Gorham (Y-DNA)
Contents
Status summary
Completed as of January 10, 2020:
- Recruiting additional Gorhams for further SNP testing - anyone interested in submitting their DNA for testing should contact MayflowerDNA1620@gmail.com
- Predicted to fall under I-M253 based on STR testing of two descendants.
Still to do as of January 10, 2020
- NGS/WGS test for subclade under I-M253.
Background
Biography
John Gorum (as he consistently spelled his name) was likely[1] the "John Gorram Sonne of Ralph Gorram" baptized at Benefield, Northamptonshire, England 28 Jan 1620/1.[2] The family was found in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony in 1637, and likely were then fairly recent immigrants.[3]. John married Desire Howland (eldest daughter of Mayflower Passengers John Howland & Elizabeth Tilley) about 1643.[4] The family moved to Marshfield shortly after the first child was born, but was in Yarmouth (on Cape Cod) by 1652. They were found in Barnstable in 1658[5] They were still living in Barnstable as late as Jun 1674. John was a Captain in King Phillip's War and almost certainly his death (possibly due to disease) was due to his service. He was buried at Swansey (now Swansea) in Bristol County on 5 Feb 1675/6.
John & Desire had six daughters and five sons: James, John, Joseph, Jabez and Shubael.
Second Generation
James Gorham was born Marshfield 28 Apr 1650 and died Barnstable in late 1707.[6] 0He married Hannah Huckins Feb 1673/4 in Barnstable, where they lived out their lives. They had four daughters and seven sons: James, John, Thomas, Joseph, Jabez, Sylvanus and Ebenezer.
(Lieut. Col.) John Gorham was born Marshfield 20 Feb 1651/2 and died Barnstable 11 Nov 1716. He married Mary Otis Feb 1674/5 in Barnstable, where they lived out their lives. They had four daughters and five sons: John (died young), Stephen, Shubael, John and Job.
(Ens.) Joseph Gorham was born Yarmouth 16 Feb 1653/4 and died there 9 Jul 1726. He married (prob. in Yarmouth) before 1678 Sarah Sturgis and they had two daughters and six sons: Joseph, Samuel, John, Isaac, Hezekiah and Josiah.
Jabez Gorham was born Barnstable 3 Aug 1656 and died in Bristol (now part of RI) in 1725.[7] He married Hannah STURGIS Gray before 1677. They moved to Bristol, MA (now in Rhode Island) about 1682.[8] They had three daughters and eight sons: Samuel, Jabez, Shubael, Isaac, John, Joseph, Benjamin and Thomas.
Shubael Gorham was born Barnstable 21 Oct 1667 and died there in 1750. He married Nantucket Island in May 1695 to Puella (Priscilla?) Hussey and they had eight daughters and three sons: George, Daniel and Jonathan.
Third Generation
James Gorham was born Barnstable 6 Mar 1676/7 and died there in 1718.[9] He married Barnstable 29 Sep 1709 Mary Joyce and they had five children (West Barnstable): Thankful (1711), Isaac (bp 1715 m Mary Hallett & Mary Cobb), Hezekiah (bp 1715 m Anna ALLEN Davis), James (bp 1717 no children) and Mary (bp 1719).
John Gorham was born Barnstable 2 Aug 1680 and died (West) Yarmouth in 1729.[10] He married Barnstable 14 Feb 1705/6 Ann Brown and they had six children (Yarmouth): Matthias (1706 m Mary Davis), Mercy (1708), Desire (1710), Rose (1711/2), Elizabeth (1714) and Anne (1716/7).
Thomas Gorham was born Barnstable 16 Dec 1684 and died there bef Dec 1771.[11] He married Nantucket Island 7 May 1707 Rachel Trott and they had ten children (Barnstable): Benjamin (1708 m Sarah BAXTER Cobb), Reuben (1709 d.y.), Priscilla (1711), Samuel (1713 d.y.), Peter (1713 unm.), Paul (1717/8), Abraham (1720 d.y.), James (1723 d.y.), Gershom (1725 m Winifred North, but no ch.) and Abigail (1729).
Jabez Gorham was born Barnstable 6 Mar 1690/1 and died Fairfield, CT bef 5 Mar 1739/40. He married abt. 1718 _____[12] and they had four children (last three bp. Fairfield): James (c1719 m Miriam Hull), David (bp 1722/3 m Abigail Jackson), Jabez (bp 1725 m Mary Burbank) and John (bp 1728 m Mary ___ but no ch.).
Ebenezer Gorham was born Barnstable 14 Feb 1695/6 and died there 16 Nov 1776. He married Yarmouth 9 Nov 1727 Temperance Hawes and they had nine children (Barnstable): Ebenezer (1729 m Mary Thacher & Hope DOTY Carver), Prince (1730/1 m Abigail Gorham & Desire Clapp), Hannah (1733), Mary (1735), Sarah (1737 d.y.), Thankful (bp 1739), Sarah (bp 1741), Temperance (bp 1744) and Silvanus (bp 1746 m Anna Gorham).
Stephen Gorham was born Barnstable 23 Jun 1683 and died either Barnstable or Nantucket Island in 1743. He married Nantucket 25 Dec 1703 Elizabeth Gardner and they had twelve children: Mary (1704), Susannah (1705), Nathaniel (1709 m Mary Soley), Sarah (1711), Barnabas (1715 unm.), Zaccheus (1717 unm.), Elizabeth (1718), Eunice (1720), Stephen (1722 d.y.), Josiah (1723 m Deborah Lovell), Lois (1727) and Lydia (1729).
Shubael Gorham was born Barnstable 2 Sep 1686 and died during the military expedition to Louisbourg, Nova Scotia 20 Feb 1745/6. He married Barnstable 23 Dec 1708 Mary Thacher and they had ten children (Barnstable): John (1709 m Elizabeth Allyn), David (1712 m Abigail Sturgis & Elizabeth Stevens), Mary (1713/4), William (1716 unm.), Lydia (1718), Hannah (1720-1721), Hannah (1721), Shubael (1723 unm.), Joseph (1725 m Ann Spry & Elizabeth ___ Hunter) and Benjamin (1726 m Nancy Hinckley).
References
- ↑ The "Wast Book" of Col. John Gorham (a great-grandson of Capt. John) stated his great-grandfather's father was also named John. In addition, Col. Gorham stated he found the arms of his Gorham family "from Huntingtunshear". See Mayflower Descendant 5:173-175
- ↑ Image of baptismal record found at Ancestry.com [1] Unfortunately the right hand side of the page (which includes the date) does not show up on this record.
- ↑ He may have been the John Gorham who was recorded on board the Philip on 20 Jun 1635 (White, John Howland vol. I:9)
- ↑ Based on the fact their first child was born 2 Apr 1644
- ↑ This may be due to a change in the town lines, or a recognition of an error in calling the property in Yarmouth
- ↑ Either November or December.
- ↑ Will 16 Mar 1724/5, proved 20 Apr 1725.
- ↑ After the birth of their third child, Samuel.
- ↑ Will 10 Sep 1718, proved 5 Nov 1718.
- ↑ Will 20 Jul 1729 probated 5 Nov 1729.
- ↑ Will proved 3 Dec.
- ↑ Her given name was NOT Molly, as many sources state. This error came from mis-transcribing a 1773 Fairfield church record as 1733.
Previous Y-DNA testing
Y-STR testing of two Gorham descendants give a predicted haplogroup of I-M253. NGS/WGS testing still needs to be done to determine where the family falls under I-M253.
DNA Results R1b-FT285492
Previous DNA testing
Currently, the Gorham surname DNA Project has one Y-DNA result for an individual with the Gorham surname. Unfortunately, this individual has discovered where there is a Non-Paternity Event (NPE) in their line so their Y-DNA does not go back to Capt. John Gorum.
An male Gorham who believes to descend in a straight paternal line from John Gorum has reported where they have done an autosomal test with 23andMe. 23andMe does test for a select number of Y-DNA SNPs and gives people a haplogroup assignment. 23andMe has assigned this individual to: R1b-P312>>DF27>Z195>Z274>Z209>FGC83504>Z295>Z270>Z211>Z297>CTS2608>Z278.
NGS/WGS testing
One individual has taken a Big Y test and been found to fall under Z278>Z697>FT285492. Once we have a second Gorham Y-DNA descendant take a Big Y test, we would be able to further refine the family haplogroup.
References & External Links
White, Elizabeth Pearson, John Howland of the Mayflower, Vol. I (daughter Desire), Picton Press, Rockport, Maine, 1990, 2008
Gorham surname DNA Project (a Family Tree DNA Project)
Howland DNA tree which includes the Y-DNA line of John Gorham
Capt. John Gorham bio on Miner Descent blog
