Inspire Me – Family Roots - Eye-of-the-Beholder.org

Eye of the Beholder - Inspire Me - Family Roots — **My 3rd & 2nd paternal great grandfathers.**
**Jeremiah G. and John Henry Coryell (c1882).**

Tracing your family roots can reveal much about who you are.

When you understand your origins, answers are revealed.

People tend to become more interested in their family roots as they age. This has certainly been true for me, and was recently brought to life in a very real way when I visited the place of my American origins in Lambertville, New Jersey.

Genealogy has been a topic of interest in my immediate family since I was in grade school. I have early memories of Dad talking about Coryell history, telling stories about the French Huguenots or how our ancestors helped George Washington in the American Revolution.

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Like most young people, my family roots weren’t something that intrigued me enough to spend the time reading the many volumes of work prepared by Coryell family historians (Noble Burr Coryell, Dallas Lee Coryell, or Ingham Coryell).

Word of mouth was fine for me, so I accepted as truth the family lore that has been passed down. Some of those stories are true and inspiring, while others are … not so much.

1910s - John Henry Coryell - Eye-of-the-Beholder.org — **Jeremiah G. Coryell**
**(1837-1894)**

Now in my fifties, I am very interested in learning what I can about the people who came before me. What are the strong character traits in my family history? What acts of valor or historical events were they a part of? What is the ugly truth of past dastardly deeds?

I suppose it’s the intrigue that drives me, finding a long lost family story that I never knew. I think stories like these fortify my identity, adding a layer of meaning to my life. I’m a big fan of two television series on this subject. Both programs speak to what I’m attempting to convey.

I find it captivating, watching stories unfold for celebrities who have no idea the kind of life a distant ancestor once lived, or who they might be related to today. Soldiers, slaves, pioneers, politicians, missionaries, immigrants, and even royalty, a treasure trove of family knowledge awaits if you know where to look. Every story can add meaning to the life you are living today, because without those who came before us, where would we be? Who would we be?

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So how do I know fact from fiction? I think the answer can be found in two things that weren’t available to researchers of the past. In the 21^st century Digital Age, the Internet & DNA analysis have combined to break genealogical barriers that have shrouded the truth of our origins for generations. Modern day advances like Ancestry.com and FamilyTree DNA have paved the way.

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We are no longer limited to the anecdotal tales passed down from Great Grandma. Our family stories are important, so I would never suggest they be dismissed. I’m simply saying that a vast online repository of documents, records, images, and DNA profiles now exist that are mere clicks away.

Due diligence and discernment are still required to draw accurate conclusions from the available data, but so much is now at your fingertips that would have otherwise taken years to find through traditional means.

The Coryell family roots in America can be traced back to Abraham Coriell (fl. 1702). Believed to be the first Coryell resident of Colonial America, Abraham had four sons. In the context of paternal ancestry, these four sons are often referred to as Lines (see lineage).

In case you are wondering about the spelling variations, this is a common problem in the historical record. Watch the video explanation below to learn more.

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It has been a long-held belief that I’m a D-Liner, descending from the David Coryell line. But traditional paper research has been inconclusive on this. For many years the paper trail stopped with Richard F. Coryell (c1794-1845). It remained unproven for a long time who Richard’s biological parents were, but DNA analysis has finally shed some light on the mystery for us.

This is where I must introduce to you my source of inspiration for this Family Roots article, Mr. Lea Coryell.

My first-cousin-once-removed, Lea is the administrator of the Correll/Coryell Y-DNA Project and a retired cataloger at the Library of Congress.

He recently co-authored an article in American Ancestors Magazine with Michael Waas and Adam Brown of the Avotaynu DNA Project titled “The Surprising Origins of the Coryell Family of Colonial New Jersey” (winter, 2023).

The article is based on original research and is the first work about the Coryells to discuss Y-DNA test results.

Lea says it is unlike anything previously published about the Coryells and believes it will change our view of Coryell history.

Lea has collaborated with me on this Inspire Me – Family Roots article, contributing some excellent content on how he has utilized the power of DNA analysis to explore deeper into the Coryell lineage.

He is actively compiling his work into a comprehensive publication that provides deeper insight, evidence, and conclusions about how an unusual chain of events from over 250 years ago produced a Coryell genealogical mystery.

I recently asked Lea some questions about his studies …

Your genealogical interests were inspired by your parents and grandmother. Could you tell me more?

“They liked to tell stories about the old days and their families. I liked to listen and would ask questions. My siblings were the same way. They would show us photographs and explain where and when they were taken and who everybody was. I have those photographs now.

I grew up in Northeast Ohio, where my mother was from. So, we got together with her side of the family all the time. Mom’s maternal grandmother, Lucy Brewster Shackson (nee Foster), died before I was born but was remembered fondly by the family elders. She took a keen interest in genealogy.

She was descended from Elder William Brewster of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Lucy wrote some genealogical manuscripts, organized family reunions, and collected family photographs. She instilled an interest in genealogy with my Mom and grandmother. They passed it along to me.

Dad was from Illinois. We would take trips to Illinois every other year or so, but I wasn’t as familiar with that side of the family. My summer job while growing up was helping Dad with his cemetery lettering service. I especially liked our trips to the small country cemeteries, which often contained graves of my maternal line ancestors.

During lunchtime we would sit in the shade on the tailgate of the truck and Dad would tell stories about his family. He was the one who told me about the Richard F. Coryell mystery, which made me want to solve it.“

Lea Coryell

When did you begin your family roots project? How did it start?

“I started working on it seriously sometime after 1985, when I began my employment at the Library of Congress. I researched both sides of the family. The Library has a massive collection of genealogical material and an excellent Local History & Genealogy Reading Room. Employees were encouraged to use the collections on their own time to pursue individual research interests, so I did.

During that time, my brother Kenneth sought membership in the Mayflower Society based on our connection to Elder William Brewster. After preliminary review, the Society deemed Kenneth’s claim had merit and they assigned a genealogist to the case. We enjoyed working with her. I was impressed by the genealogical proof standard she followed and adopted much of it for my own work.

I got involved when Kenneth asked me to track down some of the documentation they needed at the Library of Congress. In the end, both of us obtained membership to the Mayflower Society, which no one from our line of Brewster ancestors had ever achieved before.

Before the Y-DNA project, I used traditional genealogical research methods based on collecting primary and secondary documentation. I still do that, of course. I read Marsha Hoffman Rising and others, who wrote about strategies for smashing through genealogical brick walls. My main focus was on Richard F. Coryell and his thirteen children. I made several trips to the New Jersey Archives in Trenton and collected documents on them all. I sought any connection they had with Coryells from well-documented lines, hoping that might suggest a relationship.“

Lea Coryell

When did you first realize the “genealogical brick wall” with Richard F. Coryell? Please describe the mystery.

“I became aware of it during the early seventies. We subscribed to Coryell Newsletter and bought copies of Dallas Lee Coryell‘s books. Dallas wrote two books about Coryell genealogy; 1 – “The Coryells” (1972). The second is “The Bicentennial Supplement to The Coryells” (1977).

So, we knew about the alleged Huguenot, Abraham Coriell, and how all Coryells in America were supposed to be descendants of him through one of his four sons. But those works contained nothing about Richard F. Coryell.

The Coryell Newsletter had a queries section, so I wrote to them seeking information about Richard’s ancestry. It got published, but generated no responses. Nobody knew who Richard F. Coryell’s father was. The knowledge had been lost throughout the family over the years. That was the mystery.

Richard lived in Warren Township, Somerset County, NJ. Other Coryells lived nearby, some in adjacent counties. Abraham Coriell (fl. 1702) registered his cattle mark in Piscataway Township, Middlesex County, which is only a dozen miles away. Abraham’s great-grandson, Richard Coriell (1774-1838), a D-liner, is buried in Bound Brook. Another D-liner, Richard Coriell (1796-1860), is buried in Millington.

It made sense to think Richard was related to them somehow, but there were no extant primary source documents showing how.“

Lea Coryell

What was your approach to solving the Richard F. problem? Is that when your DNA project started?

“Traditional research had produced tantalizing connections between Richard and other Coryells, but nothing decisive. So, I turned to Y-DNA. At the time, I assumed Richard was a direct descendant of Abraham. If traditional research couldn’t establish the connection, then surely genetic genealogy would show that at least a connection existed. But it didn’t turn out that way.

The DNA project started with the discovery that Richard’s descendants belonged to predicted haplogroup I-M253, while Abraham’s were in E-M35. They weren’t related. Another important discovery was that Richard’s descendants matched men named Coddington. The Coddingtons were one of the founding families of Richard’s home township of Warren. Richard’s eldest daughter married a Coddington. Evidently, something happened between Coddingtons and Coryells to produce a Coryell male with Coddington Y-DNA. These discoveries occurred between 2006 and 2011.

My approach was to test descendants from multiple lines to Richard and Abraham. That’s a common method used in genetic genealogy called triangulation. The planned comparison of results from distant cousins allows us to draw conclusions about the Y-DNA of their most recent common ancestor.

For Richard, I tested descendants of his sons John, Elias, and Jeremiah. For Abraham, I tested descendants of his sons David, Emanuel, and Samuel. It was important to pull together in one database all the Coryell results. As our branch shows, the Coryells you don’t match are just as important as the ones you do. I also collaborated with Jonathan Coddington of the Coddington DNA Project. He was invaluable.

Over the last three years, we’ve gone from Y-DNA STR results to next generation sequencing, which is Big Y. I’m pleased to say we now have a partial solution to the mystery. Our “Surprising Origins” article in American Ancestors Magazine contains a brief sidebar about it, titled “The Coddington Coryells (I-FT357299).”

Richard’s biological father wasn’t a man named Coddington, but David A. Coryell (1758-1835). David’s biological father wasn’t Abraham Coriell (1738-1828), but a Coddington. I hope to publish an expanded article about that.“

Lea Coryell

When DNA proved that Coryell lineage has Jewish origins, what was your reaction?

“I was thrilled. I just wanted to know the truth, no matter what it was.

Abraham Coriell, like Richard, was a genealogical brick wall. Nobody knew anything about his ancestry. All we had were old family tales and theories about him being a French Huguenot, which some people accepted as fact.

When I started the Y-DNA project, I hoped a stranger would appear from out of nowhere who matched the descendants of Abraham we already had in the project. Perhaps he would be from a foreign country, use an odd spelling of the surname, and his most recent common ancestor with the others would connect somewhere upstream from Abraham. That is exactly what happened.

As it turns out, Abraham Coriell was a direct descendant of Duarte Nunes da Costa (1587-1664), a Jewish diplomat and merchant from Lisbon who fled to Amsterdam and Hamburg because of the Inquisition and who adopted the name Jacob Curiel. That discovery came about because of the collaboration of the Correll/Coryell Y-DNA Project and the Avotanu DNA Project.

I’d like to thank Adam Brown and Michael Waas in particular, both of Avotaynu. Family Tree DNA provided the scientific tools we needed with their Big Y 700 testing. I’m thrilled to have played a role and to have been a co-author of ‘Surprising Origins‘ with Adam and Michael.”

Lea Coryell

NOTE: The branch of Coryells that Lea and I come from is not biologically related to Abraham Coriell or to the Jewish Curiel family.

What is next for you on this ancestral journey?

“More publications, I hope.

American Ancestors Magazine expressed interest in the Coddington-Coryell sidebar. They thought an expanded version would be a good candidate for their Genetics Column. But they want to wait at least a year or more before publishing another Coryell piece, so I don’t know whether that’ll get done or not.

I expect the DNA project will continue to develop Coryell genetic family trees based on Y-DNA variants. We’ve already brought all the Coryell testers into modern genealogical times, which is excellent. I’d like the project to discover more branching points to break apart blocks of equivalents further upstream.

I’d like to identify more Coryell SNP progenitors and solve more mysteries. For example, we discovered three Correll lineages that connect genetically with Abraham Coriell but we don’t know how. A line of Coopers also connects with Abraham. A line of Sutterleys connects with Major John Coryell (1730-1799). Another mystery is John Russell Coryell (1851-1924), a purported E-liner who’s base haplogroup is R. We’ll probably discover more mysteries.“

Lea Coryell

What is your hope for future Coryell historians?

“Coryell genealogy needs to be revised in light of our recent discoveries, and I’ll need to make arrangements eventually so the Correll/Coryell Y-DNA Project is passed down to others. That way, the project will endure and continue to make discoveries about Coryells. I’m the sole administrator right now, but I’m thinking about adding a co-administrator or two.

Also, I’d like to debunk the notion currently found in many public trees that Richard’s father is Peter Coriell (1767-1855). That was someone’s conjecture that gained traction because it appeared to make sense. Y-DNA disproves it entirely. Peter was in base haplogroup E and Richard was in base haplogroup I. That’s just a pet peeve, though. It’s only a matter of time.“

Lea Coryell

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Lea’s work has filled-in some significant gaps that allow us to draw stronger conclusions about Coryell lineage.

1 – Our DNA results do not match Abraham Coriell.

2 – Lea and I have matching DNA markers to the Coddington family, but we carry the Coryell surname.

3 – Coryell DNA has not been matched to the family lore of French Huguenot decent.

4 – However, Coryell DNA HAS been matched to Sephardic Jewish ancestry (originally spelled Curiel). Learn More

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An unusual chain of events, like Richard’s, is a phenomenon that permeates the landscape of genealogical research. It is not unique to Colonial America. Countless stories across time, nations, and cultures demonstrate how life events can create strange outcomes, leaving future generations to wonder, “What the heck happened?“

DNA results can provide clues, but mysteries remain where traditional records end.

I’m a fan of another television series that emphasizes this reality.

Called, Long Lost Family, the stories they profile on this program are compelling.

People who find themselves in dire situations with unplanned pregnancies and unexpected life events have hard choices to make. These decisions often result in children growing up never knowing their biological family roots.

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Armed with 21^st century tools and technology, people now have the odds in their favor for tracking down a lost mother, father, brother, or sister. Without divulging personal and confidential details, I can say that I have witnessed this phenomenon up-close and personal. The emotional impact of finally finding the truth about who you really are and how you came to be is a powerful thing.

I’ve conducted my own DNA testing with Ancestry.com, which refutes a long-standing tall-tale about Native American Cherokee ancestry. My DNA results show clearly that I’m 100% European decent (United Kingdom & Northwestern Europe … including the Vikings!)

I wonder why someone would instigate stories about my supposed Cherokee heritage. Admittedly, I fancied the idea for many years. I’ve always revered Native American culture, but science has busted the myth that I share the lineage.

Besides the intriguing history I already knew about my American Patriot roots, my efforts to build a family tree on Ancestry.com uncovered some interesting stories from both sides of the family (Paternal and Maternal).

Below are a few highlights that I found to be quite memorable.

A Texas Ranger Family Roots

Hailing from Abraham Coriell’s S-Line (Samuel), James Coryell (1803-1837) is a name that appears in Texas history books.

Organized in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin, the Texas Rangers became an officially recognized law enforcement organization in 1835.

James Coryell was one of the early recruits, joining the ranks in 1836 and was stationed at Fort Miliam near the settlement of Sarahville.

An entire county in Texas bears his name, because James was killed in the line of duty in 1837 by Caddo Indians.

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Hardened Pioneers

On my mother’s side, I found a story about my 6-times Great Grandparents (Gattis line).

Thomas Hughes (1750-1784) married Martha G Baker (1752-1837) and were among the early settlers of the Ohio River Valley. They were attacked by natives and Thomas was killed, along with an infant child. Although Martha was badly wounded in the attack, she survived.

A surviving son, James Hughes (1777-1818), later served in the Illinois Militia and fought in many frontier battles with various Indian tribes of the region (Winnebago, Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot, and Potawatomi).

James later saw action in the War of 1812, which was a defining victory that finally brought peace to the highly-contested Illinois Territory where his father and sibling died.

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Yankees Go South

In my maternal line I found that my 2-times Great Grandparents (Suttle Line), James Franklin Suttle (1844-1888) and Sarah Barbee (1845-1888) migrated to America from England.

James served in the Union Army during the Civil War but ended-up living in the Deep South after the war, Crystal Springs, Mississippi. He and Sarah both passed away in 1888 leaving 4 young children behind.

I couldn’t locate a death record, so its mere speculation that some event such as sickness or an accident caused a fatal outcome for the two of them.

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Are you inspired to learn more about your ancestry? Maybe you’ve been intrigued about family stories you’ve heard and aren’t sure where to start? May I suggest Ancestry.com?

Discover your family roots. Learn More

Start building your family tree and see where it takes you. Add your DNA test to see how many new doors are opened, and then consider expanding your connection to FamilyTree DNA. You just might find answers to questions you weren’t even asking!

1 Kings 8:57