Surname Saturday - Oliphant

Another of my Scottish surnames is Oliphant. I'd like to say that it is a pretty rare surname, but it seems they are all over the place.  My most recent Oliphant ancestor would be Mary Grieves Oliphant who married Alexander Maitland. But it is her father about whom this blog pertains.

Alexander Oliphant was born April 20, 1806, in Eckford, Roxburghshire, Scotland, the son of Ralph Oliphant and Margaret Archbald. On December 7, 1837, he married Martha McMekin, widow of John Nisbet with a young child, Joanna.

The small family emigrated to the United States via the port of New Orleans, arriving about April 30, 1838. From there, they made their way to Richmond, Ray County, Missouri.

Alexander was a surveyor, and one of the few photos I have of him, courtesy of one of my Percival cousins, shows him holding a transit.

Tragically, Alexander Oliphant died at the age of 72 from a fall from a balcony in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Percival

I used to think that Percival was a rather rare name, until I started researching it. Growing up in the Detroit area, there were other Percivals, but we didn't have any connection to them. This, of course, was before the internet and online phonebooks, Ancestry, etc.

Our Percival line, tracing back from me, born in Detroit to my father in Kansas City, Missouri all the way back to my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, James Percival, the earliest of that line that we can trace. We don't even know for sure where he was born. The first mention of James Percival was in Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony records in 1670 where he is ordered to pay a fine of 5 pounds and to return the boat he stole in Virginia. A few years later, he was given permission to take up lands in Sacconessett (Falmouth, Massachusetts) and that is where he spent the remainder of his years. Part of the family remained in Massachusetts and there are many of his line that still live there, which is mind-boggling to me. My line through James Percival's oldest son, John, must have had gypsy blood because they settled in Connecticut and his descendants moved through New York, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, and California.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Davidson

My earliest Davidson ancestor that I can trace to is Nathaniel Davidson, born in Kentucky, circa 1797 and died in Lafayette County, Missouri, April 10, 1854. He married Ann(e) or Hannah Eastes (Estes) July 29, 1828 in Lafayette county, Missouri.  Nathaniel is also my brick wall as I can not trace him back further.

I do have an intriguing letter written by a John Davidson in 1833 to his father. Nathaniel Davidson did have a son, John, born about 1830. Could the writer of this letter be Nathaniel's brother or maybe even his own father?

This is a transcription of the letter:

Claiborne La Septr 26th 1833


Oh My dear father,
What shall I say to you in answer to your letter under date of 28th June last, in which you detaild the last hours and death of my very aged and Mother. My father how it strikes my heart strings to when I look back and see when youth bloomd in her face, now your with my father never to Return. But Oh My Father you know that I know her exemplary life is rewarded in the world beyond the poor. I feel proud that I have the heart of such a parent to write such a letter as your last that was able to give such a minute account of One on the very verge of Heaven, why my Father will you mourn her loss, look at your age, few such cases in your knowledge, see how long her life was lengthened out as a partner of your Cares & joys in life, and you have no kind of doubt of her piety. Therefore hope you will in your next Say to me. The Lord giveth and taketh and Blessed Is his name. I Blush at the Idea of dictating to you, on any moral subject.


I wrote you sometime in June last and stated my health was somewhat delicate. Thank God I am in good health and have been for some time. My daughter I am truly uneasy about have Recd. no letter from R since 18th June. She went on a visit in March last to Orleans have not see her since. I have said much On the subject of visiting you that I will say no more until you do. Heaven protect my aged Father until we meet.


your
son




John Davidson



How this letter got into the hands of Nathaniel's family I do not know.  I don't know where John Davidson's father was living in 1833. In the 1830 census there is one John Davidson in Claiborne parish, Louisiana aged 40-50 and one 5-10 year old female. If you look at the 1830 Howard County, Missouri census, you will see Nathaniel Davidson with this household:  One male less than 5 years old, 1 male between 20 & 30, 1 male between 30 and 40, 1 male between 70 and 80.  One female between 15 and 20, 1 female between 20 and 30, and 1 female between 60 and 70. It appears that an elderly couple is living with him and his wife and oldest son John. Its possible he has younger siblings living with him.  I really hate the census prior to 1850.

Here is a scanned photocopy of the original letter. You can see that someone attempted to tape it together, which made the original photocopy dark in areas. If you click on it you might be able to read the original.

So for now, Nathaniel Davidson sits there on my brick wall list.



Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Siekierski

Again one of my DH's side. His earliest Siekierski ancestor was Gregor Siekierski who died December 1st 1854 in Radomice, Poland which was somewhere near Czerniejewo, as his death record is found in the church records of Czerniejwo.  He married Marianna Konieczna Nov 22 1840 and to this couple were born eight children, the last three of whom were female triplets - one died less than a month after birth, but the other two lived to marry and have children of their own.

Gregor & Marianna Siekierski's only surviving son, Tomasz, married Antonina Perek in Czerniejewo and four of their six children were born in Poland. For years, I've searched for Tomasz Siekierski's arrival record in New York. I'd found Antonina and the older children arriving in 1888 and the 1900 census indicated that Tomasz came to New York a year earlier.  But I'd had no luck.  Finally, thanks to my OCFRD, I located those two records - Hamburg list and the New York Passenger Arrival list. Tomasz is my DH's great-great grandfather and his earliest immigrant ancestor. Tomasz is located at the red * halfway down the page. (Remember to click on the photo for a better view.)


Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Maitland

Helen "Nellie" Maitland is one of my direct line ancestors, and was married to John Henry Percival, whom everyone called Henry. Don't you just love nicknames? Nellie was my great grandmother, and she died in 1947 a few years before I was born.

There are all kinds of stories about the surname - one being de Mautelant and rumors they came up from Italy. I love fairy tales. I've not been able to prove or disprove it, but keep it in the family history.

Nellie's grandfather, Alexander Maitland (one of a long line of Alexander Maitlands) emigrated from Scotland circa 1834 to Canada, where he ended up in Toronto, met and married his wife Ellen Skirving, moved in and out of the US and ended up in Lafayette County, Missouri.  Alexander and Ellen Maitland were the parents of Alexander Maitland who married Mary Grieves Oliphant and they produced Nellie.

This is one of my favorite photos of Nellie, taken probably circa 1900 possibly with a Brownie camera?



Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Klijewski/Klijewska

This is one of Hubby's Polish lines - his grandmother, Mary Klijewska who married Leo Kruszka (yeah, the guy who changed his name to Pear.) She was the oldest of Maxymilian Klijewski and Mary Siekierska's six children. Her youngest sister was Sophie Klijewska and she is another story altogether.

The photo is of the Klijewski family circa 1908. Mary Klijewski is the one with the veil. Sophia is on her mother's lap.

 This photo is of Leo & Mary Klijewska Kruskza.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Knost

I just noticed that most of my research has centered around my dad's family lately, but Surname Saturday seems to really focus on my mom's family. And Knost is one of hers. And it is pronounced Kanost, in other words, the K is NOT silent.

It has been a relatively simple name to research, since it isn't very common. The earliest one I have found is Johann Heinrich Knost and the most recent one was Emelie Catherine Marie Knost - Amelia - who married Joseph Meyer in Auglaize County, Ohio. Amelia and Joseph were my mother's grandparents. My mom had some recollection of this grandmother, since Amelia lived with some of her children in Michigan after Joseph died.


Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Surname Saturday - Zabrack

This has been the most frustrating name to research. The name belongs to Christine Wilhelmine Zabrack Klesat (Clesat/Cleasott, etc). She is my great-great grandmother and her daughter, Augusta Wilhelmina married August Zimmeth. I've been told the name is wrong, and that may very well be, but her adult daughter gave that name when she converted to Catholocism.

The transcribed copy from St. Joseph Catholic Church in East Tawas, Michigan reads:

Baptism 1885-#56 Augusta Kleesaert wife of August Zimmeth.

AD 1885, 25th October, baptized Augusta, born 26th October 1849, wife of August Zimmeth and daughter of Christopher Kleesaert & Wilhelmina Zabrack; godparents were Henry (last name unreadable) and Mary Griffin, wife of Daniel Douglas. - William A. Nevin (priest).

Unfortunately, somewhere in this move, I have misplaced that piece of paper with the photocopy of the baptismal record.

I have no way to prove or disprove whether or not Zabrack is correct, since I have no clue where Wilhelmina and Christian (not Christopher) were married or where their three children were born.

I've been beating my head on the wall for over 20 years on this family. It would be nice to see at least a little dent - in the wall not my head!




Copyright 2010, ACK for Generational & Gene Notes