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
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