The Skaggs Y-DNA project has been working diligently testing male volunteers who descend along different Skaggs family lines. Volunteers have been tested from the branch of the Skaggs family that descends from the children of James and Rachel Skaggs, known as the Long Hunters.
The Long Hunters have a storied legacy in both colonial and American history. Henry "The Long Hunter" Skaggs was an early pioneer into Kentucky on long hunts with Elisha Wallen, Joseph Drake and Kasper Mansker. Henry's brother, Richard Skaggs, was a soldier in the elite Morgan's Rifles unit in the American Revolution. Their brother James Skaggs Jr was one of the first Baptist preachers in Kentucky and with Benjamin Lynn founded the South Fork Baptist Church in 1782.
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| James Skaggs, Benjamin Lynn and the South Fork Baptist Church |
More recently, a descendant of Henry Skaggs the Long Hunter was Lester Skaggs, a famous nuclear physicist who developed the delay fuse for the atomic bomb and was a pioneer in using radiation to treat cancer. Also, country music superstar Ricky Skaggs is also from this family under the Old Peter Skaggs line who descend from a common ancestor with the Long Hunter brothers.
James and Rachel Skaggs have been frequently confused with James and Susanna Skaggs from the Safeway Skaggs family, however DNA testing confirms genealogy that demonstrates they were part of separate families. Descendants of James and Susanna's son, Eli Skaggs, tested with the Y-DNA haplogroup R-BY93447 which belongs with the Safeway Skaggs family, not the Long Hunters.
The Long Hunter Skaggs have a well-documented genealogy back to James and Rachel in the New River Valley of Virginia prior to 1750 so it was important to have test subjects from each son in this line so we know how they all fit together. Here is what we have for their genealogical line:
1 Unknown Common Ancestor-3 R-BY44771
2 James Skaggs (1700-1779)
+ Rachel
3 Henry "The Long Hunter" Skaggs (1730-1810)
+ Mary Thompson
4 James Skaggs (1773-1831)
+ Anna McColgan
5 Drury Thomas Skaggs (1804-1881)
+ Annie Murray
6 Joseph Erastus Skaggs (1826-1885)
+ Nancy Ann Peterman
7 Ulysses S Grant Skaggs (1866-1933)
+ Josephine Hahn
8 John Paul Skaggs (1898-1967)
+ Ruth Mary Schulte 3
Rev. James Skaggs Jr. (1734-1793)
+ Mary
4 William Skaggs (1757-1848)
+ Polly Pierce
5 Henry Skaggs (1821-1869)
+ Elizabeth Perry
6 James Allen Skaggs (1846-1924)
+ Cynthia Ann Warren
7 Edward Wiley Skaggs (1870-1955)
+ Eunice Green Milby
4 James Skaggs (1764-1814)
+ Nancy Mayse
5 James Skaggs (1790-1855)
+ Celia Skaggs
6 Thomas Jefferson Skaggs (1842-1886)
+ Sarah Jane Mallow
7 Milford Cornelius Skaggs (1881-1968)
+ Catherine Elizabeth Martin
4 Henry Skaggs (1765-1816)
+ Nancy
5 William Brock Skaggs (1796-1863) R-BY114454
+ Nancy Warren
+ Harriet
7 Albert Skaggs (1848-1924)
+ Mary Nathan Warren
8 Elmer Elliott Skaggs (1890-1975)
+ Lillie Crystal LeGrande
6 John Calvin Skaggs (1830-1890)
+ Arbelle Davis
7 Samuel Skaggs (1876-1934)
+ Susan Johnson
5 James Skaggs (1785-1825)
+ Hannah Holbrooks
6 Henry Skaggs (1802-1870)
+ Mary Elizabeth Holt
7 Thomas B Skaggs (1845-1928)
+ Barbara Angeline Helvey
8 William Skaggs (1868-1920)
+ Nancy Emma Madwell
9 Henry Benton Skaggs (1898-1972)
+ Lula Worley
6 William Perry Skaggs (1816-1864)
+ Lucinda Johnson
7 Willis G Skaggs (1847-1901)
+ Elizabeth Robinson
8 James Tobe Skaggs (1876-1958)
+ Abby Jane Edgeman
4 Jeremiah Skaggs (1767-1841)
+ Rebecca Mayes
5 William "Bluehead" Skaggs (1797-1860)
+ Polly Harrison
6 John Q Skaggs (1831-1901)
+ Mary Madison
7 James T Skaggs (1859-1923)
+ Matilda Potter
8 Ervin S Skaggs (1896-1966)
+ Edna Willa Harris
3 Charles Skaggs (1737-1815)
+ Lucy Thompson
4 Frederick Skaggs (1764-1822)
+ Ann
5 Frederick Skaggs (1803-1850)
+ Lucinda Williams
6 John Alvis Skaggs (1828-1923)
+ Cynthia Jane Sanderson
7 John Walter Skaggs (1871-1952)
+ Cora Lassiter
8 James Orie Skaggs (1896-1975)
+ Elizabeth Pearl Adams
3 Richard Skaggs (1744-1821)
+ Elizabeth
4 Meshack Skaggs (1767-1795)
+ Sarah Gumm
5 Richard Skaggs (1792-1855)
+ Elizabeth Wells
6 Dr Samuel Meshack Skaggs (1812-1891)
+ Matilda Bomar
7 Don Skaggs (1881-1947)
+ Vida Alonzo Hutchins
4 Abednego Skaggs (1769-1823)
+ Catherine Hoback
5 William Anderson Skaggs (1823-1876)
+ Melinda Harp
6 Samuel Skaggs (1857-1926)
+ Sarah Jane Gibson
7 El Cannie Skaggs Sr (1881-1953)
+ Ida Emery
+ Elizabeth
4 John Skaggs (1800-1871)
+ Edna Ennis
5 Zachariah Skaggs (1827-1899)
+ Lucinda Carroll
6 Thomas Asbury Skaggs (1858-1930)
+ Margaret Ann Wagaman
7 Walter Howard Skaggs (1889-1953)
+ Lena Schafer
3 Jacob Skaggs (1763-1830)
+ Frances Sample
4 William Skaggs (1780-1852)
+ Margaret Hoover
5 William Thomas Skaggs (1807-1880)
+ Susan Reeves
6 John Hardin Skaggs (1831-1884)
+ Nancy Price
7 William Taylor Skaggs (1850-1895)
+ Elizabeth Morris
8 Willis Perry Skaggs (1871-1940)
+ Eva Lyn Davis
9 Randall Chester Skaggs (1897-1964)
+ Hazel Maude McInnes
9 Leonard Myron Skaggs (1899-1977)
+ Mary Elizabeth Gritzmacher
2 Unknown Common Ancestor-4
3 Unknown
4 Thomas Sullivan (1760-1820)
5 Daniel Sullivan (1790-1819)
+ Esther Lytle
6 Alfred Sullivan (1811-1899)
+ Sarah Ann Fountain
7 Solomon A Sullivan (1843-1912)
+ Ellen Dorr
8 Alfred D Sullivan (1878-1956)
+ Eva Wilson
3 Unknown Common Ancestor-5 R-BY99605
+ Martha Cothron
5 Lewis Skaggs (1788-1857)
+ Nancy McDowell
6 John Breckenridge Skaggs (1813-1895)
+ Mary Lester
7 George W Skaggs (1850-1900)
+ Lucy Sparks
8 Ulysses S Skaggs (1873-1950)
+ Ora Elma Hubbard
5 Solomon Skaggs (1791-1863)
+ Sylvania Caines
6 Ananias Skaggs (1833-1900)
+ Linne Skaggs
7 Joseph Skaggs (1863-1926)
+ Nannie Kegley
5 Jeremiah Skaggs (1793-1864)
+ Armilla Holbrook
6 Joseph William Skaggs (1837-1914)
+ Sally Holbrook
7 Jeremiah Skaggs (1867-1940)
+ Mollie Nickles
8 Willis Skaggs (1889-1953)
+ Sarah Mitchell
5 John Skaggs (1796-1857)
+ Mary Woods
6 Lewis L Skaggs (1819-1897)
+ Sarah Ann Gilliam
7 James Harvey Skaggs (1845-1924)
+ Elizabeth Lester
8 Isaac Skaggs (1873-1941)
+ Sebra Fyffe
9 Roscoe Skaggs (1896-1964)
+ Susan Boggs
8 Rufus Skaggs (1888-1959)
+ Elizabeth Skaggs
5 Moses Skaggs (1802-1885)
+ Elizabeth Holbrook
6 Daniel Vincent Skaggs (1845-1938)
+ Louisa Diles
7 Cornelius Skaggs (1873-1962)
+ Mary Margaret Skaggs
8 Arnold Lige Skaggs (1896-1969)
+ Maude Ison
5 Peter Skaggs Jr (1803-1894) R-BY114642
+ Clarinda Prince
6 David Skaggs (1820-1870)
+ Martha Skaggs
7 Walter Skaggs (1842-1875)
+ Martha Johnson
8 Jeremiah Skaggs (1868-1920)
+ Sidney Hay
6 John D Skaggs (1826-1900)
+ Lucinda Rigsby
7 Willis Skaggs (1866-1925)
+ Margaret Marcilla Deboard
6 Peter L Skaggs Jr (1844-1911)
+ Martha Rigsby
7 Lewis Manford Skaggs (1871-1945)
+ Hester Griffith
5 Christian Skaggs (1809-1881)
+ Elizabeth Perry
6 Miles Skaggs (1836-1892)
+ Millie Sparks
7 James E Skaggs (1870-1957)
+ Lydia Margaret Gilliam
8 Cornelius Skaggs (1896-1974)
+ Nannie Anderson
4 Solomon Skaggs (1770-1828)
5 Miles Skaggs (1822-1894)
+ Elizabeth Ann Rister
6 Solomon Scaggs (1869-1943)
+ Mahala Riley
So the Long Hunter Skaggs family started with James Skaggs and Rachel prior to 1750 in Augusta County, Virginia with Y-DNA haplogroup R-BY44771 they inherited from Unknown Common Ancestor-3. You can see all the Long Hunter sons are at Level 3 on the genealogical tree. Their sons along with Thomas Sullivan, Old Peter Skaggs and his brother Solomon are at Level 4 on the tree.
- Great-Grandson William Brock Scaggs had the R-BY114454 mutation
- 4-Great-Grandson Willis Perry Scaggs had the R-BY44771 haplogroup plus a single STR mutation CDYb: 37 => 38
- Unknown Common Ancestor-4 had the R-BY44771 haplogroup plus a single STR mutation 394: 12 => 11. The Sullivan family line are descendants of this Unknown Common Ancestor-4.
- Unknown Common Ancestor-5 (Old Peter Skaggs' father) had the R-BY99605 mutation. So descendants of Old Peter Skaggs and his brother Solomon are under this haplogroup.
- Old Peter Skaggs' son Peter Skaggs Jr had the R-BY114642 mutation.
In summary, the Long Hunter brothers, Old Peter Skaggs, Peter's brother Solomon and Thomas Sullivan all descend from Unknown Common Ancestor-3 who had the R-BY44771 haplogroup. The Sullivan family has the single STR mutation 394: 12 => 11 which distinguishes them from the descendants of the Long Hunter brothers. Old Peter's father had the R-BY99605 haplogroup which distinguishes their descendants from the Long Hunter brothers and the Sullivans.
If you are a male Skaggs, Scaggs, Skeggs or Sullivan descendant and are interested in joining the Y-DNA project you can contact the Group Administrator
here.
I know this DNA testing can get complex really fast, but if you test as any of the following:
R-BY44771
R-BY114454
R-BY99605
R-BY114642
then, congratulations!, you belong in this family group and can trace your ancestry directly back to the middle of 18th century Virginia.
It's important to note that Lucy, d/o Henry (son of James/Rachel) was born in Dec 1762, which is confirmed by Archibald Thompson's diary. Is it not a wonder how this is even possible if he and Wallen/Wallings left early spring of 1761 and were gone for 18 months? -D
ReplyDeleteCan we tell based upon current DNA-Y results for the Sullivan line, would Thomas Sullivan or his father or his son Daniel actually be a Skaggs?
ReplyDeleteWould both Henry Skaggs (son of James/Rachel) and Henry Skaggs (Man of Mystery) be considered Long Hunters?
I think Henry Skaggs (son of James and Rachel) is considered "The" Long Hunter. He's the most famous one.
DeleteSince Y-DNA results indicate that the Sullivan Line started with Old Peter Skaggs' grandfather, it's likely both Daniel and Thomas Sullivan were both Skaggs. It's also likely that Thomas Sullivan's father was a Skaggs.
Delete