Armstrong Family Line

According to a legend, the original surname of the family was Fairbairn. It was changed into Armstrong after a Fairbairn helped a king of Scotland who had problems with getting his horse. Fairbairn lifted the king who was wearing his heavy armor and placed the king on the saddle of his steed. Armstrong = Strong Arms was the name chosen for the strong Fairbairn who was also granted by the king with the coat of arms and some land.

Clan Armstrong, originally of English heritage, lived around the border between England and Scotland. The border line was 110 miles long. That area, due to frequent Anglo-Scot wars, was a territory of turmoil and lawlessness. The locals could not count on any kind of government aid as the state institutions were simply too far from there. In such circumstances, the families who lived in that territory, including the Armstrongs, became border reivers to make their people survive. Among all the eighty-nine reiver families, they were the largest, the most bellicose and feared ones.

 Clan Armstrong crest - an arm for the soldier/armed

The seat of the clan chief was Mangerton Castle situated on a bank of the Liddle River.

The line of Alexander Armstrong (born about 1292), the 2nd Clan Chief and the first Laird of Mangerton is our direct family line (20 generations back)*. Very likely, Alexander took part in the battle of Bannockburn (1314 - the first war of Scottish Independence) and was of service to King Robert the Bruce.

Alexander was killed by William de Soulis of Hermitage Castle. The latter one, according to legends, practiced black magic and made a covenant with the Devil. William also violated local ladies, including an Armstrong girl. He also killed the girl's father who tried to defend her. As a result of that, the people of the area wanted to execute the killer. However, Alexander who investigated the incident calmed the locals down and saved William.

Considering Alexander's position and social influences, William de Soulis regarded Alexander as a rival. Therefore, he decided to get rid of our Armstrong man. Pretending to be thankful for saving his life, William invited Alexander to his castle for a feast. Alexander accepted the invitation not suspecting anything malicious. Sadly, during the feast he was stabbed to death by de Soulis.

The Armstrong Tartan

The companions of Alexander brought his body back to Mangerton castle. However, when they arrived there, it was too late in the night to bury the clan chief. His body was left till the morning at the Armstrong family cemetery place. On the next day, Alexander was buried. It happened in 1320. 

To honor Alexander, the memorial called Milnholm Cross was placed at the spot where his corpse was laid for the night.

A year later, William was trialed for treason - he plotted against King Robert the Bruce and was put in prison (Dumbarton Castle) where he died in April 1321.

Studying the Geni.com input regarding Alexander, I found out his wife was Marguerite de Dampress whose ancestry line goes through Germany and Belgium to France, and to King of Burgundy and Italy. I will write about that in another post, though.

From Alexander, 1st Laird of Mangerton, the family line goes to his son 

⇒ Alexander Armstrong (b. ≈1318 / d. ≈1376), Clan Chief, 2nd Laird of Mangerton

⇒ his son Clan Chief Alexander Armstrong IV (b. ≈1340 /d. ≈1398) , 3rd Laird of Mangerton

⇒ his son Lord Archibald Armstrong (b. ≈1370 Mangerton Castle, Dumfrieshire, Scotland/d. ≈ 1445)

⇒ his son Thomas Armstrong, 5th Laird of Mangerton (b. ≈1425/d. 1498)

⇒ his son Sir Alexander Armstrong, 6th Laird of Mangerton (b. ≈1445/d.≈1510)

⇒ his son John (Johnnie) Armstrong of Gilnockie (b. ≈1480)

The Gilnockie Castle, where Johnnie lived, was a couple of kilometers north of Canobie, on the Esk River, in County Eskedale.

Gilnockie Tower, Scotland - built in 1518

John and forty-six other men were executed at Carligrig by King James IV (≈ 1530). Johhnie became a legendary character and a hero of folk ballads (I guess, due to the circumstances of his death).

⇒ Johnnie's son Christopher Armstrong of Mangerton (b. ≈1526/ d. 22 Sept. 1606)

⇒ his son Colonel William Armstrong (b. 1565/d. 6 June 1646 - killed during the battle of Benburb)

During his life, in 1604, William moved to Ireland to escape being executed by King James Justice court.

⇒ his son Edward Armstrong of Terwinnay (b. 1604, Brookboro, Fermanagh, Ireland/d. 1650, Ederney, Terwinney, Ireland)

Edward served as a captain during the Civil War in Ireland. He married an Irish lady Mary Maguire ≈ 1625 in Brookboro. Her father was Cpt Thomas Maguire. The Maguires were kings of the County Fermanagh (13th-17th century).

Maguire Coat of Arms

  

Location of Fermanagh (Maguire) - Ulster, late 15th century

⇒ Edward and Margaret's son James Armstrong (b. ≈1645/d. ≈1758). Possibly, he came to North Carolina in 1744.
⇒ his son James Armstrong (b. 24 Jan. 1684, Brookeborough, Fermanagh, Ireland/d. 1 May 1745, Paxtang, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania)
 ⇒ his son James Armstrong III (b. ≈1707, Paxtang, Dauphine, PA/d. Dec. 1758,
Paxtang, Dauphine, PA)

---

⇒ his son William Armstrong (b. ≈ 1739, Paxtang, Pennsylvania/ d. 21 June 1780, Lincolton, Lincoln, North Carolina)

Some sources say that William was a son of John (b. circa 1715) - a son of Edward Armstrong of Terwinnay. That John's wife was Mary Jean Graham. However, in a book on Graham's ancestry which I have come across, I have not found any information they had a son named William. That source says that John was the John "Jack" Armstrong who was killed by Indians in 1744.

---

⇒ William's daughter Elizabeth Armstrong (b. 4 Feb. 1762, Mecklenburg, NC/d. 4 Jan. 1834, Pendleton District, Anderson, SC)

On 17 Jan. 1783, in Lincoln Co., NC, Elizabeth married Giles Gant (b. 2 August 1756, Granville County, North Carolina), our direct ancestor 7 generations back.

*My MyHeritage research 

Credits:

Sources

1. The Armstrongs. The History of a Riding Family 1040-1650 by Derek James Stewart
2. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank, Volume 4 by John Burke Esq.
3. Armstrong Clan History
4.  Wikipedia.org
5. My MyHeritage research

Pictures

• Clan Armstrong Crest By Celtus (Celtus @ english wikipedia) - Own work by uploader. The crest element is adapted from an image in an out-of-copyright book: Matthews' American armoury and blue book (1907)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4899948
• Tartan
  
  Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=305960
  Gilnockie tower By Farmer erik at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Raven1977 using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6188814
• Maguire Crest: By self-created - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42732669
• Location of Fermanagh - map: By Mabuska (talk) - I (Mabuska (talk)) created this work entirely by myself., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27821654

Wywiady Klubowe: Rozmowa z Agnieszką Kamińską

Dzisiaj wracamy w Wywiadach do Szwajcarii. Mieszka tu także Agnieszka.

Agnieszko, gdzie jest Twoje miejsce w Polsce?

Słupsk (ten słynny z Biedroniem), ale też Toruń (tam studiowałam) Kraków (tam też), Warszawa (tam mieszkałam i pracowałam przez pięć lat).

 

Jak dawno temu wyjechałaś z Polski?

W październiku 2018 roku miną cztery lata, odkąd wyładowaną po dach skodą przekroczyłam szwajcarską granicę. I tak już zostałam (skody już nie ma).

Kraj i przyczyna Twojej emigracji to...

Kraj: Szwajcaria, część niemieckojęzyczna, kanton: Zurych, miasto: Winterthur.
Przyczyna: Szwajcar imieniem Thomas.

Jakie masz wykształcenie?

Wyższe. Magister socjologii z podyplomówką z finansów.

Czym zajmujesz się na co dzień?

Pisaniem. Jestem dziennikarką, piszącą niegdyś o ekonomii, teraz o społeczeństwie i podróżach. Prowadzę też bloga I'm not Swiss. Ostatnio zaczęłam bawić się w nauczanie języka polskiego. Nieustannie od kilku lat studiuję język niemiecki.

Twoje hobby / co lubisz robić w czasie wolnym?

Podróżuję, choć to chyba coś więcej, niż hobby, kiedy spędzasz w podróży ok. 100 dni w roku. Zajmuję się winem, pomagam w pracach w szwajcarskiej winnicy, chodzę na degustację, sama organizuję je też dla przyjaciół, zwiedzam winnice, gdzie tylko zdarza mi się być. Uprawiam sport - joga, rower górski, bieganie. Czytam na potęgę.

Z czego jesteś dumna?

Z odwagi życia na własnych zasadach, nad którą wciąż muszę pracować. Z mojego męża, który każdego dnia mnie w tym wspiera.

Kiedy zaczęłaś pisać bloga / o czym piszesz na blogu?

Blog wystartował w październiku 2014, wkrótce po mojej przeprowadzce do Szwajcarii. Piszę o blaskach i cieniach życia na emigracji, szwajcarskiej codzienności i nieoczywistościach.

Czym jest dla Ciebie Klub Polki?

Miejscem, gdzie kobiety pięknie się różnią, a tym, co je łączy, jest wspólnota emigracyjnych doświadczeń.

Co jeszcze chciałabyś nam powiedzieć o sobie?

Bardzo dużo! Zapraszam do kontaktu i do lektury mojego bloga.

AGNIESZKA KAMIŃSKA, Szwajcaria
Blog: I am not Swiss
FB: I'm not Swiss

Czytajmy więc strony Agnieszki i to, o czym nam na nich opowiada. 
Agnieszko, dziękujemy i pozdrawiamy!

Zdjęcia: Agnieszka Kamińska

Memorial Day

On Memorial Day we pay tribute to those military men (and women) who fought and lost their lives in various wars.

Today, I want to honor my great-grandfather Anton Dybowski who was a soldier and was killed somewhere in a WW1 front. I am not sure where and when exactly it happened but, possibly, it was in 1915/1916.

 ⚔

The two other men were not our relatives. We just came across their graves when we visited a local cemetery.

Private 1st Class Louis W. Casey was born on 1 August 1890. His parents were Mr. Joseph P. (born 1848) and Mary Casey (b. 1873).

The 1910 Census records inform that Louis and his parents were born in Alabama. In 1910, they lived in Justice Precinct No. 4, Dallas, Texas. Joseph was a carpenter, Louis worked as a farm laborer*.

Louis was enlisted and joined the service in May 1917. The WW1 Draft Registration Card tells us that his middle name was William, and he was born in Jasper, Alabama. What else? Louis was a tall, medium-sized man, had blue eyes and light hair. He worked for Pierce Fordyce Oil Association.

Form I 875 Registration Card  No. 54
1. Name: Lewis William Casey  Age in Years: 26
2. Home Address: Mesquite, Texas. 
3. Date of Birth: August 1, 1890
4. Are you natural born citizen? Natural born
5. Where were you born? Jasper, Alabama, USA. 
7. What is your present trade, occupation? Formerly Laborer ?
8. By whom employed? Pierce Fordyce Oil Co.
9. Where employed? Dallas, Texas
10. Have you a father, mother, child under 12, or a sister brother under 12 who dependent on you for support? no
11. Married or single: single   Race: Caucasian
12. What military service have you had? Rank none
13. Do you claim exemption from draft? no
Registrar's Report: 42-4-27-A
1. Tall, medium or short? tall
Slender, medium? medium
 2. Color of eyes? blue Color of hair: light Bald?
Has person lost arm, leg, hand or both eyes or is he otherwise disabled?
Signed by: JC Rugel
Precinct 68
City or County: Dallas
State: Texas
State: Texas Date: June 5, 1917

Source: "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXQ-89F : 13 March 2018), Lewis William Casey, 1917-1918; citing Dallas County, Texas, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,953,183.

At first, Louis trained in Camp Bowie, Texas, then his assignment was Company D, 132nd Machine Gun Battalion, 36th Division. The 36th Infantry Division which Louis was part of had nicknames "Panther Division" or "Lone Star Division". The unit was part of the US Army and the Texas National Guard as well.

Louis and his Company were sent to Europe in July 1918. The book "History of Texas Heroes" says Louis participated in the battle of Champagne and was wounded then**. I assume he fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive as the Company unit (including 132nd Machine Gun Battalion) took part in combat near the St. Etienne village on 9/10 October 1918.

Louis was 28 when he died. I have found a document which tells about the place where Louis W. Casey was buried when he passed. It was St. Etienne-a-Arnes, US Cemetery #1129. Chaplain E.F. Cody prayed for Louis' soul then.

Casey Louis W. PVT.
Co. D. 132nd M. G. Bn #1486171
Buried Oct. 28, 1918
By Chaplain E. F. Cody

Place.
St. Etienne-a-Arnes
U. S. Army Cemetery #1129

Source: Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-ZF28 : 9 March 2018), Louis W Casey, 28 Oct 1918; citing Military Service, , , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.


The inscription on Louis' grave marker, which was placed in the old Mesquite cemetery, says:

LOUIS W. CASEY

PVT 1ST CLASS

COMPANY D 132ND

MACHINE GUN

BATTALION 36 DIV.

BORN AUG.1.1890

DIED OCT.28.1918

EVACUATION

HOSPITAL NO.3

CHAMPAGNE FRONT

-----

HE SERVED WITH HONOR

IN THE WORLD WAR

AND DIED IN THE SERVICE 

OF HIS COUNTRY

⚔

I did not find any information on Pvt. John Preston King, besides the fact that he was of dallad County, and was killed in action. John was also 28 when he died.

The inscription on his gravestone reads:

JOHN PRESTON KING

PVT US ARMY

WORLD WAR II

OCT 7 1915  NOV 27 1943

God bless their souls.

 ⚔

Source:
*"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2MS-126 : accessed 24 May 2018), Lewis W Casey in household of Joseph P Casey, Justice Precinct 4, Dallas, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 89, sheet 2A, family 27, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1545; FHL microfilm 1,375,558.
** History of Texas War Heroes
Wikipedia 
National Archives

Harrington Family, Harrington Chapel and Epworth League

Some of our female ancestors were active members of the Fannie Harrington Chapel congregation so it is time to write about the Harrington family in Texas.

Jonathan Harrington was born in 1786 in Virginia. His two sons, Alfred (b.1812) and Silas (b. 1814) came with their families to Collin County, Texas in 1848. It was three years after Texas became a state and about two years after Collin County was formed. In the year 1848, the town of McKinney was established as the Collin County seat.

Alfred and Silas Harrington were some of the earliest settlers in the area of Plano.

Silas' son Silas Marion Harrington (b.1883) graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and after that, in 1881, he opened a pharmacy in Plano, Texas.

In 1982, the Harrington family bought the carpentry (furniture shop) and undertaking business from Mr. Andrew Wetzel. Silas Harrington's son, Edwin Omar became the manager of the Harrington Furniture and Undertaker Store (which was opened from 1893 to 1980s).

On 9 October 1903, Mrs. Mary Franklin (Fannie) Harrington nee Mathews organized a chapel which was called after her name.

Fannie Harrington was the wife of John Huffman Harrington, Alfred's son. She was born on 18 February 1859 in Collin Co., TX to Mr. Benjamin Franklin Mathews and Mary Yeager.

The chapel organized by Fannie Harrington was a Methodist church which served the rural community of Collin County. The lady leader and the congregation members visited people who lived in the area and helped those who were in need.

Our aunt Victoria belonged to the Epworth League of the Harrington Chapel. The league was a youth section of the church (for persons at the age 18-35) which met on Sunday nights. The programme of the meetings was published in a local weekly newspaper. I have come across such an announcement while browsing The Portal to Texas History archives.

Harrington Chapel  

Epworth League

The following program will be rendered Sunday, April 9, 7 o'clock:

Leader - Miss Victoria Gant,

Scripture reading.

Roll call - answer with verse of scripture.

Song.

Reading - Miss Ethel Cothes.

Song.

Talk - Mrs. John Harrington.

Solo - Mrs. Clint Kennedy.

Song.

Prayer.

Reading - Miss Ruby Mathews.

Song.

Bible characters.

Song.

Reading - James Bryan.

Song.

Announcements.

Benediction.

Clipping source: The Plano Star-Courier (Plano,Tex), Vol. 27, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, April 7, 1916 Page: 7 of 10, accessed 05/18, University of North Texas Libraries,  The Portal to Texas History, crediting Collin County Genealogical Society

Miss Victoria Gant was our aunt, I am going to write a post about her soon. Mrs. John Harrington was, of course, Fannie, the church leader of course.

The Harrington Chapel was also a social circle - the congregation members spent time together at weekends. The information about such activities was included in the "social column" of a local newspaper as well.

Harrington Chapel

Miss Victoria Gant spent time with Miss Ethel Howard.
Miss Erickson spent Saturday and Sunday with Miss Leona Mathews.
Mrs. Green Bishop spent Sunday afternoon with her aunt, Mrs. Barcus.
Mrs. Gofforth of Renner was the guest of Miss Powell Saturday and Sunday.
Clint Haggard visited relatives and friends in this community over Sunday.
Ernest Bishop and Fred Lunsford were in our community Sunday afternoon.
Several from this community attended Trades Day at Plano last Monday.
Miss Cassie Dillehay and little sister Myrtle, spent a few days last week with Harry Dillehay and wife.
The little son of Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons died Friday and was buried at Rowlett Saturday. We extend sympathy to the bereaved ones.
The conference which was held at the Chapel Saturday and Sunday proved to be a great success in every way. Rev. Spragins preached three very fine sermons. Each church of the district was represented by one or more of the stewarts.

Harrington Chapel, April 15

Clipping Source:  Perkins, Tom W. & Wilson, Walter B. The Weekly Democrat-Gazette (McKinney, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 18, 1912, newspaper, April 18, 1912; McKinney, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth292093/: accessed May 2018), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, crediting Collin County Genealogical Society.

According to my finds, many Plano families, including the Gants, Haggards, Harringtons, Lunsfords, the Mathews family, and the Bishops were related to each other in one way or another.
Miss Ethel Howard was Victoria Gant's first cousin. Clinton Shepard Haggard, mentioned above, was born circa 1878 and was married to Miss Nancy Catherine Lunsford. He was the uncle of Fred Lunsford.

Anyway, the Fannie Harrington Chapel was dissolved in 1962.

What was our relation to John Huffmann Harrington and Miss Fannie, his wife?

Via Miss Vera Virginia Andrews* (born 26 Dec. 1897, Collin, TX), our fourth cousin twice removed. Vera's husband was Silas Liter Harrington (born 1896). John Huffman was a brother of a grandfather of Silas'.

Silas Liter Harrington 
⇒ his father Joseph Alfred Harrington (b. 31 March 1874, Collin Co., TX/ d. 9 April 1957, Plano, Collin, TX)
⇒ his father Silas Liter Harrington (b. 29 April 1851, Plano, Collin, Texas/ d. 21 March 1932, Collin, TX)
⇒ his brother John Huffman Harrington ( 11 August 1858, Shelbyville, Kentucky / d. 8 Dec. 1942, Collin, TX).


*based on my MyHeritage research


Credits:

• Information: "Images of America. Historict Downtown Plano" by Janice Craze Cline
• Picture: By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) - originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9914015

 

Andrew Johnson

As I have already said in one of my previous posts, during my ancestry research I came across quite a few US presidents in our various family tree branches. Maybe I should write about them in the order following the sequence of their presidential terms. However, I find their random appearance in my posts more interesting.

Andrew Johnson is a relative of our maternal line. Actually, he was the third cousin six times removed of our maternal grandfather, Samuel Hollie McIntosh*. Samuel's mother was Jurita Elizabeth McIntosh nee Ledbetter.

From Jurita the relation goes through our direct ancestors' line:

Jurita's mother Hannah E Ledbetter (nee Hagood),
⇒ her father Lemuel Davis Hagood,
⇒ his father James J Hagood,
⇒ his mother Martha Hagood nee West,
⇒ her mother Letitia West nee Martin,
⇒ her mother Anna Martin nee Farish
⇒ her mother Judith Farish nee Johnston, and
⇒ her father William Johnston.

William was born on 16 Dec. 1697 in Annandale, in the historic county of Dumfries, Scotland. He was the descendant of Dr Arthur Johnston (the Johnston Clan line).

 Left foreground - the green valley of the River Annan (Annandale), Scotland

William's brother was Arthur Johnson Sr. (born ≈ 1688, St. Peter's Parish, New Kent, Virginia / d. 20 Jan. 1759, Augusta, Virginia).

Then the connection goes down the family line to Artur Johnson Sr.'s son Andrew William Johnson
⇒ Andrew's son Jacob Johnston (b.17 April 1778, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina / d. 4 January 1812, Raleigh, Wake County, NC
and finally ⇒ to his son Andrew Johnson  (1808, NC - 1875, Tennessee) who became the President after the death of President Lincoln.

Andrew Johnson - by Vanneson

To sum up, both Mr. Andrew Johnson and us are descendants of Stephen "The Clerk" Johnston.

 * based on my MyHeritage research

Credits:
Pictures

Annandale - By Scothill - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8320105

Portrait of Andrew Johnson :

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44993463

Garrot Howard - Last Hours of His Life

Garrot was born on 12 Feb. 1855 in Plano, Collin County, TX. He came to this world about three months after his father's death. Garrot was the youngest son and the seventh child of Jarrot Howard and his second wife Lucettie Abigail Howard.

When Garrot was two, his mother married again and the little boy gained a stepfather whose name was William Forman II. The second marriage of Abigail's brought Garrot six younger half-siblings.

Nothing do we know about Garrot's relationship with his stepfather and the rest of the family. Considering the newspaper information regarding the circumstances of his death, we may assume he might have become a bit defiant or desperate.

Garrot's family home was in Plano but because of some reason he was in the village of Valley View in Cooke County, on Sunday, 25 Feb. 1877.* Very likely the young men had gone there to visit his relatives and or/friends.

Valley View Location, TX

Anyway, while staying in Valley View (which was founded by L.W. Lee in 1872), Garrot (Jarrett as given in the newspaper) was to be arrested for carrying a gun. When approached by constable Ball, our Garrot did not wish to surrender and shot his pistol. The bullet pierced the law officer's coat.

According to the newspaper article, Mr. Stokely, the Justice of the Peace ordered posse who went after Garrot to arrest him. The young man hid in the house which belonged to Mr. James Thomas. The latter one could be Garrot's mother's brother (James Breed Thomas). All the Thomas relatives rushed out of their house, scared by what was going on. Garrot was surrounded, but he was not willing to give up.

While he was about to shoot at officer Ball again, one of the posses (of the name T.J. Parker) got closer to Garrot who turned around and spoke: “Damn I'll shoot you, yet.”

The posse needed to get some long-range guns so they fell back, but then they moved toward the house where Garrot was hiding. When Garrot/Jarrett saw the approaching men, he went out and tried to shoot at Mr. Parish. However, Parish shot Garrot twice and, as a result of that, wounded his right groin severely (including damaging an artery). Sadly, our Garrot died a few hours later. He was only 22 years old then.

His body must have been taken home to Plano as he was buried at the Plano Cemetery.

Garrot was our great-grandfather's (William James Howard's) half-brother. He was 21 years younger than William. Who knows what made Garrot act as he did. Maybe he just had been an unhappy person.

Credits:

Information
*The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, TEX.) Vol. 35 No. 299, Ed. 1, Thursday, March 8, 1877. accessed May, 2018, University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, crediting Abilene Library Consortium
 
Pictures:
1. map - By The original uploader was Seth Ilys at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2399380
2. By Renelibrary [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

John Milton

It is time to come back to our Mary Boone Gant again. She is quite an interesting lady as she links us to a few well-known persons including John Milton, the poet.

When in high school, we learned about him and his Paradise Lost in Literature classes. Hope, you have heard about John Milton as he was one of the greatest English poets/authors who created not in English only but in eight other languages as well.

Here is the family relation leading us to the poet  - which I found while working on our extended family tree.

Mary Boone Gant (the wife of our 1st cousin six times removed) ➦
➦her father Hiram Boone (b. ≈ 1765, Culpepper Co., Virginia / d. 13 March 1826, Savannah, Hardin, Tennessee)
➦his father Hezekiah Boone (b. 22 May 1735, Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania / d. 20 Dec. 1823, Woodford, Kentucky) 
➦ his father George Boone (b. 13 July 1690, Bradninch, Devon, England / d. 20 Nov. 1753, Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania)
➦ his mother Mary Milton Boone nee Maugridge (b. 23 Dec. 1669, Bradninch, Devon, England/ came to America 1717/ d. 2 Feb. 1740, Exeter, Berks, Pennsylvania)
➦ her mother Mary Maugridge nee Milton (b. 25 Oct. 1647, Bradninch, Devon, England/ d. August 1697, Bradninch, England)
➦ her father John Milton ( b. 9 Dec. 1608 - Bread St., London, England).

Based on my MyHeritage research

Credits

• Picture of poet John Milton:
  
  

  

  Public Domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134543

Wywiady Klubowe: Rozmowa z Pauliną Grunwald

Jakiś czas temu w TV Koszalin był taki program, który bardzo przypominał formą jeden z programów wczesnej MTV - widzowie dzwonili podczas trwania audycji i brali udział w konkursach, prowadzonych przez prowadzącego. Ów prowadzący zawsze zadawał dzwoniącej osobie pytanie: "Kogo witam, kogo goszczę?". Parafrazując jego słowa - dzisiaj w Wywiadach witamy i gościmy Paulinę, mieszkającą w USA, w stanie Illinois.

Paulino, gdzie jest Twoje miejsce w Polsce?

Urodziłam się w Szczecinie i to tam, aż do czasu emigracji, spędziłam swoje całe życie. Muszę przyznać, że jest to zdecydowanie moje miejsce na ziemi! Wracam tam zawsze bardzo chętnie, a każdy dzień spędzony w moim rodzinnym mieście jest dla mnie na wagę złota.

 

Jak dawno temu wyjechałaś z Polski?

W tym roku minie siedem lat mojej emigracji.

Kraj i przyczyna Twojej emigracji to...

Obecnie mieszkam w Stanach Zjednoczonych, w Chicago. Powód mojej emigracji to chyba jeden z tych najczęstszych - uczucie. Do Stanów przyleciałam do mojego ówczesnego chłopaka. Miało być na kilka miesięcy, a wyszło już kilka lat.

Powiedz nam coś o Twoim wykształceniu...

W Polsce skończyłam studia prawnicze i wyemigrowałam tuż po ich ukończeniu. Prawo, mówiąc delikatnie, nie jest najlepszym kierunkiem, gdy przychodzi do emigracji, ponieważ każdy kraj ma swój własny system prawny. Tym samym, mimo że w Polsce zdobyłam dobre wykształcenie, to w Stanach Zjednoczonych musiałam się jeszcze raz zabrać za studiowanie. Nie narzekam z tego powodu, bo nauka zawsze sprawiała mi przyjemność i chętnie uczę się nowych rzeczy i umiejętności.

Czym zajmujesz się na co dzień?

Jak wspomniałam, po przylocie do USA musiałam się przekwalifikować, co zajęło mi trochę czasu. Zdecydowałam się pozostać jednak w branży prawnej i aktualnie pracuję w moim nowym zawodzie, czyli jako paralegal. Jest to zawód praktycznie niewystępujący w Polsce, a jeśli już zdarzy się usłyszeć o takim stanowisku, to zakres obowiązków jest inny niż w rozumieniu amerykańskim. W Stanach Zjednoczonych paralegal może być określony mniej więcej jako asystent adwokata, ale w merytorycznym sensie. Część Twoich Czytelników może kojarzyć tę profesję z popularnego serialu „W garniturach” (ang. "Suits").

Jakie masz hobby / co lubisz robić w czasie wolnym?

W wolnym czasie, jeśli tylko mam możliwość, staram się spędzać jak najwięcej czasu na łonie natury. Uspokaja mnie to, relaksuje i dodaje mnóstwo energii i pozytywnego nastawienia. Ostatnio też zaczęłam uczyć się gry na gitarze - jest to coś, co zawsze chciałam zrobić, a jakoś nigdy nie mogłam zacząć. W końcu pomyślałam: „Hej, Paulina, albo teraz, albo nigdy!” I kupiłam gitarę. 😉
Kocham też podróże, ale na nie potrzeba już zdecydowanie więcej czasu niż na wędrówkę po pobliskich kanionach czy wypad nad jezioro, więc ostatnio musiałam je odstawić nieco na bok.

Z czego jesteś dumna?

To może śmiesznie zabrzmi, ale dumna nauczyłam się być dopiero w Ameryce. Może zmieniło się moje nastawienie i zaczęłam się bardziej doceniać, a może po prostu dopiero tutaj pojawiły się powody do dumy. W każdym razie chyba najbardziej jestem dumna tak ogólnie z tego, że w miarę dobrze odnalazłam się na emigracji. Skończyłam studia, mam pracę, którą lubię, a przy okazji, można powiedzieć po drodze, imałam się też innych ciekawych zajęć - na przykład miałam swój cotygodniowy felieton w lokalnym radiu.

 Kiedy zaczęłaś pisać bloga / o czym piszesz na blogu?

Bloga zaczęłam pisać kilka miesięcy po przylocie do Chicago. Wynikało to częściowo z tęsknoty za Polską, a częściowo z chęci dzielenia się ze znajomymi moim życiem tutaj. Piszę przede wszystkim o życiu w Ameryce z mojej polskiej perspektywy, czyli o tym, co mnie zaskakuje w tym kraju czy w mentalności Amerykanów- zarówno pozytywnie, jak i negatywnie. Piszę również o podróżach po Stanach, jak i o samym Chicago. Turystom daję wskazówki, jak poruszać się po mieście i co zwiedzać, a mieszkańcom Chicago podpowiadam, gdzie warto być.

Czym jest dla Ciebie Klub Polki?

To dla mnie niesamowite miejsce. Skupia kilkadziesiąt dziewczyn z różnych części Polski i mieszkających w najodleglejszych zakątkach świata, a jednocześnie umiejących się dogadać i przyjaźnić wirtualnie. Motywujemy się i inspirujemy nawzajem, a kiedy trzeba to również doradzamy i wspieramy. A jeszcze ponad tym wszystkim tworzymy wspólne projekty i prowadzimy świetny portal. Nie wiem, czy jest taki drugi klub na świecie!

PAULINA GRUNWALD

Strony Pauliny:
Blog: za-oceanem.blogspot.com
Facebbok: www.facebook.com/pamietnikemigrantki/
Instagram: @chicagowianka  

Paulino, pozostajemy pod wrażeniem Twoich osiągnięć i dziękujemy za wizytę.
Koniecznie odwiedzcie strony Pauliny!

Pozdrawiamy wszystkich Czytelników i zapraszamy do ponownego spotkania w Wywaidach Klubu Polki. 

Zdjęcia:
Paulina Grunwald

McCoys

In one of my previous posts, I promised to tell you why Mary Elizabeth Trollinger was the person mentioned in the article. The answer is: she connects us to the McCoy family branch.

No, do not get me wrong. I do not claim McCoys are our direct relatives. They are only a sideline in our family tree but, still, I find that connection quite interesting.

I learned the story about McCoys and Hatfields when I came to Texas and watched the mini-series about them. At that time, nothing did we know regarding any family relations, though.

The McCoy family lived in Pike County, Kentucky. Tons have been written about that family feud so I will make it all short, just in case if you have never heard about it.

Breaks Interstate Park situated on the Kentucky and Virginia border.

The conflict between the two families - McCoys and Hatfields  - lasted for a few decades. It got worse and more intense after the Civil War when Asa Harmon McCoy was shot. Asa was coming back home from the war, he was killed not far from his house on 7 January 1865. The alleged killer was Jim Vance, a relative of the Hatfields.

Then, there was a land dispute between Devil Anse Hatfield and Perry Cline. The latter one was related to McCoys. Hatfield took P. Cline to court with a lawsuit against him and won the case and the land both of them claimed. McCoys found the court judgment unfair.

1878 - a hog was stolen from McCoys. The family members saw the animal among the ones which belonged to William Anderson Hatfield (Devil Anse). Randall McCoy - the head of the McCoy family - sued Devil Anse, accusing him of stealing the hog.

William Anderson Hatfield was favored by the court after the testimony of Bill Staton (related to McCoys and Hatfields as well). Devil Anse - the accused - was found innocent. The McCoy family found it as severe injustice.

What was more, Roseanna McCoy (daughter of Randall and Sarah McCoy) charmed by Devil Anse's son Johnse Hatfield, fell in love with him. Johnse was a ladies' man but Roseanna believed he would marry her. Johnse impregnated the girl, and she (being still single) lived with the Hatfield family for some time. However, both Randall and Devil Anse were against the marriage of the two young ones.

All in all, Roseanna had to leave the house of the Hatfields' and stayed at her aunt's. Johnse married Roseanna's cousin. At the final period of her pregnancy, Roseanna got measles. The girl whom she bore was sick as well. The baby girl, Sarah Elizabeth, died in 1881, not long after she was born.

On 7 August 1882, three of Randall McCoy's sons - Randall "Bud" (15 years old), Pharmer (19) and Tolbert (21)  - got drunk and had a fight with Ellison Hatfield, Devil Anse's brother. Ellison was stabbed and shot by the McCoy brothers. The boys were to be arrested but before it happened, they were caught by Devil Anse Hatfield and imprisoned by him at an old school house in Logan County, Virginia. Ellison died two days after the fight. Subsequently, the Hatfields took the three ones to Kentucky, across the River Tug. They strung the brothers to the bushes and shot them multiple times.

 The feud site along The Tug River

1 January 1888 - the Hatfields assaulted the McCoys' farm in the night. They burned the house of McCoys when the family were asleep. Calvin McCoy, Randall's son, was shot at once when he ran out of the burning house. Alifair McCoy, Randall's daughter, was shot when she attempted to get the water to extinguish the fire. Sarah, Randall's wife, was attacked as well. Her skull was crashed and ribs broken. Randall McCoy and his other kids managed to get out of the house and hide in the woods. The children got frostbites as they all left their home in a hurry and had no time to get dressed. Sarah McCoy never recovered and passed not long after the assault.


How does Mary Elizabeth Trollinger connect us to the McCoy family?

Mary Elizabeth was our great-great-great-grandmother.

⇒ Her father (our g-g-g-g-grandfather) Jacob Henry Trollinger (b. Mar 10 1762, Haw River, NC/d. Feb 29 1844, Haw River, NC) ⇒
⇒ his sister Barbara Trollinger (b. ≈ 1768, Dublan, Frederick County, Province of Maryland/d. ≈ 1825, Gallatin County, Illinois) ⇒
⇒ her husband William McCoy (b. ≈ 1773, Frederick County, Province of Maryland/ d. ≈ 1839, Gallatin County, Illinois) ⇒
⇒ his brother Daniel McCoy (b. Apr 24 1788, Montgomery, Virginia/d. Jul 10 1885, Logan, Logan County, West Virginia) ⇒
⇒ his son Randolph "Randall" McCoy (b. Oct 30 1825, Pike Co., Kentucky/d. Mar 28 1914, Pikeville, Pike County, Kentucky).

Sometime after we learned about that relation, we re-watched the mini-series about the two families. You look at things differently when you know they happened to a relative, even if a distant one.

📺

Credits:
Pictures

• Breaks Interstate Park - By Dan Grogan - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33480667
• The map - By Kmusser - Own work. City and county data source: National Atlas [1]. Hydrology data source: National Hydrography Dataset [2]., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11784236

On Mother's Day

Our mother Bessie Hazel was born on 22 November 1919 in Harrison County, Texas.
She had twelve siblings - three older sisters, one older brother, six younger sisters and one younger brother.

Bessie got married not long after she completed her education. The marriage took place in First Christian Church in Plano, TX, on 13th April 1919. Our mother was about twenty then.

During her marriage, she bore five children. Bessie Hazel was a kind-hearted woman, a devoted and caring mother and a loving wife. Mom took care of her children and husband, and the family home. She made delicious, Southern-style dishes and exquisite desserts as well. When eating out, the food places of her choice were the ones which served home like Southern type meals. Her favorite restaurants were Luby's and Cracker Barrel. Mother did not drink any alcohol.

Bessie Hazel was a great fan of Dallas Cowboys and always watched their games on TV. Besides that, she also enjoyed watching various TV shows and listening to country and western music on Channel 11.

Our mother passed a few days before her 79th birthday, on 5 November 1998. She was buried at the Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.

Thank you, Bessie, for your son, my wonderful husband.

Mary Elizabeth Trollinger and Trollinger Family

Mary Elizabeth Trollinger was the wife of our great-great-great-grandfather, Jonathan Kerr Gant.
She was born in December 1791 in Orange County, North Carolina. Mary's parents were Jacob Henry Trollinger and Mary (Polly) Thomas. She was the couples' first daughter and second child.

The Trollinger ancestors came to America from Germany. The one who immigrated first was Mary's great-grandfather Adam Drollinger born on 4 April 1708 in Ellmendingen, Baden, Germany (he is/was our 6 times great-grandfather).

Vines, Ellmendingen, Baden, Germany

Adam left Germany when he was 30 years old. He traveled on the same ship together with his wife Margaretha Valencia Beck (b.1710) and their children. They were accompanied by Adam's cousin Johann Eberhard Drollinger (b. 1706) and cousin's wife Anna Maria Fuess (b. 1708). In 1738 they all arrived in Philadelphia on the ship "Nancy and Friendship".

Later, Adam Drollinger moved with his family to North Carolina. In 1743, Adam's father Hans Michael Drollinger emigrated to North Carolina as well. He arrived in Philadelphia on the ship "Rosanna".

Mary Elizabeth Trollinger Gant died on 24 June 1883 in Graham, Alamance County, North Carolina.

Mary's husband and our ancestor Jonathan Kerr Gant departed on 8 September 1858. The couple found their eternal resting place at Providence Cemetery in Graham, Alamance, NC.

In America, the surname Drollinger got changed into Trollinger (and Trolinger). An interesting thing is that Trollinger is the name of the wine vine variety. That particular type of dark grapes was originally grown in South Tyrol but these days it is mostly cultivated in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

Why I have chosen to tell you about Mary Elizabeth Trollinger and her (and our) ancestors, I will explain later, in one of my May posts.

Credits:

• Photo - Vines in Ellmendingen: Von Augenstein, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46589064
• Photos of gravestones by Jason & Mitzie 

John Lee Gant - from Tennessee to Texas

I have already told you about the migration of our ancestors from England to Virginia, from Virginia to North Carolina, and then to Tennessee. The one who moved us to Tennessee was Jacob Rippy Gant. He and his wife Doxley had six children. The oldest one was their first son Henry A (born in 1838 in Orange County, NC).

 

On 11 Dec. 1858, Henry married Miss Hellen Jane Shanklin. It happened in Sumner County, Tennessee. Hellen's parents were James and Jane Shanklin. The bride was born in 1839 in North Carolina.

The couple had nine children - six sons and three daughters.

1880 Census mentions Henry and his family - they lived in District 14, Sumner County, TN

United States Census, 1880
Name: Henry Gant
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1880
Event Place: District 14, Sumner, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): W
Occupation: Farmer
Relationship to Head of Household Self
Relationship to Head of Household (Original) Self
Birth Year (Estimated) 1838
Birthplace: North Carolina, United States
Father's Birthplace: North Carolina, United States
Mother's Birthplace: North Carolina, United States
Sheet Letter B
Sheet Number 224
Person Number 0
Volume 1

Henry Gant, age 42, born North Carolina,
Ellen Gant, Wife, age 35, b. Tennessee,
James Gant, Son, age 20, b. Tennessee,
Jane Gant, Daughter, age 17, b. Tennessee,
John Gant, Son, age 15, b. Tennessee,
Lee Gant, Son, age 13, b. Tennessee,
Georgia Gant, Daughter, age 9, b. Tennessee,
Luella Gant, Daughter, age 7, b. Tennessee,
Brody Gant, Son, age 5, b. Tennessee,
Charles Gant, Son, age 3, b. Tennessee,

Record Source:
"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDWX-178 : 15 July 2017), Henry Gant, District 14, Sumner, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district ED 220, sheet 224B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1282; FHL microfilm 1,255,282.

John Lee Gant was their third son and the fourth child. He was born on August 12, 1867, in Sumner County, Tennessee.

According to a family story, after his father's death (Henry died after 1880 in TN) John was raised by his father's younger brother John, called "Big John", (b. 1846, NC) and his wife Nancy nee Kirkham (b. 1847 TN). The same story tells that the uncle, the aunt, and John did not get on well (the carers mistreated John ? - he never talked about that during his adult life). Anyway, therefore John ran away from the foster home at the age of 17.

Together with his cousin Andrew Morgan Gant, John moved to Texas. The cousins started their journey in Gallatin County, Tennessee - they traveled on a wagon in a wagon trail for 686 miles. Finally, they got to Collin County, Texas, where both of them settled.

On 3 January 1892, John married Rachael Clementine Brown (nee Howard). They had seven surviving children. The Census records of 1900* and 1920** inform that John, Rachael and their children lived in Justice Precinct 5 (west part), Plano, Collin County, TX. John was a farmer, Rachael took care of the home and kids.

On March 25 1920, John Lee got seriously ill. A doctor attended him for 19 days.

According to the information included in the death certificate, he suffered from accute hemorrhage encephalitis (a serious brain condition).

Five days before John's departure, the medic also stated influenza. The brain bleeding which occurred first could have been related to influenza. Perhaps, it was a seperate condition or one was caused because the other. It could have been the Influenza which had been a pandemic a year earlier as well.

John Lee Gant

John Lee Gant passed away in his house (which was 4 miles west of Plano) on April 11, 1920, at 6:20 PM, in their home in Plano (Rachael was 54 then).

The death certificate*** was signed by Rachael and John's daughter Victoria. The burial was organized on April 12 by Harrington Funeral Home, represented by Mr. E R Harrington. John Lee  was buried at Odd Fellows cemetery in Plano. 

John Lee - member of the Plano lodge of Odd Fellows

The obituary published in "Plano Star Courier" on 16 April 1920 informs that John Lee was "one of the best citizens" of Plano, an honest, kind and respectable man, a member of the Christian church. John Lee's funeral was served by Rev. E.B. Jackson of Allen. Since John also belonged to the Plano lodge of Odd Fellows - the members of the lodge performed the society ceremony which was beautiful and impressive.

Credits:

*Record
"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3L3-PSB : accessed 3 May 2018), John L Gant, Justice Precinct 5 (west part) Plano town, Collin, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 16, sheet 18A, family 350, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,621.
**Record
"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCMS-NPJ : accessed 3 May 2018), John L Gant, Justice Precinct 5, Collin, Texas, United States; citing ED 24, sheet 9A, line 18, family 182, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1789; FHL microfilm 1,821,789.
*** Death Record
"Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZDZ-9H1 : 24 May 2014), Lee Gant, 11 Apr 1920; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2006); citing certificate number 13061, Collin, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin.

Picture of the gravestone: mystic75074 

UPDATE

John Lee's Obituary

Clipping Source:

The Plano Star-Courier (Plano, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 9, Ed. 1 Friday, April 16, 1920, newspaper, April 16, 1920; Plano, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth570602/: accessed August 23, 2018), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Collin County Genealogical Society.