Funny Friday - Not My Ancestor - Second Installment

There are certain names in my family tree that always give me pause when I see them because they are shared by much more famous people.

Nicholas Edgecomb is my 9th great-grandfather. His grandson, John Edgecomb (my first cousin, 9 times removed) married a woman named Grace Kelly. Since the woman married to my cousin died in 1738, I'm fairly certain she never had a glamour shot like this one.

"Kelly, Grace (Rear Window)" by Paramount publicity photographer. - Dr. Macro. 
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Samuel Morse is my 10th great-grandfather through two lines. However, he was not the inventor of the telegraph. Still when I hear his name, I think of the more famous Samuel Morse.

"Samuel Morse 1840" by Unidentified photographer - Smithsonian Photography Search. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons 

James Joseph "Jim" Parsons aka Dr. Sheldon Cooper is not my relative (as far as I know). However, James Parsons, born in 1658, is my 9th great-uncle. Son of Jeffrey & Sarah (Vinson) Parsons. I wonder if the Jim Parsons in my tree was quirky, inventive or had great comedic talents.

"Jim Parsons at PaleyFest 2013" by iDominick - http://www.flickr.com/photos/82924988@N05/15863660249/.
 Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Nicholas Edgecomb - Robert Edgecomb - Thomas Edgecomb - Gibbins Edgecomb - Thomas Edgecomb - Mary Edgecomb - Benjamin Philbrick - Elizabeth "Lizzie" Philbrick - Ray Everett Cotton - Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Samuel Morse - John Morse - Joseph Morse - Priscilla Morse - Priscilla Grant - Abigail Ware - Abigail Wight - Roxanna Spurr - Mary Frances Stanley - Edward Mellen Carter - Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather - Second line: Samuel Morse - Mary Morse - Elizabeth Bullen - Mary Wheelock - Nathaniel Ware (father of Abigail in line #1). 

Jeffrey Parsons - Jeffrey Parsons - Jonathan Parsons - Abigail Parsons - William Rowe - William Rowe - Stephen B. Rowe - Charles H. N. Rowe - Anna J. Rowe - Eva D. Hayes - Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Here is a link to the first installment of Not My Ancestor.

How Do You Spell That? - 52 Ancestors #15

This week's optional prompt for the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge is to write about an ancestor who one would imagine got asked frequently to spell his or her name or to choose and ancestor with an unusual name that makes researching challenging. Well, my tree certainly has no shortage of odd names and I've already written about a few of them. Most of the time, I find an unusual name makes researching easier. Much easier to find Abishag, Hazelelponi, Balthasar, or Theophilus than trying to sort out all the John Smiths in the colonies. My favorite odd surname is Gawkroger.

So who to write about...unfortunately unless they got into trouble with the law, the females are hard to find much that is interesting beyond their names: Coddeth, Goodith, Urith, Welthian, Wybra, and Wilmot.

How about immigrant Kenelm Winslow? He came from a family of early immigrants to Plymouth. His parents were Edward & Magdalen (Oliver) Winslow. His brothers included two Pilgrims, Edward, and Gilbert. Nice ordinary names. There were two other brothers, Josiah, and John. So where did the name Kenelm come from? Various baby-naming sites say the name is a combination of old English words meaning "bold or keen" and "helmet", an odd combination of words in my opinion. Saint Kenelm (or Cynehelm) was mentioned in The Canterbury Tales,  and the name was popular in medieval times.

Kenelm came from Droitwich, Worcestershire, England to Plymouth and moved to Marshfield by 1643. There is no immigration record for him, but he is listed in 1633 with his brother, Josiah and it is assumed that he arrived in 1631 since that is the date of Josiah's arrival.

Kenelm worked as a joiner and although there are no proven pieces of his furniture surviving today, there are a number of pieces from the period that give an idea of the work he would have done.

Joined chest, probably Marshfield, Ma., 1630-1700. Red oak, pine, iron handles.
H. 33-1/8, W. 44, D. 21-1/8 in.
Lent by Licut Henry Lee Watson. Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Wainscot chair, Plymouth or Marshfield, Ma, ca. 1630-1645.
Red oak. H. 41-1/2, W. 24, D. 16-1/2 in. Gift of Abby Frothingham Winslow, 1882.
Courtesy of Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Ma. PHM 944. Photography by J. David Bohl.

Table with drawer, probably Marshfield, Ma, 1650-1700. Oak, ash and white pine.
H. 23, W. of frame 34-3/4, D. of frame 18 in.
Courtesy of the National Museum of American History,
Smithsonian Institution, Behring Center, Washington, D.C.

In June 1635, Kenelm married Ellen (Newton) Adams, widow of John Adams. She lived to the age of 83 and was buried in Marshfield on December 5, 1681. 

He had a couple of run-ins with the law. In 1645, he was briefly jailed for fined 10 pounds. However, he quickly dropped his complaint involving his case against John Mynard. The next year, he was sued by Roger Chandler. It sounds like the Winslow family had hired Chandler's daughter but refused to return her clothes when her father refused to give his consent to her working for the Winslows. At the same time as the case involving Roger Chandler, Kenelm Winslow was ordered back to jail "for opprobrious words against the church of Marshfield, saying they were all liars, &c." and then refusing to provide sureties that it would not occur again.

The final two decades of his life were lived without any incidents that made the record books. Kenelm was buried at Salem on September 13, 1681.

Children of Kenelm & Ellen (Newton) (Adams) Winslow

1. Kenelm was born about 1635 and married twice. His first wife was Mercy Worden and his second wife was Damaris Eames. 
2. Ellen was born about 1636 and married Samuel Baker on December 20, 1656 in Marshfield. 
3. Nathaniel was born about 1639 and married Faith Miller on August 3, 1664 in Marshfield.
4. Job was born about 1641 and married Ruth (__)

Kenelm & Ellen (Newton) (Adams) Winslow

Nathaniel & Faith (Miller) Winslow

Nathaniel & Lydia (Snow) Winslow

Nathaniel & Thankful (Winslow) Keene - Cousins, see below

Snow & Rebecca (Burbank) Keene

John & Hannah (Keene) Cox

Timothy & Eunice (Rand) Cox

John Henry & Christiana (Cox) Cotton

Francis Llewellyn & Lizzie (Philbrick) Cotton

Ray Everett & Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton

Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Kenelm & Ellen (Newton) (Adams) Winslow

Samuel & Ellen (Winslow) Baker

Josiah & Lydia (Baker) Keene

Nathaniel & Thankful (Winslow) Keene

52 Ancestors #45 - The Interesting Life of Abishag Walton

Abishag Walton must have married mariner Robert Taprill between 1659 and 1663. In 1672 the Taprills were living in a house in Boston that belonged to Mr. William Waldron. The house was purchased by Mr. Waldron's brother, Alexander and when Alexander Waldron died in 1676, he willed the house, land and two gold rings to Mrs. Taprill. The house and land was to revert back to William Waldron after the death of Abishag Taprill. 

The name Abishag comes from the Bible where Abishag was a young woman who tends to King David in his old age. Another site describes her role as "a bed companion to David in the hope that her fresh beauty might induce some warmth in the old man." 

Abishag seems to have been the primary support for her family and her husband, Robert, was often at sea and contributed very little, it at all, to the family's support. One time Abishag even had to borrow money to keep Robert out of jail. 

Eventually she moved back to Great Island where her father built a home and a shop for her. Robert Taprill died in November 1678 while on a voyage on the "Providence." Unfortunately, Abishag died in January 1679 and it's possible she hadn't even received word of her husband's death at that point. Before he died he told some of his crew that he hoped his wife would find a better husband and that she had maintained and clothed him. Alice's father, George Walton, took care of her children until he did in 1685. 

Children of Robert & Abishag (Walton) Taprill:

1. Alice appears in her grandfather's will and in the local records in 1685 when she was suspected of having had an illegitimate child. 
2. Priscilla appears in her grandfather's will and married Francis Caswell and died before 1714 when her husband married again. 
3. Grace appears in her grandfather's will and inherited her mother's house on Great Island. She was presented for having an illegitimate child in 1700. She fled the jurisdiction of the court and when she returned a year later, she named John Tomson of Kittery as the child's father and was fined £2:10. She later married Israel Hoyt. 

Robert & Abishag (Walton) Taprill - 10th great-grandparents
Israel & Grace (Taprill) Hoyt
Sampson & Dorothy (Hoyt) Babb
John & Alice (Babb) Waterhouse
Richard & Lydia (Waterhouse) Garland
Isaac & Alice (Garland) Hayes
Richard & Rebecca (Greenwood) Hayes
Sydney & Apphia (Cole) Hayes
George & Anna (Rowe) Hayes
Estes & Eva (Hayes) Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

How Did You Get Your Name?

In a Facebook post, Footnote Maven (geneablogger extraordinaire) recently told the story of how her daughter, Heather, was named. It spurred a great set of comments about names. It got me thinking about the decisions parents make about naming their children. I thought I would share some stories from my family. 

Augustus Mellen Carter  

My great-grandfather was Edward Mellen Carter. His father was Augustus Mellen Carter and his grandfather was Elias Mellen Carter. Elias Mellen Carter's grandmother was Mehitable Mellen. That is how the surname entered the lineage as a middle name. Edward Mellen Carter did not give the middle name to any of his sons. I always though "Mellen" was an odd name until I found out its origin. My grandfather, Thomas Richard Carter and his brother, Edward Augustus Carter, both went by their middle names. Their sister, Rebecca Williamson Carter was named for their grandmother, Rebecca Williamson, our most recent immigrant ancestor. Stanley Capen Carter got his middle name from his mothers maiden name. The youngest child, Paul Albert Carter has no obvious connections to any other family names. 

Back: Bruce & Rebecca Williamson (Carter) Bailey, Paul Carter, Frances Arabella Carter, Medora (Baker) Carter, and Fern Lyndell (Cotton) Carter. Front: Gus Carter holding Ann (Carter) Grove, Fannie (Capen) Carter holding Teddy Carter, Dick Carter holding Timmy & Tommy Carter. 

My grandmother, Fern Lyndell Cotton, went by her middle name too. She always said her mother had a flower garden because of her sisters, Ada Lillie, and Nina Mae (she always called her Nina Mayflower). Fern Lyndell (Cotton) Carter had four sons. She used to say that she wanted four boys - Tommy, Timmy, Johnny, and Jimmy. However, after the Tommy (my dad) and Timmy, she named her younger sons, David and Stephen. 

Thomas Richard "Dick"  & Fern Lyndell (Cotton) Carter

Russell "Joe" Yates & Linona "Peggy" (Yates) Blake

My other grandmother, Linona Alice (Yates) Blake came from a large family and their names always confused me. Why was my Uncle Joe's name really Russell? My mom told me that a family member (I think an uncle) gave them all nicknames and some of them stuck so - Georgie became Becky, Lawrence became Rat, Linona became Peggy, Viva became Pilly, Russell became Joe, Carroll became Tom, Laura became Sis, and Bryce became Bud. In adulthood Lawrence, Viva, Laura, and Bryce reclaimed their birth names but I knew my great uncles as "Uncle Joe" and "Uncle Tom" and my grandmother was "Peggy" to most people. My grandmother named her three daughters, Myrna, Kaye, and Loretta for actresses - Myrna Loy, Kaye Francis, and Loretta Young. 

Myrna, Kaye, Loretta in back and Linona Alice "Peggy" seated. 

My middle name is Lyn for my grandmothers' names, Lyndell and Linona. My four sons all have middle names for family members. The oldest is Cameron Stephen for his father, Cameron and my favorite uncle, Stephen. Next is Joshua Thomas for his grandfather, Thomas Robert and great-grandfather, Thomas Richard. Next is Benjamin John for my only male cousin, John Richard Carter, and my ex-husband's closest brother, John Albert Holmes. The youngest is Nicholas Carter for my maiden name. Nicholas is because when we were discussing name, Ben was six and loved the idea of a brother named Nick because his favorite shows were on Nickelodeon. Ben said he was calling the baby "Nick" whether it was a boy or a girl! When Nick was born at 8:20 pm, his brothers thought he was perfect - Nick at Nite. 

My sons (mid-90s) & grandparents

What's the story behind your family names? 

Friday Funny - Mr. Adam Eve

While looking records of the Eveleth family in an ancestry.com database of Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700, I saw this record where the groom is named Adam Eve.....

Image © Graphics Factory.com

Ancestry.com. U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012. Original data: Torry, Clarence A. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.

Love Thing

 

My 8th great-grand uncle, Thomas Wentworth, married a woman named Love. He was a mariner and probably remained at sea most of his life since his inventory shows no property other than real estate. After his untimely death at the in August of 1719, his widow married John Thing.

She became Love Thing!


How would you like to go through life with that name?

Ezekiel Wentworth & Elizabeth (possibly Knight)
Tamsen Wentworth & John Hayes - Tamsen was the sister of Thomas Wentworth
Hezekiah Hayes & Margaret Cate
William Hayes & Olive
Isaac Hayes & Alice Garland
Richard Hayes & Rebecca
Sydney Hayes & Aphia Delphina Cole
George H. Hayes & Anna J. Rowe
Eva Delphinia Hayes & Estes Yates
Linona Alice Yates

Image Source: http://shopisabel.com/viewcategory.php?groupid=8

Balthasar and Hazelelponi!

Balthasar and Hazelelponi??? What odd names! Balthasar Willix is my 10th Great Grandfather. Balthasar is one of the names of the three magi along with Caspar and Melchior. While looking for references to the name I learned Saint Balthasar is the patron saint of playing card manufacturers...seriously? There is a patron saint of playing card manufacturers! He is also the patron saint of those with epilepsy and sawyers. That's a diverse group! 


Balthasar's daughter, Hazelelponi Willix is my 9th Great Grandmother. So where does the name Hazelelponi come from? Like many names of the era (she was born abt 1636), it comes from the Bible. First Chronicles 4:3: "And these were of the father Etam: Jezreel and Ishma and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi " The meanings vary according to source. Some think it might be the name of a clan or town rather than a personal name. Its meaning is also varied according to source but the overall consensus is that it refers to shade or shadow over a face. "The Shadow Looking at Me" or "Give Shade, Thou Who Turnest to Me" 


So what leads one to name a daughter Hazelelponi? Hazelelponi receives only passing reference in the Bible so what made them pick this obscure name?  Did her parents want her to stand out in a sea of Marys, Sarahs, Hannahs, and Rebeccas? Her sisters were Anna or Hannah and Susanna. Hazelelponi married first John Gee and second Obadiah Wood. One of her daughters was named Hazelelponi but she named her other daughters common names; Mary, Martha, Hannah. Hazelelponi Willix Gee Wood is buried in the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, MA. 

These images come from ancestry.com - tree of Joan Jordan.

Balthasar's wife and Hazelelponi's mother was murdered and thrown in the Oyster River and I will write about that in a future post. 


Other posts on unusual names:  Soranus Shaw
Balthasar Willix & Hannah/Annah
Hazelelponi Willix & John Gee
Hannah/Annah Gee & Samuel Hodgkins
Jonathan Hodgkins & Mary Stockbridge
Rachel Hodgkins & William Moody
Elizabeth Moody & Samuel Ackley
William Ackley & Deborah Capen
Sarah Ackley & John Abbott
Mary Jane Abbott & Edward Capen
Fannie Capen & Edward M. Carter
T. Richard Carter & F. Lyndell Cotton


http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Balthasar
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintb35.htm
http://bibleencyclopedia.com/hazzelelponi.htm
http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Hazelelponi.html#.T1zNNDGPng0
http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2633

What's your story, John Williamson?

I really wish I had more information about my ancestor, John Williamson (1787-1887). He came from Ireland but doesn't seem to be Irish. He is said to have come in 1821, well before the flood of immigrants caused by the potato famine. Apparently, he loved England and was a member of the Church of England. It seems especially difficult to find Protestant records in Ireland. He lived to be 100 years old! What an accomplishment! He outlived two wives, Ann McClure Williamson (1789-1861) who immigrated with him and Jane (1795-1872). All are buried in the family plot in the Middle Intervale Cemetery. His daughter, Rebecca, married my third great grandfather, Elias Mellen Carter. That is how my family intersected with the Williamsons. We (the family) know his first wife was Ann McClure. Relatives named for this branch of the family include my great aunt, Rebecca Williamson Carter and my first cousin once removed, Ann McClure Carter.


It would appear that his brother, William, came with him and settled in Newry. They were both shoemakers. John turned to farming when he settled in Bethel, Maine. He is profiled in Lapham's History of Bethel as a prominent citizen. Lapham calls him "a lover of nature", "well educated" and "well versed in ancient history." John is also described as a very devout man who carried his Bible with him and had memorized large portions of it. Lapham describes him as social and interesting, both "entertaining and instructive." In the later years of his life he lived with his daughter, Rebecca and son-in-law, Elias Mellen Carter. 


If you came from Ireland, why did you love England? Your name is more English than Irish so how did you come to live in Manorhamilton, Ireland? Did you leave behind relatives in Ireland? Since both you and your brother were shoemakers, do you come from a long line of shoemakers? 

Middle Intervale Cemetery

Rebecca Williamson Carter Bailey - my great aunt

Source: Lapham, Howard B. "History of Bethel:." Google Books. Google.com. Web. 03 Mar. 2012. <http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?id=4vUgAQAAMAAJ>.

What's in a Name?

Okay, we've all heard those Puritan names like Temperance, Prudence, Deliverance and Patience usually given to women. Occasionally men get named for values like Wrestling Brewster, son of Governor William Brewster. One of the funniest I came across was a family that married into one of my lines who had a string of three generations of men named Hate-Evil Hall. I wonder what the future generations will make of current names like McKayla or Jerrick. 

Occasionally there are names that just send me into a fit of giggles. I have a fourth great grandfather named...are you ready??? Soranus! Soranus Shaw - it's nice to have some alliteration. So I decided to try to figure out the origin of such an unfortunate name and discovered that Soranus was a Greek physician who practiced in Rome and Alexandria during the late first and early second century. He wrote a treatise on gynecology and advocated hot tubs for treating stress among other things...So getting back to my ancestor, his brothers are named Joel, Abner and Eaton. How did he get so lucky to be named after a Greek physician and couldn't his parents (Gilbert and Silence) have chosen Hippocrates? It's odd but at least most people have heard of him. 

The Greek Physician

Soranus Shaw & Eliza Jackson
George Shaw & Esther Rowe
Lillie Shaw & Francis Llewellyn Cotton - Lillie is the step-mother of my great-grandfather Ray Everett Cotton

Sources:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/doctorsphysicians/g/Soranus.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soranus_of_Ephesus