Division I

Progenitor: Cornelius Cursonwhit (c. 1660 - c. 1719)
Birthplace: unknown; living in New Hampshire, USA, as early as 1685
Possible origin: Netherlands, France, United Kingdom
Current Y-DNA terminal haplogroup: R-BY4068
Also known as: Corson families of New England
Descendant database: Descendants of Cornelius Cursonwhit (webtrees database)

Cornelius Cursonwhit may have migrated to New Hampshire from Boston, Massachusetts.  He and his wife, Hannah Hobbs, had a son, Samuel, and at least one daughter, Abigail. Abigail was captured by Abenaki Indians around 1695 and taken to Québec, where she appears to have stayed and married a French colonist. Samuel was born and lived in Dover, New Hampshire, and his descendants spread throughout New England.  At least three male-line descendants adopted the surname Colson during in the 18th century.
 
Variations: CORSON, COLSON, COSON, CORSEN, COURSIN, CURSONWHIT, COURSON

Maps:

  • Birthplaces of Division I descendants born with the Corson/Colson surname:

Birthplaces of some Division I descendants in the eastern United States born with the Corson/Colson surname Birthplaces of some Division I descendants in New England born with the Corson/Colson surname

  • Hubbard Map of New England, 1677, just before Cornelius Cursonwhit is reported to have arrived (note the Piscataqua River near Dover)

Main Reference Works:

  • "The New England Corson Families", Ch. XIV of Three Hundred Years with the Corson Families in America, by Orville Corson, 1939, Vol. II, pp. 279-284. (available to members)
  • The Descendants of Cornelius Cursonwhit of Dover, New Hampshire, Vol. I, II, and III, by Douglas Colson, Stanton Colson and Kim Colson.

Notable Division I Descendants:

Dighton Corson (1821-1915) Dighton Corson (1827-1915), supreme court judge of South Dakota, namesake of Corson County, SD Juliet Corson (1841-1897) Juliet Corson (1841-1897), instructor at the New York School of cooking, popular author
Elbridge H. Corson (1849-1933) Elbridge H. Corson (1849-1933), bicycle and motorcycle pioneer, inventor    

Division-specific Links: