Genealogy Blog Reboot

So much has happened since our last blog entry. Time to reboot. 2015 has been full of adventure, but we’re been slackers on documentation. Seems we get so busy with tedious detective work that we don’t often incorporate this into a meaningful post.

We have been on numerous treks to places far and near in search of ancestors, both living and dead. Some ancestors may be hidden in plain sight (just under one’s feet, so to speak), some hidden between the lines of historical documents, and some just plain hidden. During the past year we have traveled thousands of miles through the eastern and southern states and overseas in our quest.

All this traveling and research has not allowed a lot of time to organize and document our findings, and the stacks of papers around the house offer testimony. Thus we hereby resolve to get some of this recorded before we forget about who did what to whom, when, where, and why.

Instead of following a logical time-event process we are going to start with one of the most recent events (still fresh on our minds and bodies). So, first up will be the recent wedding of our son William and Céleste Wackenhut. This event took us to Paris, France. Please read the wedding blog on this occasion, coming soon to this very internet address. This will be followed by exploring some of our genealogical roots in Paris and other areas of France.

Back in the “new world” we will relate some of the adventures over the past year as we trace the paths of some of the earliest emigrants and settlers into Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and other places along the way.  (We’ve already posted several blogs concerning New England ancestors in CT and MA, but, eventually, there will be more on those areas as well.)

During our adventures, we have discovered, or verified, two interesting aspects of modern genealogy. First, we met a number of people who may be classified as genealogy tourists. That is, they are travelling primarily for the purpose of doing genealogy research. In Northern France we met people on the trail of English, Scottish, Irish and other ancestors. We also met a number of such tourists in the USA. For example, imagine our surprise when talking to someone at a library table, a total stranger, even from another state, and suddenly realizing they are a cousin researching the same person or family.

 Another thing we have had reinforced is that genealogy can be a slow process. As one of our astute cousins recently put it, “we are like a couple of genealogical archeologists,” sifting through debris and dirt for precious gems. In order to get those few prized nuggets one has to “pan” a lot of personal and historical rubbish. Modern technology (DNA; computers), and a growing “pop” culture of genealogy has stimulated great interest and revealed vast amounts of information, along with a fair amount of speculation and confusion. Unfortunately, perhaps in a rush to link ancestors (i.e., find treasures), some people may accept and post questionable information. It looks like the real thing, contains aspects of real, but just does not qualify. When people post tenuous findings or errors, even under the most innocent circumstances, these take on a life of their own. Debunking and defragging genealogy files can be tedious and frustrating. Adding to the mix is a growing number of genealogical “entrepreneurs” who seem ready, willing and able to entice people to let them help find demised ancestors. While we should all be thankful for the “new age” access, we are reminded to also practice another American tradition – caveat emptor (let the buyer or consumer beware).

During our travels this past summer we became acquainted with court houses, cemeteries (lots of those), libraries, historical societies, historical road signs, war and event memorials, government records, pioneer homesteads, and other people, places and things. One clue often leads to another, questions arise, dead ends surface, the quest continues….

In summary, we’re beginning to learn something about where our (your) ancestors came from and why. What they did, how they relate to one another, and where they are now residing. So, spelling variation notwithstanding, you are on our ”hit list” if your family surname is associated with:

Adams, Amyx, Anderson, Andrews, Austin, Ball, Bacon, Baltimore, Banzin, Bartram, Bates, Beaufort, Birdall, Blair, Bliss, Bohun, Boleyn, Boone, Bourchier, Bowman, Boyd, Bradford, Brandon, Brill, Brown, Bruce, Bryant, (Bryan/Brian), Bulkeley, Burns, Bush, Butler, Cables, Capet, Carter, Carpenter, Casebolt, Castile, Caudill, Cecil, Chads, Chaucer, Christian, Clark, Clarkston, Clason, Cleveland, Cleves, Colbille, Coleman, Colton, Coley (Cooley), Cook(e), Cooper, Coplin, Cox, Crabtree, Crow, Culpepper, Davis, Debusk, Delaware, Dickinson, Doyle, Duncan, Dunham, Estep, Evans, Farwell, Feathers, Field, Fiske, Fitch, Fitzgerald, Ford, Fowler, Furguson, Gaunt, Gilbert, Gittings, Gray, Grizzle, Green, Hainault, Haines (Haynes) Hairston, Hannum, Hartsough, Havens, Havilland, Heckathorn, Henthorn, Higginbotham, Hines, Howard, Huff, Hurt, Jacobs, Jenken, Johnson, Jones, Jung, LaPort (Layport/e), Laidlaw, Lambert, Lancaster, Lang, LeMaster, Lesie, LeTaverner, Little, Littlejohn, Longwell, Lovejoy, Manning, Mansur, Marshall, May, Meredith, Merrill, McCaslin, McCormac, McMahan, Morgan, Mounts, Mullins, Nimn, Nelly, Neville, Oldfield, Paine, Parson, Pennoyen/r, Plantagenet, Patrick, Parsons, Pennington, Petty, Pierce, Powell, Priest, Raincrow, Rau, Readon, Reibel, Rice, Rich, Richards, Riggs, Roet, Rombeau, Schert, Sheets, Smith, Somer/Sommer, Snyder, Spence, Spaulding, Sprigg, Stanley, Stebbins, Steele, Stevens, Stiles, Stilwell, Stratton, Street, Strode, Strong, Summers, Thomas, Thornton Throckmorton, Tudor, Tunnel, Turner, Tyng, Varner, Walker, Warner, Washington, Watson, Webb, Welby, West, Wilcoxin, Williams, Wilson, Winn, Witten, Wheeler, Whitfield, Wolcott, Wolterton, Wright, Yarborough,  . . . and a few others.  

As we try to put some of our recent findings into perspective, bear with us. Ask questions, make contributions and share some of the fantastic historical legacy left by our ancestors as they contributed to this nation’s development. Some of this is solid stuff, some is well-reasoned and seasoned inference, based on the most reliable information available. Occasionally, even professional genealogists differ on a matter. We’ll try to adjust as new facts come to light.

William & Jennie