Two Vess Family Groups

The Vess family comes into existence on record during the mid-1800s, and tracing them back any earlier has been no easy task because of the surname itself.

Early Vess ancestors had early records under the “Vest” surname, and because of this, their lineage is often mistakenly intertwined with the early VEST family of Chesterfield County, Virginia (most often with William Tunwell Vest), with no supportive evidence—just an assumption based on a common surname and location.

Y-DNA and Autosomal DNA testing has been helping us sort the early Vess and Vest families apart, re-assembling new, more accurate family lineages and uncovering interesting histories.

We’ve identified two early VESS FAMILY GROUPS:

1. The Rockbridge County, Virginia Vess Family (Haplogroup Unknown): Earliest Known Ancestors — Samuel and Hiram Vess, from Rockingham County, Virginia (1806).
2. The North Carolina Vess Family (R1a2 Lineage): Earliest Known Ancestors — Jonathan (Texas), Peter (North Carolina), Nathaniel (from South Carolina), and Willis Vess (Alabama).

Most Vess families today can trace their lineages back to one of these two Vess family groups. Unfortunately, we do not know if these two VESS family groups are related, as the Rockbridge County, Virginia Vess Family has yet to complete Y-DNA testing.

Rockbridge County, Virginia Vess Family

This Vess family arrived in Rockbridge County, Virginia around 1808 from Rockingham County, Virginia. They appear to have relocated to Rockbridge County with the Cockenour family (as they also came from Rockingham County). Samuel settled near Colliers Creek, and Hiram settled near Brattons Run.

It is unknown how Samuel and Hiram are related to each other. However, it is important to note that this is not Samuel’s son, Hiram, who was born around 1810, but an older Hiram.

The Vess family in Rockbridge County, Virginia does not know where their surname comes from; some believe their surname was originally WEST, while others believe they are related to the Chesterfield County VEST family. However, there are no nearby WEST or VEST families, no supportive records, or DNA testing to suggest one or the other.

Early nearby families with similar surnames would be the VOSS/VASS, VERT, and VESS families (Ephraim VOSS line, Conrad VERT line, and William & James VESS lines, with records dating back to 1760).

If researching the Rockbridge County, Virginia Vess family, these would be families of interest. Y-DNA testing can help narrow down the families, as VESS, WEST, and VEST have already tested.

*Some Vess male descendants have Native American paternal lines, taking the mother’s maiden Vess name.

The North Carolina Vess Family (R1a2 Lineage)

The bulk of Vess research focuses on the R1a2 North Carolina Vess Family whose earliest known ancestors are:

1. Jonathan & Elizabeth (Texas)
2. Peter Vess and Catherine Crook (North Carolina)
3. Nathaniel Vess and Clarinda Bellew (from South Carolina)
4. Willis Vess and Talithia Whitlock (Alabama)

DNA Testing: Descendants of Peter and Willis Vess are part of the same paternal lineage (R1a2). While we know they are related to each other on the same family tree, we do not know how they are specifically related to each other.

Descendants of Jonathan and Nathaniel Vess have not completed any Y-DNA testing; however, they appear to be distant autosomal DNA matches to the descendants of Peter and Willis Vess, suggesting they may also be part of the same R1a2 Vess line.

Extensive traditional and genetic genealogical research strongly suggest Jonathan, Peter, Nathaniel, and Willis Vess are related to an earlier VESS family in Henry/Patrick County, Virginia, which includes William, Samuel, Peter, Jonathan, Absalom, and brothers Pryor and William.

Traditional and genetic genealogical evidence strongly suggests that the Willis Vess line is related to the brothers Pryor and William Vess from Henry County, Virginia (a full Y-DNA test is needed from the Willis Vess line to further confirm).

Putting The Pieces Together

There is an overwhelming, continuously growing pile of “circumstantial” evidence suggesting the North Carolina Vess family originated from the early Vess family from Henry/Patrick County, Virginia.

While circumstantial evidence is not definitive proof of lineage and history, traditional and genetic genealogical research continues to strongly suggest we’re on the right track.

Remarkably, the vast amount of genealogical records discovered thus far, paired with genetic genealogical research, is revealing that the stories we were told about the Vess family appear to be partially true… and that’s exciting!

The Vess Surname

To understand Vess genealogy, we have to better understand the Vess surname.

Whichever branch of Vess you talk to, they all say the same thing (as if it’s a universal truth): that the “Vess” name is not our family’s original surname.

The origins of the Vess surname have been debated among families for generations. Most families believe the name was shortened from “Vessey.” Others say it is German, while a few say it’s probably French, and then there is the 1% who just say it’s Germanic in origin with no specific meaning at all.

However, we might have finally solved the mystery behind the Vess name through Y-DNA testing…

The Peter and Willis Vess lines are part of the R1a2 lineage, where they fall just below the early Travers families of Lancashire, England—suggesting the Vess family could be a long-lost and forgotten Travers line.

It is currently believed that the VESS name was shortened from the surname TRAVIS (TRAVESS), an alternative surname to TRAVERS.

According to the Willis Vess line, brothers changed their surname to disassociate themselves from a sister who had an affair with an Indian Chief.

Of course, we’ll never be able to prove that, but the VESS surname does appear to be relatively new in the history of surnames. The VESS surname comes out of nowhere onto record during the 1760s in Loudoun County, Virginia, with no other record of its existence prior to then, suggesting the name could have originated in America—potentially from an earlier Travers line.

The Travers Family

The Travers Family comes from Normandy, having settled outside Tulketh Hall in Preston, Lancashire, England during the Norman Conquest (1066). The Travers family eventually split ways, with some families settling in Scotland and Ireland. Their closest cousins are the Hays family.

It was long believed that the Travers families of Ireland and England were related, but it was only recently proven through Y-DNA testing.

During the 17th century, several different Travers families relocated to America:

1. Travers family of Dorchester, Maryland (Taylors Island) – from England
2. Travers/Travis family of Jamestown Island, Virginia – from England & Ireland
3. Travis family of North Carolina (William Barret Travis line – Texas War Hero) – from Ireland

We do not know when our ancestors split from each other and, thus far, we are not direct descendants of the above early American Travers/Travis lines.

The Vess family could have branched off before they settled in England (before the use of surnames), OR they were a 4th, separate Travers family who arrived in America around the same time as the other families, but eventually shortened their name to Vess.

Vess Used To Be Pronounced As “Voss” – Plausible

A descendant of David Andrew Vess once shared that the “Vess” name was once pronounced as “Voss,” which could be historically accurate considering foreign accents and the high rate of illiteracy in early America.

Early records of TRAVIS can be found under the names TRAVESS, TRAVOSS, TRAVASS, and TRAVISS. Interestingly, we see early records of VESS with similar alternate names: VESS, VOSS, VASS, and VISS, suggesting the pronunciations were probably similar despite their actual spelling.

The earliest record discovered thus far under the VESS surname is dated 1760 in Loudoun County, Virginia, via William and James VESS. Their records are clearly written as “VESS.” Perhaps it was intentional to differentiate themselves from the Ephraim VOSS family and the Conrad VERT family, even if it sounded like VOSS or VEST at times.

So, it is plausible that the VESS name was once pronounced as “Voss,” but we may never be able to confirm it.

We have come to realize that the VESS surname has remained consistent, even if the name was not always spelled correctly. This quirky pattern seen in records is helping us identify and sort out the Vess family from other families of similar surnames (with supportive traditional and genetic genealogical records, of course).

A Hypothetical Vess Family Tree: The Three Brothers

Based on traditional and genetic genealogical findings thus far, it appears there were three brothers named Jonathan, Peter, and Nathaniel Vess:

1. Peter Vess and Poignance Margret “Peggy” Vaughn (oldest)
2. Jonathan Vess and Elizabeth Heron (middle)
3. Nathaniel Vess and Clarinda Bellew (youngest, and possibly half-sibling)

There are a lot of genealogical records and genetic data to unpack, which will be further explained in future posts. Long story short, we seem to have three brothers from Henry County, Virginia. They appear to be related to an older William and Samuel Vess from Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Below is a hypothetical family tree based on current genealogical records and genetic data (which is subject to change as research continues). It doesn’t include all the evidence (follow for future posts), nor does it include all families related to them or the daughters.

In Henry County, Virginia, William Vess appears to have died prior to 1790, leaving Pryor and William as orphans, who were later taken in by Peter Vess (son of Samuel Vess).

Samuel Vess appears to have gone to Spartanburg County, South Carolina after 1795. There is a record mentioning a Samuel Vest (dated 1803) in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which is where Nathaniel Vess states he was living during 1812 (military record). Research suggests he would have been near the Gosnell, Bellew, Callihan, and Benson families, who later settled in Greenville, South Carolina—which later ties in with Polly Vess and other Vess males in South Carolina.

Jonathan, Peter, Pryor, and William relocated to Wilkes County, North Carolina after 1797. They lived near the Parks, Sparks, and Rose families (DNA matches to Vess). They also seem to have connections with the Dodson, Hodge, Whitlock, and Souther families (Wilkes/Surry Co.).

Jonathan and his wife Elizabeth relocated to Missouri prior to settling in Texas (they appear to be the same family). Absalom is probably one of his oldest sons, who remained in Wilkes County, NC, next to the Souther family. Peter is probably another son of Jonathan and Elizabeth. Research suggests the significant connection between the Souther family and the later Peter Vess (wife Catherine Crook) in Rutherford County, NC, could have been an apprenticeship established in Wilkes Co., and he followed them to Rutherford County, NC.

There is no record of Jonathan Vess ever being in South Carolina; however, there is a 20-year gap between him being in Wilkes County, NC, and Lincoln County, Missouri (just before going to Texas). He settled in Texas with four dependents who appear to be his granddaughters, suggesting a Vess son (somewhere) had passed away.

Polly Vess in Greenville, South Carolina is listed on the census, suggesting she is a widow of a Vess, and it would have been a normal thing to send her children off with the grandparents if they were able to provide a better life for the children. We also have an older “John Vess” signing off on land for his potential son, Peter Vess, in Rutherford County, NC—so Jonathan and Elizabeth could have just been a family that traveled a lot, thus evading census records.

Peter, Pryor, and William Vess relocated to White County, TN, with the Dodson and Hodge families. Records show that this Peter Vess was like a father figure to Pryor and William Vess. Pryor was obviously the aggressor (in numerous court documents), and William was his loyal backup.

Research suggests that Willis Vess in Tennessee, associated with Peter, Pryor, and William, is the same Willis Vess in Alabama.

Peter and Willis sold their family’s Tennessee land during the 1840s, and there are now two records of a “Peter Vess/Vest” in Franklin County, Alabama, during the early 1840s, further suggesting Peter and Willis are likely the same family.

Pryor died in Tennessee. At this time, research suggests he is probably the father of Willis and John P. Vess. He may have been married to a woman named Lucy, who is listed on the 1830 White County, TN, census next to the Medley family, who owned property next to Pryor.

William Vess disappeared shortly after Pryor’s death in 1830. Research suggests he might be William R. Vess in Mississippi (with wife Ann), who is the center of the newspaper saga regarding “The Great Western Land Pirate.” He died during the early 1840s with no children (or at least no mention of children). William R. Vess, orphaned in Tennessee with the Dodson family, might be his son from another woman.

Again, this is just a hypothetical tree, subject to change as research continues…