For every family historian the love of a good ancestor hunt is irresistible. Yellowstone’s family relationships throughout the prequels and flashbacks have made for an exciting family tree to work on. Even for those who merely enjoy the shows, attempting to understand the relationships of the Dutton family can be difficult. Here we present the Dutton family tree as we have pieced together from Yellowstone, 1883, 1923 and the flashback scenes. We will continue to update as more information is presented to avid fans.
You’ll notice some missing family lines. Currently there is a disconnect between what we know from 1923 and how we get to John Dutton in Yellowstone. Theories abound, is he the son of Jack Dutton and his wife Elizabeth, seems unlikely as John’s birthdate is estimated between 1945-1950. The same question is asked of Spencer Dutton and his new wife Alexandra, this possibility has the same issue as Jack and Elizabeth. What would make more sense is that John Dutton is the son of a child of either Jack and Elizabeth or Spencer and Alexandra, but only time and future prequels will tell.
Next missing family lines include a cluster of Duttons whose relationship to the family is currently a mystery. In fact we only know of their existence due to Monica and Summer touring the family cemetery. Will we learn how Ned Dutton, with what appears to be a birth year of 1863, Patience Dutton, with a birth or death year of 1931, and Chance Dutton fit into Dutton family, or will Taylor Sheridan choose to keep some family members a mystery?
Let’s delve into what we know about each of the Dutton family members.
James Dutton – James Dutton is introduced in 1883 as the patriarch of the Dutton family. The family is immigrating from Tennessee to Oregon to start a new life. However, plans change when Elsa Dutton dies in Montana thereby selecting the location of the future Yellowstone Ranch. James fought in the Civil War, marrying Margaret shortly after the surrender at Appomattox Court House. Based on this we estimate his birth year to be between 1840 and 1845. In a flashback viewers are shown that in 1893 James is mortally wounded.
Margaret Dutton – James Dutton’s wife and the mother of Elsa, John and Spencer Dutton. In 1883 Margaret tells her daughter Elsa that she was her age when she was pregnant with her, making Margaret 34 or 35 in 1883, providing an inferred birth year of 1848 as Elsa provides her exact birthdate in an 1883 episode when she’s out wrangling the herd with her father. In 1923 viewers learn that after James death in 1893 Margaret reaches out to her brother-in-law and sister-in-law for help. Her sister-in-law Cara shares in 1923 that when they arrived Margaret was nearly starved to death and died shortly after their arrival so Jacob and Cara took over the ranch and the care of John and Spencer.
Elsa Dutton – Eldest child and only daughter of James and Margaret Dutton. In an early 1883 episode Elsa is out with her father and asks him what day it is. She then has an internal dialog that the Confederacy surrendered at Appomattox April 9, 1865, one year later on that same date she was born and while her father had the day wrong, that day was in fact her birthday in 1883. Based on what Elsa said she was born April 9th 1866, so on April 9th 1883 she turned 17 on the prairie. Elsa would marry Sam, a Comanche, while traveling across the plains. She would died in Montana, determining the location of the family homestead and the future home of the Yellowstone Ranch.
John Dutton – The second child and eldest son of James and Margaret Dutton. John is 5 in the 1883 series, which coincides well with the spring setting and the disclosure in 1923 that John’s birthdate was June 23, 1877. John grows up at the ranch being raised by his aunt and uncle, Jacob and Cara Dutton, after the death of his mother. John marries Emma and has at least one son that we currently know about, Jack Dutton born about 1900. John is killed when the family is ambushed on their way home from town August 28, 1923.
Emma Dutton – Emma Dutton the wife of John Dutton. Very little is know about her and her character is short lived in the show as she commits suicide after the death of her husband. It is implied in her final conversation with Cara Dutton that Emma has only one son or at least only one son currently living.
Spencer Dutton – The youngest child of James and Margaret Dutton. Spencer was born about 1887 after the family settles in Montana. Spencer was first introduced, although not by name, in a flashback of James and his two sons interacting with the local Indian tribe. Spencer Dutton marries Alexandra, a British woman he meets in Africa, aboard a ship as he attempts to return to Montana after the letter from his aunt Cara about the death of his brother John and anticipated death of his uncle Jacob.
Alexandra Dutton – Wife of Spencer Dutton, born about 1900 in England, or is implied in England as she discusses taking Spencer to visit her family in England.
Jacob Dutton – Brother of James Dutton and husband of Cara. Jacob Dutton emigrates to Montana after receiving a letter from his sister-in-law Margaret informing him of the death of his brother James. James and Cara arrived in Montana about 1894. Jacob’s birth is estimated to have been about 1842, making him about 80 in 1923. *UPDATE* – In the 1st season finale of 1923 Jacob tells the bank he is 78 years old making his birth year 1844 or 1845.
Cara Dutton – Wife of Jacob Dutton, born about 1845. Cara has no children per a conversation she has with Emma Dutton just prior to Emma’s suicide, where Emma says Cara can come talk to her about what children need as soon as she has some. Cara and Jacob raised John and Spencer, but Emma seems to be making it clear that Cara has not had any children of her own.
Claire nee Dutton – While not affirmatively said, it appears that Claire is the sister of James Dutton. This seems to be made clear when Claire says that James has been a dreamer his whole life. A sister would have been with him his whole life to make this sort of statement. Claire was married to a man named Henry who dies shortly before their journey west and this is the sole reason she and her daughter Mary Abel travel with the Duttons as Claire says her only other option would be to beg on the streets. Claire has 7 children all of whom pre-deceased her. Claire commits suicide at the at the gravesite of her daughter Mary Abel.
Mary Abel – Mary Abel is the daughter of Claire nee Dutton. Mary Abel is roughly the same age as her cousin Elsa, making her birth roughly 1865 or 1866. She dies early on the journey after being shot.
John Dutton Sr. – Introduced as John Dutton’s father in the Yellowstone series in season 2 as a flashback, we currently know very little about him other than he died in his 90s. Based on the timing of the series and the family as it exists in 1923, a birth year of about 1925 makes sense, that would make John Dutton Sr. 90 in 2015 and so dying in his 90s shortly before the series begins. Viewers are also made aware John had two sons, but only John Jr. is alive. The 1932 series should start to shed a great deal more light on the generation of John Dutton Sr, including most importantly who is father is, Jack Dutton, Spencer Dutton or another Dutton yet to be introduced.
John Dutton Jr. – Son of John Dutton Sr. born about 1950, husband of Evelyn and father of Lee, Kayce and Beth, and adoptive father of Jamie. John Dutton Jr. is the center of the Yellowstone Ranch, the formidable head of the family determined to protect the family’s legacy.
Evelyn Dutton – Wife of John Dutton Jr. born about 1955 and died in a horse riding accident March 30, 1997.
Lee Dutton – Eldest son of John and Evelyn Dutton, estimated to have been born about 1979 and dies early in season 1 of Yellowstone 2018. Lee has not been discussed as having had a wife nor children.
Beth Dutton – Beth is the only daughter of John and Evelyn Dutton. She is estimated to have been born about 1984. Due to a callous decision by her brother Jamie, Beth can never have children of her own. Beth and Rip Wheeler marry at the end of season 4.
Kayce Dutton – Youngest son of John and Evelyn Dutton, estimated to have been born about 1990. Kayce married Monica and American Indian from the nearby reservation. They have one son Tate.
Monica – Monica is the wife of Kayce Dutton. She was born on the nearby reservation and it is revealed she is the granddaughter of one of the tribal elders, Felix Long. She has one son with Kayce, Tate, and at the end of season 4 was expecting another baby, but it is revealed in season 5 that she lost the baby.
Jamie Dutton – Jamie Dutton is the adopted son of John and Evelyn Dutton, he is estimated to have been born about 1979. During the series his biological parents are revealed to be Garrett Randall and his wife Phyllis. Jamie marries Christina and together they have a baby boy in 2021 who thus far has only be said to be named for his father, as Jamie could be short for James a formal name is unclear.
Patience Dutton, Ned Dutton & Chance Dutton – Now it appears we’re getting a preview of characters to come. In a scene in season 5 where Monica and Summer are in the family cemetery together a number of headstones can be seen with names viewers are not yet familiar with. Attempting to make out the information on the headstones as they go by has caused some disagreement on what they say. (Excellent work on the production for increasing curiosity.) For instance on the headstone for Patience Dutton it appears to be a death date of 1931, likely making that her a daughter of Jack or Spencer who died young, but it could also be Patience’s birth date. Considering the next season has been named 1932 the audience should either meet her as a child or a new born baby. Another example is “1863” can be seen the headstone of Ned Dutton, this is likely his birth year, but has led to some lively debate about a moved grave and this date actually being when he died. The 3rd headstone visible is Chance Dutton, however no additional information was seen on the headstone outside of the name.
Lastly, for now, throwing a wrench into everything we’ve been able to determine Taylor Sheridan said in an interview that “James is John’s great great (pause) great grandfather”. Well sadly based on what we know that just doesn’t work, unless there is a whole bunch of Duttons we haven’t met yet. However, it may be as simple as Taylor Sheridan misspoke, which is something I’m sure most of us have done when trying to sort out the proper number of “great”s to use. Here’s how the family breaks down generationally.
1st Generation (Father): James Dutton about 1840-1893
2nd Generation (Son): John Dutton 23 Jun 1877 – 28 August 1923
3rd Generation (Grandson): Possibly Jack Dutton born about 1900 or Spencer Dutton born about 1887
4th Generation (Great Grandson): John Dutton Sr (as seen in Yellowstone) born about 1925 – Died in his 90s
5th Generation (Great Great Grandson): John Dutton Jr. born about 1950
6th Generation (Great Great Great Grand Children): Lee 1979 – 2018, Kaycee 1990 – , Beth 1984 – , Adopted son Jamie 1979 –
7th Generation (4th Great Grand Children): Tate Dutton and Jamie’s Baby Boy
We concretely know the relationship between the first two generations and the following ones happen at predictable roughly 25 year intervals, so unfortunately Mr. Sheridan’s statement doesn’t appear to work, but after all it’s Hollywood so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Although the 7th Generation with Tate Dutton being half American Indian ties in well with the plot from 1883 where James is told in 7 generations the tribe will come back and reclaim their land.
After reading delving into the fictional family tree of the Duttons are you ready to connect to your roots? Start your journey today.