Chilton (Y-DNA)

Status summary

As of November 24, 2020:

• No straightforward opportunities for advanced Y-DNA testing
• Low priority

Summary of findings

It would appear that there are no known direct patrilineal descendants of James Chilton, since he has no known living direct Y-DNA descendants. Still, there remains the opportunity for characterizing his Y-DNA through descendants of other paternal relatives. Even so, such a link would likely be tenuous since it would seem that the identity of Degory Priest's relatives in England carries some uncertainty.

Paper Trail

First Generation

James Chilton was born in St. Paul's parish, Canterbury, Kent, England about 1556, son of Lyonell Chilton. He died aboard the Mayflower while it was docked at Cape Cod Harbour on 8 Dec 1620. It is believed he was the oldest of the Mayflower passengers. He was married about 1583 to a woman whose given name may possibly have been Susanna. They had at least ten children: Joell bp. 16 Aug 1584 (died young), Isabella, Jane, Mary (died young), Elizabeth, James (died young), Ingle/Angel, Christian and James.

To do

• Additional paper-trail research might allow additional Y-DNA testing candidates to be identified

External links and references

• Sherman, Robert M., and Verle D. Vincent, revised by Robert S. Wakefield, Mayflower Families through Five Generations vol. 15: Chilton General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA 1997
• Roser, Susan E., Mayflower Passenger References (from Contemporary Records and Scholarly Journals) Stewart Publishing, Canada, 2nd ed. 2015, pp. 174-80
• Anderson, Robert Charles, The Mayflower Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth, 1620 New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA 2020, pp. 58-61