This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: piecesofart Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.illinois.counties.white/4444.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The Drake DNA Surname Project collects the results of male donors named Drake and groups them by likely relationships. My Drake line is grouped with the Drakes from Isle of Wight County Virginia, but I know that we are not descended from them. That line begins in the US with a Richard Drake b abt 1615 who sailed out of Bristol to America abt 1658. He has been identified as originating in South Petherton in Somerset, England. Another Richard Drake b abt 1630 also sailed out of Bristol to America abt 1661 and settled in northern Virginia (Lancaster and Westmoreland counties). I suspect my line descended from them. I am trying to track down down their male descendants to join the DNA project and prove my lineage. If there is a close match there, then the Drakes of Isle of Wight County on the James River in Virginia are probably closely related to the Drakes of Westmoreland County on the Potomac River. My proven ancestor is John Fulton Drake b abt 1750 who married in what is now Fayette County, PA along the Monongahela River abt 1775 and moved to Nelson County KY abt 1793. It is his son, Thomas Drake that I am also trying to trace. I suspect Thomas Drake is your ancestor, but only if we have DNA from a male Drake descendant of his can we prove the connection. If you know of any male Drake cousins of yours who might be interested in persuing this, please feel free to contact me. Art Baum Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.