Runyon Genealogy

A male descendant of Isaac Runyon (1738 to circa 1821) underwent DNA testing of his Y chromosome. Isaac is a brick wall to Runyon/Runyan genealogical researchers. We know quite a bit about his life, including his war record, but we don't have proof of his parents.

As with most Runyon/Runyan lines, we presume Isaac descended from Vincent Rongnion of Poitiers, France, and New Jersey. But we don't know for certain.

This descendant of Isaac used genetic technological advancements to analyze the Y chromosome that is passed on virtually unchanged from father to son throughout the ages. Through Y chromosome analysis, we can isolate markers on certain DNA chromosomes. When compared to other Runyons, we can identify persons who share a common ancestor. This information doesn't tell us who that ancestor is. It just tells us that he existed within a certain time frame.

Since there are no other Runyons or Runyans who have participated in this genetic analysis, it is not possible to compare this DNA with others who have descended from Isaac or from Vincent. What is surprising is that four men with the surname Hatcher matched this DNA profile in 24 of 25 markers. Another man named Brank also matched 24 of 25 but he had an ancestor named Hatcher who was abandoned by his father and whose mother died and was raised by his grandfather named Brank.

What does this mean to this line of Runyon? It means that he and the Hatchers probably share a common ancestor. But there is only a 50% probability that the common ancestor lived no longer than 18 generations ago (about 450 years), a 90% probability that he lived no longer than 41 generations ago (about 1,000 years), and a 95% probability that he lived no longer than 52 generations ago (about 1,300 years).

In other words, that common ancestor could have lived 900 years before Vincent Rongnion was born--even before the Norman Conquest.

This descendant of Isaac Runyon is now extending his DNA Y Chromosome analysis to 37 markers. That will help future genealogical research narrow the time frame of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA). But it doesn't really mean much unless there are other Runyon DNA samples from both Vincent and Isaac descendants to reference such genetic information against.

Therefore, what is needed is for more Runyon descendants who know their lineage comes down from Vincent or Isaac to get their DNA tested. Many surname projects are being conducted around the world to share genetic information among families, but the Runyon/Runyan line is not yet among them.

If you are interested in participating, visit www.ftdna.com or a similar DNA site. You can search for different surnames who are conducting fascinating studies that show common heritage and diverging bloodlines. Some of the surnames have their own web sites. These include the Hatcher, Phipps, Blanchard, and Perkins families.

Several labs perform the test, but many surname projects are going to Family Tree DNA for their analysis because of their support of the surname projects. The Y Chromosome test has to come from a male, but females can participate by sponsoring a closely related male. We'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

By 1678, much land had been purchased from the Indians in the Piscataway, N.J., area, and settlers were apportioned land by the new township. Vincent Rongnion (Runyon) had received 120 acres in 1677. When a history of Piscataway was compiled almost three centuries later in 1850, a map of the township showed that there were more Runyons than any other surname.

(Source: History of Piscataway Township 1666-1976. Walter C. Meuly. Somerville Press. Somerville, NJ. 1976. inside cover.)

Jonathan Runyan, like Vincent Runyon, purchased land on the Raritan River in New Jersey. A deed dated 16 November 1761 showed that for £800, John Broughton of Raritan, Somerset County, NJ, conveyed 41 acres on the north side of the Raritan River of Somerset County to Jonathan who hailed from Cranberry, Middlesex County, NJ.

(Source: Biographical and Genealogical Notes from the Volumes of the New Jersey Archives. William Nelson. New Jersey Historical Society. Newark, NJ. 1916.)

Dody McCoy, who researches Runyon, McCoy and Varney lines, brings our attention to the West Virginia State Archives web site. Genealogy researchers can go to this page and search for the names of 4,000 Union soldiers who did not claim one of the more than 26,000 medals struck at the time of the dedication of the West Virginia Veteran's Monument in Wheeling on 20 June 1867. Listed among these names is Daniel Runyan, Co. I, 4th W.Va. Infantry.

Some people believe that Damon Runyon, the famous writer who wrote the stories on which the popular Broadway show "Guys and Dolls" was based, took his surname from the Runyon family because it was more mellifluous than his birth surname of Runyan. Not so. Damon was born Alfred Damon Runyan but changed his surname from the Runyan to Runyon, thinking it looked better in print. His birthplace was Manhattan, Kansas, in October 1880 (some sources say 1884). It was an appropriate birthplace for the man whose writings brought fame to the Manhattan borough of New York.

The late Calvin I. Kephart researched the Runyon name for decades. In his papers, we found the handwritten original of Robert Runyon's poem written to Calvin around 1954. The poem was Robert's way of thanking Calvin for providing him with material for his Runyon Genealogy that was published a year later.