetic distance of 10. There are no matches in Ysearch within a genetic distance of 6 on 37 markers.

Observations on Marker Values:
Group 4 is characterized by numerous unusual repeat values, listed here in order of rarity:

Marker rarity was assessed using the survey of marker value frequency done by the late Leo Little.

Haplogroup:
No member of Group 4 has had a deep clade test. This group certainly belongs to the R1b haplogroup, and very likely to the R1b1b2 haplogroup, defined by the M269 SNP. Several subclades of M269 have been identified, but more specific SNP predictions are not reliable for this group based on their STR values alone. A scan of Ysearch for individuals within a genetic distance of 6 on the first 25 markers yields hundreds of individuals, who report greatly varying SNP results.

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

Genealogical Overview
Although Patrick died in Fayette County, KY, evidence from Berkeley County, VA, (present-day West Virginia) suggests that he probably lived there before moving west. Patrick also had connections to Frederick County, VA, where a few of his children were married in the 1780s, and to Hampshire County, VA (present-day West Virginia) where his wife, Elizabeth McCray, inherited property. In addition, there is circumstantial evidence tying Patrick to the family of Charles Vance of York County, PA, and to Charles' son, the Reverend Hugh Vance of Berkeley County.

Berkeley County, Virginia (present-day West Virginia)
Alice Westerberg penned an informative post on the genealogy.com Vance message board summarizing some of the documentary evidence relating to Patrick Vance of Fayette County, KY, specifically the probability that he may be identified as the Patrick Vance who appeared in several records of Berkeley County, VA. She notes that in 1782 a Patrick Vance was one of the buyers at the estate sale of Samuel Hair in Berkeley County and that another buyer was James Hinton, father of Rebecca Hinton who married Patrick’s son William. In 1784, a Patrick Vance was witness to the will of Stephen Barns in Berkeley; another witness was James McCray (this was the name of Patrick Vance of Fayette’s brother-in-law). Ms. Westerberg also reports that Patrick Vance appeared as witness to a land transaction between Hugh Miller and several individuals, including Reverend Hugh Vance, a notable early resident of Berkeley County.

Reverend Hugh Vance of Berkeley Co, VA/ Charles Vance of York Co, PA
An extensive article on Reverend Hugh Vance of Berkeley County appeared in the October 1999 issue of the VFA newsletter. Hugh was born in 1735 to Charles and Sarah Vance of York County, PA, and was named an administrator in the will of his father (23 Mar 1763 – 18 Aug 1773, York County, PA). Other children of Charles Vance were named in his probate records: Thomas Vance, Robert Vance, Sarah Vance (wife of James McAllister), Hannah Vance (wife of William Patterson), and Mary Vance (wife of John Park). Hugh Vance married Elizabeth Parks, daughter of John Parks and Mary Patterson, in Franklin County, PA, in 1773. They moved to Berkeley County, VA, where Hugh became minister of the Tuscarora congregation. Hugh died in 1791, leaving his wife and his children, Sarah, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Nancy, and James.

Donna Russell’s Frederick County, Md, Wills 1744-1794 contains a record that is interesting in light of the possible Patrick-Hugh connection in Berkeley County. A Charles Vance and a Patrick Vance were both witnesses to the will of John McKinley of Marsh Creek Settlement, Piney Creek Hundred, in Frederick County, MD. McKinley’s will was dated 13 January 1767 and Patrick proved it on 21 April 1767. The Charles Vance mentioned in the will is probably Charles Vance from York County; the latter Charles made a bequest to the Piney Creek Meeting House and is known to have held land on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border. It is unclear if this Patrick Vance is also Patrick Vance of Berkeley/Fayettte, but the later records in which he appears with Hugh Vance do tend to suggest it.

Charles Vance may also be the man who witnessed the will of John Vance of Lancaster County in 1734:

JOHN VANCE: WB A, Vol. 1, p.13: Written 14 July 1734; Probated 25 July 1734. Wife: MARY; Sons: HUGH and GEORGE (equal division); Daughter: JEAN; If wife is with child and it comes safe to the world it should receive equal part. Witnessed: John Craighead, Jerrett Graham, CHARLES VANCE

[At the time of John’s will, York County was not yet carved out of Lancaster County, so John may actually have lived near Charles in what would later become York County.]

James Vance of Kent County, DE (d.1738)
Another mention of a Charles Vance comes in the will of James Vance of Kent County, Delaware (23 Jan – 1 Feb 1738). This is covered in an article by Mary Vance Norfleet that appeared in the October 2000 VFA Newsletter:

An abstract of the will of James Vance; heirs – cousins: Hannah Kilpatrick, wife of John Kilpatrick; George Vance; Charles Vance; Alexander Vance; half-brother: Charles Stewart; Rev. John Hones; uncle, Alexander Vance; and Patrick & Elizabeth Vance, children of sister Mary Vance. Executors: James Gorrell, Robert Rowland. Witnesses: Alex Farquhar, Benjamin Ogle, George Grier

[Note: James Vance of Kent County mentions a cousin Hannah Kilpatrick, wife of John Kilpatrick. This Hannah was the sister of Reverend Patrick Vance, who headed a congregation in northeast Donegal in Ireland.]

In his will, James mentions a Patrick Vance who was child of his sister Mary Vance. Could this Patrick Vance be Patrick of Berkeley/Fayette? The use of the surname Vance in relation to the daughters of a female Vance allows three possible interpretations:

1. James Vance’s sister Mary wed another Vance man;
   
2. James is referring to a sister-in-law as “sister” and Patrick and Elizabeth are actually the children of a deceased brother of James;
   
3. James Vance’s natural sister Mary Vance bore her children out of wedlock and the children took their mother’s name.

Most researchers assume that the first interpretation is true, but that is not necessarily the case. If the 3rd interpretation is true, it opens up the possibility that Patrick Vance of Berkeley/Fayette County may be the son or grandson of Mary Vance and some non-Vance male. This would fit with the DNA evidence that indicates Patrick Vance was not closely related genetically with any of the lineages currently represented in the Vance DNA project. However, we don’t have DNA from any confirmed descendants of James, Charles, or any of the other men mentioned in this report other than Patrick. Also, the genealogical connections between Charles Vance of York and James Vance of Kent are only circumstantial, as are the genealogical connections between Charles Vance and Patrick. Nevertheless, there are many interesting angles to explore here, and it would be beneficial to test the DNA of descendants of the other Vances mentioned in this overview and to continue investigating these leads.

Other Vances of Fayette County, KY

• David Vance of Fayette Co, KY: An ejectment suit filed after his death recorded several details about his life and family (VFA Newsletter, January 1991). He was born in Ireland, migrated to America before 1775, and by that year had settled in Kentucky. He received two grants of land on the south fork of the Elkhorn River in 1784 from warrants issued in 1780 and 1781. David Vance died intestate in 1789 and left no children. At the time of his death, he left a father, David Vance Sr,, brothers John, James, and Joseph, and a sister Jane, wife of John Porter. The father, David Vance Sr., had come over from Ireland in 1785 or 1786. The brother, John Vance, came to Kentucky about the same time as his brother David and died intestate around 1805 or 1809, leaving a daughter, Jane Tucker. Joseph and James acquired parts of David’s estate in Fayette County. Other than location and surname, there is little to recommend David Vance as close kin to Patrick Vance.