Situation at Project Beginning

Winchesters are found all across America today.  Colonial records show Winchesters entering the American Colonies in the early 1600’s at Boston, MA and Jamestown,VA.  Throughout the 1700's Winchesters are recorded that apparently arrive at ports in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charleston area. Cluster of Winchesters locate in North and South Carolina with no known connections. 

Specific individual Winchesters identified are   

•       1635.  John Winchester arrives Massachusetts Bay on ship Elizabeth. Winchesters recorded in surrounding states continuously since.
  

• 1636.  John Winchester listed in Henrico Co, VA as transported, then 1652 signs oath of loyalty on Kent Island, MD.  Winchesters recorded continuously since in Kent and surrounding counties. 
  
• 1732.  William Winchester arrives in Annapolis, MD on ship Hume and settles Westminster, MD.  Son Gen. James Winchester settles Cragmont of Sumner Co, TN
• 1747-1755.  Thomas Winchester named in court proceedings & deeds of Lunenburg & Halifax Co, VA
• 1755-1768.  Thomas Winchester listed chain bearer & witness on deeds in Orange Co, NC.
  
• 1766.  William and Thomas Winchester listed on militia rolls of Mecklenburg Co, NC
  
• 1768.  John Winchester on tax list at Haw River of Rowan Co, NC (later Guilford/Rockingham)
• 1771.  William Winchester named on deed on Bush River in Craven Co, SC.
• 1776-1778.  Daniel & Douglas Winchester listed on Mecklenburg Co, NC militia roll
  
• 1778.  John Winchester & Thomas Winchester granted land both sides Haw River in Guilford Co, NC
• 1779.  Daniel, Douglas, Thomas, William Winchester granted land both sides of Rocky River along Anderson Creek and Meadow Branch in Mecklenburg Co, NC
  
• 1785.  William Willoughby Winchester among the first settlers of the Ninety Six District of SC upcountry
• 1800.  Francis Winchester listed on Burke Co, NC census. Francis and six sons migrate 1830s to Wayne Co, KY, then Bollinger Co, MO. 
• 1860s.  Winchesters are documented by the mid 1800’ssettlements of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada.  Some of these arrive from England and some from New England
  

The connection of these Winchester groups with one another was unproven. Genealogists of the 20^th Century made incorrect connections among the groups, e.g. that the three North Carolina groups derived from the Kent Island, MD Isaac Winchester and the South Carolina Winchesters derived from North Carolina Daniel, Douglas and Francis Winchesters. There were no known physical records linking the North and South Carolina groups together.  The multi-generational genealogies of the New England and Maryland Winchesters were well documented, but Winchester descendants that migrated west during 1700s had lost their link to these generations.  Similarly descendants from the southern Winchesters that migrated South and West had lost links to their ancestors.  Also the great migrations were not connected:(1) along the Great Wagon Road into western Virginia, central North and South Carolina, and southern states of Georgia, Alabama and Texas, and (2) across the Appalachians to Kentucky,Indiana, and westward into Missouri, Arkansas, and the Plains states.  

Furthermore, the connection of these various Winchester groups to the home county is England or Scotland is tenuous. John Winchester of 1635 Massachusetts Bay colony is documented to have come from Cranbrook, Kent County, England.  No other colonial Winchester group has been definitively linked to a home location in Europe.

TAYLOR-WINCHESTER GENETIC CONNECTION

All descendant members of the North Carolina Winchesters in Guilford-Mecklenburg-Burke group are a very close YDNA match to each other and to a specific group of Taylor surname y-FTDNA group.  This Taylor group trace their lineage back to Robert Taylor (1665-1695) of Rappahannock County, VA (now Essex).  Apparently a non-traditional paternity event occurred prior to mid 1600s in which a genetically male Winchester received the Taylor legal name, or vice versa. No records have been uncovered that indicate the Taylor and Winchester ancestors were located near one another to provide an opportunity.