Eleventh Clan Letter
(Stagles, Steggall, Steggles, Stygall and Variants)
25th August, 2008
Stegall, Stigall, Steagall and Steagall in America
These seem to be the main spellings of our name in the USA, but do they share our origin? The two DNA results that we have are different from any of the results so far obtained from English families.
Some of the Americans with the Stegall and Steagall name believe that they are descended from William Steddall who sailed from London on the Plaine Joan to Virginia in 1635. It is thought that he was a Steggall whose name was mis- recorded. His place of birth is variously reported as London, Suffolk, and Kent. Interestingly, Steddall is a Kentish name.
We have seen immigration records of people with the Germanic names Steigle, and Stiegle arriving in America from Austria, Switzerland and Germany and Stagl from Austro- Hungary. It's quite possible these names could have been anglicized to Stigall, Stegall, Stegall or Stagles.
Is Stiles a Variant of our Name?
Most of the surname dictionaries list it as such.
We have recently come across a Stiles DNA Surname Project with 18 sets of results at Family Tree DNA. None of them appear to be close matches to any of our results.
WWW.Stagles.Co.Uk
Our website has now been going for just over a year and is now getting about 250 hits a month. We've now got the hyperlinks working. A new DNA Results page has been added.
Contact Us
If you would like to contact us please either click this link, or write to us at;
86, Cumberland Road,
Reading,
RG1 3JT
England
tel 0118 9676129
Best Wishes
Tom and Ray Stagles.
Dear All,
Since our last letter in February, the most exciting news comes from our Steggles DNA Surname Project.
Four different English Stagles, Steggle, and Steggles families have now been linked together. A link has also been established between a Stegall and Steagall family in America.
Steggles / Stagle DNA Surname Project
We now have results from eight members, six in England and two in America. They have proved a suspected link between two Steggle families in London. They have also shown a link between these two families and those of the Wisbech Stagles and Cotton, Suffolk Steggles families.
The results also show that the two Steggle families share a branch of the family tree, as do the Wisbech Stagles and Cotton Steggles families.
Although we need more results to draw firm conclusions, these results from the English families indicate that we could all be descended from just one ancestor.
In America two families have been linked together. The origin of these families is different from those of our English families.
By the summer of 2005 our research into written records had established that all the Stagles now living in Britain belonged to one or other of 3 distinct groups with origins in Wisbech, Mitford, or the Holton / Yoxford area.
We have now also established that Stagles is just one of 18 ways of spelling our name, the other main ones being; Steggall, Steggles, and Stygall.
Join our DNA Surname Project
We have shown that 4 Stagles / Steggle / Steggles families are linked through a common male ancestor. What about your family? Is the Holton Stagles / Stigle family also related to this family, or possibly to the Mitford Stagles / Steggles family?
DNA tests are able to establish whether or not those tested have a common male ancestor, and if so they can also give some indication as to how many generations that link is. Having 25 markers tested should be sufficient to determine whether you share a common male ancestor or not. Having a greater number tested provides a better indication of the closeness of relationship.
If you are a male from a family that has not yet had a member tested we very much hope that you will volunteer. Our DNA Surname Project has been set up with Family Tree DNA. To have 25 YDNA markers tested costs $148 + postage. 37 markers cost $189 + postage.
If you have access to the internet you will find full details on the DNA Surname Project page and results on the DNA Results page of our website at www.stagles.co.uk
Otherwise please contact us.
Free DNA Testing at Sorenson
You can also have 43 Y DNA markers tested free of charge at Sorenson, another DNA testing company. For this they ask that you provide them with your family tree going back to your 8 great grandparents. We are told that it takes at least 12 months for your results to be published, but at least it's free! For further details contact us or check their website at www.smg.com.
Mitford Stagles
Another member of this family has had his DNA tested. The results were an exact match to the first set, confirming that this family is not closely related to the Wisbech Stagles.
The 1920 US census shows Edgar Stagles, Albert's grandfather having emigrated in 1908, was living in Munroe New York with an English wife Mary and 5 children. A further 2 children are shown on the 1930 census, but not their parents.
East Anglia Trip
Dad and I spent a few days in East Anglia, visiting the records offices at Bury St Edmund, Norwich, and Cambridge, but failed to find any significant new records. We were however told that many of the parish records are being digitalised, so maybe in a couple of years time we will have access to new records.
Since our last letter in February, the most exciting news comes from our Steggles DNA Surname Project.
Four different English Stagles, Steggle, and Steggles families have now been linked together. A link has also been established between a Stegall and Steagall family in America.
Steggles / Stagle DNA Surname Project
We now have results from eight members, six in England and two in America. They have proved a suspected link between two Steggle families in London. They have also shown a link between these two families and those of the Wisbech Stagles and Cotton, Suffolk Steggles families.
The results also show that the two Steggle families share a branch of the family tree, as do the Wisbech Stagles and Cotton Steggles families.
Although we need more results to draw firm conclusions, these results from the English families indicate that we could all be descended from just one ancestor.
In America two families have been linked together. The origin of these families is different from those of our English families.
By the summer of 2005 our research into written records had established that all the Stagles now living in Britain belonged to one or other of 3 distinct groups with origins in Wisbech, Mitford, or the Holton / Yoxford area.
We have now also established that Stagles is just one of 18 ways of spelling our name, the other main ones being; Steggall, Steggles, and Stygall.
Join our DNA Surname Project
We have shown that 4 Stagles / Steggle / Steggles families are linked through a common male ancestor. What about your family? Is the Holton Stagles / Stigle family also related to this family, or possibly to the Mitford Stagles / Steggles family?
DNA tests are able to establish whether or not those tested have a common male ancestor, and if so they can also give some indication as to how many generations that link is. Having 25 markers tested should be sufficient to determine whether you share a common male ancestor or not. Having a greater number tested provides a better indication of the closeness of relationship.
If you are a male from a family that has not yet had a member tested we very much hope that you will volunteer. Our DNA Surname Project has been set up with Family Tree DNA. To have 25 YDNA markers tested costs $148 + postage. 37 markers cost $189 + postage.
If you have access to the internet you will find full details on the DNA Surname Project page and results on the DNA Results page of our website at www.stagles.co.uk
Otherwise please contact us.
Free DNA Testing at Sorenson
You can also have 43 Y DNA markers tested free of charge at Sorenson, another DNA testing company. For this they ask that you provide them with your family tree going back to your 8 great grandparents. We are told that it takes at least 12 months for your results to be published, but at least it's free! For further details contact us or check their website at www.smg.com.
Mitford Stagles
Another member of this family has had his DNA tested. The results were an exact match to the first set, confirming that this family is not closely related to the Wisbech Stagles.
The 1920 US census shows Edgar Stagles, Albert's grandfather having emigrated in 1908, was living in Munroe New York with an English wife Mary and 5 children. A further 2 children are shown on the 1930 census, but not their parents.
East Anglia Trip
Dad and I spent a few days in East Anglia, visiting the records offices at Bury St Edmund, Norwich, and Cambridge, but failed to find any significant new records. We were however told that many of the parish records are being digitalised, so maybe in a couple of years time we will have access to new records.
Stegall, Stigall, Steagall and Steagall in America
These seem to be the main spellings of our name in the USA, but do they share our origin? The two DNA results that we have are different from any of the results so far obtained from English families.
Some of the Americans with the Stegall and Steagall name believe that they are descended from William Steddall who sailed from London on the Plaine Joan to Virginia in 1635. It is thought that he was a Steggall whose name was mis- recorded. His place of birth is variously reported as London, Suffolk, and Kent. Interestingly, Steddall is a Kentish name.
We have seen immigration records of people with the Germanic names Steigle, and Stiegle arriving in America from Austria, Switzerland and Germany and Stagl from Austro- Hungary. It's quite possible these names could have been anglicized to Stigall, Stegall, Stegall or Stagles.
Is Stiles a Variant of our Name?
Most of the surname dictionaries list it as such.
We have recently come across a Stiles DNA Surname Project with 18 sets of results at Family Tree DNA. None of them appear to be close matches to any of our results.
WWW.Stagles.Co.Uk
Our website has now been going for just over a year and is now getting about 250 hits a month. We've now got the hyperlinks working. A new DNA Results page has been added.
Contact Us
If you would like to contact us please either click this link, or write to us at;
86, Cumberland Road,
Reading,
RG1 3JT
England
tel 0118 9676129
Best Wishes
Tom and Ray Stagles.