Maggie,
I found this post and chat room searching for info on my Stephenson family.
My direct maternal ggggg great grandmother was Margaret Peggy Lindsey Stephenson (1757-1842), wife of Robert Stephenson (1753-1837). I have done autosomal and mtdna tests.
The tree I was given about my Stephenson family, has a reference to John Atlantic as being the son of John Stephenson, son of Robert and Peggy. In reading this chat, I now know this is incorrect.
There is much talk about THE George Stephenson, and how everyone is related. There is a book "Recollections of a long life, 1829-1915" written by Isaac Stephenson, grandson of Margaret and Robert whom was a Senator in the US where I am from. I live in the city he basically founded and is buried with many other Stephenson family members. I just spend the day at the cemetery yesterday doing more research. In this book, he states that Andrew Stephenson (his great grandfather and father of the above mentioned Robert Stephenson) and George Stephenson, the engineer, came from the same stock. The footnote reads:
1. George Stephenson, who built the first passenger railroad from Liverpool to Manchester, and the first locomotive, the Rocket, used on the line, was born in the village of Wylam, eight miles west of Newcastle-on Tyne. "A tradition is, indeed, preserved in the family that old Robert Stephenson's father (George Stephenson's great-grandfather) and mother came across the border from Scotland on the loss of considerable property there." Smiles' Life of George Stephenson; John Murray: London 1857.
My branch is very large. I guess when your family member has 17 children of which 15 came to North America there is a lot to research.
I am glad to be a part of this huge Stephenson family and look forward to learning more about my ancestors and relatives who are on the side of the pond.
Hope all of you are well and safe with the whole COVID thing going on. It hasn't really hit us here yet in my area.
Cindy