🧬 Introduction: Redefining the Jernigan Legacy
For decades, genealogists have wrestled with one question: How are Thomas Jernigan (the immigrant), John “Meherrin Creek” Jernigan, and Henry Jernigan, Sr. related?
Through traditional sources and cutting-edge Y-DNA testing, a fresh, data-supported model that clarifies early Jernigan lineages and bridges centuries of genealogical uncertainty.
“Research not shared does not further our common goal of learning about our ancestors.” — David A. Ralls
🕰️ 1. The Traditional Puzzle of the Jernigan Patriarchs
Three patriarchs stand at the foundation of every Jernigan line in America:
- Thomas “the Immigrant” (arrived 1635–1637)
- John “Meherrin Creek” (m. Temperance Moore)
- Henry Jernigan, Sr. (m. Phebe Blackman)
The main point of contention? Whether John and Henry were sons or grandsons of Thomas the Immigrant.
| Researcher | Generation of John “Meherrin Creek” | Relationship to Thomas (Immigrant) |
|---|---|---|
| Lillian Worley | 3rd | Grandson |
| Marion Hargrove | 2nd | Son |
| Richard Jernigan | 2nd | Son |
| David A. Ralls (new evidence) | 3rd | Grandson |
🟨 Sidebar: Why it matters — Generational misalignment affects thousands of Jernigan descendants tracing heritage through early Virginia and North Carolina.
⚓ 2. Colonial Realities in Context
Seventeenth-century Chesapeake life was unforgiving. Nearly half of settlers died before 20, and few reached 50. Given this, Thomas “the Immigrant”, born around 1618, could not have been the same man in 1668 land records. Those documents instead fit Thomas “the Elder” Jernigan, his son.
📊 Figure 1. Colonial Survival Rates
Age 0–20 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 50% mortality
Age 20–40 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 70% mortality
Age 40–60 ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 85% mortality
Illustration of the steep demographic decline in 1600s Virginia and Maryland.
🧬 3. The Genetic Breakthrough
The Jernigan Y-DNA Project—spanning nearly 100 male testers—revealed decisive evidence.
Key Findings:
- All Jernigan’s share haplogroup R-BY27673, dating ~1527 CE with a 95 % probability he was born between 1406 – 1624 CE .
- Descendant SNP branches: R-FTB59419, R-FTT57, and R-FTT56 (this analysis only deals with SNPs R-FTT57 and R-FTT56) .
| Line | SNP | Status | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| John “Meherrin Creek” | R-FTT56 | ✅ Positive | Related to Thomas (Sarah Mulford) |
| Thomas (Sarah Mulford) | R-FTT56 | ✅ Positive | Related to John “Meherrin Creek” |
| Henry (Phebe Blackman) | R-FTT56 R-FTT57 | ✅ Negative ✅ Positive | Separate branch |
📈 Figure 2. Y-DNA Branching of Early Jernigan’s
R-BY27673
├── R-FTT56 → Thomas & John lines
└── R-FTT57 → Henry line
🧩 Interpretation: John and Thomas share a common ancestor after Thomas the Immigrant—confirming an intermediate generation.
📜 4. Revised Genealogical Model
Ralls proposes inserting Thomas “the Elder” Jernigan (bef. 1647 – aft. 1704) as the son of Thomas the Immigrant and the father of both Thomas (m. Sarah Mulford) and John “Meherrin Creek.”
🧾 Generational Chart
Thomas "the Immigrant" Jernigan (b. ca. 1618)
├── Thomas "the Elder" Jernigan (bef. 1647 – aft. 1704)
│ ├── Thomas Jernigan (m. Sarah Mulford)
│ └── John “Meherrin Creek” Jernigan (m. Temperance Moore)
└── Henry “the Elder” Jernigan (bef. 1655 – aft. 1735)
└── Henry Jernigan, Sr. (m. Phebe Blackman)
🎯 Impact: This adjustment aligns genetic, documentary, and chronological evidence into a cohesive framework.
📚 5. Reconciling Historical Records
Many earlier works—particularly Lillian Worley’s Jernigan Reunion (1999)—misattributed a 1668 land grant to the immigrant rather than his son. This is corrected by integrating:
- Land deeds and tax records
- Virginia and Maryland colonial rolls
- Y-DNA clade data
💡 Takeaway: Documentary ambiguity, once unresolvable, can now be clarified through genetic triangulation.
🧠 6. Lessons for Genealogists
The Jernigan study illustrates a new era in genealogy:
- Collaboration: Nearly 100 participants shared DNA and records.
- Critical re-evaluation: Longstanding assumptions are revisited.
- Scientific validation: Genetic data supports documentary reasoning.
“The realignment strengthens the Jernigan genealogical framework and underscores the transformative role of Y-DNA in historical research.”
🪶 7. Conclusion
The realignment proposed by David A. Ralls reshapes the foundational Jernigan tree, confirming that:
- Thomas (Sarah Mulford) and John (Temperance Moore) are brothers, grandsons of the immigrant.
- Henry (Phebe Blackman) descends from a collateral line.
Together, these findings merge 17th-century history with 21st-century genetics—a model for future family history breakthroughs.
📚 Citation
David A. Ralls, “A Case for Realignment of the Early Jernigan Generations,” Working File, last updated 24 October 2025.
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