Phelps DNA Project

Administered by Webmaster dphelps61 AT alumni.wfu.edu                                                  Alternate:  phelps-david AT swbell.net

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Copyright 2007 by the administrators and line leaders   

 Because this unique Phelps Project integrates Phelps male ancestries with YDNA testing, copying of DNA related observations on these pages is not allowed without permission. 

Copying ancestries or related documentation is allowed only with the permission of the submitters.  Submitters may be contacted by emailing the administrators or line leaders.   

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Please scroll down for much more!

Surname Y-DNA testing is the newest tool available to genealogists. These tests help genealogists verify their paternal ancestry (father's father) in a quick and easy way. It saves time, prevents mistakes, and provides invaluable data that can be obtained in no other way.   The project is open to all who are interested in working together to find their common heritage through sharing of information and dna testing. Our purposes are to:

1. Help researchers on related Phelps families work together to find their common heritage.  Currently, there are 3 major New England lines one major NC//KY/TN/VA line and several other southern Phelps lines - going back as far as the 1600s.
2. Identify the male Y-DNA of the ancestor families and compile them and their lost branches into distinct genetic lineages through DNA matches.  Women may participate by submitting a male Phelps dna test and ancestry.
3. Provide private google discussion groups for DNA discussion of Phelps family lines.
4. Attempt to "cross the pond" by recruiting Phelps whose lines have never been in America.  Contact the admin for a possible free Y-DNA test!
 

Join us in our efforts to "prove" papertrails, break through "brick walls", and "jump over the pond"! 

Simply order a DNA kit - or for questions, contact the volunteer administrators above.

In some cases your DNA test cost may be free.

How to join

1. Once your order is placed with FTDNA  you are automatically a member.  (You may be tested elsewhere, but our work is more difficult.  Contact the admin for details.)

2. Members of this project receive a discount from FTDNA (see the admin for details).

3. Your kit number and single earliest ancestor will automatically appear on the "Y-results" page of the Phelps FTDNA page, owned by FTDNA. 

4. Your supplied ancestry (required) and your DNA kit number will appear on this page.  As a project member you will have access to a private "forum" at a Google discussion group just for you family line.

So that all our Phelps "cousins" can make sense of the DNA results, all members are requested to provide a brief male ancestry - as they understand it through good research  - to be posted on the Ancestry page.  Only member FTDNA kit number will be placed with it.  Living people are omitted.  If you have reasons for not providing the ancestry or have no idea of your ancestry, let's discuss it.  In a few cases the tested person will not be actively involved via email but will have another person, with an email,  who will act as his proxy  (one authorized to act for another).  After DNA tests prove a common ancestor for family lines,  any differences of ancestry data should be resolved by consensus of tested members and long-time researchers of the line  using source records where possible.   We take pride in being able to "prove" our ancestries.

Before ordering a dna kit please read the Requirements for Membership in the DNA Ordering Information link above. (Changed 10/23/2006).    Your ancestry will be displayed as you have provided, but may not be indicated as "proven" or "confirmed"  if there are insufficient or contradictory y-dna tests.

A few Phelps lines seen at this site have not been DNA tested.  If you are a male descendant of one of those lines your DNA testing costs may be paid for by our members.

Patriarchs of Phelps Families

Links to Phelps web sites owned by members are indicated by a ,  just click it to link!

Click on the underlined links below to view the descendant list and comments on how well their Y-DNA matches. 

Also use your browser's find function -  press "CTRL F" to find any text using your browser

Also make use of the "search" function above.

New England Phelps Patriarchs Contact phelps-david AT swbell.net for ancestry submissions/discussions.

CLICK here to link to the New England page containing the following lines:

• William Phelps b. ca. 1593, England      

• George Phelps b. ca. 1606 England                

• "Unknown Phelps" of England, sons Henry, Edward and Nicholas

• Silas Phelps - b. 13 Dec 1759, CT, d. 23 Feb 1855, NY    kits 807 and 12303

Southern Phelps Patriarchs    Contact dphelps61 AT alumni.wfu.edu for ancestry submissions/discussions.

• Also see extensive research reports on these lines at the Southern Phelps Research Site

What have we discovered through DNA testing?  

1. Three Phelps lines, previously considered unrelated, are definitely biologically related and have a common ancestor: the lines of James Phelps d 1786 Caswell Co, NC; Thomas Phelps d 1751 Albemarle, VA; and Thomas Felps d 1759 Baltimore Co., Md.   A NC/VA Pond line is also related to them. Their haplogroup is a rare E*.

2. It is now evident that this James Phelps of Gates co, NC line is not related to the Nicholas Phelps line of Perquimans Co.  Y-DNA does not support it nor has any solid paper trail research concluded the likelihood.  DNA testing also shows that the Phelps who trace back to Tyrrell Co, NC are not related (in recent genealogical times at least) to the Phelps of Gates Co.   Of course there may be untested lines in both counties that predate those tested.

3. Because the New England lines have now been proven with DNA testing, we know that none of the tested "southern Phelps" lines are related to the NE lines.  This is a major finding.

4. Due to DNA testing we know there were several totally different biological Phelps lines with origins in VA, MD, and NC.

John Phelps d. 1772 Bedford Co, VA  and son John d 1801 Bedford, VA

This line has one DNA test with 25 markers.  It does not match any other Phelps in this project sufficient to suggest a common ancestor.  So TENTATIVELY we have to say that this line is not related to any other tested Phelps... nor ever was from the time of surnames.  However...with only a single test that matches no other Phelps line, there is always the possibility that either the paper trail is invalid and/or that there was a non-paternity event at some point in the past.  While we can say tentatively that this line's Y-DNA is what the single test showed, it is imperative to have other tests of descendants - preferably of other lines.    Financial assistance may be available for others.   In addition to an ancestor submission by the testee, observations by M. Galgan, and other  respected researchers, much of this early line was researched by D Phelps  dphelps61 alumni.wfu.edu  wWe hope that other descendants of this line will see a link and join our project. 

Sources were wills, census records, deeds, other primary sources and also  "Our Kin"  Corrections or additions are welcomed.  To see D Phelps' research work on this ancestry, go to Bedford Phelps research  

1 John  d1772 Phelps, Col.  d: 1772  m. Mary unknown          

       3  Sarah Frances Pollard (1763-1810) m Thomas Payne (ca 1760-1847) in 1783 in Bedford Co, VA

         3   James Phelps            

         3     Richard Phelps  b 1772 d 1833  m. Sarah Woodcock  (Descendants constructed by M .Galgan from reputable researchers; but not
                     contacted.)

         |        4.  George Washington Phelps (1812-1892) m Elizabeth Palmer (c. 1821-1857)

         |         |       5.  Alonzo Ettinger Phelps (1843-1901) m Anna Elizabeth Lyman    Ancestry by  Peggy McLaughlin, not confirmed .   See                       http://genforum.genealogy.com/phelps/messages/3912.html