New DNA evidence provides substantial clue to Samuel Ervin's roots.

For those of you descending from Samuel Ervin (b-abt 1777, d-1864), the latest DNA provided by Robert Joseph Arvin, Jr. has given us new evidence pointing at an Irish ancestral origin rather than the Scottish background widely accepted.

Robert's DNA isn't exactly new, however, but because he originally tested with Heritage DNA, there were significant gaps which prevented a direct comparison between DNA participants.

That is until recently when Robert submitted new DNA to FamilyTree DNA for a separate DNA study. From these results we were able to record the missing DNA values and complete his DNA profile.

Robert Jospeh Arvin Jr. is an exact 37-marker match to John Willis Ervin, and a -1 genetic match to Frederick M. Ervin III(my father), Roy Eugene Ervin and James Leroy Ervin --- The four individuals who set the base for our DNA group.

And for those who still question the possibility of a genetic relation with Alexander Brandon Ervin and Robert Ervin, there is a genetic difference of more than -40.

Some of you may remember that in the early 1800's, tax records from Gallia County listed a Samuel Arvin. For many years we believed this to be yet another misspelling of our name...but was it?? We went back and looked at earlier tax records for the area and found two additional tax records listing Samuel Arvin in 1801 and 1802 Washington County, Ohio.

Robert Joseph Arvin spent a substantial amount of time researching his family who settled in Maryland prior to the Revolutionary War, and later migrated to Washington County, Kentucky, then to Pendleton County, Kentucky and on to Indiana. Within his family are names like: Elias, Elisha, Thomas, Henry, etc. Any of those places and names sound familiar? They should.

It may be that Samuel changed his surname from Arvin to Ervin sometime after 1795.

We certainly have much more research to conduct ourselves now that we have a new family connection to look into. As we learn more we will post that information here.

Interested in Robert Joseph Arvins Jr's research? You can find it here: Arvin Family Biographical Sketches.

Happy Reading,
~Amy