Sims/Syms/Simms Y-DNA

[SSimsGer]

I'm trying to find out where in England my ancestor, William Syms/Sims came from.  He was born about ?1640-1646 and was in Virginia by 1658.  I paid for a Y-DNA test for a male Sims whose ancestors lived in Somerset, and he was in the "I" group.  My brother's Y-DNA is in the "R-M269" group. 
If you are a Sims whose ancestors have lived in Britain since the 17th century, I'll pay for your test.  All you have to do is swab your mouth, follow the simple rules, then mail the envelope back to the U.S.  Since R-M269 is the most common haplogroup in England, I've upgraded my brother's test from 37 to 67 markers.

Most of the colonists in early Virginia were from Southwestern England, so that's the most likely area he would have come from, however, immigrants came from all over Britain.  There was a William Syms born 6 Jan., 1642, in Steeple, Ashton, Wiltshire, son of a William Sims.

I've also noticed that there are many people recorded in Wiltshire from All Cannings who are listed as Sims alias Shipman or Shipman alias Sims.  Is it possible that my real maiden name is Shipman?  I would like to correspond with anyone whose Shipman/Sims ancestors lived in Wiltshire in the 17th century, also.

Thanks!

[KGarrad]

My mother was a Sims.
My researches indicate 2 distinct family groups of Sims in Wiltshire.
"My" Steeple Ashton group, and another group based around Cricklade

But I don't have a William Sims, of the right vintage, in my  tree.

As for aliases - this is the best article I have found that explains the situation:
http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/DevonMisc/AliasesDiscriminant.html

[SSimsGer]

Thank you for the 'alias' link!  In the case of the Wiltshire Sims' it was probably used to distinguish one family of Sims' from the other.  Somewhere back in the genealogical tree, a Sims undoubtedly married a woman named Shipman.

I notice you research Bridger.  I have a Bridgar in my tree - 'doubt the spelling difference means anything, knowing how that went back then.  I haven't researched the Bridgars much, but in 1913 a very old gravestone from an abandoned graveyard was found in Heathsville, Northumberland County, Virginia, for Elizabeth Bridgar Haynie.  Her husband, Capt. Richard Haynie, was a member of the House of Burgesses in Virginia. I tried to attach a picture of it, but it wouldn't accept that kind of file.  If you want to see it, you can probably find it by Googling it.   It reads -

Here Lyeth the Body of Elizabeth Haynie daughter of Richard & Jane Bridgar   
Was born July 16th 1665 married to Richard Haynie Oct. 10th 1681 by whom she had 8 children & died his wife April 2, 1697

The stone is now protected behind a bank!

Richard Haynie wrote a letter to the assembly of the House of Burgesses to excuse his absence -

Right Worshipful and Werthy Gent -
This, with all due respect, comes to give you an act of my absents from the ______ occationed by my Wife's sickness, who is far more likely to Dye than recover (and I cannot in conscience leave her) If please God I see any probable amendment in her sickness, shall not faile immediately to give my due attendance.  Till such time, I hope this may be a reasonable excuse to Gent.
Yre Most Humble Servt.
Richard Haynie

Richard Bridgar, Elizabeth's father, was probably the immigrant ancestor.  I'll check my Ancestry.com tree and see if I have a place of birth for him.

Thanks for the link!

Sherry

[KGarrad]

My maternal grandmother was Bridger.
All her family hail from Kent; if that's any help

[SSimsGer]

The information that I have on my American Bridgers says they were from Gloucestershire, but that could be wrong.

The upgrade on my Sims/Syms' Y-DNA (brother's) shows him to be in the L-21 group.  This isn't a surprise, others that were descended from William Syms/Sims are in this same subgroup.