TIDBITS of INFO - - - - ODDS and ENDS
This page will be where I will put stuff & things.... this page will always be changing and a page where I can store things until I know what to do with them. This page will have lists, information I can refer back to and interesting facts regarding genealogy. You may see quotes I like about genealogy, interesting stories involving genealogy....maybe even a few fun photos. You may not get a thing from this page but it's going to be a fun page for me.
I am definitely a 'list person' and will possibly have list of list on this page somewhere.... I want to list some things that have surprised me and continue to surprise me regarding my ancestors. I will list things they have accomplished, things I'm proud to mention to others, things that make me smile about my ancestors, things that are hard to believe or imagine and things that still have me puzzled. The fun in doing genealogy is to put pieces of the puzzle together to get the big picture.
I am definitely a 'list person' and will possibly have list of list on this page somewhere.... I want to list some things that have surprised me and continue to surprise me regarding my ancestors. I will list things they have accomplished, things I'm proud to mention to others, things that make me smile about my ancestors, things that are hard to believe or imagine and things that still have me puzzled. The fun in doing genealogy is to put pieces of the puzzle together to get the big picture.
It's All in the Name Sequence
This was printed in the Albemarle Genealogical Society Newsletter in 2014 and I thought it very interesting & somewhat true. Quakers were great about keeping records but they loved to name their children after everyone in the family - so when you see a different name you get kinda excited as it makes it easier to research. Maybe it was a honor to name children after another family member but didn't they know what a confusing web they have left us in trying to figure out who is who's who.
"Because British colonists made up so much of early America, the first-name traditions from back in Merry Old England often continued in the colonies. So this scheme, common especially in the 18th and 19th century, may be useful for sorting out ancestors even on this side of the pond:
In families where this pattern would lead to duplicate names- if both grandparents were named Robert, for example-the parents might skip to the next in line. In this case, the second son could be named after the father. By the 16th century, this English naming pattern was also common in Wales.
Keep in mind, too, that English records routinely abbreviated many common names, such as recording William as Wm. You may also find nicknames, such as Will, Dick, Bess, Betty and Molly; as fans of Shakespeare know, Henry was often called Harry. Some names are even interchangeable in how they are used, such as Edward and Edmond or Elizabeth and Isobel. Similarly, Ann, Hannah and Nancy could all be the same person, and Margaret, Daisy and Peggy are variations of the same name.
"Because British colonists made up so much of early America, the first-name traditions from back in Merry Old England often continued in the colonies. So this scheme, common especially in the 18th and 19th century, may be useful for sorting out ancestors even on this side of the pond:
- The first son was named after the father's father.
- The second son after the mother's father.
- The third son after the father.
- The fourth son after the father's eldest brother.
- The first daughter after the mother's mother.
- The second daughter after the father's mother.
- The third daughter after the mother.
- The fourth daughter after the mother's eldest sister.
In families where this pattern would lead to duplicate names- if both grandparents were named Robert, for example-the parents might skip to the next in line. In this case, the second son could be named after the father. By the 16th century, this English naming pattern was also common in Wales.
Keep in mind, too, that English records routinely abbreviated many common names, such as recording William as Wm. You may also find nicknames, such as Will, Dick, Bess, Betty and Molly; as fans of Shakespeare know, Henry was often called Harry. Some names are even interchangeable in how they are used, such as Edward and Edmond or Elizabeth and Isobel. Similarly, Ann, Hannah and Nancy could all be the same person, and Margaret, Daisy and Peggy are variations of the same name.
Some of the Strangest Names in my Family Tree
Everyone wants to know who they were named after or how they got their name. For instance, my mother's name is Doris and so my parents named me after her. Story goes that she wanted to name me Charlene - after my dad who's name is Charles.
Every family tree has the standard names - William, Joseph, John, James, Edward, Charles, Thomas, Henry, Martha, Margaret, Elizabeth, Mary, Nancy, Caroline, Ann which makes it hard to do research when families named their children the same names from one generation to another.
Then when we get some unique names showing up in the tree - it kinda helps when you're trying to figure out the different families and who belonged where. Some were names after prominent or famous people, presidents and even cities and events. Here are some names stuck in my tree: George Washington Twiford, George Washington Creef, Benjamin Frankllin Twiford, Grover Cleveland White, Missouri Jackson, Valentine Twiford, Valentine Creef, Jehosaphat, Comfort
Every family tree has the standard names - William, Joseph, John, James, Edward, Charles, Thomas, Henry, Martha, Margaret, Elizabeth, Mary, Nancy, Caroline, Ann which makes it hard to do research when families named their children the same names from one generation to another.
Then when we get some unique names showing up in the tree - it kinda helps when you're trying to figure out the different families and who belonged where. Some were names after prominent or famous people, presidents and even cities and events. Here are some names stuck in my tree: George Washington Twiford, George Washington Creef, Benjamin Frankllin Twiford, Grover Cleveland White, Missouri Jackson, Valentine Twiford, Valentine Creef, Jehosaphat, Comfort