Expect the blog to be less active for the next two weeks while we work on some new content for you! Expect new articles to be posted regularly on Tuesday mornings beginning again April 5th. For now, check out these family history and genealogy stories that have been in the news recently.
Genealogy: A lot of hard work digging around in the past The Blade
What genealogy can teach us about ourselves The Tampa Tribune
Dig a little deeper in documents to find genealogy gold NJ.com
Cyndi’s List celebrates 20 years The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
How common is royal ancestry?
I am a true American mixed breed. I have traced ancestors from 30+ countries of origin and probably have not yet discovered them all! At first I was embarrassed because I couldn't say "oh, I'm French" or "Yes, I'm Scottish," but you have to work with the hand you're dealt and mine is a mixed bag. Is that enough cliches for you?
If you are an American with any European heritage, chances are you have ancestors from several European countries. I have been fortunate enough to stumble across several noble and royal lines in my research that have helped me to find ancestors that date back several centuries. Granted, I still have twentieth century ancestors whose lives and origins remain a mystery as well!
All of the above is my way of saying that many of us have these hidden "noble" and "royal" lines if we are able to make connections and follow leads. Royal ancestry is a much debated topic among genealogists. Some researchers value finding a royal ancestor, but others argue that though most people with Western European ancestry are descended from William the Conqueror, it is just as likely that you also descend from his groomsman.
One reason so many genealogists are able to locate and prove royal ancestry is the simple fact that royal and noble lines kept better records of their lineage while poor, often illiterate lay people did not.
To learn more about your own potential royal background, take a look at these posts and articles:
Are you descended from royalty? Who Do You Think You Are Magazine
Do you have royal blood? Your last name may tell you. Ancestry Blog
Charlemagne's DNA and our universal royalty National Geographic
One reason so many genealogists are able to locate and prove royal ancestry is the simple fact that royal and noble lines kept better records of their lineage while poor, often illiterate lay people did not.
To learn more about your own potential royal background, take a look at these posts and articles:
Are you descended from royalty? Who Do You Think You Are Magazine
Do you have royal blood? Your last name may tell you. Ancestry Blog
Charlemagne's DNA and our universal royalty National Geographic
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Family History Case Study: Guthrie Family Group Sheet
As a companion piece to February 9th's "Ancestor of the Day" Elsie Alice Walton Guthrie, here is the family group information for Elsie and William Hugh Guthrie:
Husband
Full name: William Hugh Guthrie
Born: 29 Apr 1886, Freedom, Owen County, Indiana, USA
Married: Abt 1918
Died:19 Nov 1967, Pacific Grove, Monterrey County, California, USA
Buried: Mission Memorial Park, Seaside, Monterrey, California, USA
Father's name: John Adam Guthrie
Born: 23 September 1854, Coschocton, Ohio, USA
Died: 19 April 1929, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Mother's name: Mary Catherine Kent
Born: 17 October 1856, Indiana, USA
Died: 10 July 1934, Tolono, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Other marriages: First marriage to Ethel Unknown at least from 1908-1915
Children from first marriage:
1. William Henry Guthrie (abt 1908, Indiana, USA)
2. Branch Guthrie (abt 1912, Illinois, USA)
3. Evert Guthrie (abt 1915, Indiana, USA)
Wife
Full name: Elsie Alice Walton
Born: 22 May 1895, Chicago Heights, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Died: 23 April 1933, Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois, USA
Buried: Riverside Cemetery, Mahomet, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Cause of death: Blood poisoning
Father's name: Adolph Robert Walton
Born: 21 June 1861, Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Died: 8 May 1925, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Mother's name: Bertha Catherine Borst
Born: 25 October 1876, Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Died: 15 December 1906, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Children
1. Goldia "Goldie" Marie Guthrie
Born: 15 January 1919, Raymond, Rice, Kansas, USA
Married: Floyd "Jack" Davis on 21 June 1936 at Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Died: 15 September 2004, Niles, Berrien, Michigan, USA
Buried: Mission Hills Memorial Garden, Cassopolis, Cass, Michigan, USA
2. Cleota E. Guthrie
Born: 15 March 1921, Raymond, Rice, Kansas, USA
Married: ? Shounk
Died: 12 November 1989, Urbana, Champaign, Illinois, USA
3. Eunice A. Guthrie
Born: 1924, Illinois, USA
4. Floyd Guthrie
Born: 1926, Illinois, USA
Husband
Full name: William Hugh Guthrie
Born: 29 Apr 1886, Freedom, Owen County, Indiana, USA
Married: Abt 1918
Died:19 Nov 1967, Pacific Grove, Monterrey County, California, USA
Buried: Mission Memorial Park, Seaside, Monterrey, California, USA
Father's name: John Adam Guthrie
Born: 23 September 1854, Coschocton, Ohio, USA
Died: 19 April 1929, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Mother's name: Mary Catherine Kent
Born: 17 October 1856, Indiana, USA
Died: 10 July 1934, Tolono, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Other marriages: First marriage to Ethel Unknown at least from 1908-1915
Children from first marriage:
1. William Henry Guthrie (abt 1908, Indiana, USA)
2. Branch Guthrie (abt 1912, Illinois, USA)
3. Evert Guthrie (abt 1915, Indiana, USA)
Wife
Full name: Elsie Alice Walton
Born: 22 May 1895, Chicago Heights, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Died: 23 April 1933, Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois, USA
Buried: Riverside Cemetery, Mahomet, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Cause of death: Blood poisoning
Father's name: Adolph Robert Walton
Born: 21 June 1861, Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Died: 8 May 1925, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Mother's name: Bertha Catherine Borst
Born: 25 October 1876, Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Died: 15 December 1906, Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Children
1. Goldia "Goldie" Marie Guthrie
Born: 15 January 1919, Raymond, Rice, Kansas, USA
Married: Floyd "Jack" Davis on 21 June 1936 at Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
Died: 15 September 2004, Niles, Berrien, Michigan, USA
Buried: Mission Hills Memorial Garden, Cassopolis, Cass, Michigan, USA
2. Cleota E. Guthrie
Born: 15 March 1921, Raymond, Rice, Kansas, USA
Married: ? Shounk
Died: 12 November 1989, Urbana, Champaign, Illinois, USA
3. Eunice A. Guthrie
Born: 1924, Illinois, USA
4. Floyd Guthrie
Born: 1926, Illinois, USA
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Ancestor of the Day: Moses Ruyle (1780 - 1864)
Moses Ruyle is Donica's 5th Great Grandfather. Her descent from Moses is as follows:
Moses Ruyle was born April 10, 1780 in Hampshire County, Virginia. He is often cited as the son of Henry Ruyle (1715 -1790), and his mother is identified as Catharine (1735 - 1810). Moses was the tenth of twelve children born to Henry and Catharine, their children are as follows:
"I leave and bequeath unto my sons John Ruyle, Solomon Ruyle, Moses Ruyle, Aaron Ruyle, and Peter Ruyle the plantation and land whereon I now live, with its appurtenances to be equally dividing it in such manner as my son Peter Ruyle, being the youngest may have the cleared the land that now is, to my said sons, their heirs and assigns forever...
Also it is my will and desire that the remainder of Stock of Cattle and Sheep undisposed shall go to the use of raising and Schooling my sons Solomon, Moses, Aaron and Peter they being the youngest, except in the case my som John Ruyle should make a crop or two on the plantation in order to support the family he is to have part of said Stock as a recompense for his labor and care...
I lastly constitute, nominate and appoint my wife Catharine Ruyle and my son John
Ruyle to be Executrix and Executor to this my last will and Testament. In Testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal this 16th day of Feburary, Anno Domini 1790.
Signed, Sealed, published and delaired by the said Henry Ruyle to be and
contained his last will and testament.
Wit. N. Phillips, Jno. Cravens, Edward Jones
Proved: 1790 July"
During the decade after his father's death, Moses lost two older sisters, Magdalene (d. 1792) and Margaret (d. 1794).
Moses married first Mary Goldston (1778 - 1809) in Sumner County, Tennessee in 1804. The couple had at least three children: Mary Jane (b. abt 1805), Catherine (1805 - 1850) and Moses Ruyle, Jr. (1807 - 1808) who died in infancy. Mary died during the winter of 1808 or 1809 and the cause of her death is unclear, though most likely related to childbirth given her age and birth of her last child.
As was customary in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Moses remarried soon after the death of his first wife, this time to Elisabeth Kizer (1788 - 1851) on May 19, 1809 in Sumner County, Tennessee. Moses's second marriage produced nine children as follows:
Moses Ruyle (1780 - 1864)
Andrew Ruyle (1814 - 1897)
John Ruyle (1852 - 1937)
Della Ruyle (1890 - 1954)
Floyd Davis (1911 - 1992)
Floyd's daughter
Her son
Donica
Moses Ruyle was born April 10, 1780 in Hampshire County, Virginia. He is often cited as the son of Henry Ruyle (1715 -1790), and his mother is identified as Catharine (1735 - 1810). Moses was the tenth of twelve children born to Henry and Catharine, their children are as follows:
Henry (1753 - 1840s)
Andrew (1756 - 1840s)
Mary (1758 - 1840s)
Magdalene (1760 - 1792)
John (1761 - 1842)
Margaret (1764 - 1794)
Elizabeth (1768 - 1851)
Catherine Celia (1770 - 1868)
Solomon (1777 - 1847)
Moses (1780 - 1864)
Aaron (1781 - 1849)
Peter (1783 -1869)
By the time Moses was born, his elder siblings were in their twenties and the family had lived in Hampshire, Virginia for decades. At the time of his birth, the colony was one of four fighting for Independence during the American Revolutionary War.
Sometime between 1783 and 1790, the family relocated to Sumner County, Tennessee. Shortly after the move, Moses's father, Henry Ruyle died in 1790, when Moses was just 10 years old. Below are the paragraphs from Henry's Last Will and Testament that pertain to Moses:
Possibly the only surviving print of Moses Ruyle, ca. 1860
Also it is my will and desire that the remainder of Stock of Cattle and Sheep undisposed shall go to the use of raising and Schooling my sons Solomon, Moses, Aaron and Peter they being the youngest, except in the case my som John Ruyle should make a crop or two on the plantation in order to support the family he is to have part of said Stock as a recompense for his labor and care...
I lastly constitute, nominate and appoint my wife Catharine Ruyle and my son John
Ruyle to be Executrix and Executor to this my last will and Testament. In Testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal this 16th day of Feburary, Anno Domini 1790.
Signed, Sealed, published and delaired by the said Henry Ruyle to be and
contained his last will and testament.
Wit. N. Phillips, Jno. Cravens, Edward Jones
Proved: 1790 July"
During the decade after his father's death, Moses lost two older sisters, Magdalene (d. 1792) and Margaret (d. 1794).
Moses married first Mary Goldston (1778 - 1809) in Sumner County, Tennessee in 1804. The couple had at least three children: Mary Jane (b. abt 1805), Catherine (1805 - 1850) and Moses Ruyle, Jr. (1807 - 1808) who died in infancy. Mary died during the winter of 1808 or 1809 and the cause of her death is unclear, though most likely related to childbirth given her age and birth of her last child.
Marriage bond for Moses Ruyle and Elisabeth Kizer
As was customary in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Moses remarried soon after the death of his first wife, this time to Elisabeth Kizer (1788 - 1851) on May 19, 1809 in Sumner County, Tennessee. Moses's second marriage produced nine children as follows:
Austin (1810 - 1879)
Emily (1811 - 1910)
Elvira Ella (1812 - 1909)
Andrew (1814 - 1897)
Polly (1815 - 1896)
Sarah (1817 -1858)
Washington (1818 - 1907)
Parlee Ann (1820 - 1893)
Henry (1822 - 1913)
Littleton (1824 - 1871)
All of Moses and Elisabeth's children were born in Tennessee. According to family sources, Moses moved to Macoupin County, Illinois in 1829. Near the end of his life, Moses had relocated to Greene County, Illinois and was living with his youngest daughter, Parley Ann and her husband, Washington Hix. Moses Ruyle died in Scottsville, Macoupin, Illinois, USA on April 10, 1864 and is buried on what was his own property, now known as the Ruyle Cemetery in Scottsville, Macoupin, Illinois.
Moses Ruyle's headstone in Scottsville, Macoupin, Illinois
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