Culpepper Connections!
The Culpepper Family History Site

What's New?

A new version of the Culpepper Family Tree. The most recent update to the family tree was published on Monday, May 20, 2013. This updates corrects a number of errors in the previous version where many pictures failed to appear, and many secondary references in notes and biographies had also disappeared. In addition, it should include all updates provided to us before May 18, 2013. The next update should occur no later than mid September 2013. (Index to Family Tree)

Status Update from Warren Culpepper.
I am pretty well recovered from my knee replacements (second one done on March 5). Now walking my dogs again up to 2.5 miles on an outing, and also finally sleeping well . No more excuses, in so far as my knees, in not responding promptly to inquiries. (May 20, 2013)

More Virginia Census Records posted to Family Tree. The 1930 and 1940 censuses for Virginia have been added to all applicable Culpepper records. Plus we have started  adding all applicable Virginia records from the SSDI and Find-a-Grave. Prior to the next update, we hope to complete this process.. (October 31, 2012)

Virginia Census Records posted to Family Tree. The 1910 and 1920 censuses for Virginia have been added to all applicable Culpepper records. Prior to the next update, we hope to transcribe and add to the family tree the Virginia censuses of 1930 and 1940. (September 4, 2012)

Storytellers of the Tribe. A page written by an unknown author that well describes the interest that serious genealogists have in their pastime (See text added July 30, 2012)

Colonial New England Research. We would like to find proof of the exact connection between the American Culpepper progenitor, Henry Culpepper of Lower Norfolk, VA and the English Culpepers. In this regard, we have recently retained the services of three professional genealogists in New England to research 17th century colonial records concerning (1) The Culpeper Sisters of Branford, Connecticut, (2) Two Ships Named Culpeper, and Two Ships named Thomas and John, (3) Culpepers in Massachusetts, particularly in Roxbury, (4) Culpeper House, Newport, Rhode Island., and (5) Culpepers in the East India Company. There were no significant breakthroughs, but we have satisfied ourselves that future work on the American-English linkage must be done through records resident in London.

A solid new theory on the origin of the Culpepper surname. For well over a century, historians, genealogists and linguists have puzzled over and theorized about the origin of the Culpepper name, the first known form of which was "de Colepeper". Now, thanks to combining in-depth historical research with the scholarly contributions of both Rob Culpepper (in 2007) and Matt Culpepper (in 2012), we believe we have a defensible hypotheses on the origin of the Culpepper surname. (Feb. 5, 2012)

A Mayflower Connection. A handful of Culpeppers have found a connection back to John and Priscilla Alden of the Mayflower, and then from the Aldens back down to the Alden's great-grandson, US President John Adams. While no doubt there are many other Culpeppers whose ancestry can be traced back to the Mayflower, this is the only connection that we currently know. If you have a Mayflower connection, please give us the details and we will add it. (Dec. 15, 2011)

All Other Significant Updates (since January 2005)

Ways You Can Help

If you have found information on this site that was helpful, it was probably something that was provided by another Culpepper family member. Wouldn't you like to return the favor? Here are some ways you can do that.

1. In our Family Tree, tell us which members of your family are missing. Or provide additional or corrected facts about those whom we have listed.

2. Join our DNA project. We seek at least one DNA project participant from each major branch of the Culpepper family. For qualifying individuals, testing is free.

3. In our Photograph Index, we show the names of all deceased family members for whom we have photographs. If you would like to submit a photo of a deceased ancestor, please see Sending Photographs.

4. In our Archives. Scan the locations where your extended family has lived and see if you can identify any of the Culpeppers whom we cannot yet tie to a name in the family tree. The unidentified names will be in red.