The Myth of the Four or Five
Immigrant Yancey Brothers
<an extract
from - this page >
In reading these old letters - it seems that there was considerable amount of confusion and lack of clarity about the specific early Yanceys. There are various relations and names stated here that have since been proven to have been in error. A lot of weight over the years was placed on these early reports that were based so much on faulty memory, very limited primary research, and often guesses or possibilities.
It has become more and more clear to me - especially in
recent years - that these "Yancey Brothers" often mentioned as immigrants:
"William, Robert, Joel, Henry, Richard, Lewis . . ." were not really
immigrants at all. The story seems to have been generated by those trying
to establish the family record in the late 1800's and early 1900's - and they
based such statements about their finding of the earliest Yanceys they had
record of. Don't get me wrong - these Yanceys - "William, Robert . .
. ." were REAL and valid Yanceys - indeed among the early Yanceys of
Virginia and North Carolina. And each one can be identified. BUT it seems
researchers were merely grouping together the names of the earliest Yanceys they
knew about - many of whom are NOW known to have actually been children or
grandchildren of a yet undocumented immigrant ancestor who probably came to
America in the very late 1600's probably by name of Charles Yancey - who in all
probability probably came with no brothers at all.
see this link:
http://genealogy.about.com/od/family_legends/p/three_brothers.htm
Those that have often been grouped among the "Yancey Brothers"
with their now known relationship
a) Charles Yancey (II?)- of King William and Hanover County Virginia - thought to be a son of a prior immigrant Charles I
b) Joel Yancey was the son of Archelaus, son of Charles (II?)
c) Robert Yancey was the son of Charles (II?)
d) William Yancey - there were two of them in early Virginia grandchildren of Charles Yancey (II?)
e) Lewis Davis Yancey - of Culpeper County - probably a brother of Charles Yancey (II?)