The Virginia branch of the Field Family begins with Abraham Field (1636-1674) of Westmoreland County, Virginia. There are no known records that identify the father of Abraham. Many Field Family researchers have tried to make this connection without success. Family Tradition says Henry Field (1611-) of England who immigrated to Virginia with a cousin, John Dickinson, on the ship Expedition, 20 November 1635, is the father of Abraham. Henry is supposed to have lived in Jamestown, Virginia and died there. There are also no records of his death or burial.

With the advent of Y-chromosome DNA testing a way exists of connecting various family branches. Families of many surnames have DNA projects to determine the genetic connection between individuals and the family branches.

The Field Family DNA project has been set up for this purpose. I have had my Y-chromosome DNA tested by three different laboratories, Oxford Ancestors of England, Family Tree DNA of Texas and the National Geographic Genographic Project. All three labs gave me the same results. My Y-chromosome information is available for comparison by anyone interested. My results can be found at F1 Eugene Allen Field -Abraham b. 1636 VA.

Since making my results public three men had contacted me with an identical match. All three of these men knew they had connections to the Virginia branch of the Field family. Recently I was informed by Family Tree DNA that a fourth identical match had been made. I contacted this man who also has the surname Field. He told me that his family originates in the United States with John Field (abt 1568-) of Rhode Island. John Field of Rhode Island was a son of Sir John Field (abt. 1525-1587) of East Ardsley, Yorkshire, England, a famous astronomer.

Another descendant of Sir John Field and John Field of Rhode Island is the American Poet Eugene Field (1850-1895). Eugene Field the poet has always interested me because my grandfather named one of his sons Eugene after seeing the name Eugene Field on a book of poems on his bookshelf. I was named after my uncle Eugene who was killed as a young boy. I had recorded the ancestry of Eugene Field the poet and had determined that if my ancestor Abraham Field of Westmoreland County, VA, was indeed the son of Henry Field the immigrant, then Eugene Field the poet and I had a common ancestor in William Feld (exact dates not known but between the mid 1400s and the early 1500s) of Bradford, County Yorkshire, England.

William Feld of Bradford had three sons. Richard Felde (-1542), Thomas Field> (?) Rev. John Field (1519-1587). Rev. John Field was the uncle of Richard Field the father of Sir John Field the astronomer. Rev. John Field was the grandfather of Henry Field the possible immigrant ancestor of our branch of the Field Family of Virginia.

John Field of Rhode Island and Henry Field of Virginia were second cousins.

According to the testing DNA labs a 12 marker exact match is accurate enough to state that two men have a Most Recent Common Ancestor as far back as 29 generations. From me back to William Feld of Bradford, County Yorkshire, England, who died abt. 1480 is 13 generations. That is within the parameter of the 29 generation accuracy. It is also considered more accurte if there is also a paper trail. If this connection is in fact true then a very interesting conclusion may be made. Henry Field of Jamestown had three brothers, Richard, Darby (abt. 1610-1649)11 and Robert (abt. 1613-)

Darby Field immigrated in 1636 to Boston, Massachusetts. He eventually moved into New Hampshire and is the progenitor of a large New England Branch of the Field Family. This then connects the Virginia Field line from Abraham Field of Westmoreland County to branches of the Field family of New England.

Several times I have invited anyone who is a descendant of Darby Field or any other branch of the Feild Family to have his Y-chromosome DNA tested and see if we are a match. The match between me and my most recent DNA match provides evidence that the Virginia Field branch and the New England Branch of Fields have a common ancestor.

The conclusion can be made that the Y-chromosome match between me and Edward Field a descendant of the Rhode Island Field family proves without a doubt that our Field families do in fact connect to England and that we have a common ancestor and that common ancestor is possibly William Feld who lived during the late 1400s and early 1500s.

A match between a Darby Field (abt. 1610-1649) descendant and us would be further evidence to support the Family Tradition that Henry Field (1611-) of Jamestown, Virginia, is the immigrant ancestor of the Virginia/Kentucky branch of the Field Family.

Results of my 37 marker Y-chromosome test as done by Family Tree DNA.

EAF 9 November 2011

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