Archive for March, 2014
#52 Ancestors – No. 13 – Phyllis Budny, Inmate at Good Shephard
Posted by Caroll in Genealogy, Polish Genealogy on March 30, 2014
This post is number 13 in the series of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. The learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy’s website.
There are a lot of half truths, cover-ups and lies in my Budny family. It stems from hiding the shame of probably being abandoned by the patriarch, Adam Budny in 1917, and Stanley Budny’s criminal ways and shocking death in 1927 . Phyllis Budny is my grandfather’s sister. Born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1906, to Adam and Mary (Borucki) Budny. At 15, she married Lawerence Herman on June 12, 1922, in Detroit, MI. She and Lawrence only had one child before divorcing by 1930. She remarried later to Maurice Haggerty.
The story goes that Phyllis went a little crazy and maybe that runs in the family as to why there was not a lot of information passed down. In truth, Phyllis was quite emotional as she mostly likely would be as her son was listed as missing in action during World War II. Her son, Chester, will turn 90 in a few weeks, by the way.
Phyllis is the only Budny family member I can find in the 1920 Census. Under the name, Phyllis Budna, she is listed as an “Inmate” at the House of the Good Shephard in Detroit. The Good Shephard was a catholic asylum who’s purpose was to “restore fallen women to the path of virtue and to protect young girls who are liable to temptation from unfavorable surroundings”. Phyllis’s only crime was being poor.
The English language can be complex. The term “inmate” at this time refers to residing at a institution, not strictly being a person in prison or jail. Though I have a feeling that is what it felt like. Phyllis did not like the conditions and ran away as soon as she could and got married.
The family was very poor after her father, Adam, disappeared. Her mother was either doing sewing or laundry work in the 1920’s to survive. Which is not enough to support seven children. Most of the children were farmed out or placed in institutions. Her sister, Frances, about 15, is hiding from authorities so she doesn’t get placed in a home. Frances gets married in 1920, a few months after the census is taken.
Their brother, Stanley, was a petty thief bringing in money to try to get the family back together. He also used a couple of aliases along the way and once served time at Jackson State Prison in Michigan. I think the family was very wary of interacting with government authorities back in the day.
So Phyllis is in the clear. Stanley did his “time.”
#52 Ancestors – No. 12 – The start of the Roll surname
This post is number 12 in the series of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year. The learn more about the 52 Ancestor Challenge visit Amy’s website.
The extra “l” in my first name, Caroll, came from my grandmother’s “Roll” surname. It was my mother’s way of paying homage to the family name. I wrote about Oliver Cromwell Roll in in #52 Ancestors post #7. The Roll name is a variation of “Rol” and comes from my 8th great-grandfather is, Jan Mangelsen (Rol).
Jan Mangelsen came from the Netherlands (Holland) to New Amsterdam (New York) in the mid-1650’s. His name, Mangelsen, is a Dutch patronymic meaning, Jan, son of Mangels. It is alleged that Jan’s father or grandfather was a Burgomaster named Jan Mangels of Rol. Surnames were not common in the past, they became a necessity to distinguish who was who as populations grew. People of wealth or status were the first to start passing down last names to their children.
Jan Mangelsen children started to use a variant of “Rol” as their last names. Some of the variations include, Roll, Rol, Ral or Rall, Rool. Later descendents use Mangelrol as a last name. My branch settled on “Roll”.
My Roll Lineage
Jan MANGELSEN & Tryntje Pieters VAN WOGGELUM
→Mangel Jansen ROL & Annetje Hendriex VOLCX / VOLCK/ VOLKERTS
→→Jan Mangelse ROLL & Altje BAS
→→→Johannes ROLL & Mary NEVIS
→→→→Michael ROLL & Christina VOUGHT (VAUGHT)
→→→→→Isaac ROLL & Elizabeth Wier
→→→→→→David W. ROLL & Catherine Traylor GUY
→→→→→→→Oliver C. ROLL & Mabel PITTMAN
→→→→→→→→Olive ROLL & Hugh HOWES
My great-grandfather Oliver C. Roll did not have sons. My first name is the last remnant of the this twig.
#52 Ancestors – No. 11 – William Hammond
Posted by Caroll in Uncategorized on March 16, 2014
This post is number 11 in the series of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year.
My first ancestor to arrive in North America was my 10th great grandfather, William Hammond (1575-1662). He left Bristol, England aboard the ship “Lyon” in 1631 for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He made several trips back and forth to England to bring his family to the new world. His daughter, Elizabeth Hammond arrived a few months before her future husband, Samuel House (Howes), in 1634.
Disclaimer
I have not done a detail research on William Hammond. My search has been limited to the Pioneers of Massachusetts and/or The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
I did come across a very interesting blog by Jeanie Roberts on William Hammond’s life history. Jeanie writes The Family Connection. Click on William Hammond to read her post on the Hammond family. Even back in the early 1600’s, people were fleeing bankruptcy, taking a risky chance for a new start. I need to check with Jeanie to see where we may be related or if there is a DNA match between us.
William died in 1662 at Watertown, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Elizabeth Paine, outlived most of their children. I am descended through his daughter Elizabeth Hammond.
Bits of Thread
William Hammond was from Lavenham, Suffolk, England. Lavenham was part of the wool trade that brought riches to England in the 15th & 16th centuries. Unfortunately, the linen and wool trade industry collapsed around 1600. Facing ruin, loss of jobs, many individuals and families to left Old England for “New England” in the early-mid 1600’s.
The manor of Lavenham existed before the Norman Conquest. The manor was once owned by Aubrey de Vere (the first) in 1086. Later in history, this de Vere family line became the Earls of Oxford. Allegedly, de Vere is the origin of the family name “Weir”. Bill Weir states in his article on the Weir Family name that a descendent of Aubrey de Vere pledged his allegiance to Scotland in the 1100’s.
I am also descended from a family of Scots-Irish Weir’s on my mother’s side. Could it be possible that my family tree intertwines in Lavenham? Maybe all these threads can be woven into a tapestry of my lineage.
#52 Ancestors – No. 10 – John Lothrop
Posted by Caroll in Genealogy, Genealogy Blog on March 9, 2014
This post is number 10 in the series of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year.
Precious Family Heirlooms
I always wanted that family heirloom pass down for generations to proudly show off on Antiques Roadshow. Well folks, that’s not going to happen. At best, I own a 1885 tintype of a relative. However, one of my ancestors historic home and bible from the mid 1600’s still exists today.
My 9th great grandfather, Samuel House, brother-in-law was the Reverend John Lothrop (Lathrop). The Lothrop’s and House’s, fleeing religious persecution in England, sailed to the new Plymouth Colony in 1634. Eventually they established the town of Barnstable, MA.
John built his house there in 1645. That house was incorporated into a later house built by descendent William Sturgis. It is now called the Sturgis Library. Wikipedia states that The Sturgis Library in Barnstable, Massachusetts is the oldest building that houses a public library in America.
The library displays the bible John Lothrop brought with him from England. Wickedyankee Blog wrote an interesting piece about the bible being burned on the voyage to the new world.
Samuel House most likely touched that bible and walked in that house while he was alive. From now on, I am going to proudly boast that my family heirlooms go back to the 1600’s and are displayed for all to see.
If you are a descendent of the Lothrop’s or House’s (Howes) make sure you visit the Sturgis Library in Barnstable, MA. I myself have added this historic city to my bucket list.
Sources: Sturgis Library, Barnstable, MA
Disclaimer: I do not own the photographs on the page. Photos are from from the WickedYankee blog and wikimedia.
#52 Ancestors – No. 9 – John T. Pittman
Posted by Caroll in 52 Ancestors, Uncategorized on March 2, 2014
This post is number 9 in the series of the 52 Ancestors Challenge where a group of us blog about a different ancestor for each week of the year.
John Thomas Pittman is my second great-grandfather. John outlived both his brides. Born in 1863 to Issac N. Pittman and Rachel Maranda Fortney, he passed away at age 93 in 1956. My Pittman or Pitman line, are the Scots-Irish who originally settled in the Orange County, North Carolina in the mid 1750’s. The family migrated toward Kentucky in the early 1800s.
At the age of 22, John Thomas married 14 year old Josephine K. Woodburn. I wrote about her in subject No. 2 of this series, Josephine Woodburn Pittman. Josephine died 1893. John must have had some help raising his three young daughters during that time. But I have no family stories to tell. Seven years after Josehpine’s death. John met and married 29 year-old, Ella Belle McDowell in 1900.
They went on to have four children of their own, Tena, Clarence, Hugh, and Finis. Finis supposedly got his name as he was going to be the last child. Through 1900 to 1920, John mostly works in coal related industries. On the 1920 Census, he is listed as a Farm Manager. The family struggles during the depression area in the late 1920’s, early 1930’s. John is 66 and not working, according to the 1930 Census record.
His daughter Tena, is still single at 29, and living at home according to the 1930 Census. The 1940 Census indicates that all John’s and Ella’s children have returned home and are enumerated together. Two of the sons, Clarence and Finis are in the late 30’s and single. Hugh is divorced. His wife, Ella, passed away in 1936 at the age of 65.
My grandmother, Olive Roll, mentioned that John T. Pittman was a hard man. The girls from his first marriage all left the house before the age of 18, never to return because of this.
From old family photos, Olive and my grandfather, Hugh A. Howes, visited her grandfather John from time to time. I have a photo of her and Finis. Photos showing my mom and Aunt Tena at John’s house in Kentucky. A letter that Finis wrote to my Grandmother about his life. It’s a response to a letter my grandmother wrote to him about a possible family burial plot.
I am not sure if my great-grandmother, Mable, John’s daughter from his first marriage visited her father, after she moved to Michigan. If there are photos, they didn’t get passed down. And, so the stories and memories are gone also.
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