Were These "Dead Relatives" Relatives?

After a search of many years, I became convinced that Samuel and Ruth Baker Johnston of Ward's Fork  in Charlotte County, VA, were the parents  (or very close relatives)  of our Samuel Johnston of Leatherwood Creek in Henry County, VA.   The evidence, while circumstantial, was compelling.  Recent Y-DNA tests contradict that conclusion.  A male descendant of James Johnston of Turkey Cock Creek in Henry County, who almost certainly was the son of Samuel and Ruth Johnston, differs substantially from two descendants of our Samuel of Leatherwood.  While all three men tested show the unique characteristics of the Johnston Y-chromosome, the results nevertheless indicate that James and Samuel could not have been closely related and, ipso facto, Samuel Johnston of Ward's Fork would not have been the father of  our Samuel Johnston of Leatherwood.  That would also eliminate Caleb and Martha Brooks Baker as his grandparents.    

I nevertheless find that paper trail hard to dismiss.  Could we have a case of false paternity?  If so, it did not occur in the generations leading down from Samuel of Leatherwood's son Joseph to our two testees, who varied by only one out of 67 markers.  The evidence is presented here.

The Evidence for a Close Relationship:

Ruth Baker Johnston's parents were Caleb Baker and Martha Brooks.  Both mentioned their daughter  Ruth Johnston, wife of Samuel, in their wills in Prince Edward County.

The children of Samuel of Ward's Fork were named in a suit on 6 Mar 1799.  They were Caleb, Jean Johnston Bailey, wife of David, James, Patsy, William, Samuel, and Ruth Johnston Roberson, wife of Holcomb.  Patsy is a nickname for Martha.

Jean Johnston Bailey, James of Turkey Cock, and Samuel of Leatherwood all named a daughter Ruth.

Jean Bailey, James of Turkey Cock, and Samuel of Leatherwood all named a daughter Martha.

James of Turkey Cock named a daughter Lucy Baker Johnston and had a granddaughter named Mary Baker Johnston.

Jean Bailey's son David was probably the David Bailey who married Samuel of Leatherwood's daughter Mildred in Georgia.

The father of James of Turkey Cock  resided in Charlotte County during the Revolutionary War.  So did Samuel Johnston of Ward's Fork.

James of Turkey Cock served with George Hannah in the Revolutionary War.  The Hannahs lived close to Samuel Johnston of Ward's Fork.

Samuel Johnston of Ward's Fork was a wagon maker.  Samuel of Leatherwood was a wagon maker and blacksmith.   James of Turkey Cock's father picked him up in a "carriage" when he was wounded at the Battle of Yorktown.

Samuel Johns[t]on witnessed the sale of a horse owned by Caleb Johns[t]on in Pittsylvania County in 1773.  As we've seen, Samuel of Ward's Fork had a son named Caleb.  Samuel of Leatherwood was married to Elizabeth Ballenger in 1777 in Pittsylvania County and was a horse trader when residing in GA.

Samuel of Leatherwood owned many acres in Henry County, but his primary holdings were on Leatherwood and Turkey Cock.  James Johnston lived on Turkey Cock, but also owned land on Leatherwood.

Samuel of Leatherwood was deeded land on Baretree Fork of Chestnut Creek by a William Johnston.  Samuel of Ward's Fork had a son named William.

James Johnson witnessed a deed for Samuel and Betty Johnson of Leatherwood on 18 Apr 1789.

In the 1790 Henry County Tax List, "James Johnson (Leatherwood)" was enumerated on May 27.  The only other James Johnston in the county was enumerated on Apr 3, the same day as David and John Johnston.

James Johnson witnessed a deed for a Samuel Johnson on 7 Nov 1792 in Henry County.

When the aforementioned suit was brought in 1799 in Charlotte, Samuel Johnston Junior was said to be living out of state.  Samuel of Leatherwood had just moved to Georgia.  James was said to be residing in VA.  James of Turkey Cock lived in Henry County until his death in 1841.

George Hannah, Samuel and James Johnston recorded an inventory of the Thomas Allday estate in Charlotte in 1782.

According to Tony Johnson, when James Johnston ( a man older than 25; our James was probably 32 that year) was charged tax on 3 horses in Henry County in 1789, Samuel Johnston paid the tax.

There's no record of James Johnston having been married before 1790.  In 1787, James Johnston was charged with fathering two illegitimate sons by Aggy Harbord in Charlotte County.  A Harbord family resided close to Samuel Johnston on Ward's Fork.  James was ordered to appear in court.  On 2 Mar he was found guilty.  On 18 Apr he purchased land on Turkey Cock in Henry County from the landowner who adjoined Samuel's land.  Witnesses for the purchase were Samuel Johnston and Achilles Ballinger, brother of Elizabeth Ballenger Johnston.  James and Achilles (called "Killis") then witnessed one of Samuel's deeds.  On 24 Aug 1790 James Johnston married Joyce Wells.

In 1792 James Johns[t]on witnessed another deed for Samuel Johns[t]on.

James Johns[t]on witnessed two deeds for John and Peggy Gravely.  Peggy was Elizabeth Ballenger Johnston's sister.

The Evidence Against:

                DNA: Two known descendants of Samuel Johnston of Leatherwood Creek - one descendant from his grandson Stephen, the other from his grandson Samuel - were found to vary by only one out of 67 markers.  They both varied from a descendant of James Johnston of Turkey Cock Creek by 10 out of 67 markers.

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