B-O-L-O: Be On the LookOut, part 2

Yesterday was my father's maternal line of surnames. Today, I want to explore his paternal side.

Davidson - Here is another difficult line. I found this line via some deeds the family has in its possession. The furthest back I can go on this line is Nathaniel Davidson, my great-great-great grandfather. Census says he was born in Kentucky about 1797. I know whom he married and when he died. The other thing I have on this line is a letter written by a John Davidson circa 1828 to his father. I think this John Davidson could be Nathaniel's brother or even his father. It's a shame that two of the names that give me the most problems are on this side of the Atlantic.

Estes - This line is not such a bad surname to research, although it is very, very common. And there are too many Little Berry or Littleberry Estes to mention. And of course, my great-great-great grandmother Ann/Anne/Hannah Estes who married Nathaniel Davidson, was the daughter of one of these Littleberry Estes and Mary Ann "Polly" Wade.

Fuller - This name goes back to the Mayflower - isn't that fun? My most recent Fuller ancestor, however, is my great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Mary Fuller who married Timothy Percival. Their children were born in Massachusetts and New York and the family eventually ended up in Northern Kentucky in Boone county where both died.

Kirtley - This name has been a lot of fun. The progenitor of the family in America is one Francis Kirtley. Recently I posted stuff from Elijah Kirtley's will. He was my great-great-great-great grandfather. One of his daughter's Sarah married into my dad's paternal line.

Maitland - This line goes back to Scotland - and if you can believe it - back to William the Conqueror. There has also been some rumor that it goes back even earlier to Italy. I am satisfied to get the family back to the 1700's that I can document. I am constantly amazed at the occupations in the family, and my great-great-great-great grandfather, Dr. Alexander Maitland is just one of the many physicians in the family. He died in Scotland while his wife passed in Canada. Alexander Maitland, Jr. took his family and lived in many U.S. states before settling in Missouri.

McMekin/Nisbet - Martha Nisbet nee McMekin married Alexander Oliphant (below). She was supposed to be Scots-Irish. The family (Oliphant) emigrated to the US via New Orleans. She had one daughter from her first marriage and two children from her union with Oliphant.

Oliphant - One of my favorite ancestors was Alexander Oliphant. He was a surveyor. His daughter, Mary Grieves Oliphant married the grandson of Dr. Alexander Maitland in Missouri. His name was also Alexander Maitland. The Oliphants originate in Scotland in the border lands.

Percival - I have spent at least 50% of the time I have researched on this line. After all it is my maiden name. This line unites John Stearns Percival of Richmond, Missouri with Mary Ann Bowman of Lexington, Missouri. I have worked the line back to James Percival of Cape Cod who died in 1692. His offspring settled much of Massachusetts, New York, Maine, Connecticut, and New Hampshire before heading south to Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at the turn of the 19th century.

Skirving - Alexander Maitland, the son of Dr. Alexander Maitland, married Helen Skirving whose family also lived in the Scottish borders. Helen's father took his family to the north of Scotland where he worked as a factor before emigrating to Canada, settling in Etobicoke, Ontario in 1833. Unfortunately for John he died three months later, leaving his wife and children to eke out a living.

Wade - I actually haven't done any work on this line at all. I can't believe I am going to admit this, but it seems I've totally overlooked this line. Mary Ann "Polly" Wade was the wife of Littleberry Estes.

Wardlaw - Margaret Wardlaw was the daughter of William Wardlaw a ship's captain. She married John Skirving and ran a girls' school to a) educate her own daughters and b) to eke out a living. She died in 1846 in Toronto (York), Ontario. I have been totally unable to take her line back. One of my DH's cousins-in-law has Wardlaw in his line. I'd like to be able to link to that.

Wilson - As in Jean Wilson, second spouse of Dr. Alexander Maitland and my g-g-g-g grandmother. I haven't worked on this line either.

Other lines I work on include Bush, Tousey, Nye, Crocker, and Kardux among others. Kardux is one of my aunts lines and I did a little research for her a few years ago.

Copyright 2011, ACK for Gene Notes