Family History Through the Alphabet – W is for Weddings and Wedding Anniversaries

This week’s Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge features the letter W.  Noteworthy W’s I have run across while researching my ancestry are weddings and wedding anniversaries.

W is for Weddings:

Weddings are an important and joyous event in anyone’s life, and no less so for the generations that came before us. Although I have records for marriages throughout my ancestry, I have few photographic, oral, or written accounts of the weddings that took place. The following are some of the ones that I have uncovered in the course of researching my ancestry.

My paternal grandparents, William Kernan (LIVING) and Margaret Ann Lapham (1936-2004), were married on June 28, 1952 in Portland, Multnomah Co., Oregon. The wedding took place at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, and the service was conducted by Rev. Patrick J. Dooley. The service was reported in The Milwaukie Review, a local paper in Oregon. The following newspaper clippings provide some details, such as a description of my grandmother’s wedding dress, the names of those who attended and the roles they played during the service, in addition to the only surviving photos from their wedding.

 

My paternal great grandmother, Alice Lucretia (Wellin) Lapham (1916-1985), married Willard Pershing Graber (1918-1988), her second husband, on December 13, 1947 in Portland, Multnomah Co., Oregon. Although I have few details of their wedding, I do know, from their wedding book that contains their certificate of marriage, that they were married in a Methodist church, and the services was officiated by Rev. Henry E. DuVall. The witnesses were Willard’s brother, Noel Graber, and Alice’s aunt, Althea (Agee) Morgan. Apart from these facts, I have some nice photographs from their wedding.

 

Perhaps the oldest image I have run across for a wedding in my ancestry is for that of my 9th great grandparents, John Bigelow (or Biglo) (1617-1703) and Mary Warren (1624-1691). John and Mary were married by a Mr. Nowell on August 30, 1642 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. The following painting is said to be of John and Mary dancing at their wedding party (unverified by me).

Although I have no photographs for their wedding, I have an oral family history account regarding the wedding of my 2nd great grandparents, Alexander Balla (1886-1950) and Julia Molnar (1885-1962). According to this account, Alexander and Julia, who were from the same village in Hungary (Eszény) immigrated to the United States separately, with Julia coming to the United States first (1902), as she was offered a job working in the same household as her sister, Elizabeth, in Manhattan, New York. This family, whose name has unfortunately been lost to time, was fairly well off financially—they could afford to have a personal cook (Elizabeth) and at least one maid (Julia). Julia and Alexander were eventually reunited at a Hungarian Church social, which sparked a relationship that resulted in a marriage proposal in 1907. When the family Julia had been working for since her arrival in 1902 learned of this, they offered to pay for the wedding because they had grown very fond of her over the years. Alexander and Julia’s wedding took place on September 9, 1907, at which Julia is said to have been given away by the head of the household she worked in.

 

W is for Wedding Anniversaries:

Related to weddings are, of course, wedding anniversaries, milestones of which are often important events in the lives of our ancestors, as well for us today.

My 2nd great grandparents, Wilhelm Percy Wellin (1895-1977) and Lois Beatrice Agee (1897-1983), were married on December 2, 1914 in Vancouver, Clark Co., Washington. On December 2, 1964, Wilhelm and Lois celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, for which they had a family gathering and open house. This milestone in their marriage is recorded in the newspaper clipping below. By the time their marriage vow of “until death do us part” was realized in 1977, Wilhelm and Lois were married for nearly sixty-three years.

Kit Carson Graber (1875-1962) and Iva Mae McKeehan (1879-1950), the parents of Willard Pershing Graber (1918-1988), the second husband of my great grandmother Alice Lucretia (Wellin) Lapham (1916-1985), were married on February 27, 1893 in Mount Pleasant, Henry Co., Iowa. By the time their marriage parted in death in 1950, Kit and Iva were married for nearly fifty-seven years. The photograph below was taken on the occasion of their fifty-fourth wedding anniversary.

 

The following is a table of some of those in my ancestry that celebrated the milestone of making it to their 50th wedding anniversary:

Husband	Wife	Years
Wilhelm Percy Wellin	Louis Beatrice Agee	1914-1977
Isaac Agee	Cordelia Thornton	1831-1893
Kit Carson Graber	Iva Mae McKeehan	1893-1950
Thomas McLaughlin	Margaret Wilson	1833-1891
William Phylitis Davis	Mary Magdelene Williams	1906-1960
Jesse Beeney	Mary An Wys	1803-1857
Jacob Worthington	Elmina Couch	1865-1920
Boyd Ferguson Seely	Rebecca Allen	1857-1909
William Kernan (LIVING)	Margaret Ann Lapham	1952-2004

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Family History Through the Alphabet – V is for Voter Registrations, Vermont, Virginia, & Van Nieukirk

This week’s Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge features the letter V. The following are a few noteworthy V’s I have run across while researching my ancestry.

V is for Voter Registrations:

Voter Registration records are an often overlooked source of information relevant to genealogical research. These sources can provide, depending on the location, not only name and date of registration, but also age or birth year, occupation, time frame of naturalization status, marital status, and place of residence. This information may fill in gaps in your research on a particular ancestor. While researching my Stearns branch, for example, I discovered that my 4th great grandfather, Lyman Stearns (1803-1879), was living in Sonoma Co., California between the 1860 and 1870 U.S. Federal censuses.

Click here to read “Did My Ancestors Vote?” by Kimberly Powell of About.com.

V is for Vermont:

V is also for Vermont. The State of Vermont was the 14th state to join the Union in 1791. It was first inhabited by Europeans in 1535. In researching my ancestry, I have discovered at least one connection to “The Green Mountain State.”

My Dunton branch traces back to Vermont to about 1800 when my 4th great grandfather, James Cyrus Dunton (ca. 1800-1845), the father of Harriet Rose Dunton (1836-1927) who married Owen Francis Kiernan (1836-1901), was born. James’s parents, David Dunton (ca. 1758-1829) and Polly Stoddard (ca. 1762-1845), were originally from Massachusetts, but moved to Vermont on their way to Steuben Co., New York, where they both died.

V is for Virginia:

V is also for Virginia. The State of Virginia was the 10th state to join the Union in 1788. The first permanent European settlements began in 1607 with Jamestown. In researching my ancestry, I have discovered a few connections to the “Old Dominion” State, one of which, my Agee branch, I will focus on here.

My Agee branch traces back to Mathieu Isaac Agè (ca. 1670-1735), who was born in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France. As a Huguenot (French Protestant), life in France became very difficult for Mathieu and his family by the reign of Louis XIV, who revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had ensured Protestants the right to worship, in 1685. Undoubtedly motivated by religious persecution, Mathieu left France for the Netherlands. It was there that he was, like many other young French Protestant immigrants, conscripted into the invasion force of William of Orange (1650-1702), King later King William III, for invasion of England during the Glorious Revolution. For their service, many French Protestants took advantage of 10,000 acres land grant in the Virginia Colony. Mathieu was among those, arriving in 1690. Mathieu settled in Manakintowne, Goochland, Virginia, where he was a prosperous land owner. It was also in Manakintowne that he married Cecelia Ann Gandovin (1691-1761) in 1714. For three generations in my line, the Agee family remained in Virginia before moving to Tennessee, then Missouri, and finally Oregon.

Mathieu Isaac Agè (ca. 1670-1735) was a direct ancestor of Lois Beatrice Agee (1897-1983), who married Wilhelm Percy Wellin (1895-1977), and was the mother of my great grandmother, Alice Lucretia Wellin (1916-1985), who married Theodore Alexander Lapham (1910-1955).

V is for Van Nieukirk:

V is also for Van Nieukirk (or Van Nieuwkirk, among other spellings), a surname that is claimed to be the ancestral family name of my 7th great grandmother, Hannah Cornelison (1757-1844). My Cornelison branch, and the Van Nieukirk family, trace back to New Netherlands prior to British rule. Hannah’s grandparents, Garrett Cornelison (ca. 1700-1779) and Marietje Lammerse (ca. 1704-1785) were married in New Harlem. It is claimed that the surname was changed to Cornelison after the British gained control of the area. Many Van Nieukirk changed their name to Cornelison (because it was a common first and middle name in the family) or some variation of Nieukirk. However, I have not yet been able to find what branch Garrett belongs to.

The Van Nieukirk surname is a habitation name, deriving from Nijkerk, a municipality and city in the Gelderland province of the Netherlands, which is where the Van Nieukirk family is from. The word Nijkerk is a variant of Nieuwekerk, which means “new church.”

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Family History Through the Alphabet – S is for Surnames and Surnames that Start with S

S is for Surnames:

William Shakespeare famously asked in his play Romeo & Juliet, “What is in a name?” The poetic and romantic nature and meaning of this question aside, those who undertake researching their family history know that there is a great deal in a name, particularly surnames. Thus, I will focus on surnames in general in this week’s “Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge” and close with some of my own surnames that start with the letter “s.”

A surname is a part of a personal name, which is usually shared in common with members of a family. Thus, the word surname is usually synonymous with “family name.” In most Western countries, the surname is typically placed at the end of a personal name, which is why it is commonly called a “last name.” In Hungary and many Asian countries, the surname is placed at the start of a personal name, before the given (or first) name. In my Hungarian ancestry, I encountered the practice of placing the surname first in personal names in my 2nd great grandparents’ family Bible.

In many Western countries, there are generally five categories for surname types: patronymic names, location (or habitation) names, occupation names, nicknames, and ornamental names. Understanding which of these your surname falls in can provide important information about your family and provide clues to tracing your ancestry.

1. Patronymic surnames are those that derive from the first name of the father. These often involve either the addition of a suffix (e.g., s, sson, son, ez, dotter, etc.) or a prefix (e.g., O, Mc, Mac, Fitz, etc.), which translate as “son of” or “daughter of.”
2. Location (or habitation) names are typically either generic, referencing a general geographic feature, or specific, referring to a specific location.
3. Occupation surnames have as their meaning a reference to a particular occupation, as in the surname Schindler which refers to the occupation of shingle maker. Additionally, occupational surnames can also have as their meaning the particular occupation of a person’s employer or master, particularly if an “s” has been added, as in the surname “Vickers,” which refers to a servant of a vicar.
4. Surnames deriving from nicknames, can either be “pet names” for given names, or derive from words referencing appearance, temperament, and personality.
5. Ornamental surnames are surnames that were adopted for no real specific reason, have no specific reflection on the person who first bore it, were often made up by or appealed to the person selecting it, and in some cases have symbolic meaning. Ornamental surnames were mostly adopted in the 18th and 19th centuries when laws required the adoption of a fixed surname (as opposed to a traditional patronymic surname), and are common among Jews and Scandinavians.

Ancestry.com has a helpful searchable database, which may help you uncover the meaning and origins of your surname.

Additionally, there are many genealogical resources available that involve surnames as an important aspect of the research.

• One type of these resources are “one-name studies.” As opposed to a particular family history or pedigree, a “one-name study” is a project researching a specific surname that can range from a study of that surname in a particular geographic location to all occurrences of the surname world-wide. These projects are important genealogical resources as they are often a collection of data for persons that bare the particular surname in question. The Guild of One-Name Studies is an organization that was established to help preserve and centralize these studies. Their website has a free surname search, which includes contact information for those researching a given surname.
• Another important genealogical resource involving surnames is surname distribution maps. Usually, these maps graphically display the frequency of a particular surname in a given location. This is useful in tracking possible locations your ancestors may have been from, if they are unknown to you. There are some free searchable surname distribution maps available online for several countries. Ancestry.com’s surname search displays the frequency in the United States, England & Wales, and Scotland. Irishtimes.com has one for Ireland. Dynastree has several that appear to still be working, including for Germany, Poland, and Switzerland. Genevolu has another one for Germany. RadixIndex has one for Hungary based on an 1891 directory. A fun one is WorldNames, which shows the frequency of your name around the world. If you click on a specific country, it will show you how your surname is further breaks down in that country and so forth.
• Related to one-name studies and surname distribution maps are surname DNA projects, which use genealogical DNA tests to trace lineages of particular surnames. These projects can reveal more about the roots and family groups that bare a particular surname, in addition to identifying the genetic place of origins for a particular surname and line.

S is for Surnames that Start with S:

S is also for surnames that start with the letter S, of which I have six: Sebok, Sheridan, Stearns, Stålberg, Seely, and Stephens.

Sebok (or Sebök) is the maiden name of my maternal grandmother, Alberta (Sebok) Hamilton (LIVING) and thus one of the “cardinal branches” discussed on this blog. The surname is Hungarian in origins, though it is also found today in regions of Romania with large numbers of Hungarians. My Sebok branch traces back to the village of Székelyzsombor (now Jimbor, Romania), a rural village located in the historic region of Transylvania. According to available research, moreover, the Sebok surname derives, possibly as a nickname, from the personal name “Sebestyén,” which is the Hungarian form of the name “Sebastian.” Because of the prevalence of the name Sebastian in Christian tradition, the name probably emerged in Hungary following the adoption of Christianity. However, the name Sebastian historically originated to identify someone from Sebastia, an ancient city in the Black Sea region of Pontus. It is interesting to note that many accounts claim that Hungarians originated from the Black Sea area.

Sheridan is the maiden name of my 4th great grandmother, Martha Rose (Sheridan) Kiernan (ca. 1797-?), who married Felix Kiernan (ca. 1796-1882). The surname is Irish in origins. My Sheridan branch traces back to one of the northern counties of Ireland, possibly Longford or Cavan.  According to available research, moreover, the Sheridan surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó’Sirideáin, which means “descendant of Sirideáin.” Sirideáin (and Siridean) is a personal name of unclear origins. There are two accounts given, however, for its possible meaning. The first states that the personal name Sirideáin derives from the word “siride” meaning “elf,” making the surname a nickname for the original bearer’s personality, that of mischievous (which was the nature of elves in Irish myths). The second states that word derives from to important elements within the personal name, “sir,” meaning “search,” and “dean,” meaning “act,” “do,” or “perform,” giving the surname the meaning of “one who searches” or “a searcher,” which may be a reference to either an occupation or a personality trait.

Stearns is the maiden name of my 2nd great grandmother, Maudena Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Stearns) Kernan (1885-1936), who married George Edward Kernan (1884-1960). The surname is English in origins. My Stearns branch traces back to Yarmouth, England before their arrival in Massachusetts in 1630. According to available research, moreover, the Stearns surname is a patronymic surname that derives from personal name Stern, which is itself a nickname based on personality for a strict or austere person, coming from the Middle English word “stern(e),” meaning “strict” or “austere.” (The surname has a different meaning for those of German and Jewish ancestry.)

Stålberg is the maiden name of my 3rd great grandmother, Anna Elizabeth Stålberg (1869-1918), who was the grandmother of my great grandmother, Alice Lucretia Wellin (1916-1985), who married Theodore “Ted” Alexander Lapham (1910-1955). The surname is Swedish in origins. My Stålberg branch traces back to Soderhamn Parish, Gävleborg Co., Hälsingland Province, Sweden before coming America, and Nyed Parish, Värmland Co., Värmland Province, Sweden before that. According to available research, the surname is an ornamental name composed of the words “stål,” meaning “steel,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain” or “hill.” The surname was first adopted in my line by my 5th great grandfather, Nils Larsson Stålberg (1810-1899), in about 1834. Nils was born in Värmland Province, which is known for its picturesque scenery, particularly the mountains which are rich in iron ore. This likely explains the choice of Stålberg as a surname, though Nils was also a blacksmith one point in his life, which may also explain the choice.

Seely (or Seeley) is the maiden name of my 3rd great grandmother, Betsy “Bettie” (Seely) Williams (1858-1947), who was the grandmother of my great grandmother, Maxine Elizabeth Davis (1912-1992), who married Delmar Clair Kernan (1908-1979). The surname is English in origins. The exact origins of my Seely branch is not presently known, as the furthest backI have been able to trace is to my 5th great grandfather, Obadiah Seely (ca. 1794-ca. 1852), who was born in Ontario (now Genesee) Co., New York and died in Pennsylvania. My people with this surname in America appear to trace back to Warwickshire, England. According to available research, moreover, the Seely (or Seeley) surname is a nickname based on personality for a person with a cheerful disposition, deriving from the Middle English word “seely” meaning “happy” or “fortunate,” and the Old English words “gesælig,” meaning “happy,” and “sæl,” meaning “happiness.”

Stephens is the maiden name of my 3rd great grandmother, Trizah Olive (Stephens) Agee (1873-1967), who was the grandmother of my great grandmother, Alice Lucretia Wellin (1916-1985), who married Theodore “Ted” Alexander Lapham (1910-1955). The surname is English in origins, though variations can be found in Scotland, Holland, and German. The exact origins of my Stephens branch is not presently known, as the furthest back I have been able to trace is to my 6th great grandfather, Phillip Stephens (ca. 1755-1830), who was born in Virginia and died in Tennessee. According to available research, the Stephens surname is a patronymic surname that derives from the personal name Stephen, which is a variation of Steven, a name popular in Christendom due to the martyred Saint of that name, which means “crown.”

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Family History Through the Alphabet – R is for Religion and Rhode Island

R is for Religion:

One of the interesting topics to explore when researching your family history is the religious history of your ancestors. For many, this will probably be the same religion or denomination that is practiced in their family today. However, many others will discover that their families have a diversity of different denominations or even faiths. When I began to research my own family history, I discovered a few surprises, considering the fact that I assumed that my father’s side was entirely Catholic and that my mother’s side was either entirely Presbyterian or Methodist as well.

Research into my Kernan branch confirmed that this branch was in fact Catholic and for all known generations. However, branches that married into the family were not. My Davis branch was Baptist. My Stearns branch was Puritan when they arrived in America, as was my Dunton branch, though original apart of the “Church of England.” Over the generations both Stearns and Dunton drifted from Puritanism, and no specific denomination appears to have replaced it. However, recently I discovered a possibly Mormon connection via Dunton, which will be discussed in a forthcoming post.

The religious history of my Lapham branch also consists of a variety of Christian denominations. The Lapham family arrived in America as Quakers in the 1630’s. Over the generations, the family became Baptists, then Methodist (by my 3rd great grandfather), and for a couple of generations they were Seventh-Day Adventists. My grandmother, however, was a devout Catholic. The families that married into the Lapham family also appear to have been of varied denominations. Although few records or details exist for the religious history of the Wellin family, as well as related families of Stålberg, and Lowenburg, they were most likely Lutheran when they arrived in America, as this was the predominate denomination in Sweden. The Agee family, which married into the Wellin family, were Huguenots when they arrived in America, after which those in my line appear to be primarily Baptist. The Graber family, which also married into the Wellin family, were Mennonites when they arrived in America in 1832. The Leishman family was Presbyterian when they arrived, and changed to Seventh-Day Adventist with my 2nd great grandmother’s conversion in 1894. The Reynolds and Colwell families were Puritan when they arrived in America, with no specific denomination appearing to have replaced it over the generations since their arrivals. The Arnold and Mann families were, like the Lapham family itself, Quakers.

Research into my Hamilton branch is has been recent and is still missing important details, and there is no exception with respect to its religious history. According to oral family history, my great grandfather, Harry Carl Hamilton (1891-1960), was a Methodist. Since it seems that religion did not play a very large part in the lives of those in my ancestry belonging to this branch, it has been difficult to determine if this oral account is true. For the known generations prior to Harry, few details have been discovered with respect to the family’s religious history. The most significant has been the fact that Harry’s father and mother, Rufus and Jennie Heldman, were married by a pastor of the Church of Christ. This is the only specific mention of a denomination or religion I have found, with marriages and other major events occurring in non-religious services. The Worthington family, moreover, were Quakers when they arrived in America in 1714. By the mid-1800’s, the family was Baptist. The Gifford family, which married into the Worthington family, was also Quaker when they arrived in American in about 1647. Based on records, the Gifford family was still a part of the Quaker faith by the late 1700’s, after which it is not totally clear what denomination became predominant in the family, though it was probably Baptist. The Lightcap family, which married into the Heldman family, was Presbyterian when they arrived in America in 1734. By the 1780’s the family were members of a Lutheran congregation in Pennsylvania.

The religious history of my Sebok branch was presumed to be Presbyterian. However, family records, particularly a baptismal certificate for my great grandfather, Albert Sebok (1903-1968) and several Bibles with stamps in them, show that this branch of my family was a part of the Hungarian Reformed Church, which is a form of Calvinism. The Balla family, which married into the Sebok family, was said to be Presbyterian when it arrived in America. However, a New Testament Bible that belonged to my 2 great grandparents, Alexander and Julia Balla, has stamped in it “New Yorki Magyar Istengyülekezet.” I have not been able to find a definitive answer on what “Istengyülekezet,” though it appears to roughly mean “Church of God.” This phrase is associated with many different denominations, including Pentecostalism, Baptists, and Adventists. The Bible itself is a publication of the American Baptist Publication Society. Perhaps this means they were members of a Hungarian Baptist Church in New York.

R is for Rhode Island:

R is also for Rhode Island, the only State in the United States that starts with the letter R. Rhode Island, or rather the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, was the thirteenth State admitted to the Union, being admitted in 1790. As a Colony, Rhode Island was one of the original thirteen, and was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams (ca. 1603-1683), an English Protestant theologian.

I have a few ancestral connections to Rhode Island. My Lapham branch left England and came to America in 1660 settling first in Providence, Rhode Island, joining many other Quakers in the state. They left Providence for Newport, Rhode Island in about 1673, following destruction to the city during King Philip’s War. In 1682, the family left Rhode Island all together for Dartmouth, Massachusetts, only to return by about 1765. In the 1790’s my line of Laphams left Rhode Island for good, moving to Madison Co., New York, where my 6th great grandfather was among the pioneers of that county.

Another connection I have to the state of Rhode Island is by my Gifford branch, which married into the Worthington family (a branch of my Hamilton family). The Gifford family came to Rhode Island just prior to 1716, where my 8th great grandfather, Jabez Gifford (1686-1761) married his wife Dinah Sheldon (1697-?) in Newport Co., Rhode Island. My line of the Gifford family remained in Rhode Island until about 1750, when they moved to Dutchess Co., New York.

Another connection I have to the state is to the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams (ca. 1603-1683) who is my 10th great grandfather. My descent from Roger Williams is as follows: Roger Williams (ca. 1603-1683) married Mary Barnard (ca. 1609-1676). Their daughter was Mercy Williams (1640-1707), who married Samuel Winsor (1644-1705). Their son was Samuel Winsor (1677-1758), who married Mercy Harding (1683-1771). Their daughter was Martha Winsor (1703-ca. 1797), who married Robert Colwell (1702-1797). Their son was Benjamin Colwell (1746-1829), who married Deborah Brown (1747-?). Their daughter was Mary Colwell (1772-ca. 1808), who married Duty Lapham (1772-1846). Their son was Benjamin Lapham (1807-1860), who married Cemantha Broadway (ca. 1813-ca. 1846). Their son was William B. Lapham (1838-1925), who married Emoline Pauline Reynolds (1844-1886). Their son was Horace Irving Lapham (1869-1927), who married Anna Margaret Leishman (1875-1951). Their son was Theodore Alexander Lapham (1910-1955), who married Alice Lucretia Wellin (1916-1985). Their daughter was my paternal grandmother, Margaret Ann Lapham (1936-2004), who married William Kernan (LIVING).

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Family History Through the Alphabet – Q is for Quebecers and Quakers

Q is for Quebecers:

Quebec is one of ten provinces in Canada. With an area of nearly 600,000 sq mi, it is the largest of Canada’s provinces; and with a total population of nearly 8 million, it is the second-largest in population. Natives of Quebec are often referred to as Quebecers (Québécois). As of 2006, 5.5% of Quebecers identify themselves as Irish. About 40% of these Irish Quebecers, or Irlando- Québécois in French, reside in the Montreal region of Quebec.

The first Irish Quebecers trace back to when Quebec was called “New France” (1608-1763). These Irish Quebecers were among the Catholic Irish that served Catholic monarchs following the Reformation.  During the early 1800’s when Quebec was a part of a province called “Lower Canada” (1791-1841), thousands of Irish were drawn to the region due to rising overpopulation, enclosure policies, crop failures, famine, and a serious cholera outbreak was hitting the population of Ireland, particularly by the 1830’s when my 4th great grandfather, Felix Kiernan (ca. 1796-1882), and his wife and children, became Irish Quebecers. In addition to these push factors, employment in the shipyards and wharves, along with new agriculture prospects, encouraged Irish immigration to Lower Canada at this time. The greatest number of Irish immigrants to Quebec occurred during the Great Irish Famine years and afterwards. Today the Irish presence in Quebec can be seen during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people.

Q is for Quakers:

Q is also for Quakers. The term Quakers refers to members of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian denomination founded by George Fox in the 1640’s. Their central doctrine is the “priesthood of all believers” for whom the word of God is given.

As the numbers of Quakers increased, so did their persecution. Several legislative acts were passed in England targeting Quakers, including the Quaker Act (1662) and the Conventicle Act (1664). To escape persecution, many Quakers sought new lives in the American Colonies. In fact, the Province of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, a Quaker; and by the end of the colonial period in America, Quakers ranked fifth largest among the various denominations.

In a previous post, I explored my Quaker roots on both my paternal and maternal sides. On my paternal side, my Quaker roots trace back to John Lapham (1635-1710), my 8th great grandfather who immigrated from Devonshire, England. On my maternal side, my Quaker roots trace back to John Worthington (1604-1691), my 11th great grandfather who immigrated from Cheshire, England, and William Gifford (ca. 1615-1687), my 10th great grandfather who immigrated from Devonshire, England.

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Genealogy Challenge: Who Is Your Most Recent Unknown Ancestor?

Unknown ancestors are perhaps the most frustrating part of genealogical research. Of course, no ancestry will ever be 100% complete. Nevertheless, recent unknown ancestors always leave me (and I’m certain this is a shared feeling) particularly frustrated. In May, Genea-Musings posted one of his SNGF (Saturday Night Genealogy Fun) challenges focusing on the “most recent unknown ancestor” (or MRUA) in our ahnentafel. Having my share of these, I was naturally drawn to this challenge.

My most recent unknown ancestor is number 44 on my ahnentafel, who is one of my still unknown 3rd Great Grandparents. This ancestor was the biological father of my 2nd Great Grandfather, Wilhelm Percy Wellin (1895-1977). Wilhelm was born Per Vilhelm Ture Stålberg in Sweden the illegitimate son of Anna Elizabeth Stålberg (1869-1918) and an unidentified man. Wilhelm’s birth record in Sweden provides no clues as to the potential identity of his father, as it simply states that Wilhelm (then Per) was born of illegitimate (oäkta) birth to a mother that was unmarried (ogift) and a father that was unknown (okänd).

Wilhelm Wellin’s Swedish Birth Record, 1895

Because Wilhelm was born of illegitimate birth, the identity of his father, and my MRUA, will most likely remain a mystery. Some of the common methods for finding an unknown father in Swedish records have proven fruitless so far. Court records or clerical surveys (household examinations or censuses) that could have indicated Wilhelm was “legalized” or “legitimized” (legaliserad) by his biological father have not been discovered, if they exist at all. Additionally, the church and legal practice of punishment for fornication (lönskaläge) and having children out of wedlock ended by Wilhelm’s birth, leaving only court cases relating to suits for child support available which have not turned up in this case.

Another common method of tracking down an unknown father (or a potential unknown father) in Swedish records is something called the “name game,” in which you take the first name or a patronymic surname (e.g., Larsson)  and attempt to search out likely candidates in the same geographic location. This method has so far also proven fruitless, as no suitable candidate with the names Per, Vilhelm, or Ture have been found. Additionally, Wilhelm received his mother’s maiden name at birth, not a patronymic name.

There have been only two clues as to the identity, or possible identity, of Wilhelm’s biological father. One of these clues is the surname Wilhelm used from about 1914 until his death in 1977, that of Wellin. The choice of this surname has been a source of confusion, as there is no evidence in records (so far) linking Wilhelm to this surname. Apart from Stålberg, records show only one other surname used by Wilhelm in his life prior to about 1914, that of Lowenburg (Lövenberg or Löwenborg) which is the surname of Wilhelm’s step-father Emil Conrad Lowenburg (1875-1930). When Wilhelm (then Per) immigrated to the United States in 1906 with his mother, step-father, and step-siblings, he did so under the Lowenburg surname. He was also enumerated on the 1910 U.S. Census with this surname. At some point between 1910 and his marriage in 1914, Wilhelm assumed the Wellin surname. Oral family history on this issue states that Wilhelm assumed this name because his mother had been married to a man named Wellin (possibly Anders Wellin, Welin, or some other variation) at some point back in Sweden who adopted him before his death. To date, however, no records have been found in Sweden to prove this; nor have any records been found showing a person with the Wellin surname (or any variation of it) living in close proximity to Anna, though there are numerous people with this surname living in Göteborg och Bohus (now Västra Götaland) County, which is where Wilhelm was born.

1906 Immigration Record showing Wilhelm as Per Wilhelm T. Lowenburg

The only other clue regarding the identity, or possible identity, of Wilhelm’s biological father is a rather dubious claim in oral family history. According to this claim, Wilhelm was born the “illegitimate son of the King of Sweden.” This oral tradition, like most of this sort, adds that Wilhelm’s mother, Anna, was employed as a maid or chambermaid in Göteborg when she had this alleged royal encounter. Looking at available Swedish records for Anna, I did discover that she was enumerated on household examinations (censuses) as being employed as a maid (piga) in Göteborg at the time of Wilhelm’s birth, so that part of the story is true. Could the other parts be true as well?

Exploring the history and lives of the Swedish Royal Family at this time revealed that King Oscar II (1829-1907), the King of Sweden at the time of Wilhelm’s birth, had several affairs and allegedly several illegitimate children, including a daughter and also two sons by a Swedish opera singer, among others. Additionally, many other members of the Swedish Royal Family had affairs and are alleged to have fathered children from these relationships. Oral tradition is not specific as to whom “King of Sweden” refers, but if true it either refers to Oscar II, who would have been 66 at the time of Wilhelm’s birth, or his heir Gustav V, who came to the throne about a year after Wilhelm, his mother, step-father, and step-siblings left Sweden for America. Gustav V is alleged to have had affairs, and there are claims of illegitimate children, though the more notable of his extramarital activities is the infamous Hajiby Affair. In addition to Anna’s occupation and the prevalence of affairs and claims of illegitimate offspring, my research also revealed that the Royal Family frequently vacationed in Göteborg at this time.

Although some of the elements of this claim of oral history have turned out to be true, claims of illegitimate descent from royals tend to be more romantic inventions than fact. It seems more likely that Wilhelm’s biological father was the Mr. Wellin (or Welin) who is alleged to have been Anna’s husband at some point between Wilhelm’s birth and her marriage to Emil. However, it is worth noting that Wilhelm did have a slight resemblance to Gustav V, as may be seen in the following photos.

Wilhelm Wellin (left) and Gustav V (right)

Family History Through the Alphabet – O is for Origins, Occupations, & O States

O is for Origins (Ancestral):

One of the more interesting aspects of researching our family history is uncovering the ancestral origins for the various branches in our ancestry. It has been my experience when I confront family members with genealogy for the first time, most will inevitably ask, “So, where are we from?” This is something we all want to know–if we do not have the benefit of knowing already, that is. For me it was fascinating to learn where in the world my roots trace to.

The following is a basic overview of the ancestral origins of my four “cardinal branches” (Kernan, Lapham, Hamilton, and Sebok), and their related branches:

• My Kernan branch traces to Quebec, Canada before their arrival in the United States, and to Ireland before that. The families that married into this branch trace primarily to England and Ireland, with only one related branch (so far) tracing to somewhere else, Germany.
• My Lapham branch traces to England before their arrival in the United States. The families that married into this branch have more varied origins, including England, Scotland, Sweden, and France.
• My Hamilton (originally Heldman) branch traces to Hesse, Germany before their arrival in the United States. The families that married into this branch trace back to Germany and England.
• My Sebok branch, as well as those that married into it, trace to Pre-World War I Hungary before their arrival in the United States. Today, the locations that these families trace to are located outside modern Hungary, being located in either Ukraine or Romania, despite the majority of the population being ethnically Hungarian.

O is for Occupations:

O is also for occupations. Another interesting fact to uncover while researching family history is the various occupations that were held by our ancestors both in their own lifetime and across generations. While researching my own family history, I found it interesting to see what occupations my ancestors had, which ones had a long history in in my family, and which ones were not carried on by later generations.

Some of the occupations I have discovered while researching my own family history include: Farmer, Machinist, Bookkeeper, Teamster, Salesman of Prefab-Homes, Meat Deliveryman, Cook, Miner, Foundry Grinder, Bus Driver, Welder, Blacksmith, Maintenance Man, Pipefitter, Ship Carpenter, Rancher, Baker, Railroad Worker, Boilermaker, Porter, Elevator Operator, Dray Truck Driver (Drayman), Boarding House Proprietor, Merchant, Stone Mason, Teacher, Electrician, Construction Worker, Millwright, Home Builder, Tinsmith, Plumber, Mill Worker, Grocery Clerk, Shoemaker, General Store Proprietor, Hostler (Stableman), Weaver, Lumberman, and Minster.

O is for O States:

O is also for O States, or rather States in the United States that begin with the letter O. There are only three such states, which are Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon. My research into my family history revealed that I have connections to all three. The following discusses some of my connections to these states:

• Ohio: One of my connections to the State of Ohio comes by my Beeney branch, which is the biological family of my paternal Great Grandmother, Maxine Elizabeth Davis (1912-1992). Her biological father, George Benton Beeney (1890-1970) was born in Licking Co., Ohio, a county the family came to live in by 1840. They lived in Knox Co., Ohio by 1831. Another connection to the state of Ohio comes by my Hamilton (originally Heldman) branch, which is the family of my maternal Grandfather Harry “Lee” Hamilton. His father, Harry Carl Hamilton (1891-1960), was born in Crawford Co., Ohio and grew up in Richland Co., Ohio, a county the family came to live in by 1840.
• Oklahoma: My connection to the State of Oklahoma comes by my maternal great grandparents, Harry Carl Hamilton (1891-1960) and Goldia “Goldie” Mae Worthington (1912-2006), who moved their family to the state in about 1941.
• Oregon: I have several connections to the State of Oregon, some of which trace back to when it was still the Oregon Territory and even some ancestors that came to the state via the Oregon Trail. My Agee, Thornton, and Davis families have such connections to the state. Other branches of my family came to Oregon later. My Kernan branch came to the state between 1895 and 1900, when my 3rd great grandparents, Owen F. Kiernan (1836-1901) and Harriet Dunton (1836-1927), moved their family there from Minnesota. My Stearns family came to the state by 1880, when my 3rd great grandparents, Theodore F. Stearns (1844-1930) and his wife Anna Eliza Backer (1854-1919), moved there from California. My Lapham branch came to the state between 1920 and 1927 from Washington. My Wellin family came to the state by 1910, following their immigration from Sweden.

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Genealogy Challenge: Ahnentafel Roulette

I have been working on the content I want to put on this blog for each of my branches, including my Ahnentafel. While looking for ways to present an Ahnentafel on WordPress, I came across a post by Genea-Musings called “Saturday Night Gnealogy Fun – Ahnentafel Roulette.” Thinking this looked interesting, I’m going to give it a try.

The following are the guidelines for Ahnentafel Roulette:

1. How old is your great-grandfather now, or how old would he be if he had lived? Divide this number by 4 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your “roulette number.”
2. Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ahnentafel (ancestor name list). Who is that person?
3. Tell us three facts about that person with the “roulette number.”
4. Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook or Google Plus note or comment, or as a comment on this blog post.
5. If you do not have a person’s name for your “roulette number” then spin the wheel again – pick a grandparent, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, or even your children!

Here is my Ahnentafel Roulette:

1. Like many people, I know the names of all four of my great grandfathers (six if you count two step-great grandfathers).I presume I just need to pick one of these, so I will select one of my paternal great grandfathers, Delmar Clair Kernan (1908-1979). Delmar was born in 1908, and if he were still alive, he would be 104. Divided by 4, this gives me a “roulette number” of 26.
2. The person that is #26 on my ahnentafel is my 2nd Great Grandfather, Ernest Jacob Worthington (1885-1939).
3. Three facts about Ernest Jacob Worthington are:
   • Besides “E. J.,” Ernest often went by the nickname “Jersey,” which he came to be known by because he worked at a grain mill called Jersey Mill in Harrison, Boone Co., Arkansas.
   • Ernest was married twice: first to Mae Josie Gifford (1885-?) in 1906 and then Mattie Blankenship (1903-1944) in 1921. Both of his wives are claimed to have had Native American roots on their mother’s side.
   • Ernest had a total of nine children. The first three were from his first marriage, and were Pearl Marie Worthington (1908), Arlyss Worthington (1910), and Goldia “Goldie” Mae Worthington (1912-2006), my great grandmother. The remaining six were from his second marriage, and were Ruby Lee Worthington (1923-2004), Don Worthington (1925-?), James M. Worthington (1928-2011), William Worthington (LIVING), Ira Ray Worthington (LIVING), and Eulis Wesley Worthington (LIVING).

Looking at this, I cannot help but wonder what ancestor this roulette challenge would highlight for my other great grandfathers.

Family History Through the Alphabet – N is for Nicolet, New Monkland, and N States

In researching my ancestry, I have discovered that many locations that my branches trace to, both in the United States and Europe, begin with the letter N, which is the focus of my Family History Through the Alphabet challenge this week.

N is for Nicolet:

Map Showing Nicolet

In researching my Kernan/Kiernan branch, I discovered Canadian roots. When my 4th great grandparents, Felix Kiernan (ca. 1796-1882) and Martha Rose Sheridan (ca. 1797-?), left Ireland between 1830 and 1832, they immigrated to Québec, Canada, settling in the town of Nicolet. Nicolet is located in the Nicolet-Yamaska Regional Municipality and is about 88 miles from Montreal. It is situated at the meeting of the Saint-Lawrence and Nicolet rivers and the eastern edge of Lac Saint-Pierre. From available records, Felix and Martha lived in Nicolet from at least 1832 to 1844, where six of their eight children were born and baptized, including my 3rd great grandfather Owen Francis Kiernan (1836-1901). By 1851, they were living in nearby Sainte-Monique, where Felix was a farmer. By 1857 they had left Canada for the United States, settling in Minnesota.

N is for New Monkland:

N is also for New Monkland. In 1847 Robert Leishman (1847-1900), my 3rd great grandfather, was born in New Monkland, where he lived until his immigration to the United States in 1869. New Monkland is located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland and is about 17 miles from Glasgow. Today it is primarily a suburb of Glasgow. Robert is found living in New Monkland, along with his parents and siblings, on the 1861 Scotland Census. He is enumerated on this census as being 14 years old and employed as a coal miner.

N is for N States:

N is also for N States, or rather U.S. States that are named beginning with the letter N. There are eight such states in the United States, which are Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and North Dakota. Currently, I have a connection to all but New Mexico. The following discusses some of my connections to these states:

• Nebraska: My Lapham branch traces to Nebraska by 1880, where my 3rd great grandparents, William B. Lapham (1838-1925) and Emoline Reynolds (1844-1886), moved their family. Their son and my 2nd great grandfather, Horace Irving Lapham (1869-1927) married his wife, Anna Margaret Leishman (1875-1951), in Nebraska in 1895. Anna’s father, Robert Leishman (1847-1900), also moved his family to Nebraska by 1880. All ten of Horace and Anna’s children were born in Nebraska, including my great grandfather, Theodore Alexander Lapham (1910-1955).
• Nevada: My connection to the State of Nevada is it’s the state in which my maternal grandparents, Lee Hamilton (LIVING) and Alberta Sebok (LIVING), were married in 1954. They were married in Los Vegas after my grandfather returned from service in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
• New Hampshire: My Stearns branch (via Kernan) traces to New Hampshire as far back as the 1780’s when my 5th great grandparents, Samuel Stearns (ca. 1754-1840) and Thankful Raymond (ca. 1756-1817), moved to the state soon after their marriage. All ten of their children were born in New Hampshire, including my 4th great grandfather, Lyman Stearns (1803-1879), who leaves the state for Missouri and then California during the Gold Rush.
• New Jersey: My Worthington branch (via Hamilton) traces to New Jersey as far back as 1722 with the marriage of my 8th great grandparents, Ephraim Worthington (1697-1727) and Elizabeth Davis Brick (ca. 1704-1761). Another connection to New Jersey comes by way of Obadiah Wilson (1758-1826), my 6th great grandfather, who was born in New Jersey. Obadiah served in the American Revolution.
• New York: I have numerous connections to the State of New York. My Dunton branch (via Kernan) traces to New York as far back as about 1802, when my 5th great grandparents, David Dunton (ca. 1758-1829) and Polly Stoddard (ca. 1762-1845) moved to the state. My Gifford branch (via Hamilton) also traces to New York as far back as 1750 with the birth of William Gifford (1750-ca. 183), my 7th great grandfather. My Cook branch (via Kernan) traces back to New York as far back as 1818 with the birth of Cleveland C. Cook (1818-?), my 4th great grandfather. My Davis branch (via Kernan) also traces to New York as far back as 1760 with the birth of Enos Davis (1760-1841), my 5th great grandfather. Finally, my Balla branch (via Sebok) also traces to New York by 1907 with the marriage of my 2nd great grandparents, Alexander Balla (1886-1950) and Julia Molnar (1885-1962), in Brooklyn, New York. Many of Alexander and Julia’s children were born in New York, including my maternal great grandmother, Irene Vera (Balla) Sebok (1913-2006), who was born in LeRoy, Genesee Co., New York.
• North Carolina: My Worthington branch (via Hamilton) also traces to North Carolina as far back as 1779 with the birth of Joab Worthington (1779-1851), my 6th great grandfather. Another connection to North Carolina comes by way of my Couch branch (via Hamilton) with the birth of Samuel Couch (1777-1853), my 6th great grandfather.
• North Dakota: My connection to the State of North Dakota comes by way of Willard Pershing Graber (1918-1988), my step-great grandfather, who was born in North Dakota in 1918.

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)

Family History Through the Alphabet – M is for Military Service, Mistakes, Midwest, Molnar, & McLaughlin

M is for Military Service:

One thing many people find really interesting and take a great deal of pride in when researching their ancestry is discovering the military service of ancestors or relatives. In researching my own ancestry, I have discovered several ancestors and relatives with military service, many of which with service during war. Perhaps the earliest known of these is the service of Mathieu Agé, my 9th great grandfather, in the Glorious Revolution. Mathieu was a Huguenot refugee in the Netherlands and was conscripted in the army of William of Orange (1650-1702) that invaded England in 1688. He was among many Huguenot refugees that served and was granted land in Virginia for his service.

In addition to Mathieu, I also have ancestors and relatives that served in wars in and involving the United States, including eight ancestors that served in the American Revolution, one of which was on the side of the British; some yet unverified claims of service in the War of 1812; four confirmed ancestors that served in the American Civil War, one of which was on the side of the Confederacy; one in the Spanish-American War; one in World War I; no direct ancestors in World War II, but two step-great-grandfathers that served, along with some great uncles; one that served during the Korean War; and a couple of relatives that served during the Vietnam War.

M is for Mistakes:

M is also for mistakes. In researching our ancestries, everyone comes across mistakes, particularly in oral accounts of our ancestry. On my paternal side, it was always claimed that my 3rd great grandfather, Owen Kiernan (1836-1901), and his wife, Harriet, were born in Ireland. Research revealed that Owen was in fact born in Canada to Irish émigrés, and Harriet was born in New York. On my maternal side, many mistakes were collected from the recollections of my great grandmother, Goldie (Worthington) Hamilton (1912-2006). Although she had the names kind of correct for several ancestors, they turned out to be of her own ancestry and not both hers and her husbands, Harry Carl Hamilton (1891-1960).

Although mistakes can take some time to discover and correct, I have found the process in doing so to be rewarding, as you uncover the past for what it really was piece by piece.

M is for Midwest:

M is also for Midwest. As I researched my ancestries, I was amazed by how many of my branches traced back to the American Midwest. The Midwest, also called “the heartland,” is a region in the United States that consists of 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. All four of my “cardinal branches” (Kernan, Lapham, Hamilton, and Sebok) discussed on this site/blog trace to the Midwest; and I have connections to all but Kansas (so far). I know (from oral accounts) that many of my Midwestern ancestors left the Midwest because of the cold weather, so I suppose they avoided Kansas because they didn’t want to end up in the Land of Oz.

The following is a listing of which of the 11 states in the Midwest each of my four “cardinal branches” (including related branches) trace to:

• Kernan: Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois
• Lapham: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota
• Hamilton: Ohio, Missouri, Indiana
• Sebok: Indiana, Illinois, Ohio

M is for Molnar:

M is also for Molnar (or Molnár), the maiden name of my 2nd great grandmother, Julia (Molnar) Balla (1885-1962), the mother of my great grandmother Irene Vera (Balla) Sebok (1913-2006). The surname is Hungarian in origins and is an occupational name from the Hungarian word “molnár,” meaning “miller.” Some name studies state that it may be a Magyarized form of the Slavic word for a miller, “mlinar.” My Molnar family traces back to a village called Eszény, which was in the Tisza District of Szabolcs County in the former Kingdom of Hungary. Today, although still inhabited by a majority of Hungarians, it is located in the Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine.

M is for McLaughlin:

M is also for McLaughlin, the maiden name of my 3rd great grandmother, Eva Flora McLaughlin (1863-1899), who was the biological grandmother of my great grandmother, Maxine Elizabeth Davis (1912-1992), who married Delmar Clair Kernan (1908-1979). According to name studies, the surname is Irish and Scottish in origins, and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic “Mac Lochlainn” or “Ó Lochlainn,” meaning “son (or descendant) of Lochlainn,” with Lochlainn being a personal name meaning “stranger,” originally denoting Scandinavia (a compound of “loch,” meaning “lake,” and “lann,” meaning “land”). This name may originate in Ireland around the time of the Viking Invasions of Ireland. Irish bearers of the name often claim descent from Lochlann, a 10th century lord of Corcomroe, County Clare.

Click here to learn more about Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge (Clicking this link will take you to another site.)