2 March 2024. In both genetics and genealogy, the term Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) refers to the most recent individual from whom two or more family lines are descended. Many, if not most, of the Causey/Cossey/Cawsey families are descended from those first Causey men who migrated from Great Britain and Ireland before 1700 AD. We can document the first of our American Causey line was Nathaniel Causey, a soldier under Captain John Smith of the Jamestown Colony. We can document two sons of Nathaniel and Thomasine Causey were John and Thomas. Thomas’ land transactions are well documented in Colonial Virginia. John sold his father’s land in Charles City County, Virginia called “Causeys Cleare” in 1634 but apparently remained in Virginia. We can further document a John Causey who inherited land in Northumberland County, Virginia about 70 miles north of Charles City. The sale of his inherited land provided John Causey-II with the necessary funds for he and Anne to migrate north to Colonial Maryland. In 1642, Maryland’s governor and council formally established Kent County at Kent Island and encompassed nearly all of the Eastern Shore. It is there that the Causey family line was established. Below is shown a copy of page 287 of Fooks, Herbert C. (Herbert Clarence), 1886-. Fooks Family. Federalsburg, Md.: Printed by J. W. Stowell Print. Co, 1953.
John Causey of Dorchester County, Colonial Maryland, (which was formed from part of Kent County in 1669) having fought in the militia in skirmishes versus the local native Americans in the 1670s, was granted the first Causey land grant of 120 acres called Causeys Choice in 1680. It is from this line most of us descend.
Documentation of Father-Son descendances during those early years of American colonialization is generally lacking. Some Church records have been found but land grants, deeds, wills, and other court documents are all that remains to this day to piece together our lineage. This is where genetic genealogy can help. Based on the latest research of our Causey family Y-DNA, there appear to be two nearly identical genetic lines of the Causey family. The following file presents my latest analysis of current genetic research: (Note: The following family lineages are derived from my public tree found on Ancestry.com. The Y-DNA research presented herein is public information and can be found at familytreedna.com under the Causey Group Project.)
Where do we go from here? Y-DNA genetic genealogy of the Causey clan will continue to grow as more men from different Causey/Cossey/Cawsey/etc. lines are tested. So far, none of the Coursey/de Coursey lines have the T-M70 Y-DNA haplogroup. Beginning in the 12th century in England individual taxation began. Therefore, people had to be individually identified by location, position, or lineage. Our Causey genetic lines trace back to geographical association of men whose Christian was associated with a causey, (that being a solid path crossing a marsh or body of water). So, John who lived near the causey in Chorley Parish Lancashire would be identified as John Causey. Whereas the Coursey name is associated with a location in France.
Whilst the surname may be different or spelled differently, the Y-DNA Terminal Haplogroup factually represents a single genetic line of males from a present generation all the way back to Adam.
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