Here is the Dutton family tree explained, from both prequels to the original.
The Dutton families of Yellowstone, 1923
and 1883, are among the most intriguing clans in television history. The expanding universe means the Dutton clan is expanding, and keeping up with the family tree can be time challenging.
From patriarch John Dutton to his children Beth, Jamie, Kayce, and Lee and all their significant others, friends, and enemies. The complex family tree is filled with characters as deep as they are unique.
James Dutton
We first meet the original Dutton in the show 1883, a farmer from Tennessee. James’past haunts him as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. Specifically, the Battle of Antietam, where he became a prisoner of war.
In the show 1883, he gathers his family – wife Margaret, children Elsa and John, sister Claire, and Claire’s daughter Mary Abel – and sets out on a journey west from Fort Worth, Texas.
Tragedy strikes on the trail as they lose Elsa. However, John and the rest of the family ultimately live permanently in Montana, where they set up the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Margaret Dutton
The family matriarch, Margaret Dutton, is the fine print of the upcoming Dutton women. Uncompromising regarding her family, she sets out with John Westward in search of a better life.
However, she loses her daughter Elsa in Montana, where they decide to homestead permanently.
Elsa Dutton
The eldest daughter to James and Margaret, Elsa acts as the narrator to 1883 and 1923. With great fire, passion, and spirit, Elsa sets off with her parents westwards.
On the way, she falls for a cowboy named Ennis. Elsa and Ennis plan to marry. However, Ennis gets killed by the bandits.
Later, she meets a Comanche named Sam, and the two fall in love. However, it’s cut short, as Sam feels his people need him. Elsa promises to get back to him after the family homesteads.
However, she dies on the trails after an attack on their wagon again. Her father homesteads in Montana in her honor.
John Dutton Sr
John’s and Margaret’s eldest son was a young boy when his family established their homestead in Montana, which would eventually become the Yellowstone Dutton ranch.
He grew up working alongside his uncle Jacob Dutton on the family land. John also started a family of his own with his wife, Emma. Together, they have a son, Jack.
Emma Dutton
She is John Dutton’s wife and Jack’s eventual mother. We have yet to find out about Emma. However, she works with Cara on the ranch and, similar to Cara, is fiercely protective of her family.
Jack Dutton
Jack Dutton is the son of John and Emma. While continuing the Dutton tradition, he works on the ranch with his father and eventually with his great-uncle Jacob.
His great-grandfather or first cousin of present-day John Dutton through his uncle Spencer. Although their exact relationship is yet to be determined, there is no denying that they share the same bloodline.
Spencer Dutton
The second son to James and Margaret, Spencer was born sometime after the family settled in Montana. Like his father, he served in WWI.
However, the war experiences haunt him leading to his relocation to Africa, where he’s a big game hunter.
Claire Dutton
James Dutton’s sister Claire joined him and his family in the west in 1883 after becoming a widow.
She brought her daughter, Mary Abel, with her. However, during an attack by rebels, Mary Abel was shot with an arrow and died.
Henry
Claire’s husband died before the events of 1883, and as such, not much is known about him. His death leads his wife and his daughter to travel with James.
Mary Abel Dutton
The only child (they were seven kids) of Henry and Claire to survive, Mary Abel was a part of the traveling carriage led by her uncle James from Tennessee.
She dies when their group is involved in an altercation outside Forth Worth, Texas.
Jacob Dutton
The brother to James Dutton, Jacob becomes the ranch owner after James dies, and Margaret calls on him to go to Montana.
He is married to Cara Dutton, and they work on the ranch together, keeping it in one piece together with Jack, John Sr, and later Spencer.
Cara Dutton
Cara Dutton, the wife of Jacob Dutton, is an integral part of the ranch operations. After Margaret’s passing, Cara takes on the role of the family’s official matriarch and works alongside her husband to manage the ranch alongside John Dutton Sr.
John Dutton iii, Played By Kevin Costner
John Dutton serves as the head of the family and owns the largest ranch in the United States. He’s an ambitious man with a no-nonsense attitude toward his business dealings and parenting style.
His love for Yellowstone is unlike anything, making him a hazardous man.
His connection with his kids is often full of mistakes and gut-wrenching moments. However, he has a “regular and loving “relationship with his grandson Tate Dutton.
Peter Dutton
In season 5 of Yellowstone, John Dutton reveals to Monica that he had a brother who died 18 hours after birth.
Beth Dutton
The other half of John Dutton, Beth, is John’s only daughter. Cutthroat and relentless, Beth has made a name for herself in business; she’s a banker and will do everything and anything for her family.
With a softer side that she only shows to her father and Rip, her longtime partner, she’s not one to mess around with.
Evelyn Dutton
Eve is John Dutton’s life. However, Evelyn Dutton passed on in a horseback riding accident when her kids were young.
Kayce and Beth were present when the accident, leading to incredible trauma for both. Beth, however, feels guilty for her mother’s death.
Lee Dutton
The eldest of all three children, Lee Dutton, died in a dispute with a few guys from the Indian reservation next door over some cattle.
His death set off a lot of events in the future. He was to be the sole inheritor of Yellowstone.
Jamie Dutton
The adopted son of John Dutton and his wife Evelyn Dutton, Jamie is the lawyer in the family and the object of Beth’s hatred.
While the two had a seemingly ‘happy and normal’ sibling relationship when they were younger, he’s now the family’s black sheep after a botched hysterectomy on Beth.
Jamie struggles to fit within the family, admiring his adopted father and hating him simultaneously.
Kayce Dutton, Played By Luke Grimes
The youngest Dutton child, Kayce, followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the family ranching business only after he served in the Navy Seal.
His connection with his father has its ups and downs, at one time even being estranged. However, they agree on their love for the ranch.
His wife Monica is a Native American woman who works on the reservation adjacent to the Dutton’s property. Their son Tate was conceived out of wedlock, making him John Dutton’s first grandchild despite being born before any of his children were married.
Monica Long
Monica is an independent and strong-willed individual who stands up for what she believes in, even going against the norm.
Growing up on the Broken Rock Reservation, she has experience as a teacher. She is often skeptical of the Dutton family, perceiving them as potentially threatening her son Tate.
She loves Kayce and, to some point, understands his love of Yellowstone. However, she’s unwilling to put her son in harm’s way due to that fact.
Rip Wheeler
One of the greatest enforcers to ever live, Rip Wheeler, is John’s extended family. His journey to the ranch is riddled with challenges.
However, John takes him in, and he becomes a ranch hand who plays an essential role within the Dutton fold.
He forms a relationship with Beth starting when they are young. Despite loving each other, their relationship goes through ups and downs. However, they get together at the end of season 4 by tying the knot.
Christina
The other half Jamie, Christina first meets Jamie during his run for State Attorney General, where they worked together on his campaign. They later became entangled, and she became his baby’s mother.
In addition, she has powerful feelings towards the Duttons, even teaming up with Jamie’s biological father to poison him against the Duttons.
While the two aren’t married and their relationship is complicated, her giving birth to Jamie’s son puts her in the family.
Jamie And Christina’s Son
In the last season of Yellowstone, viewers learned about the new kid on the block. While we don’t know much about the child, Jamie is very protective of him, not letting any of his family know of him.
In season 5, we learn that he’s named after his father. Whether that’s, Jamie or John is yet to be confirmed.
Tate
Monica and Kayce’s son, Tate, is a 5th generation Dutton. Despite his grandfather’s objections to his existence initially, John softens up to him and gives him the love and attention he could not give his kids.
Like anyone with the name Dutton attached to them, Tate goes through many traumatic events while living on the ranch. His love for horses and the farm has been passed on to him.
He’s seemingly the one to inert the ranch, from his grandfather.
Conclusion
The complexity of this sprawling family tree is one of the things that makes Yellowstone and 1923 so captivating.
As viewers watch each character grapple with personal struggles, it’s fascinating to see how their relationships intertwine within the larger context of their lives at home on the ranch.
If you’re looking for a show with compelling characters and a riveting family drama, Yellowstone and 1923 is the perfect series to explore.
Its careful exploration of the Dutton family tree is an entertaining way to learn about the nuances of this unique clan.
