Walk a Mile In Those Shoes ~ When Photos Tell the Tale

 

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 4 (FAVOURITE PHOTO)

We have so many photos that choosing just one seemed an impossible task. 

Once I decided which branch of the Bramble Bush to write about this week the decision became more obvious. 

I remember the first time I saw this photo:

Great Grandpa Alonzo with my husband

This is my husband with his great grandfather Alonzo Vannatter. 

The book (sourced below) was a present for my husband from his grandmother in 1993. She wrote a personal message to him in the front of the book. She also included notes of who was who.

I read that book cover to cover. I have always loved history, and this one had personal connections to our family.

When I arrived at page 84 I shared the photo with my husband. 
I commented that it appears his belief in his personal value was instilled in him young. 

Even today $145 a mile is a tremendous amount of money. He had never seen the book or heard the story before I showed it to him.

The book is a history of the Brethren in Christ Church in Frogmore, Ontario, Canada.

Intertwined is part of my husband's family story.  

Great Grandpa Alzonzo & Great Grandma Vera  when they were younger

In this photo are:
two of my husband's X2 great grandfathers: George Williams & Ben Vannatter, one X2 great grandmother: Fidella (nee Foreman) Vannatter
and one X2 great aunt: Florence (nee Aspden) Williams
  (who is related by marriage paternally, and blood maternally)

Back far left is my husband's grandmother, Nina
on her left, her sister Reta

Finding family photos & stories in published works!

This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***




Sources:

Sider, Morris E., & Vannatter, Alonzo. (1978), Fruit From Woods And Sands: The Story of Houghton Mission. Nappanee, Indiana: Evangel Press..

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

 

Scottish Naming Patterns ~ Finding Your Ancestor in the Records

 

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 3 (NAMESAKE)

Not so long ago I was thinking about how confusing it is when families reuse the same name generation after generation. 

In looking at the ancestors in our Bramble Bush I was surprised to find when a child died the next born of the same gender was given the deceased child's name. I had no idea why that would be, and honestly thought it creepy. 

I wondered how it was that our ancestors were so lacking creativity that they couldn't come up with unique names for all of their children.

As I got further and further back in our Bramble Bush I realized the list of names narrowed dramatically. As each generation opened up I felt that I could just fill in the same 8-14 names randomly and have a good chance of them being correct. This left me wondering how I could be sure the record I found was the right one.

Then I discovered Scottish naming patterns , and the repeating of names made sense.

1st boy - named after father's father
1st girl - named after mother's mother
2nd boy - named after mother's father
2nd girl - named after father's mother
3rd boy - named after father
3rd girl - named after mother
4 or more children were named after the siblings of the parents or great grandparents depending on which tradition the family subscribed to.
*** For more information about Scottish naming patterns see SOURCES below ***

Once I understood the tradition it made researching our Scottish lines much easier.

That being said there were some anomalies.

The first relative I found to corroborate with resided in New Zealand. 
His ancestor had immigrated there when my ancestor immigrated to Canada. 

Our ancestors were brothers.

My ancestor was Thomas Thomson. 
BIRTH 10 MAY 1880 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 19 NOV 1940 • Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada
One of what looked like thousands of Thomas Thomsons with no middle name in our Bramble Bush. Ensuring the Thomas I was looking at was my Thomas gave me tension headaches as I tracked records back. 

His ancestor was Thomas' brother James Devlin Glass Thomson. 
BIRTH 26 SEP 1883 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 31 AUG 1966 • Raumati Beach, Kapiti Coast, Wellington, New Zealand
Named after their maternal grandfather, James Glass, was obvious.
I was left pondering Devlin as the second middle name.
Definitely an unusual naming pattern.
James Devlin was their mother's brother in law. 

I realized that I should be pleased that my relative carried the family tradition with the name Thomas Thomson, but honestly that didn't make me feel any better James Devlin Glass Thomson is a super cool name - Thomas Thomson, not so much.

The photo above is Thomas, James, and their sister Mary

Mary Thomson
BIRTH 28 NOV 1870 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 16 DEC 1973 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

The other Thomson siblings were:

Isabella (Bella) Thomson
BIRTH 6 JUN 1872 • North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland
DEATH 5 MAY 1950 • Deaconess Hospital, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Henry Thomson
BIRTH 19 JAN 1874 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 8 AUG 1971 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Agnes Thomson
BIRTH 07 MAR 1876 • Graham's Close, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 30 JUL 1956 • 205 Berea Street, Pretoria, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Laura Edward Thomson
BIRTH 14 FEB 1887 • Someville's Court, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH Unknown

Their father was:
Thomas Thomson
BIRTH ABT. 1849 • Buckhaven, East Wemyss, Fife, Scotland
DEATH 22 FEB 1919 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

The mother was:
Isabella Glass
BIRTH ABT 1848 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 29 JUL 1943 • Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland

Making sure the commonly used name is YOUR relative!

This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!














***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***



Sources:

Forenames, Guides, Scotland's People. Retrieved January 17th 2021 from
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/forenames

McKiven, Carol. The traditional Scottish naming system. Scottish Kin. Published February 15, 2016. Retrieved January 17th 2021from 
https://scottishkin.com/the-traditional-scottish-naming-system

Robb, John Barrett. The Scottish Onomastic Child-naming Pattern. Published 4Jul2020 Retrieved January 17th 2021 from 
http://www.johnbrobb.com/Content/TheScottishOnomasticPattern.pdf

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

 

Family Legend ~ Buchner Family's United Empire Loyalists History

 

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 2 (FAMILY LEGEND)

I remember learning about the United Empire Loyalists (UEL), the Battle of 1812, and the Underground Railroad as a youngster in school. As a Canadian I was proud of the role my country played in bettering the lives of American people seeking a different way of life. 

When looking for someone who fit the prompt FAMILY LEGEND I decided to write about Sergeant Jacob Buchner who acted as a guide for the British Army during the War of 1812.

The events that took place during that time definitely fit the prompt for me because there is a FAMILY connection to the larger than life story passed down (definition of LEGEND).

Jacob Buchner
BIRTH 31 MAY 1763 • Hardwick Twp., Sussex, New Jersey, USA
DEATH 11 AUG 1841 • Woodhouse, Norfolk County, Ontario

Jacob was married to:
Catherine Shular
(alternative spellings include: Shelar, Sheelar, Schulyer)
BIRTH 20 SEP 1767 • Sussex County, New Jersey
DEATH 8 FEB 1855 • Woodhouse, Norfolk County, Ontario

Jacob & Catherine are my husband's 4th AND 5th great grandparents via two different family lines. 

Jacob's parents were:
Johannes Theis (John) Buchner
BIRTH 18 SEP 1729 • Unnau, Westerwald, Hessen, Germany
DEATH 11 SEP 1791 • Hardwick Twp, Sussex, New Jersey, USA
and
Catharine
BIRTH ABT. 1730 • Germany
DEATH UNKNOWN • Sussex, Sussex, New Jersey, United States
*** Catherine's maiden name may have been Mueller, but I have not yet finished a reasonable exhaustive search to confirm the surname. ***

~

Jacob's father John's UEL status has been proven. I haven't found proof that Jacob's has been proven. He did receive land grants as a Loyalist noting his father was a Loyalist, and Jacob was in his own right. 

It had been many years since I learned about the United Empire Loyalists so I decided I should research them. 

This has been an added side benefit of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - my desire to know more about the life & times of the people who make up our Bramble Bush. Every time I choose an ancestor to feature the ensuing research is informative.

This time was no exception. I discovered:
"... It was pressure from the UEL's that led to the Canada Act of 1791. They wanted to ensure that they had free title to their lands - the freehold system of land tenure ..." 1

I was wondering why it was that this obscure fact resonated with me while I was researching. I perseverated on it so much that I missed quite a bit of other information that was more relevant to our Bramble Bush folks' story. Then I realized it's because we are currently looking at real estate listings, and the first thing we check is if the property is FREEHOLD or LEASE.  

It is 100% true that we view through our own lens. The information we process first goes through a series of checks. What we currently have going on in our personal lives effects how we perceive the information we process. 

I wonder how many times I have skimmed over information about our ancestors, and missed the entire point that was being made. This was never more clearly observed than in today's fixation on the establishment of freehold while I missed so much more important information about the achievements on the United Empire Loyalists. 

With that in mind I think it's time to look back at X5 & X6 great grandmother Catherine to ensure her story can be told.

Looking back over previous research with fresh eyes!

This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***




Footnotes:

1 United Empire Loyalists, the Canada Act, Canada History Project. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
http://www.canadahistoryproject.ca/1791/1791-04-loyalists.html

Sources:

Buchner-Boughner Family Origins, The Niagara Settlers, by R. Robert Mutrie. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/pioneer-lives-2/buchner-Boughner-Familty-Origins

Canada Immigration, United Empire Loyalists (National Institute), Family Search, Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Canada_Immigration,_United_Empire_Loyalists_(National_Institute)

Loyalists in Canada, The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/loyalists

Mutrie, R. Robert. The Long Point Settlers, Log Cabin Publishing,1992, P 33

Soldiers and Supporters "B", The Niagara Settlers, by R. Robert Mutrie. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from
https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/soldiers-and/soldiers-b

UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS VERSUS LATE LOYALISTS, Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
https://grandriversaga.com/journal/the-american-parents-of-upper-canada/

Upper Canada Land Petitions, The Niagara Settlers, by R. Robert Mutrie. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from
 https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/upper-canada-land-petitions

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

 

Reflecting on the Beginnings ~ Looking Forward to the Future

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 1 (BEGINNINGS)

Welcoming a new year is always special.

 

This year feels even more special after the pandemic chaos of 2020. 

I couldn’t think about a more appropriate 2020 Bramble Bush visual.  

In anticipating 2021 I was reminded of a meme I had seen recently that left me pondering on a deeper level than seemed appropriate. 

Sourced below

I then remembered another meme seen recently and laughed harder than was appropriate.

       WHAT

Sourced below

In planning my 2021 Bramble Bush plan I thought it important to reflect back.

2021 will be my third year following Amy’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. Prior to signing up for the challenge in 2019 I had been in an uncommitted relationship with the genealogy blog I had started 5 years previously.

         * If you are interested in signing up the link is in the sources below.

The first year of the challenge I focused primarily on my side of the tree. The second year I planned which branch of both sides of the Bramble Bush I would write about. There were times an ancestor seemed to raise their hand to have their story told so I shifted.

In going back to the very beginning when I began searching it was because I found out, at the age of 29 pregnant with our second child, that my Scottish grandfather was probably a Ukrainian man with an entirely different life story than the one I knew.

I was left feeling like I didn't know where I came from, and didn't want my children to feel that way.

This helps with the WHY I am writing.

Next I ponder the WHO I am writing for.

The first person I write for is me.
I love having a tangible record of my research.

Secondly I write for my children.
They read some of my blogs.
Someday when I am not here to answer their questions
they can still hear my words.

Thirdly I am writing for my relatives.
Some of these relatives I am close to, some I have met,
some I have not yet met, and some are not yet born.
I hope my genealogy blog may assist if they are looking
for where they fit in their family story.

Fourthly (or maybe firstly) - I write as 'cousin bait'.
There are parts of my family I still know almost nothing about,
and I love hearing from relatives that they found my blog
via searching their ancestors name.  

Sourced below

Remembering the past, and looking forward to the future!

This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***



Sources:

Cousin Baiting: What is It, Should You Do It? Retrieved January 3rd 2021 from
https://www.theoccasionalgenealogist.com/2017/01/cousin-baiting-what-is-it-should-you-do.html

Dear 2021,  you have literally been handed the easiest job in history, photo, Retrieved January 3rd 2021 from https://m.facebook.com/Dogs365page/photos/a.742254779257719/1785957684887418/?type=3&source=48

What if 2020 was just a trailer for 2021, photo, Retrieved January 3rd 2021 from https://imgflip.com/i/47b0u0

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________