Devault Funderburk - Surname

I think there are many unanswered questions about his immigration and heredity.

I just like to be sure parental connections are correct and hopefully have some sourced reference to validate the connections. Otherwise, I think it's best for unproven parents not to be connected because it throws all legiimate pathways for everyone on Geni. I never know in cases like this whether to trust the connections or not.

. I think many are relying on Guy Funderburk's book. But I have found no other reliable sources regarding the nobility connections, the shipwreck or the name change.

My great great grandfather was William David Funderburk, son of Joseph Funderburk and grandson of Devault.

Well, since it's your direct line, I think you should decide whether to trust the connection or disconnect it. I was just tracing a cousin line that this happened to show up on and I just always question connections when there is nothing explaining a name change or any source listed for the connections, etc. Quite often they turn out to be incorrect but I always prefer direct descendants and/or a curator make any changes to connections that aren't in my direct ancestry. I just point out when I see something that raises questions. Just trying to keep the pathways correct for all of us. Thanks so much for weighing in on this.

My direct line goes back to Joseph Funderburk. I have no verified information about Devault or Hans Devauld Funderburk. That person and his pedigree have been added by others, presumably because of information in Guy Funderburk's book. Two of my sisters have copies of this book and are comfortable with accepting this source. I have doubts.

On my own lines, unless I'm convinced by documentation, I prefer to disconnect 'ify' connections smiply because they have the potential to give misleading connections on Geni.

My direct line goes back to Hans Devauld Funderburk, based on Dr. Guy Funderburk's research, and of course, family anecdotes. However, there have been a number of serious academic European (and German) researchers that have thrown significant shade on Dr. Guy's assumptions and opinions, as well as his actual research.

As a descendant, here's how I look at it: Peter and Walter von der Burg went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and settled, spreading west toward Ohio. This is well documented.

Hans Devault's kinship and blood connect is suspect and he may have only been a distant blood cousin to Peter and Walter. He started out (in seems) as a indentured servant - certainly no son of German peerage. I certainly do not think he is - or was "royalty" and neither were Peter or Walter. At best they were "middle-class" Anabaptists who chose to leave the purges following the 30 Years War aftermath and avoid death.

That said (my studied opinion)...I really don't care. What is important to me is the overwhelming social and financial success of Hans Devault's children and that of his numerous descendants. There is absolutely no doubt of his humble beginnings in a backward and poor region of upper SC and the successful expansion of his bloodline throughout SC, NC, GA, AL, MS, and TX over the last 250 years.

Of my own grandfather's 20 children, the sons, most poorly educated, started businesses, opened shops, and achieved financial success following the Great Depression, most of them in and around Charlotte. The daughters married well and had successful families, some achieved teaching and professional careers.

I know this discussion is over a year old, but does anybody know if there's any relation to the Funderburghs, i.e. Anthony Funderburgh? Have any direct descendants of Devault or Anthony done a Y-DNA test? Not a direct descendant myself. Just always been curious about the surname and origin of Devault.

I have done a DNA test thru Ancestry.com. In fact a recent update was received only a couple of months ago. I have not personally read where the "Devault" name came from, no idea.

The DNA update shows the overwhelming percentages of my distant ancestors were from Scandinavian, Scotland, northern England, Ireland...and not "Germany." So, the German von der Burgs'/Bergs' forefathers moved there from other parts of northern Europe, I reckon. I'll be glad to share the update if someone if they send me a private message.

Hello, William,

I think I saw that a descendant of Jacob C Funderburk was R-M269. I just wanted to see if it's ever been verified if Anthony Funderburg/Funderburghs and Devault Funderburk are related through Y-DNA. Some family trees have Devault Funderburk as Dewalt Funderburgh and as a son of Anthony Funderburgh. I believe Guy Funderburk had Devault Funderburk and Dewalt Funderburgh as two separate people. I think a descendant of Anthony has done a Y-DNA test but he appears to descend from a non-Funderburg male and a female Funderburg so Anthony's Y-DNA haplogroup is still unknown. I think there is some genetic overlap between Germany and Scandinavia (especially North Germany).

I had to hunt for the results I found yesterday but I've uploaded a screenshot of them in the Media section. More Y-DNA tests would need to be done to confirm this haplogroup of course.

I'm trying to see if Ancestry has my Y-DNA haplogroup. Don't know. I'd like to know Devaults. :)

The cultural and tribal traffic among England, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Russia (modern country names) was especially heavy in the period after the Roman occupation 100 AD - 500 AD. Some was from piracy and slavery but most from tribal migration and land wars.

Very true about the genetic exchange between those countries. I think Guy Funderburk mentioned a family with the surname Dayvault and wondered if that could be where the name Devault came from. I know Guy's book should be taken with a grain of salt, but he could be onto something. I'm guessing Devault's Y-DNA haplogroup would be R-M269 like the descendant of Jacob C Funderburk. Jacob C Funderburk is Devault's son and Y-DNA doesn't change as much as autosomal DNA. If multiple male direct descendants end up showing up with the same haplogroup, then we could confirm that it's Devault's haplogroup. R-M269 on its own is "the most common European haplogroup" according to sources. Now if a male descendant got Big-Y, that would further define it and pinpoint an exact subclade. Unfortunately, Big-Y is expensive even with the discounts that come around the holidays. I just wish there was a Funderburk specific DNA project for people to donate to so we could get more direct descendants tested. Sigh.