Vess Family DNA Project

Following The DNA Evidence: Part 1

/ J. V. / 1 Comment

When records are scarce, follow the DNA!

Over the last couple of months, I’ve been following the DNA evidence provided by Vincent Vess and have made some remarkable discoveries that are beginning to shed more light on early Vess family history!!

DNA Triangulation Match 1 (ROSE-SPARKS) 🧬

The DNA evidence begins in Wilkes County, North Carolina via the Rose and Sparks families.

According to DNA research provided by Vincent Vess, descendants of Willis and Peter Vess have DNA matches (via the DNA Triangulation Method) with the Emmanuel John Rose and Reuben Sparks families of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Emmanuel Rose and Reuben Sparks are connected through their children: Elizabeth Rose and John Sparks.

These results suggest that an ancestor of Peter and Willis Vess lie somewhere on the ROSE/SPARKS family tree.

It is believed that the connection to VESS is likely via ROSE, rather than SPARKS. So, I began to research the ROSE families, which surprisingly, led me to the WHITLOCK & GREEN families!

Early Rose Families of Wilkes County, NC

According to the Rose Family Association (DNA Project), there were 2 different earlier ROSE families in Wilkes County, North Carolina during the same time period.

The first family, identified as Y-DNA Group A-1, includes John Rose Sr. and his sons, Benjamin, John Jr., Sterling, and Hosea, all who appear to have lived north of the Yadkin River.

The second family, identified as Y-DNA Group L, is John Rose, who appears to have lived south of the Yadkin River. He is noted as being “closely related, if not, a direct descendant of John Rose and Lucy Bennett (Virginia),” via Bennett Rose and Mary Haustraete (Surry Co. NC). It is also noted that this John Rose eventually settled in White County, Tennessee from Surry/Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Emmanuel Rose: Likely Related to Group L

Emmanuel John Rose 🧬 did not have any sons; therefore, there are no direct descendants available for Y-DNA testing for his lineage. However, family websites for the Emmanuel John Rose family, strongly believe Emmanuel John Rose is also the son of Bennett Rose and Mary Haustraete. If accurate, he would be related to John Rose (Group L).

Furthermore, if accurate, there could be a VESS connection somewhere on the John Rose / Lucy Bennett line.

Looking further into this John Rose, I came across our second DNA Triangulation match: George Washington Parks (Grayson Co. VA), as well as other intriguing connections!

DNA Triangulation Match 2 (Parks) 🧬

John Rose (Group L) obtained land on “Gray’s Creek,” in 1782, in Wilkes County, NC, joining the Gray’s line.

The Gray’s line refers to the property of James Gray (obtained in 1780). James Gray married Elizabeth Parks, daughter of Capt. John Parks Sr. and Mary Jane Sharp. Her brother, James Franklin Parks I, is the grandfather of George Washington Parks🧬 of Grayson County, VA (another DNA Triangulation Match to Vess)!

Brier Creek Baptist Church

Interestingly, Brier Creek Baptist Church is located south of the Yadkin River near the properties of John Rose and James Gray.


Between 1801 – 1805, the Rose, Parks, Sparks, and West (Vest) families are mentioned as members. Brier Creek Baptist Church appears to be the center hub for families north and south of the Yadkin River.

Brier Creek Baptist Church is a branch of the Three Forks Baptist Church. The Three Forks Baptist Church was established by Richard Henry Green. *1787 tax list, Richard Green is listed under the Isabell District with William Vest, Benjamin Duncan, Lawerence Duncan, and Russell Jones (residents of Kings Creek).

Church records reveal that several members, despite being distantly apart, bounced between both churches.

1787 Tax List: Brushy Mountain Community

On the 1787 tax list for Wilkes County, NC, John Rose is listed with some notable families:
Souther, Combs, Smoot, Parks, Fletcher, and Dunkin in the Brushy Mountain community south of the Yadkin River. All these families, at some time or another, have a record connected to the Vest/Vess family.

Note: Absalom Vest and Jonathan Vess appear in the Brushy Mountain Community on record between 1803-1805.

John Rose (Group L) Relocates in 1790

John Rose (Group L) relocates to Surry County, North Carolina in 1790, prior to the arrival of the Vest/Vess family (Peter, Absalom, Jonathan, William, and Pryor 1800-1810).

However, keep in mind, there was an earlier documented “William Vest” in Wilkes County, NC between 1787-1790 on Kings Creek (parts of which is documented as part of Brushy Mt), located south of the Yadkin River, west of John Rose’s property on Gray’s Creek.

In 1790, John Rose is listed on census (Surry Co.) next to the Jarvis family, who are also related to the John Rose/Lucy Bennett family (via Abner Rose). Interestingly, on the same census page, we see Mathew Sparks and William Whitlock…

Sparks, Whitlock, Dodson, Green, & Parks Families

Mathew Sparks is distantly related to Reuben Sparks 🧬 (father of John Sparks, husband of Elizabeth Rose) via family in Maryland. Mathew Sparks died in 1813, having eventually settled on Hunting Creek (border of Wilkes/Surry Co.).

William Whitlock though, is much more interesting…as he is the son of James Whitlock Jr.

James Whitlock Jr. is the son of James Whitlock Sr. and Agnes Christmas. His siblings include Charles, Mary, Thomas, and Nathaniel Whitlock. Nathaniel Whitlock is the grandfather of Talithia Whitlock, wife of Willis Vess in Franklin Co. Alabama.

James, Charles, and Thomas Whitlock settled in Surry/Stokes County, NC from Virginia.

Whitlock-Dodson & Patrick Co. VA Connection
The daughter of Charles Whitlock, Agnes Whitlock, married Reuben Dodson. Reuben Dodson, according to family websites, is believed to be the brother of William Dodson who settled in White County, TN. This would be the same William Dodson who owns property on Caney Fork next to the Pryor, Peter, William, and Willis Vest family.

Furthermore, it is strongly suggested that Reuben and William Dodson are also the sons of Lambeth Dodson from Patrick County, Virginia. Lambeth Dodson is listed next to William and Peter Vess/Vest/Voss on the Patrick County, VA tax list via Mayo River.

Thomas Whitlock, brother of James, Charles, and Nathaniel Whitlock, can be seen on the same page as Peter and Samuel Vess on the 1799 Patrick County, VA Tax List.

Also, note that Abner Hodges is also in Surry County at this time. Abner Hodges is listed on the early tax lists near Samuel Vess in Henry County, VA and then later listed next to Peter Vest on census in White County, TN.

It appears John Rose relocated to an area of families from Patrick County, VA, who are documented in records with the Vess/Vest/Voss family prior to 1800.

Green & Parks Family
There is an 1806 Surry County, NC court record for James Whitlock to oversee a road near Flat Rock, a branch of Hunting Creek. Including in the record is Thomas Whitlock, Richard Green, and James Parks (James Franklin Parks I).

The Whitlock and Green families supposedly have earlier connections, along with the Gray family; however, I do not know the specific connections at this time.

Richard Green created the Three Forks Baptist Church and is listed next to William Vest on the 1787 Wilkes County, NC tax list.

Talithia Whitlock, wife of Willis Vess in Franklin Co. Alabama, is a distant cousin of Richard Green via her mother, Elizabeth Green. They are related via family in Trenton, New Jersey.

Richard Green’s son, Amos Green, is listed on the Bill’s Creek Baptist Church member list (dated 1829-1836) with Peter and Catherine Vest (Vess) in Rutherford County, North Carolina; along with several members of the Souther family from the Brushy Mt. community in Wilkes County, NC.

Where Next…

The Jarvis family in Surry County, NC (related to the Rose family) has land records on Fisher Creek, which is interesting, because Fisher Creek is where we find the Bray family and tax notes mentioning a William “Voss,” who appears to be unrelated to the Vass family in Stokes County.

Also, War of 1812 records for Surry County, NC list a William and Peter “Vest,” who also appear to be unrelated to the VEST family in Stokes County, NC.

At this time, the border between Wilkes and Surry County, along Hunting Creek (Brushy Mt.) might be where some of the Vess family split after 1810, with the Willis Vess line going west to Tennessee (w/ Dodson, Rose, and Hodges) and the Peter Vess line venturing down south to Rutherford County, NC (w/ Green & Souther)…


































VESS: A Lost TRAVERS Family

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The North Carolina VESS family are related to the early TRAVERS family of Lancashire, England (left) and Cork, Ireland (right).

Early Travers Family History

The earliest known TRAVERS family originated from Normandy.  They arrived in England with William the Conqueror in 1066. 

According to legend, they took over “Tulketh’s castle” in Lancashire, England and fought along side William the Conquerer himself. 

Tulketh’s Castle, known as Tulketh’s Hall, was originally a monastery.  It became Ashton Manor, prior to becoming Tulketh’s Hall.  Several researchers claim that the Traver’s family never actually owned Tulketh Hall directly; however, had owned land in the Ashton area (now known as Preston) near Tulketh Hall.

Tulketh Hall in Preston, Lancashire, England

Travers Genealogy 

Descendants of the Norman Travers family later moved to Scotland and Ireland, before eventually, making their way across the Atlantic to America. Unfortunately, the Travers family has a lot of gaps in their family tree. It was only until just recently with Y-DNA testing that it was discovered that the Travers families of Ireland and England are related; which has been long debated among researchers. 

During the 1800’s, Samuel Smith Travers went about documenting the different Travers families and their lineages in an effort to create a complete family tree. His work was published in 1864, titled, A Collection of Pedigrees of the Family of Travers, Abstracts of Documents, Collected by S.S. Travers, Arranged by H. J. Sides.

Unfortunately, a collection of different pedigrees was the best he was able to do and researchers are still trying to piece them together. Hopefully, further Y-DNA testing among the different Travers/Travis families will help complete this ancient family tree. 

Travers Families in America 

There are several known early Travers families in America.  Y-DNA testing suggests they are related, yet arrived and settled in America at different times.

Travers from Lancashire, England Settled in Maryland

William Travers (act 1650-1701) settled in Maryland on what is known as Taylor Island in Dorchester, County, founded by his cousin Thomas Taylor. It is believed that he married Elizabeth Chapline.

Current Y-DNA testing shows that the North Carolina Vess family come from an earlier branch that contains the Travers who emigrated to Dorchester County, Maryland and those that stayed in Lancashire, England.

Travers (TRAVIS) From Cork, Ireland Settled In North Carolina

William Travers Jr. was born in Bandon Bridge County, Cork, Ireland. It is believed that his father, William Travers Sr., was born in Lancashire, England.

William Travers, Jr. settled in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. This line of Travers changed their surname to TRAVIS.  

William’s son Daniel Travis (1669) is the father of Dr. Edward Travis who settled on Goose Creek. Dr. Edward had 3 sons, John, William, and Thomas (it is believed he had a son named Charles too). John, born in 1715, established what is known as Travers Creek in Orange County, North Carolina. Descendants of this North Carolina lineage then moved to South Carolina before moving westward. 

The famous William Barret Travis, commander of the Republic of Texas during the Battle of the Alamo is a direct descendant of this Travers line.

William Barret Travis 1809-1836
WikiTree.com

Travers of Jamestown Island, Related to Travers (Travis) In North Carolina

Edward Champion Travers (Travis) of Jonestown Island was born in Lancashire, England. He had a tobacco plantation (Travis Plantation) on Jamestown Island and exported tobacco to his brother William Travers (Travis) who lived in Bandon Bridge, Cork, Ireland. Jamestown Island was largely owned by the Travis and Ambler families. The site of their early settlement is still being excavated by archeologists today. Edward Champion Travers (Travis) is believed to be the uncle of William Travis Jr. who settled in Pasquotank County, North Carolina.

Y-DNA Testing

More Y-DNA testing from different Travers/Travis and Vess families are needed to uncover more information about how all these families are related to one another.

If you are a direct male descendant with the Travers, Travis, or Vess surname and would like to help us further our research, please check out our Vess Family Y-DNA project.



The Wife of Peter Vess: Maiden Name CROOK

/ J. V. / 3 Comments

Oral tradition states that Peter VESS of Rutherford County, North Carolina married Catherine “Katie” COOK, but was that her real maiden name?

Peter and Catherine VESS are genealogical brick walls. They appear out of nowhere as early as 1820 on census in Rutherford County, North Carolina. The only record with them together is an 1829-1836 church list from Bill’s Creek Baptist Church. We have yet to discover any documents of Catherine’s maiden name, making it difficult to locate her parents.

However, recent DNA evidence has revealed that her maiden name may actually be CROOK.

The Lack of Evidence For COOK

We’ve had a theory, for a long time now, that COOK may not be Catherine’s real maiden name.

Despite the numerous COOK families in North Carolina, autosomal DNA barely produces any matches. Personally, the only COOK’s I’ve ever encountered in my autosomal DNA matches are COOKS assigned to my maternal side.

I’ve explored the 3 different COOK families passing through Rutherford County, NC: The Ephriam Cook line, James Cook line, and the later Loney Cook line; none of which have records or family trees with a Catherine “Katie” Cook.

In 2021, DNA evidence suggested we may have a Sparks-Rose maternal ancestor on the Vess line; but we aren’t sure which side of the family: Peter’s or Catherine’s. Since the early Sparks-Rose family predominately lived in Wilkes County, NC, it is probably best to say the connection might be on Peter’s side; especially, after discovering a VESS/VEST family in Wilkes County, NC.

So, that leaves us back to square one, until just recently…

DNA Evidence For CROOK

Vincent Vess, who uses DNA triangulation methods to try to locate earlier ancestors, has made a fascinating new discovery!

Through extensive work, he has discovered a genetic connection to the CROOK families of Rutherford County and Buncombe County, North Carolina.

His work led him to a John and Andrew CROOK. Adding this family to Catherine Katie’s Cook’s line in Ancestry.com, updated his Thruline matches revealing a bunch of matching DNA cousins, most of which are descendants of Zephaniah Crook and his sister Mary Polly Crook; suggesting that Catherine “Katie” Cook’s parents are JOHN CROOK and RACHEL HAYNES.

Exploring the CROOK family records, Vince made an intriguing observation, noticing the names within the CROOK family are the same names seen in the PETER VESS family: ANDREW, ZEPHANIAH, RACHEL, JASPER, and JOHN.

I did not come up in Vince’s shared DNA matches he used to discover the CROOK lineage, likely because I am too distant to detect (we’re already distant cousins). At first, my Thrulines showed no DNA matches to the Crook family after adding them to my tree. However, today, my Thrulines now show 1 DNA match with a descendant of Zephaniah Crook. Interestingly, all, and I do mean all, their shared DNA matches are descendants of Andrew Logan Vess, lineages from both wives Halford and Connor, strongly suggesting a connection with an early ancestor of Andrew Logan Vess. The Willis Vess lines would not show up, because Catherine married Peter Vess.

So, these DNA results seem very promising.

According to Ancestry.com, I have discovered a couple of ancestry trees for John Crook and Rachel Haynes, listing a Catherine Katie CROOK as their daughter, born in 1804, having lived in Bill’s Creek, and died after 1850- no marriage or children are listed. I find this super intriguing, as the information is not only oddly similar to our Catherine Katie COOK but there are no records of VESS. So, I am wondering, if their Catherine Katie CROOK is our Catherine Katie COOK??

The CROOK & HAYNES Family

John Crook married Rachel Haynes, the daughter of William Haynes. According to the book, Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu, William Haynes was their first pastor.

The Haynes family owned land near Bill’s Creek, specifically, on Cove Creek and Knob’s Creek. Looking at the 1820 census for Peter Vess, I concluded that he lived on Knobs Creek, just wasn’t sure which one as there are 2 located in the Broad River Basin. In 1850, without Peter, Catherine is back in the Bill’s Creek area.

In 1804, a John Crook, presumably the father of Catherine, obtained land on Cove Creek joining the Haynes line in Rutherford County, NC. William Haynes had land on Cove Creek near Broad River, issued in 1794, in between Knobs Creek and Bill’s Creek.

In Buncombe County, NC, we have an Andrew Crook who obtained land on Gap Creek in 1804. John Crook later obtained land in Buncombe County, NC, joining land with his son Zephaniah Crook. Interestingly, Buncombe County, NC is where Peter and Catherine’s youngest children went to live after their death. They are seen on census with Dempsey Sumner, who has land on Cane Creek. Gap and Cane Creek connect.

The Crook family has a history of having been in Rowan County, NC on Lick and Tom’s Creek. There appears to be 2 John Crooks in Rowan County, one that went to White County, TN with the GOOLSBY family and one who went to Rutherford County, NC and then Buncombe County, NC. Each are intriguing, because we find VESS in both locations.

Further research is needed, of course, but I am super excited we have a new lead to Vess family history!































Vess/Vest family of Rockbridge, VA: Mysterious Origins

/ J. V. / 1 Comment

There is a VESS/VEST family in Rockbridge County, Virginia, who first appears on record during the early 1800’s. There doesn’t seem to be any Y-DNA data available for this family; so I do not know if they are related to the VESS R1a2 line or another family with a similar surname.

Family Origins: Still A Mystery

There appears to be numerous theories as to where the VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge County, Virginia comes from…

DESCENDANTS OF THE WEST FAMILY

I had the opportunity to speak with a few members of this family who state it is believed that they are descendants of the WEST family; specifically, the De La Warr lineage (English roots). Unfortunately, I have not found any documentation yet to support this connection.

There was an extensive DNA project available a few years ago which identified several different WEST families in America; some distantly related and some completely unrelated. The research also included descendants of the De La Warr lineage, revealing their Haplogroup to be R1b (different from VESS R1a2).

The WEST Family DNA Project is no longer available to review online; however, I have saved some information from the website, which may be useful with Y-DNA testing through FTDNA.com. It is my understanding that many WEST families have also tested through FTDNA.com.

GERMAN ORIGINS: THE VEST FAMILY

Some believe the VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge County, Virginia may be German in origin. I do not know if this is an oral family tradition or something that came about from all the Rockbridge VESS/VEST family trees online connecting to the John Daniel VEST family of Chesterfield County, Virginia (Haplogroup I), who is believed to be a descendant of Moses Johann Vest from Germany (1650).

Families trees with the VEST family connection seem to be inconsistent. Some connect the VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge County, VA to Samuel Vest, son of John Daniel Vest I of Chesterfield Co., VA; however, John Daniel Vest I did not have a son named Samuel (at least not named in his Will & Testament dated 1765).

Another connection is via Samuel Vest, son of William Tunwell Vest; however, the dates and census records do not seem to add up. Unfortunately, the name “Samuel” was just as common as “John.” In that case, the Rockbridge County, Virginia VESS/VEST could (in theory) be connected to Samuel Vest of Patrick County, Virginia.

Unfortunately, I have not found any documentation yet to support a connection with the VEST family either.

Y-DNA Testing

There doesn’t seem to be any available Y-DNA data yet for this particular VESS/VEST family. It would be very beneficial for direct male descendants of this VESS/VEST line from Rockbridge County, Virginia to complete a Y-DNA test via Familytreedna.com.

A basic Y-DNA test will provide us with a Haplogroup, which would be a great start to researching this family’s mysterious origins; especially, since we know the VEST family is Haplogroup-I, WEST family is Haplogroup R1b, and our VESS line is Haplogroup R1a.

If you are interested in Y-DNA testing through FTDNA.com, have any information related to the Vess/Vest family of Rockbridge County, Virginia you would like shared on this website or information that will further assist with this research, please feel free to email me at vessgenealogy@gmail.com. 🙂







Vess Family DNA Project Update: 2022

/ J. V. / Leave a comment

An update to YFULL has been posted to version 10.00.00 with revised age calculations.

According to Mike Travers, who is still analyzing the data, the Vess branch (shown below) is estimated to have formed somewhere between 375 and 1000 years ago.


This is not an estimated date as to when our family took the VESS name, but an estimated date as to when our particular family line (R-FT19517) branched off with a new mutation.

The Travers and Vess families are still closely related and it still appears to included the Travers families from Ireland and England.

To learn more about our ancestral origins, we need more Y-testers from the TRAVERS, TRAVIS, and VESS families. Even a basic Y-37 test is helpful!



If you are a male descendant with the VESS, TRAVERS, or TRAVIS name, please consider joining our family DNA project. If you have any questions on how to get started, please email vessgenealogy@gmail.com or contact the project co-Admins.

Sparks-Rose Discovery: Peter & Catherine Vess Maternal Side

/ J. V. / 2 Comments

We’ve made a new significant discovery, but we need your help!

If you have completed an Autosomal DNA test through Ancestry or 23andMe, please help us by transferring your results for free to Familytreedna.com so that we can continue our research. If you need help completing the process or have any questions, please email vessgenealogy@gmail.com for assistance.

What Is Triangulation: Genetic Genealogy

Triangulation is a method used in genetic genealogy where segments of DNA are analyzed and compared between shared DNA matches. Those who share the same segments of DNA are likely to share a common ancestor and their family trees (and family histories) provide clues to help identify those common ancestors.

Recent Findings Via Triangulation: Rose-Sparks Connection

Vincent Vess is working on using triangulation methods to identify the parents of Peter Vess and Catherine Cook. His recent finds are super intriguing!

He analyzed segments of DNA of 3 different VESS descendants whose most recent common ancestors are Peter Vess and Catherine Cook. Each, different descendant, descends from a different son of Peter and Catherine [Andrew Logan, Jasper, and Josiah Vess]. The importance of having different descending lines from Peter and Catherine not only help confirm a solid Vess connection, but also helps in identifying early maternal lines (the parents of Catherine Cook).

He then triangulated one segment of DNA on the 5th Chromosome with other shared DNA matches who have public family trees. He discovered 4 matches who share the same segment of DNA as the 3 Vess descendants, yet none of those 4 matches have VESS in their family trees; suggesting all 7 matches share an earlier common ancestor prior to Peter and Catherine Cook.

Between the 4 matches, he discovered they share common connections with Emmanuel ROSE and Reuben SPARKS families in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

The connection between Rose and Sparks maybe recent, for that those names come up frequently as shared DNA matches in Ancestry for both Vincent and I (we suspect it will for other Vess families too).

Wilkes County Is Our Mark

Ever wonder about that War of 1812 record with Peter Vest listed on it?

A good portion of names listed have no records in Surry County. In fact, only 15 of them can be found on the 1810 census record, most having earlier land records, suggesting they were older soldiers. Most of the other names listed are younger soldiers who were not head of household yet in 1810 and many of them actually have later connections with Wilkes County. This is because Wilkes County was made from parts of Surry County in 1777 and a few names on the list (confirmed by maps) had their properties split by the county border. Although no longer part of Surry County, their close proximity to the border probably had them doing much of their business in Surry County, which explains why so many were drafted under Surry County rather than Wilkes County. Is this the case for Peter Vess?

North-Western North Carolina: Migration Routes Converged

Earlier ancestors of the names listed above have original land records issued by Rowan County, for that Rowan County once covered the western parts of North Carolina. When Surry County was formed, the portion of what will become Wilkes County was the District of Washington (but it only lasted a year). In 1777, Wilkes was created in between Surry County and Washington County (formerly District of Washington).

In 1784, the short-lived STATE OF FRANKLIN was formed, mixing records like a tossed salad with the formation of Wayne County (State of Franklin) in a good portion of Wilkes County.

This affected many families in the surrounding areas, especially, those living in Wilkes County.

Why is this important to Vess Genealogy? Because what we have discovered is that many families coming down the Great Wagon Road or those coming up from South Carolina into Tennessee, all converge in this area at one time or another. This was the area in which families traveled across the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, into Tennessee, or down into the Carolinas.

Vincent Vess discovered the following names listed on a North Carolina, U.S. Census, 1784-1787 (Ancestry.com).

Samuel McQueen/Queen, John Sparks, Joshua Pennington, Richard Estes, William Sparks, Thomas Hodges, Agnis Nichols, Robert Whiteside, William Underwood, William Pennington, Jacob Nichols, Joseph Pruitt, Emmanuel Rose, John Turner, James Webb, Stephen Caudill, Roger Turner, William Hodges, James Caudill, Benjamin Rose, Timothy Buttery, John Rose Sr., Abraham Cook, Thomas Cook…

These names are extremely familiar to us as they are becoming more repetitive in our family research.

Also, included in this list of names is a William Vest, who we have not been able to identify his origins yet. Perhaps, he might have a connection with James Harvey Vest due to the presence of the Caudill family or maybe he is related to Peter Vest on the Surry County War of 1812 record?

Reuben Sparks and Emmanuel Rose

The 4 matches (as mentioned earlier) are connected to the Sparks and Rose families of Wilkes County.

Reuben Sparks and Emmanuel Rose are of the same generation as Peter and Catherine Cook, so a common ancestor would likely be someone prior to them.

These families are intriguing for a number of reasons, but one particular fact that interests us (or at least me) is that both families originated in Maryland, with the Sparks family having come from Frederick County, Maryland and the Rose family having come from Calvert County, Maryland. Note: Calvert is across from Dorchester County, Maryland (Travers family).

Following Geographical Features Rather Than Records

Fortunately, the father of Reuben Sparks, Solomon Sparks, has a lengthy recorded history. He first settled in Surry County when it was Rowan County, then his land was split between Surry and Wilkes County, making him a Wilkes County resident. We can easily track where the Sparks family have gone, for that notes are specific on the Rivers and Creeks in which the Sparks family resided on, making it much easier to locate records due to county changes.

We can use the geographical features mentioned in the genealogical notes provided by the Sparks family to reconstruct the community (like we did for the Tyger River community in SC) further identifying more families in the area that may offer more clues to Vess Genealogy.

Both Sparks and Rose families lived off the Yadkin River, something I look forward to further investigating.

Rose & Travers Family in Anson County, North Carolina

Emmanuel Rose may have a brother named Samuel Rose, who supposedly ended up in Anson County, North Carolina. He is found on the 1763 taxpayer record. Interestingly, so is John Travis (Travers).

John Travis, is supposedly the son of Dr. Edward Travers who came from Cork, Ireland. Also, we recently discovered a Charles Travers in Anson County, NC who may be the brother of John Travis (Travers). Research states John Travis ended up in Abbeville County, South Carolina; which is another place of interest in Vess Genealogy.

Is there a connection? I am interested in finding out!

Genetic Genealogy: The Door To Answers

Genetic genealogy helps us identify specific families that we share a common ancestor. By exploring these families, we can narrow down the genealogical search to specific geographical places.

We have genetic proof that our name changed, but we don’t exactly know when our name changed to VESS, making it very difficult to find early records. Identifying families we are closely related to can help us explore the areas they once lived, thus helping us look for evidience of families with names similar to Vess or Travers.

At this time, we have no genealogical proof of Catherines maiden name (is it really COOK?) nor Peter’s mother’s maiden name; so with more Autosomal DNA kits to analyze, compare, and triangulate, the more matches to family trees we can identify and further explore for answers to Vess Genealogy.

Please help us with our research by transferring your Autosomal DNA results to Familytreedna.com for FREE today!

Vess Family DNA Project Update: TRA-VESS

/ J. V.

Well folks, the plot in Vess genealogy thickens! Dun…Dun…DUN!! Are you ready!!!

The Travers and Vess families appear to be one family!

Awaiting Nail-Biting Seat-Clinching Results

Results from Big-Y tests are remarkably fascinating and invaluable to Family DNA projects, as they have the potential to shake up the ancestral tree with the equivalent force of an 8.0-magnitude earthquake! In short, big changes can occur, rewriting family history!

We’ve been anxiously waiting test results for a Big-Y-tester whose Travers family line connects to the early Travers families in Cork, Ireland.

Although it has been highly suspected that the Travers families of Lancashire, England and the Travers families of Cork, Ireland are related, there has been no genealogical evidence (records) to prove it.

Travers families from both Lancashire, England and Cork, Ireland migrated to America during the late 1600’s; but again, there is no genealogical evidence (or DNA evidence) to prove these two Travers families are of the same lineage. Those from Lancashire, England, settled in Dorchester, Maryland and those from Cork, Ireland settled in areas around Pasquotank, North Carolina.

For the Travers family, a genetic connection between the two geographically distant Travers families (England and Ireland) would be a great new discovery!

For the Vess family, it may provide more answers to our mysterious connection with the Travers family and possibly revealing our true origins!

The TRAVERS/VESS Branch

The Big-Y test assigned the new Travers line (with Ireland connections) to R-CTS11317, which is an English/Scottish branch consisting of the Travers and Vess families.

DNA results strongly suggest (without a doubt) that the TRAVERS and VESS families are one family. Not only is our Vess family genetically related to numerous Travers families from England, but also now a Travers family line from Cork, Ireland!


These DNA results are exciting for everyone! For the Travers family, this opens the door to further explore more early Ireland – England family connections. With more Y-testers, researchers may be able to determine (approximately) when the Ireland lines split from England. For the Vess family, this opens the door to explore Travers genealogy for clues to our “Vess” origins. With more Y-testers, we may be able to identify our direct Travers-Vess line!

DNA results also strongly suggest the Travers and Vess families may have a Norman connection, which is further supported by research published by Albert E. Casey, titled: “Southern Travis, Travers, Traverse families from Lancashire and post-Elizabethan Ireland.” According to Casey, the Travers family is an old Norman family name that settled in Lancashire, England when William the Conquerer invaded England in 1066.

English / Scottish Branch: Travers-Vess branch boxed in yellow



Unfortunately, the newly added Travers line with Ireland connections did not provide any further information about the Travers-Vess lines in America; most likely, because this particular Travers line did not go to America. The ancestral split between the Vess family and this particular Travers line has not been determined yet.

When it comes to looking at the Travers and Vess families in America, DNA data does reveal that the Vess family (descendants of Peter and Willis Vess) split from the Travers of Dorchester, Maryland sometime prior to 1665 in England/Scotland. This means, the Vess families of Rutherford County, North Carolina and Franklin County, Alabama did not directly descend from the Travers families from Maryland in America; but instead, the Vess family most likely broke off from a different unknown Travers line. Whether that ancestral split occurred in America or across the Atlantic, is still yet to be known.

Y-DNA Testing For Vess Families Is Important

Even though it appears the Vess family surname is relatively “young,” in comparison to the Travers surname that appears to date back to William the Conquerer, it is still important for Vess families to do more Y-DNA testing as there is so much we do not know about our family’s early history in America.

At this time, there are only 2 Vess lineages confirmed to have a genetic connection with the Travers family, which is Peter Vess of Rutherford County, North Carolina and Willis Vess of Franklin, County Alabama.

There is no available Y-DNA data for Nathaniel and Jonathan Vess yet; however, such testing would most likely provide fascinating results! It’s been highly suspected that Nathaniel and Jonathan Vess are related, but there is no genealogical evidence (records) to prove it and because they lived over 200+ years ago, Autosomal DNA tests will eventually (sooner rather than later) no longer be able to detect shared DNA relatives.

Y-DNA testing from descendants of the Nathaniel and Jonathan Vess lines will not only help us better understand their connection to each other, but also to other Vess lines in America. At this time, we aren’t even sure if they are related to Peter and Willis Vess or if they too have a genetic connection with the Travers family.

In addition to Nathaniel and Jonathan Vess, we also have other Vess lines to explore, such as the Vess family in Ohio who are descendants of Hiram Vess of Rockbridge County, Virginia. At this time, we do not know the origins of the Vess family in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Are they related to the Travers family too OR are they related to another family with a similar surname: VOSS, VASS, VICE, or VEST.

Although Peter and Willis Vess did not split from the Travers family from Maryland directly, could there be another Vess line that did who we have yet to discover?

Y-DNA testing from descendants with the Travers, Travis, Traverse, Vess, Voss, and Vass names still have so much to tell us!

Vess Origin Story Historically Accurate After All?

Interestingly, Y-DNA data is beginning to prove our Vess family origin story as somewhat historically accurate!

According to the Vess family origin story, the Vess family descends from three brothers from Ireland. One version told, specifically states it was “Cork,” Ireland. Also, as if universally accepted as family fact, the Vess name is not our original surname. Some say it was once pronounced as “Voss” whereas others say it was shortened or completely changed.

This is incredibly fascinating, especially, as there are genealogical records for the Travers family in America under the surname “TRAVESS.” TRA-VESS (or perhaps once pronounced as TRAVOSS) eventually evolved into the surname TRAVIS. We have found that the South Carolina TRAVIS families to be connected to the TRAVERS families in North Carolina who came from Cork, Ireland.

This has lead some Vess family researchers to wonder, if the VESS surname was formed in America rather than across the Atlantic? And, if more Travers families test, will we find an ancestral split between the Travers and Vess families, perhaps along the Cork, Ireland Travers line?

It’s only a matter of time, before the mysteries of our Vess family’s history are finally revealed!

This summary of recent Y-DNA updates is based on information available on familytreedna.com and information kindly provided by Michael Travers, co-admin of the Vess Family DNA Project. Thank you Mike!! 🙂



Close Genetic Relationship: Vess & Travers Families

/ J. V.

The Vess family has a close genetic relationship with the Travers family from Lancashire, England; however, at this time, we do not have enough Y-DNA testers to determine whether we are close cousins or a branch of the TRAVERS family who veered off with a different surname (VESS). Y-DNA testing and genealogical records has revealed some insightful information that greatly warrants more Y-Testers and genealogical research.

Y-DNA: Travers & Vess Families

Y-DNA analysis reveals that the Vess and Travers families are closely related. Unfortunately, our testing pool is small; Y-Testers include a couple of descendants from the Peter Vess line, one descendant from the Willis Vess line, and two descendants of the Travers line from England who are related to the Travers family in Dorchester, Maryland, USA. We do not have any Y-Testers yet from the Nathaniel Vess line (South Carolina) or the Jonathan Vess line (Texas); however, autosomal DNA suggests a distant relationship.

Vess Family DNA Project

Last year, the VESS and TRAVERS families were assigned into the same group CTS11317; then one of the Vess Y-testers (Peter’s line) completed the Big-Y Test, which broke it down further, re-assigning the VESS family their own sub-group R-FT19517. This suggests the two families may have split sometime prior to 1665 in England.

Haplogroup Tree YP4131

A Possible Connection With A Travers Family From Ireland?

What we know for certain, based on available Y-DNA information, is that the VESS family did not split from the TRAVERS line who settled in Dorchester, Maryland, USA. Our ancestral split from their particular line occurred in England before they immigrated to America. But, they were not the only Travers family to immigrate to America…

According to Southern Travis, Travers, Traverse families from Lancashire and post- Elizabethan Ireland, there is another Travers family in America, who came from County Cork, Ireland and settled in the Carolinas.

This finding is intriguing, for that their documented history is remarkably similar to the Vess family story about three brothers from Ireland. In one version of the Vess family story, it specifically mentions the three brothers having come from “Cork, Ireland.”

Furthermore, the TRAVERS surname for this particular line in America evolved into TRAVIS, with a couple of records discovered with the surname spelling of TRAVESS. This is also an intriguing find, considering that the VESS family had always been told that the VESS name is not their original surname. It is believed that their original surname was “shortened,” and/or was pronounced as “VOSS.”

If we consider thick accents of the time, the name TRAVIS could have easily been heard as “TRAVOSS,” and it is entirely plausible that overtime the “TRA” was eventually dropped, just leaving VOSS, which could have easily evolved into VESS. As records show, the “VESS” name didn’t exactly take hold (record-wise) until the 1830’s, and prior to that, it was a mix of VEST and VOSS, perhaps even VASS, likely due to terrible handwriting where the “e,” “o,” and “a” were difficult to tell apart. This would also explain why we see a pocket of VOSS/VASS families near the TRAVERS/TRAVIS families in North Carolina.

According to The Vaulx Family of England, Virginia, and Maryland, it is believed that the VASS families of Virginia /North Carolina “maybe” related to the VAUX family of Virginia (descendants of the Norman De Vallibus family), but there is no solid evidence to confirm such a connection, since there is no record on where the VASS/VOSS families of Virginia/North Carolina originated from across the Atlantic. Perhaps, some of the VASS/VOSS families have a surname that may have evolved from the TRAVERS line??

Although this information is intriguing and very favorable towards the mysterious origins of the VESS family, we do not have any solid evidence to make any final concrete conclusions.

Investigating The Travers Family In The Carolinas

We have only just begun researching the Travers family of North and South Carolina. We know there is a Francis Travers (sometimes Travis) of Tyron County, North Carolina who had land in the modern-day Spartanburg County, SC area in the 1760’s. He descends from the Travers family from Ireland.

Just recently, we discovered a pocket of Travers who are connected to Abbeville, SC, which is intriguing, for that we have an unknown VESS family in the same area in 1850. The Travers family from Ireland have earlier connections in Pasquotank, Pitt, and Beaufort counties in North Carolina. Interestingly, near these areas, we also have the Voss/Vass families whose origins, like the Vess family, are also undetermined.

Further investigation is needed.

Y-Testers NEEDED: Participant Info

To further unravel the mysterious connection between the VESS and TRAVERS family, we need more DNA participants.

We encourage EVERYONE to join the VESS Family DNA Project via FamilyTreeDNA.com. Autosomal DNA tests (from both male and female participants) helps us identify new Vess family lines and has the potential to help us locate genealogical records to make more family connections. Y-DNA tests from male participants from various family lines can help us further understand the connection between the VESS & TRAVERS family. Are we cousins or direct descendants of the same family?

Interested in testing? Please visit the Vess Family DNA Project to contact co-admins for more information or email vessgenealogy@gmail.com

TRANSFER FOR FREE:
If you have already completed an autosomal DNA test or Y-DNA test from another company, you may have the option to transfer your data to FamilytreeDNA.com. Transfers are free with a FamilytreeDNA.com account; however, there is a $19 fee, if you wish to access more account tools. This is much cheaper than opening an account by having to order a new DNA test. Please check out this post for more information and instructions about transferring data to FamilytreeDNA.com.

Y-TESTERS NEEDED:

We need more Y-Testers from various family lines: Willis Vess line, Nathaniel Vess line, Travers/ Travis Carolina lines, and VOSS, VAULX, VASS, family lines. There are three Y-DNA tests available:

The Y-37 test helps us identify new Vess/Travers lines. The Y-111 test helps us identify families closely related to us. The Big-Y helps us further understand ancestral splits between closely related families.

Big – Y Testers Needed

We are seeking more Big-Y Testers, specifically from the Willis Vess line and Travers/Travis North & South Carolina line. Participants need to be male and have either the VESS, TRAVERS, TRAVIS surname. For more information about the Big-Y and pricing, please contact Michael Travers or Vincent Vess; contact info is available on the Vess Family DNA Project website.














Vess Family DNA Project

/ J. V. / 2 Comments

I am extremely excited to announce that we have been given the opportunity to start a VESS FAMILY DNA PROJECT!

A huge thanks to Marilyn Barton, for allowing us to revive her Vess Family DNA project on Familytreedna.com and also, a huge thanks to Michael Travers and Vincent Vess for managing it for us!

How To Join?

To join and participate, you must have an account with Familytreedna.com.

If you sign up for an account on their homepage, you will be required to buy a DNA kit. However, anyone who has already completed an autosomal test through 23andMe© or AncestryDNA™ or MyHeritage™ can sign up for an account for free by transferring their results to Familytreedna.com.

Click here to get started!
Note: You must download your Raw DNA data first (see directions below).

Downloading Raw Data File To Transfer To Familytreedna.com

Ancestry.com

23&Me.com
Visit you.23andme.com/tools/data/, which should take you directly to the Raw Data Download Page after signing into your account.


MyHeritage.com

Click on this link for step-by-step instructions from yourdnaguide.com.

How Long Does The Transfer Process Take

Familytreedna.com states it takes 3-5 business days to process, but some reviews state it could be as quick as a few hours; it all depends on how many transfers they have to process (it’s a queue system).

However, you can join the Vess Family DNA Project and explore public Haplotrees while you wait for your results to process.

$19 To Access Additional Tools

It is my understanding that a free account opened by transferring DNA results from another vendor, allows you access to FamilyFinder and DNA Projects. However, one must pay $19 to unlock additional tools such as the Chromosome Browser, MyOrigins, and AncientOrigins.

Which isn’t that bad, considering you’re not having to buy an expensive DNA kit again or pay any kind of subscription to continue to access information.

Who Can Participate?

Any member of Familytreedna.com can join the Vess Family DNA Project! It is my understanding that this DNA project is not restricted to any specific type of testers and thus, all DNA tests are able to provide valuable information to the project.

  • Information provided by Autosomal DNA testers (both genders) allow us to make new family connections.
  • Information provided by mtDNA testers allow us to explore maternal roots.
  • Information provided by Y-DNA testers allow us to identify and connect different VESS/ VOSS/VASS/ VEST family lines.
  • Information provided by Big-Y testers allow us to further investigate and unravel the mystery between the Vess and Travers families.

The more participants, the more DNA information we can obtain and analyze, and then the more connections we can make!

Transferring Y-DNA Test Results

If you have already done a Y-DNA test through a different company that used the Sorenson 33 or 46-marker test, you can transfer your results to Familytreedna.com to participate in the Y-DNA portion of the Vess Family DNA Project.

For more information on how to do it, please visit this link: Y-DNA Transfer From Another Company

DNA DAY: Tests On Sale
Now through April 26th

Please visit the Familytreedna.com for accurate pricing and more details.


Disclosure: There are no affiliated links in this post.






Vess Genealogy: A New Chapter

/ J. V.

I am so thrilled to have finally reached a new chapter in Vess Genealogy!

When I started this blog last Fall (August 2020), it was simply just a place to organize digital sources and share my genealogy experiences researching the Vess name. I gave it 2 months!

Remarkably, Vess Genealogy kept on going! I never would have ever imagined I would get to work with so many different people interested in the VESS name nor get an opportunity to meet so many different VESS families! This has been such an amazing genealogy adventure!

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone helping me unravel the mysteries of the VESS family!

If New To Vess Genealogy, Here’s What You Missed!

For generations, three different VESS lines (maybe more) haven’t been able find their ancestors prior to 1820. A frustrating endeavor leaving many of us to just give up.

However, since last Fall, we achieved the following:

1. We learned more about Peter Vess and his family.
2. We learned a lot about Andrew Logan Vess and his family.
3. We likely uncovered Nathan’s origins in the Dark Corners of South Carolina.
4. We discovered that Peter and Willis Vess are closely related and that our family is closely related to the Travers family!
5. We explored families in Knob’s Creek from Peter’s 1820 census record.
6. We discovered “Vess” records in Virginia connected to an unknown Vest/Vess family!
8. We confirmed (via DNA) that the VESS family is not related to the BASS, BEST, WEST, or VEST families; eliminating them as possible family connections.

Brief Recap On Vess Genealogy

We now know that Peter, Willis, and Nathan Vess are related; however, we have not yet determined how they are related to each other.

Peter and Willis were born in North Carolina and Nathan was born in South Carolina. Peter first appears on record in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1820 on Knobs Creek with the Toney, Pettit, and Mooney families (all members of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church).

Nathan’s first appearance on record is also in Rutherford County, North Carolina, but in 1830 with his in-laws, the Bellew family. The Bellew and Gosnell families are related and are prominent families in Glassy Mountain, Greenville County, South Carolina (aka Dark Corners). Also, Peter’s grandson, David Andrew Vess married Magnolia “Maggie” Gosnell, who is related to Nathan’s wife, Clarinda Bellew.

Willis first appears on record in Franklin County, Alabama in 1830. According to Anna Popejoy, long time researcher of the Vess and Whitlock families, states that the father of Willis Vess (John Vess) had been living in Foxtrap since 1819. Y-DNA analysis, via familytreedna.com, confirms Willis Vess and Peter Vess (Andrew Logan Vess) are definitely part of the same VESS family.

Familytreedna.com (FTDNA) also shows that the VESS and TRAVERS family are closely related; however, we do not know how they are related. There are several reasons as to why FTDNA may group two different surnames closely together; either we are extremely close cousins, one family that split apart during a time before surnames, or a male Travers ancestor took on the Vess name (or vice versa). To unravel this mystery, it would be extremely helpful to have more male Vess descendants participate in Y-DNA Testing.

The Travers family is from Lancashire, England and they have traced their family to Dorchester, Maryland. Whether there is a connection between the Vess and Travers family in Colonial America has yet to be discovered (the families may have split long before they arrived in America).

With the help of Y-DNA and documented family histories, we’ve been able to eliminate the BASS, BEST, WEST, and VEST families as potential ancestors for the Vess family.

The BASS family has a rich Native American background. The BEST family (original surname BOSCH) can trace their family back to their arrival in the 1740’s with the Ecker family (in-laws) from Germany. The WEST family has been ruled out by their extensive West Family DNA Project. And the VEST family, descendants of John Daniel Vest belong to an entirely different Haplogroup than our VESS family. To my knowledge, there is no available DNA information on the VASS/VOSS/ VAULX families.

We have recently discovered a VEST/VESS family in Patrick County, Virginia who may be related to the VEST/VESS family in Rockbridge, Virginia. We have yet to find any records suggesting that they may belong to the VEST family (John Daniel Vest), which is extremely encouraging for our VESS family, and therefore a new chapter begins!

I am in the process of investigating the Life of Willis Vess and hopefully, with any luck, we can uncover some of Anna Popejoy’s research to help us! I plan to explore more families in and surrounding Patrick County, Virginia – including Surry and Stokes County, North Carolina. All in addition to finding out more about the VOSS/VASS/ VAULX families who seem to live very close to the TRAVERS family in both Dorchester, Maryland and the abolished Albemarle County in North Carolina.

Familytreedna.com
not an affiliated link