Via DNA Test Results

Via DNA Test Results

For the latest DNA test results, see the FTDNA site.

The following offers some analysis of those results.

Multiple Via Immigrants

As of Sep 2009, there appear to be 4 different Via families in the United States. This means that the idea once widely held that all American Vias descend from Amer Via is not correct. In fact, from the extant records, it is not clear which, if any, of these four lines are associated with Amer.

Via-Staples family connection

The next puzzle is that one of the 4 Via Y-chromosome DNA patterns matches a branch of the Staples family. It turns out that Via Kit#56051 had on his results of 67 Marker test a genetic distance of 2 with one of his members on the Staples Surname and DNA Project.
The study shows a very close genetic relationship between FTDNA #'s 44268 & 56051 with only two one-step mutations in 67 Markers. In addition the other two VIA participants lend support, one at Y12 and the other at Y37.
Genetic Family Tree mutations strengthen the proof of a relationship between participants 44268 & 56051 with four mutations at about 10%; one at about 5%; and three at about 3% of the 3,000 plus R-M269 Haplotype population study by Clinton Platt, 06 May 2009.
We do not know when this relationship took place. It could have been in England before the 1538 surname era, or in Virginia. Only genealogical records can give us this information.
GENEALOGICAL RECORDS:
Participant 44268 descends from William STAPLES (c1675-c1755) of Hanover County, Virginia. William had 4 son's John, David, Samuel and Issac. This family's history is given by Gretchen Elizabeth (Staples) Kroll in her book William Staples (circa 1675 -circa 1755 of Hanover County, Virginia, Volume 1 & 2 (2005).
On the VIA DNA Project website in their R1b1 Haplogroup it is noted that participant 56051 is a descendant of John VIA Sr., 1759-1834. The other two VIA participants descend from Sparrel Jackson VIA 1828-1883. The lineage is shown as John Via, Sr. > John Jefferson Via > George Washington Via > Sparrel Jackson Via. Three other VIA's listed in their R1b1 Haplogroup descend from a John VIA, 1710/1723-1785, however their Y-DNA results show two of them to be from another VIA genetic family and have no genetic relationship to the STAPLES participant.
Via Deed Abstract, Albemarle Co. VA, 15 Feb 1755 John VIA land survey Virginia Surveyor's Plat Book 1, Part 1, Virginia Archives Microfilm #393, 1744-1755, p 333, 125 acre Survey by John Staples Surv. In Gretchen Kroll's book, 1:16, John Staples, d 22 Oct 1766 in Buckingham Co., VA, son of William (c1675-c1755) is listed as an assistant surveyor in 1754 in Albemarle Co, VA., working under Peter Jefferson, head surveyor. On page 1:15, although John never married he had two children by his mistress, Elizabeth Whitaker. James Whitaker, b 1763; used his mothers surname; Jane Staples, born before 1766; died by 1834. In Buckingham Co., VA, 1787 Tax list has both William Staples and John Via listed.
In Patrick Co., VA, 15 May 1816, Bond of Richard Via to marry Franky Via, dau of William Via as witnessed and recorded by Samuel Staples.
This preliminary genealogical information is given to show that STAPLES & VIA families in Virginia lived in the same area during the 1700 & 1800's. The participants involved will want to do more thorough research. Did the families know each other in England?
The following is from Gretchen Elizabeth (Staples) Kroll, 15 August 2009:
The Via family is familiar to me in Buckingham County and other counties. They lived in the area of "Plain Dealing," also, where Thomas Staples built the first (log) part of that home. And, coincidentally, I have worked with a Via widow from that area!
The connection of Via to Staples is very interesting. The Via family members were present, also, in Hanover County, where William and his four sons lived before the sons moved on. Next time I am in Richmond, I will enjoy taking a look at the survey [1] John Staples did for Via. I probably saw it long ago but had no other reason to connect Staples to Via, and John Staples, of course, did so many surveys since he was assistant surveyor in Albemarle from 1754 through 1758 -- and then [a full] surveyor in Albemarle from 1759 until 1761 -- and then was surveyor for Buckingham County from 1761 until his death. (When he was a surveyor in Albemarle, that county also included the areas that became Amherst and Buckingham in 1761.)
The Samuel Staples you mentioned, of Patrick County, who witnessed and recorded the Via marriage bond, was the Clerk of the Court. He was a son of Samuel and Molly (Chambers) Staples -- this latter Samuel being a brother of John2 (The Surveyor).
The William Staples who was on the tax list you mentioned (1787) in Buckingham was a son of David (who was one of the four brothers, sons of Wm. of Hanover). This William (s/o David) had a first wife whose name is unknown to us (my book 1:56). He had one or two children before marrying Martha Tompkins in 1786 in Albemarle. But could that possibly have been a way for a Via connection? But, then, I am sure there are MANY ways it could have happened, because we don't know everything about the mothers' and grandmothers' lines.
[1] John Staples Survey for John Via: Information copied 16 Aug 09 from Early Via Family - http://www.geocities.com/pre1800vias/ - Early Via Name Index John Via [This is the John Via that according to earlier researchers was born about 1710 and who married Mary Powhatan, although no such record has been found] 15 Feb 1755 Survey of 125 acres of land on Appomattox River, Buckingham or Albemarle Co. VA
VIA PROJECT MATCHES (21 Aug 09):
1) VIA HAPLOGROUPS (Hg): Hg age is taken from the book "Deep Ancestry" (2006) by Dr. Spencer Wells, head of the NGS - Genographic Project. ISBN: 9780792262152
There are four Hg's listed for the FTDNA - Via Project.
a) Hg I12, b. about 20,000 yrs ago;
b) Hg J2, offshoot of Hg J, b. about 15,000 yrs ago;
c) Hg R1a1, b. about 10-15,000 yrs ago,
d) Hg R1b1b2, descending from R1b, b. about 30,000 years ago.
All of these Hg's are thousands of years old and considered Pre- History.
Genetic scientists state that it is impossible for any ancestor to belong to more than one major Hg (i.e.; I, J, R1a, R1b), thus if a participant's pedigree shows any surname ancestor belonging to more than one haplogroup there is a problem.
Examples:
a) John Via, 1710/1723-1785, is listed three times in Hg R1b1b2 (42087, 156939 & 157289 and twice in Hg J2 (50048 & 45239).
b) Gideon Via Sr., > William Via Sr., is listed by 46438 in Hg R1b12 and 58163 in Hg J2.
2) VIA & STAPLES MATCHES WITHIN VIA HAPLOGROUP R1b1b2:
Three members match John Via Sr. 1759-1834, #109129, 12-markers; #43438, 37-Markers; #56051, 67-markers.
There are three more Hg R1b1b2 participants that are descended from John Via 1710/1723-1785, however a genetic distance of 4 in 25- markers from the above participants plus the one participant 37 markers giving a genetic distance of 15 means that these two Hg R1b1b2 groups, of three participants each, have not been genetically related for over 500 years.
This leaves participants 109129, 46438 & 56051 as a unique group not genetically related to any of the other current (20 Aug 09) participants within the Via DNA Project.
[Thanks to Art Staples for the above Via-Staples analysis.]

Another possibility that I have thought of is this. Maybe if the Staples and Via families lived near one another, perhaps some Mr. Staples was the father of one of the boys in the Via family, or perhaps some Mr. Via was the father of one of the boys in the Staples family. Perhaps unpleasant to think about, but seems that one of these men fathering a child within another family is not completely unreasonable, as such things must have happened occasionally (in up to 10% of births by one estimate), and it seems at least as good an explanation as anything else I can think of.