William B. Vaughn, Sr. (circa 1710 - circa 1775)

 

According to William Mortensen Vaughan's Genealogical Spreadsheet Numbering System (W.M.V.G.S.N.S.), William (P3VR-XV5) would be G-1, the paternal grandfather of my great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Vaughn-3016 (L6VH-346), who would be E-1. William's son, James Vaughan (P3VR-L76), would be F-1. William's father, J.M. (P3VR-1XY), would be H-1.

According to Ancestry.com, William Vaughn allegedly served in the 4th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army, during the American Revolution. He was, allegedly, born between 1710 and 1722. He allegedly died circa 1775. Allegedly, he married a woman named Mary Frances Green, who bore him at least four or five children*:

Catherine Vaughn

James Vaughn 

John Benjamin Vaughn

John Powell Vaughn

William Vaughn, Jr. 

The primary sources for this information seems to be family lore. Upon searching for such a William, I discovered one source, which is  "Virginia, Vital Records, 1853-1934," which indicates that a male child named "W.B. Vaughn" was born, to a father named "J.M. Vaughn," in Graham Forge, Virginia, British Colonial America, on October 4th; it doesn't specify which year.

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* John Benjamin Vaughn and John Powell Vaughn were allegedly born within about two years of each other, but both survived to procreate, so they are probably the same man. 

BREAKING NEWS (As of July 11, 2025): Autosomal DNA Matches Triangulate Upstream From Joseph Vaughn!

Based on sources and DNA corroboration (both autosomal and Big Y-700), I am confident that I am a direct descendant of Joseph Vaughn-3016 (L6VH-346) and Eleanor O'Bannon-501 (LKY8-NNJ).

However, until July 11, 2025, I doubted that any of the Vaughans "upstream" from Joseph were "my Vaughans."

But, on Friday, July 11, 2025, I discovered eleven autosomal DNA matches to me, on Ancestry.com, which triangulate onto a man named "William Vaughn" (P3VR-XV5), who is, allegedly, Joseph's paternal grandfather.

According to AncestryDNA’s ThruLines tool, eleven autosomal DNA matches to me appear to triangulate onto William Vaughn (born ca. 1710, died ca. 1775), through descendants of at least four or five of his children.* These matches are distributed as follows:

• Catherine Vaughn (ca. 1750–1836)
   • Connie J. Phelps — 9 cM across 1 segment

• James Vaughn (ca. 1745–ca. 1860)
   • Sarah Harkness — 55 cM across 4 segments
   • Veronica Erikson Williamson — 10 cM across 1 segment
   • David Edwards4382 — 24 cM across 2 segments
   • William Marsh — 14 cM across 1 segment
   • Karen Loftin — 15 cM across 1 segment
   • David Martin — 1 cM across 1 segment

• John Benjamin Vaughn (ca. 1760–1868) [may be the same person as John Powell Vaughn]
   • Glenda Phillips — 9 cM across 1 segment
   • Rick Modisette — 10 cM across 1 segment

• John Powell Vaughn (1762–1842) [may be the same person as John Benjamin Vaughn]
   • R.B. [Bozarth?] — 12 cM across 1 segment

• William Vaughn (ca. 1750–1806)
   • Steven Maki — 13 cM across 1 segment

While not conclusive on their own, these matches corroborate my alleged descent from William Vaughan, so I will be taking a closer look at traditional genealogical research which may or may not verify my descent from William Vaughn.

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* Two of William's sons appear to be named John Benjamin Vaughn and John Powell Vaughn, but, since they appear to have been born only two years apart, yet survived to procreate, they are probably the same person.