The final DNA 37 marker tests are in. The results are all but 100% sure; Armstead’s father was definitely from the Hale surname.

Our Burgess DNA group leader says “We just received the 37-marker segment results of Ron’s Y-chromosome test, and it matches 36 out of 37 with Randolph and William’s numbers, and 35 out of 37 with Jaime’s. This isn’t a common set of markers generally, so I have to think that all you folks have a common male ancestor.”  ” The coincidence is simply too great to be accidental. More than likely, one of the Hale males was Ron’s ancestor.” “This is a significant cluster of DNA matches. My experience tells me it’s a valid one. If the number set was more common, I would immediately question any possible connection, in the absence of hard evidence–but these are UNCOMMON numbers, folks, with a tested Haplogroup of I1b (from Ron).”

The closest.

• Randolph Hale has traced his line to the Nicholas Hale line, a well documented line going back to Baltimore in the 1600’s. The Hales became land and real estate developers. Decendents settled many western areas into the 1800’s. One of these settlements was in Bedford (Franklin) County, VA. Called Hales Crossing on the Staunton River, just five miles from where Keziah lived with the Nichols family.
• The other is William Chilcote. Not as much is known about his line, but this is a surprise to him. We will try to crack more of this mystery.

As I interpret the charts on the Family DNA charts, this means that Armstead’s line has a 90% to 95% probability that we are related at 8 to 12 generations, but a 95% to 99% probability at over 14 generations.

I am the 6th generation from Armstead’s father. This is about an 80% probability. It is possible that Armstead’s father was not himself a Hale by surname, so we may really know who he was, but Hales surnames were in the vicenty so we can speculate about who some candidates may be, subjects for future posts.

Armstead Burgess was apparently married to Lutitia March 16, 1866. Where did she come from? 

Records in Anststry.com indicate she married Thomas Meador January 9th in Barren County, KY. Lutitia’s father was Nehemiah Meador of Prence Edward County (B. 1775). Her mother was Margaret Payne who was born in Bedford County, VA. They were also married in Franklin (Bedford) County December 10 1821.

Thomas and Margaret had the same great-grandfather making them distant cousins. They would have come moved to Kentucky some time after that their marriage date in 1854.  Many Paynes are in Barron County, Jubal Payne her grandfather had several children born in Barren County as early as 1820.

Recent communications from Sherri Flemming who is looking for the daughter of Lutitia Medor illustrated that she married Armstead Burgess Sr. (born 1810), on March 16, 1866. “Lettie” is shown living with Armstead in the 1870 census along with other Medors. She is listed with Mary A. Burgess, daughter of Armstead and Millie Burgess as “Keeping House.” I, as others must have, assumed that Lettie was another daughter Lucy, but the ages are 3 or 4 years apart.

A daughter, Louellen was born to Lutitia just three days following the wedding, she is four years old on the 1870 census. William, 15, and Octavia 7 are also listed. Lutitia married a Thomas Meador in 1853, family records indicate the he may have died in 1858. So is Armstead the father of another daughter? Seems probable.

Lutitia Meador died on July 4 1880, but the tombstone lists her as “wife of Thomas Meador.”  Does this indicate a marriage ofconvenience only? Armstead certainly had two interesting marriages, one his senior by 12 years, the other his junior 25 years.