Brave and True - A Namesake

     One of the earliest lessons learned in genealogical research was paying close attention to people's names. Naming patterns, middle names - these can be good clues to understanding the person you are researching. 

    Middle names frequently point to a mother's maiden name or some other family name. But not always. I encountered a really odd middle name once. I was sure it must have been a family surname but found no proof that it was. And then I looked at a plat map for the neighborhood - and right next door lived a man with that last name. That told me something about the friendship between the two families.

    Often the same names keep cropping up like people named after the evangelist Lorenzo Dow. But recently, I came across Elmer Ellsworth McClaran. This name seemed to come out of the blue - there was no other Elmer in the family, no connection to an Elsworth family that I could find. And then I found the probable connection.

    Elmer Elsworth McClaran was born in 1877 in Henry County, Iowa. It turns out, he was likely named after Elmer Ellsworth, the first Union officer casualty of the Civil War. Elmer Ellsworth was a friend of Abraham Lincoln, studying law with him in Springfield, Illinois. His death on 24 May 1861 was publicized throughout the country with the slogan "Remember Ellsworth." He even had a song written for him -- Brave Men, Behold Your Fallen Chief by H.C. Ballard and J.P. Webster, written in 1862. The song starts out:

"Dead! Dead! Dead at the dawning of the strife! Dead! Dead! and late so loyal, brave and true; When high hopes center'd in his life, And fond eyes had his fame in view, Ellsworth, Ellsworth, Ellsworth, the noble, brave and true. Ellsworth, Ellsworth, Dear departed, brave and true."

     As genealogists, we never know where our search will take us. By following the names, we can often learn what was important to our families.

NOTE: A copy of the sheet music can be found at: 

http://alplm-cdi.com/chroniclingillinois/items/show/22839

Family Legends

     There are two family legends I grew up hearing. The first was that our family came west with Daniel Boone. The second was that someone in the family killed the last Native American in southern Illinois. One to be proud of and one not so much. Through the years I've kept these two legends in the back of my mind, wondering if there was truth to either one.

   It turns out that there are nuggets of truth in the Daniel Boone rumor. First, there may have been confusion about a man named John Rains, an early Tennessee settler and comrade of Daniel. There are several John Rains in my family who settled in Tennessee and it's possible there is some distant relationship. However, my John Rains was not the famous John Rains. 

    Some of my family followed Daniel Boone's trail as they moved wast. There are several places where they could have been in the same place around the same time. My daughter-in-law has a closer connection. Her family was at Strode's Station. Built by John Strode who was related to Daniel Boone's wife, the station was about 10 miles from Fort Boonesborough.  It turns out my son married into the legend.

    The second family legend has no basis in truth that I can find. I do have family who moved into southern Illinois very early but most of the Native Americans had moved on by the time they got there. The Trail of Tears came near their homes but there is no evidence of any incident. This is such an odd family legend that I wonder how it got started? Did it start a long time ago when people in the area still feared and hated Native Americans? Was it some boast made in jest or over one too many drinks? This is one family legend that I am happy to discard.

    Sometimes family legends can be true or partially true. But family legends can be like the game of telephone. They start out as one thing and by the time they get to the end, they have morphed into something entirely different. 

Beginnings

    Every year I think about participating in Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks blogging challenge and every year life gets in the way. But I'm hoping this year will be different. This post is the "beginning" of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. (We'll see how long I can last.)

    I've been researching for more than 40 years and every day seems like a beginning. Every day I learn something new, every day I stumble on an unknown website. and every day I learn a new piece of information about someone I'm researching. Sometimes these facts take me right back to the beginning again and sometimes they propel me forward.

    My genealogical journey started when I took a class through the local school district. I was in class while everyone else in America was at home watching Roots. I had a good teacher who got me started on the right foot. I had majored in History in college and genealogy helped me understand what I learned in college. 

    I've continued to learn. This week is the beginning of my 2021 education, participating in NGSQ study groups - reading and dissecting Q articles. And next week is the beginning of 2021 SLIG - Advanced Methods. Normally I'd be finishing up my laundry about now and packing my suitcase for a trip to Salt Lake City and research time in the Family History Library. While I'm sad to not be able to do that this year, I am excited to be able to take TWO SLIG courses and a SLIG Academy course.

    Each new course, each new article, each new webinar, each new conference, each new blog post -- these are all beginnings of a new adventure in learning.