Vaughan Family

Ferne Vaughan Buehler

September, 1972

The Vaughan family is of Welsh origin, although explicit details are unknown.  Hundreds of years ago they migrated to England, and It was from there that the first of our family sailed to the New World.  According to  family tradition the first member of our family arrived in Virginia around 1630, although the Vaughans have played a part In the history of the U. S. from the very earliest times.  A member of the very first colony sent to Virginia was a Captain Vaughan.  This was the Roanoke Colony established on that island in 1597.  Its members had all disappeared when the supply ships returned two years later, leaving behind the dismal sign reading "Roanoke".

The family has been traced to William Vaughan who was born about 1730 In Virginia.  As noted elsewhere, his father Is said to be John Vaughan, born about 1690, and "of King George County, Virginia".  No one has been able to prove this a although evidence points to its truth; for this reason, John is shown as the oldest known American generation of the family.  If this is true, and if the first Vaughan  arrived on these shores around 1630 then there are still about sixty years unaccounted for.  Because of the paucity of records, combined with lack of research these earliest years and earliest family members remain unknown.

Several years ago while corresponding with a Vaughan descendant In Missouri, I complained of my frustration in not being able to locate records for these earliest family members.  In partial reply, J. P. McDaniel wrote, "and my wish for you is to read Proverbs, 3rd chapter, verses 5 and 6".  I hurried to the Good Book to search for Proverbs and found this:  "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths."

Since "leaning unto mine own understanding" hasn't brought about complete success in the research done, in the future more faith shall be employed, in the hope He will direct our paths toward complete success. 

It has taken years and years of good, hard work to compile this record---not by one person alone, but it represents contributions made by many members of the family.  It has taken an outlay by all who have worked on it of not only time and effort but of much money.  Because of these factors, not to mention the most important one of interest In our common background, I would like for this history to be a continuing one.  To make it so, I must depend upon each branch of the family to keep me informed regarding changes (births, deaths, marriages) within that branch; to inform me of errors found In the history, and of new data uncovered.  The more complete it is, the more valuable it will be to us and to generations of Vaughans yet to come.

Ferne Vaughan Buehler
September, 1972